New York Affordable Housing Conference

Anita Laremont advises clients on various land use, zoning, and development matters. Anita has worked with numerous large-scale economic development and land-use projects in New York City and throughout the state. Prior to joining Fried Frank, Anita was the Chair of the New York City Planning Commission and Director of the Department of City Planning, having previously served as its general counsel and executive director. She also served for many years as general counsel of Empire State Development Corporation. Anita received her JD from New York University School of Law in 1979 and her BA, magna cum laude, from Mount Holyoke College in 1976. She is admitted to practice in New York.

Sergey’s lifelong passion has always been to build. He founded RYBAK Development immediately after graduating from New York University, starting the company from scratch while continuing his real estate development education as a post-grad. What began with a modest 6 unit condominium property in South Brooklyn has evolved over the years into a trend-setting, industry-leading firm, with Sergey staying hands-on throughout each and every project. During that span, Sergey has managed the construction of Brooklyn’s largest multi-sporting facility, featured as an Industry Executive of the Month by New York Real Estate Journal, and managed RYBAK Development’s growth while keeping the firm agile to increase profits, not overhead. As a RYBAK Principal, Sergey personally guarantees all project completions and project debt where applicable.

Yuri Geylik is the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Residential Incentives at MGNY Consulting - a leading property tax advisory firm. Yuri pioneered MGNY’s trademark all-around system of qualifying large development projects for Affordable New York Housing program (also known as the “new 421-a”) by combining affordable housing marketing expertise with skilled navigation of the 35-year tax exemption qualification process. Yuri has represented developers of all sizes throughout the five boroughs in qualifying for tax exemptions and abatements, such as J-51, 421a, coop/condo abatement, not-for-profit exemption and others. He also oversees the Affordable Housing department responsible for managing the HPD lottery as well as marketing and lease-up for hundreds of income-restricted units.

Brett J. Gottlieb is partner in Herrick's Real Estate Department where he represents real estate owners, lessees and developers in the application process for New York City’s real property tax incentives including 421-a, ICIP/ICAP and FRESH. Brett counsels clients regarding their property tax benefit applications with respect to project eligibility, benefit calculation, benefit planning and implementation of the exemption or abatement of real property tax in the City of New York. For the Industrial Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP), Brett counsels owners, developers, architects and contractors on the ICAP Rules and Law pertaining to applications submitted to the New York City Department of Finance. Additionally, he advises on the Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority/Women Business Owned Enterprise (M/WBE) requirements included within Executive Order 50 of 1980, Executive Order 94 of 1986, Local Law 67 of 2008 and Local Law 102 of 2018 as they pertain to ICAP project before the Department of Small Business Services, Division of Labor Services. Brett's experience with the 421-a Partial Tax Exemption Program and its successor Affordable New York (421-a(16)) includes counseling clients on project eligibility, rent stabilization, dwelling unit stacking, affordable unit proportionality, building measurement, benefit planning and calculation. Brett assists owners and managing agents with the submission of initial and annual rent registrations to the Division of Homes & Community Renewal (DHCR). For the FRESH Program, he counsels clients on the tax incentive benefit, core application submission, benefit calculations and various program requirements and restrictions. Brett also prepares attorney opinion letters including tax projections for ICAP, 421-a and FRESH. He also counsels lenders and purchasers as part of the due diligence and underwriting and underwriting requirements. He counsels both landlords and tenants with regards to property tax incentive clauses in leases. Before joining Herrick, Brett was a partner at Tuchman, Weiss, Liebman & Lindemann, LLP.

Jorge has been with Lisa Management for over 10 years. Prior to becoming President in 2019, Jorge led the Leasing and Marketing department through many leasing cycles and four successful new development lease-ups. Under his tenure as President, Lisa Management was designated as a Property Manager for NYCHA’s PACT Round 8 Boulevard Houses, was recognized as one of the best small businesses to work for in New York City, and successfully completed the re-syndication of a 550-unit LIHTC preservation project. Jorge has a bachelor’s degree in Finance and a master’s degree in Accounting from St. John’s University. He is a proud supporter and prior participant of the Coro Foundation’s Leadership New York Program.

Kyle Kolesar is a Senior Vice President and East Team Leader for Community Development Lending. Kyle is currently based in NYC and oversees originations for the Affordable Housing team of KeyBank Real Estate Capital focused on the Eastern Region. The group is responsible for originating financing for affordable housing projects utilizing balance sheet debt and equity, agency commercial mortgages through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA, Private Placements as well as delivering core banking products to clients. Kyle joined KeyBank Real Estate Capital in 2011 and in his time at Key has gained cross-disciplinary experience in management, originations, underwriting, asset management and loan servicing as it relates to Multifamily Real Estate Finance and the Affordable Housing industry. Prior to joining Key, Kyle worked in a variety of environments in the real estate and housing field. Kyle is a native of Northeast Ohio and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The University of Akron where he majored in Finance with a Real Estate Specialization. He currently serves on the Board of Village Capital Corporation, a Cleveland-based nonprofit focused on providing community development financing and capacity building in Northeast Ohio

Bryan Dickson is a Senior Managing Director on the NewPoint originations team; he specializes in affordable housing. He has over 20 years of experience in multifamily originations, underwriting and asset management. Dickson is based in Washington, D.C., and is responsible for affordable housing lending across NewPoint’s Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA/HUD and proprietary programs. Before joining NewPoint in 2021, he was a Director at Citi Community Capital for nine-plus years in the Mid-Atlantic office focused on affordable multifamily lending throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Previously, Dickson spent 11 years at Freddie Mac, with seven of those years as a Producer in the Affordable Sales and Investments group. He has also held positions at Illinois Housing Development Authority and Berkshire Mortgage Finance, both in Chicago. Dickson has worked on many complicated and high-profile affordable housing transactions around the county throughout his career. Dickson holds both a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and an MBA in Real Estate Development from The George Washington University. He has held Series 53, 52 and 63 FINRA municipal securities licenses.

Daniel M. Bernstein joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2017 and is a member and leader of the firm's Tax Incentives & Affordable Housing Department. Mr. Bernstein's practice involves affordable housing and urban development issues in New York, obtaining property tax exemptions and abatements (new and old 421-a, ICAP/ICIP, 420-c, 420-a, J-51, Article XI, etc.), development rights bonuses and incentives / zoning requirements (Voluntary and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, FRESH program, Zoning for Quality and Affordability) for New York City projects. Mr. Bernstein is experienced in the assessment and taxation of real property in New York, as well as acquisition, financing, leasing, Declarations of Condominium, and condominium offering plans. Mr. Bernstein also has extensive experience helping real estate developers obtain economic incentives for their residential, commercial, or mixed-use projects.

Aaron Koffman leads Hudson's affordable housing pipeline and portfolio. Aaron relishes the challenge of putting Hudson's best feet forward on public and private competitions for development sites and building lasting partnerships with public, private and non-profit organizations. Aaron is continually inspired by his Hudson colleagues and loves working to bring transformative mixed-use developments like La Central, The Peninsula, BEC II and Greenpoint Hospital to reality. Aaron is a New York State Volunteer Firefighter who earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UC Berkeley and his Master of City Planning from MIT. Aaron also serves on the NYC Waterfront Management Advisory Board as well as the Board of the NYU Furman Center, Coro New York, and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. He remains a diehard Los Angeles Lakers and Angels fan.

Real Estate: Affordable Housing Acquisitions, Asset Management, Dispositions and Portfolio Management

Ms. Rakowski practices administrative law, with concentrations in representing property owners/buyers in rent regulation, development of rent regulated property, Certificates of Non-Harassment/NYC Pilot Program, Single Room Occupancy/Hotel Stabilization, NYC Loft Law and human rights. Ms. Rakowski represents property sellers, buyers and lenders in connection with rent regulatory due diligence and affordable housing issues. She has represented owners in numerous proceedings before the New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal, New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, New York City Environmental Control Board, New York City Department of Buildings, New York City Commission on Human Rights, New York State Division of Human Rights, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the New York State Public Service Commission. She has also represented owners in litigation challenging determinations made by these agencies. Ms. Rakowski has conducted numerous anti-discrimination training sessions for clients and their staff in connection with NYC and NYS human rights compliance. She has a broad knowledge of and has advised many owners regarding their compliance with city, state and federal lead-paint regulations and HEFPA. Ms. Rakowski is a graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She is a member of the New York Bar and is admitted to practice in the Southern and Eastern District Courts of New York. Ms. Rakowski is a member of the Advisory Board for CHIP. She has lectured at seminars for CHIP and REBNY, as well as private organizations on issues concerning rent stabilization and rent control, anti-harassment, Anti-discrimination and ADA/Fair Housing compliance, and rent regulatory due diligence, affordable housing, Certificates of No Harassment, and NYC Pilot Program. In addition, she is a contributing columnist for Mann Report Management, and has been quoted in articles in publications such as the NY Times and the Commercial Observer. Ms. Rakowski was named as one of the top 100 women attorneys in NYC in Crain’s 2018 Inaugural List. She has most recently been recognized as a 2023 Notable Woman of Law by Crain’s New York Business for her outstanding professional and civic achievements.

Mr. Baydala has 36 years of experience in commercial real estate industries, is located in New York, NY and is responsible for originations. Mr. Baydala was previously an Executive Vice President with Meridian Capital Group, LLC (“MCG”) where he launched an institutional advisory platform principally focused on buy and sell-side syndication advisory related to large commercial mortgage loans. Prior to joining MCG, Mr. Baydala was a Senior Vice President, Commercial Real Estate Banking, at Anglo Irish Bank where he established and managed Anglo’s North American Syndication Desk focusing on A-note, B-Note and mezzanine positions for domestic and international capital providers. Prior to Anglo Irish, Mr. Baydala was a Senior Vice President / Senior Investment Officer with Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. / Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC where he originated, structured and closed high yield mezzanine, preferred equity and senior debt transactions with nationally-based developers and owners. During his tenure at Arbor, Mr. Baydala also served as Chief Underwriter and Credit Committee Chair for Arbor’s Fannie Mae “DUS” and HUD multifamily lending programs. Mr. Baydala earned a B.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from St. Bonaventure University and is a designated member of the Counselors of Real Estate (“CRE”).

Bryan Kelly joined Gotham in 2016 as Executive Vice President, Development, where he leads the Gotham Development division, including oversight of the acquisition process, entitlements and approvals, design, deal structuring, capital raising, marketing strategy and stabilization and refinancing. Prior to Gotham, Bryan successfully led numerous development projects for Fisher Brothers, a private firm focused on investment, asset management and development for its real estate portfolio. As Project Executive, he oversaw more than $400,000,000 of development, including the condo conversion of 101 West 87th Street and the design and development of 225 East 39th Street, projects spanning luxury market rate homes, 80/20 affordability, amenities and retail spaces. Bryan began his career as an Originations Manager at First Sterling Financial, a privately held firm specializing in tax credit syndications, focusing on the origination, structuring and underwriting of tax credit investments to create or preserve affordable housing, followed by time as a Senior Project Manager with Atlantic Development Group, a leading NYC developer of affordable and mixed‐income housing. During his tenure with Atlantic, he oversaw the planning or financing of more than 1,000 new affordable homes for New Yorkers. Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, College at Rose Hill and pursued Graduate Studies in Economics at the Fordham University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Bryan was a five‐year scholarship athlete and member of the Fordham University Baseball Team. He is also currently a member of the Advisory Board for the New York Housing Conference.

Mr. Loughlin’s career in Community Development and Affordable Housing includes over twenty years in the Private, Public, and Non-profit sectors of the industry. As the Director of Planning and Urban Design for one of New York City leading firms, Brian has built upon Magnusson Architecture and Planning’s long legacy of bringing a community-centric and human-centered approach to the planning and design of affordable housing. Prior to joining MAP, he served at numerous posts including as the Director of New Construction for NYCHA, Chief Architect for the Jersey City Housing Authority, and Executive Director of Positive Impact Community Development. Mr. Loughlin is a member of the faculty at Columbia University’s GSAPP where he has taught various studio and seminar courses focused on the history, political theory, and design of housing as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Architecture and Real Estate Development for over ten years. Presenting on a wide variety of issues including city planning, public and affordable housing, and community development Mr. Loughlin has appeared at the Center for Architecture, P.S.1, The Museum of Modern Art, and the White House. Mr. Loughlin currently serves as the Co-Chair of the AIA New York’s Housing Committee, and the Division Chair for the APA’s Housing and Community Development.

Russell A. Kivler is a partner in the law firm of Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP. He joined the firm in 2004 and became a partner in 2010. Mr. Kivler practices in the area of real estate, representing developers, owners and equity investors in connection with acquisitions and dispositions, financings, joint ventures, development and construction and commercial leasing. He has developed extensive experience in commercial and public finance, federal, state and local housing programs and tax incentives. Mr. Kivler regularly represents clients in large scale affordable housing and mixed use development projects that are financed with municipal bonds and tax credit equity. Mr. Kivler is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey and received his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in economics and business management, with a concentration in finance, in 1999 from Gettysburg College and his law degree magna cum laude in 2002 from American University, Washington College of Law.