Brooklyn's Rally to Reopen

Joseph is responsible for sourcing and evaluating all new real estate opportunities for Hudson. With a background in urban planning and public policy, Joseph specializes in combining a deep grasp of public and private finance, zoning, architecture, construction, tax incentives and market conditions to find projects that further Hudson’s goals and mission. Joseph holds his Bachelor of Arts from New York University and serves on the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Mr. Kramer is Co-Chief Investment Officer at Savanna where he is a member of the Investment Committee and the Senior Management Committee. He is responsible for new investments and managing assets in Savanna’s portfolio. Mr. Kramer’s responsibilities include acquisition underwriting and due diligence, financial modeling and deal structuring. In addition, Mr Kramer oversees and coordinates the development, leasing and repositioning of Savanna properties. Prior to joining Savanna in 2006, Mr. Kramer was an Associate Director at Fitch Ratings in the Commercial Mortgage Group. In the Commercial Mortgage Group, Mr. Kramer was responsible for rating securities backed by commercial real-estate assets. Prior to the Commercial Mortgage Group, Mr. Kramer worked in the Residential Mortgage Group at Fitch Ratings. Mr. Kramer graduated with a BA in Economics from Brown University.

Alireza (Ali) Esmaeilzadeh leads Brookfield’s residential and commercial development business for the NY and Boston regions. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for the asset management and leasing of a 6 million square foot Class A New York commercial portfolio, including the New York Times building and the Tata Innovation Center at CornellTech. Prior to joining Brookfield Properties, Mr. Esmaeilzadeh headed the NYC offices of Forest City Enterprises and previous to that, he was a banker in the investment banking division of Scotiabank in Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Esmaeilzadeh received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, and graduated with honors from Queen’s University, in Ontario, Canada. Mr. Esmaeilzadeh proudly serves on the Brooklyn Hospital’s Board of Trustees, as well as the boards of Brooklyn Horizons, Greenpoint Manufacturing Design Center, and The Acting Company. Mr. Esmaeilzadeh is the Chairman of the MetroTech Business Improvement District; board member and secretary of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership; board member of the Times Square Alliance and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Matthias Hollwich is the founder of HWKN, a NY-based collective of architects, sculptors, social strategists and innovators dedicated to use architecture to shape a better world. Matthias was born and raised in Germany where he studied architecture and brings a dual perspective to all the firm’s designs, combining German precision with American aspiration. His work encompasses buildings, spaces, masterplans, and new social typologies, all of which are designed to engender curiosity and encourage participation. His vision is shared by a team of collaborators who listen, question, and lead the creation of extraordinary places. Matthias Hollwich published his first book UmBauhaus- Updating Modernism in collaboration with Rainer Weisbach and the Bauhaus Foundation in 2006. His latest book, New Aging: Live Smarter Now to Live Better Forever, suggests a new way to think about aging that could fundamentally change the way we design for it, published in 2016. Matthias lectures widely on the topics of architecture, sustainability, aging and innovation at renowned conferences around the world, including TED, PICNIC, Stelka, and the Conscious City conference. In 2019 he spoke at Me Convention about “Unforgettable Architecture,” and continues to lecture at the University of Pennsylvania.

Frank Puglia is an accomplished sales and operations executive. Frank has been with the International Workplace Group (IWG) for four years and serves as the Eastern Region Area Vice President. Frank oversees IWG’s New York operating brands, which consists of 62 locations throughout Manhattan, the five boroughs and Long Island. Frank holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Providence College.

Sam Charney is a real estate professional whose project planning, design skills, construction management, and development experience make him one of New York City’s most respected and dynamic young developers. Sam is currently developing over 1.5 million mixed-use square feet in Long Island City, Gowanus and Williamsburg with Charney Companies. He has been featured and interviewed by several of the industry’s leading publications and is a guest lecturer at the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University. In addition, Sam sits on the boards of both The Brooklyn Public Library and Pursuit, a 501C3 based in Long Island City focused on adult education and job training. In 2012 Sam was awarded the prestigious NYU Bart Lawson Award for Humanitarianism for his work with blind athletes, and in 2017 his first solo Development “The Jackson” at 11-51 47th Avenue won the Queens Chamber of Commerce Award for Best New Multifamily Building. His most recent project “The Dime” was recently awarded the 2020 Urban Architecture and Design Award

Bonnie Campbell is a Principal at Two Trees Management Company, a development firm in Brooklyn, NY. Two Trees is known for its role in transforming the Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO where the company’s holdings include 3 million square feet of commercial, industrial and residential space. As a result of Two Trees’ efforts, DUMBO has grown from a neglected waterfront into a vibrant mixed-use community. Bonnie leads a team of planners, architects and development professionals on behalf of Two Trees and is involved in site acquisition, financing, construction, design, and leasing of Two Trees’ portfolio. Most recently, she and her team successfully rezoned the 11-acre Domino Sugar Refinery site acquired by Two Trees in 2012. The site is currently being redeveloped by Two Trees to include a 6-acre public park and 3 million sq. ft. of new development including residential, office, retail and community facility uses. Bonnie joined Two Trees over 15 years ago, after receiving masters degrees in Real Estate Development and City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bonnie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Urban Planning from Stanford University.

Mr. Henderson is a Development Director at Lendlease. Mr. Henderson is currently managing the development of 1 JAVA on the Greenpoint waterfront in Brooklyn, New York. When complete, 1 Java will transform a full city block into a mixed-use development including approximately 850 rental units, with 30% affordable, ground floor retail, and public waterfront esplanade. Prior to working at Lendlease, Mr. Henderson served as Manager Director Essex Crossing at L+M development partners for nine years. In this role, Mr. Henderson oversaw the development of Essex Crossing, a transformative nine-site, 2 million square foot, $1.5 billion development in New York’s Lower East side that includes over 1,000 units of housing, 600,000 square feet of commercial space, office space, and the new Essex Market. In total, Mr. Henderson has over 20 years of development experience and has been involved in the development of over 2,000 units of mixed-income housing and commercial space Mr. Henderson has extensive experience developing large scale, mixed-use development that include a variety of capital sources. Mr. Henderson has strong knowledge of both state and federal affordable housing financing tools including tax-exempt bonds, federal and state tax credits, and new market tax credits. Isaac has a master’s degree in urban planning from the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina. Isaac received a B.A. from Grinnell College with a major in Economics.

Mr. Betesh joined Meridian Capital Group in May 2017, where he leads an eight-member team. Prior to joining Meridian, he served as a Director at Cushman & Wakefield Capital Markets and a Director of Capital Services at Massey Knakal Realty Services. To date, Mr. Betesh has financed over 500 buildings across the United States and has closed well in excess of over $5 billion in transactions throughout his career. Previously, Mr. Betesh was a Portfolio Manager at a private family office, where he managed a portfolio of properties in Midtown Manhattan and was principally responsible for restructuring and developing the portfolio, in addition to directly leasing the properties and managing the finances at a corporate level. Mr. Betesh attended Brooklyn College, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Finance and was honored with the Brooklyn College Presidential Scholarship.

Regina Myer is President of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP), a not-for-profit local development corporation that serves as the primary champion for Downtown Brooklyn as a world-class business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination. Until 2016, Regina served as President of Brooklyn Bridge Park. During her nine years overseeing the Park project - an historic public investment into one of the largest public works in the City - Myer oversaw the dramatic transformation of 1.3 miles of industrial waterfront into one of New York City’s most popular destinations and one of the most lauded urban parks in the country. Prior to Brooklyn Bridge Park, Regina was the senior vice president for planning and design at the Hudson Yards Development Corporation, and the Brooklyn Borough Director for the New York City Planning Department, where she directed the comprehensive redevelopment of the Greenpoint/Williamsburg waterfront, the rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn for high density office and residential development, and numerous neighborhood rezoning efforts. Working with DBP’s board, the three BIDs it oversees, government agencies, and local stakeholders, Regina is leading initiatives, advocating, and securing funding to improve Downtown Brooklyn’s public realm, upgrade infrastructure, create open space, and cohesively connect the booming district to adjacent neighborhoods. She received her BA and Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, and resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Senior in-house counsel supporting the global investment operations of TIAA’s Global Real Estate business-- Nuveen Real Estate -- one of the largest institutional owners of real estate and real estate related assets worldwide. Responsible for support across the transaction spectrum including $10B in mortgage financings, structured debt offerings and mezzanine lending. Also active attorney responsible for Nuveen Real Estate's equity platform including large scale property acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and asset management-- including construction and leasing, complex portfolio investments, and fund products. Lead in-house attorney responsible for TIAA's General Account and its equity investments in the UK, Australia and Asia-Pacific in multi-family, office and retail sectors. Lead in-house attorney for structured debt products, including debt funds and the capital markets program for the sale and placement of mortgage and mezzanine loans to other financial institutions across the globe

Andrew Levin handles leasing for the New York City-area buildings of Boston Properties, one of the nations largest landlords and developers. Regionally, the publicly traded trusts holdings span several towers totaling more than 11.5 million square feet, including such gems as the General Motors Building, the Times Square Tower, 599 Lexington Avenue and the recently completed 250 West 55th Street. Given the scope of Boston Properties New York-area portfolio, then, its not surprising that Levin has had a hand in major leasing deals. His team, in fact, typically inks between 500,000 and 1 million square feet of leases annually, often at some of the highest rents in the city$100 and way up. Levin, for instance, leased up the 987,800-square-foot 250 West 55th with such tenants as law firms Kaye Scholer and Morrison Foerster as well as Al-Jazeera, the news outlet, and George Soros investment firm. After graduating from Boston University, Levin started his real estate career at the old Edward S. Gordon Co., a precursor to CBRE Inc., working in its consulting division. He then went to Columbia Law School, where he interned in the refinancing wing of developer the Related Cos. Shortly before earning his degree, he accepted a project management position at Boston Properties.

Zachary Bernstein is a partner in Fried Frank's Real Estate Department, resident in the New York office. He joined the Firm in 2008 and became partner in 2016. Mr. Bernstein specializes in real estate development, with a focus on land use. He represents a range of clients including private developers, not-for-profits, and religious organizations. His experience includes transactions for the purchase and sale of development rights, analysis of development potential and applications with governmental agencies including the New York City Planning Commission, the Board of Standards and Appeals, the Department of Buildings, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Mr. Bernstein is recognized by Chambers and Partners in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (New York) section and a “Next Generation Lawyer” by Legal 500 in Real Estate: Land Use and Zoning. Additionally, Mr. Bernstein was selected by Crain's New York Business for its annual 40 Under 40 list of the most accomplished New York City based business professionals under 40 years old. Recent representations include the following: SL Green Realty Corp. with respect to special permits and negotiation of transit-related improvements for the One Vanderbilt office development project adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. The Moinian Group in zoning applications and tax abatement benefits for its 1.8 million-square-foot tower at 3 Hudson Boulevard. Trinity Church in the rezoning of an 18-block area in the Hudson Square neighborhood of Manhattan from manufacturing zoning to a mixed-use district. Greystone Development in joint venture and development agreements in connection with the construction of a new residential condominium building in the West Village. JEMB Realty in the purchase of development rights and land from the City of New York to facilitate development of a new office tower adjacent to Willoughby Square in Downtown Brooklyn. Time Equities with respect to zoning text changes, special permits, and transfer of development rights from the City of New York to facilitate the development of a 63-story mixed-use residential tower in Lower Manhattan. Citigroup in the approval of design changes to five public plazas surrounding the bank's global headquarters in Tribeca. Anbang Insurance Group with respect to land use considerations in connection with the acquisition of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Professional Associations Mr. Bernstein has been a member of the Land Use Committee of the Bar Association of the City of New York and previously chaired the Zoning Committee of the Metro Chapter of the American Planning Association. He currently serves on the Board of NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, is a member of ULI NEXT New York, and REBNY’s Zoning and Design Committee. Bar Admissions/Licensed Jurisdictions New York