Phoenix Construction & Development

An attorney by training, Mr. Sprague is a lifelong entrepreneur with a broad portfolio of professional experience. As president of Warwick & Co., Inc., his family’s private, Connecticut-based merchant and investment bank, he was an active board member for many of the firm’s portfolio companies and co-managed the formation of its cross-border acquisition fund with Nacional Financiera, Mexico’s development bank, overseeing its Mexican manufacturing facilities. As partner in Sprague and Hill, Inc. with John Hill, Mr. Sprague brokered over $250 million in real estate transactions, and developed a wide range of projects, with a total asset valuation of over $100 million. He is most recently responsible for the development of Portland Place Condominiums, in partnership with Messrs. Hill and Vera. He is an active member of numerous civic and charitable boards, including the Roosevelt Action Association, Grand Avenue Merchants Association, and the Episcopal Habitat Coalition of Phoenix.

Matthew Seaman is the development partner for Metrowest Development’s Arizona projects. Mr. Seaman has and continues to handle all acquisition, entitlement and development and disposition efforts on these projects. Prior to joining Metrowest Development, Mr. Seaman, with his company Urban Realty Advisors represented owners and developers in their acquisition, entitlement and development related needs for residential, retail and mixed use development projects in Arizona. Mr. Seaman developed an understanding and knowledge for land use planning and zoning as it related to both private and public development. He was fortunate to be able to carry out substantial work in the preparation of preliminary development plans, land use plans, development plans and land use analysis for the entitlement of both private residential and commercial development projects ranging up to 19,000 acres. Most notably, Matt has provided his representation and entitlement services as an owner and development representative to Brinker International, Gordon Biersch Brewery, Islands Restaurants, Thomas & King, as well as for Centres Inc., in their development expansion for Eckerd and CVS Drug Stores in Arizona. Today, his efforts have been primarily focused on front-end acquisition, entitlement and pre-development consulting for urban mixed use and residential development projects in Downtown Phoenix. Matt has a B.A. degree in Urban Planning and Development from Arizona State University (1997). Matt was appointed by the City of Phoenix - Mayor’s Office to sit as a Board Member of the City of Phoenix Design Review Committee as well as serves as the Vice Chairman of the City of Phoenix Design Review Standards Committee, which assisted the Planning Department in authoring the recently adopted Downtown Zoning Code. Matt also currently serves as a board member of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership’s Community Development Corporation, which helps to promote the development of workforce and affordable housing in Downtown Phoenix.

As regional director, Scott Makee is responsible for sourcing and entitling land, designing products, and overseeing the execution of new projects. Makee joined Crescent in 2007 as a financial analyst. He was promoted to development manager in 2010 before assuming his current duties in 2011. Prior to Crescent, Makee was an analyst for CB Richard Ellis’ multifamily investment group in Miami. With more than a dozen years of business experience, Makee also served as a senior branding consultant for Interbrand Wood Healthcare in New York, and vice president for marketing and business affairs for the Numoda Corporation in Philadelphia. Prior to that, he was a senior brand manager for Brand Institute, Inc. in Raleigh, N.C., and New York. Makee is a member of the Urban Land Institute and National Multi Housing Council. A Cleveland native, Makee has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University. Crescent Communities is a real estate investment company with interests throughout the southeastern and southwestern United States. Established in 1969, the Charlotte-based company develops single-family, multifamily and resort residential communities. Crescent also owns and manages business and industrial parks and shopping centers.

Brian Cassidy, AIA is the President of CCBG Architects, Inc. with studios in downtown Phoenix and San Diego. He has been involved in many adaptive reuse, and mixed-use high-density housing projects in greater Phoenix, including more than 12,000 new apartment units. This work includes a diverse body of warehouse renovations that are breathing new life into our city. Brian passionately advocates to build Phoenix into a world class city in which to live, work, worship and play. He is a graduate of Arizona State University, and is the Chair of the Phoenix Warehouse District Council, which promotes and brands the District in concert with a series of creative volunteers and businesses.

Adam Finkel is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Tower Capital, a Phoenix- based Commercial Real Estate Structured Finance Firm, specializing in debt and equity placement for most commercial real estate asset classes. Since the firm’s inception in 2015, it has been involved in over $3.5 billion in successful capitalizations on behalf of investors, developers, owners, and operators throughout the country. Prior to founding Tower Capital, Adam served as Vice President at Johnson Capital, one of the country’s top real estate capital advisory firms with 20 locations nationwide. There he was involved in the successful placement of over $360 million in bridge and permanent structured financing on behalf of commercial real estate investors and property owners throughout North America. Prior to Johnson Capital, Adam was with Travers Realty Corporation, a regional commercial real estate brokerage firm headquartered in Los Angeles. At Travers, Adam was one of the founding agents of the West Los Angeles office. He subsequently took the position of Designated Broker and Managing Director for Travers’ Phoenix office where he represented organizations like Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Freeport- McMoran (ticker FCX) with strategic planning and lease negotiations. Adam began his real estate career with Levrose Real Estate and Investments, a boutique commercial brokerage firm located in Scottsdale, Arizona. At Levrose, he negotiated over 300 commercial real estate transactions which included office, industrial, and retail properties. In 2014, Adam earned the designation of Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), a title held by a small group of elite commercial real estate investment professionals. He is actively involved with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and serves on the Jewish Federation on North America (JFNA) Leadership Cabinet, as well as the JFNA Security Task Force. Adam graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Business Administration and Communications and is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Arizona. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and has also been featured in many industry publications and nationally recognized podcasts.

Robert Trujillo has been responsible for sourcing and managing multifamily development opportunities for Lennar since late-2013. Robert relocated with Lennar to Phoenix in January 2015 from Northern Virginia where he was responsible for development activity in the Washington DC market. Over his nineteen year career, Robert has held development positions with Jefferson Apartment Group in SE Florida, Summit Properties (REIT) in Atlanta, Homestead Suites Hotels in the Northeast and Archstone in Texas. Robert sourced and managed the development of over $900 million while at these companies. Robert is a graduate of the University of Kentucky (Architecture) and University of New Mexico (M. Arch.). He and his wife have four children and live in Scottsdale, Arizona.

John Tran has designed notable projects throughout the world with 24 years of experience. John’s approach to each project is to create a place that is appropriate to its place, elegant, and timeless. His work includes designing commercial, office, higher education, and retail environments. As the Design Principal, John engages the client throughout the entire process. By listening and asking the right questions, John leads the project team from initial concept to final execution. He liaises between the owner and the design team to ensure all pertinent information is communicated and that the project stays on course. John is committed to work that meets the owner’s budget and schedule, while exceeding his client’s expectations for design and service.

Bryce Hall is an accomplished architect and executive with more than 20 years of experience in residential architecture. As the President of KEPHART, he guides the strategic vision and direction of the firm, providing support for eight additional Principals who help drive KEPHART’s success. Bryce’s contagious passion and deep knowledge of the industry inspires his peers to pursue continuous growth and education. Bryce attended the University of Colorado, where he earned master’s degrees in both architecture and business administration, allowing him to understand the industry more comprehensively, from the perspective of both an architect and a developer. His enthusiasm for these two interests, combined with his deep understanding of client needs throughout the duration of a project, have helped solidify KEPHART as the architect of choice for many national developers. Bryce’s exemplary leadership has earned him recognition as one of ENR’s Top 20 Under 40 AEC Professionals in the Mountain States Region and President of one of Denver’s Best Places to Work. He also represents and shares KEPHART’s thought leadership on a national stage at events like the National Multifamily Housing Conference and the Pacific Coast Builders’ Conference.