San Francisco State of the Market

Jean S. FraserJean S. Fraser has dedicated her career to fostering healthy, equitable and sustainable communities, and has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Presidio Trust since 2016. Her focus is on making the Presidio a place where people of all backgrounds and abilities find inspiration, recreation and relaxation. She brings a special passion for protecting the Presidio’s open spaces and for sustainability practices that aggressively reduce waste, water use, and greenhouse gasses. Jean champions the use of data and continuous improvement techniques to help the Presidio Trust deliver efficient and quality service to the public. Under her leadership, she has deepened the Presidio Trust’s relationship with the National Park Service and the non-profit Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Previously, Jean led the San Mateo County Health System and the San Francisco Health Plan, which developed a first-in-the-nation program providing affordable health care to all uninsured San Franciscans. She also served as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. Jean is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). She has a degree in American history from Yale University and a JD from Yale Law School.

Ms. Kleiman is responsible for overall Operations of the Company, which includes Portfolio, Asset and Property Management; Technology; Data Analytics and Research; Redevelopment and Resource Management; and Commercial Departments. Ms. Kleiman served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2015 to 2020 and was responsible for the overall transaction management for the $16 billion merger with BRE Properties. She joined Essex in 2009 to manage the Private Equity platform and grew the business from $750 million to $3 billion in gross assets. Prior to joining Essex, Ms. Kleiman's real estate career focused primarily on institutional investment management and investment banking. As a Senior Equity Analyst and Vice President of Investor Relations at Security Capital, she was responsible for over $2 billion of the firm's REIT investments and all client communications. As a Vice President with J.P. Morgan Real Estate & Lodging Investment Banking Group, she advised senior management and boards in strategic business platforms and capital markets transactions. Ms. Kleiman began her career in real estate development management in 1991. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University, and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management. She is a member of NAREIT and NMHC.

Jack Sylvan is founder and principal of SDG, LLC, a San Francisco-based investment, development and advisory company delivering exceptional value to investors, partners and clients on complex and innovative mixed-use development opportunities. Jack has 25+ years of real estate investment and development experience on transformational, multi-phase, extremely complex mixed-use real estate projects in the San Francisco Bay Area leading acquisition, entitlement, negotiation of complex transactional and public-private partnership agreements and development activities. The projects represent more than 16 million square feet of mixed-use, commercial office, life science/biotech, multifamily, retail, historic rehabilitation, arts and community space, and hundreds of acres of parks, streets and infrastructure. Prior to forming SDG, Jack served as Senior Vice President of Development for Forest City Realty Trust and Brookfield Properties where he built and led the local development team responsible for all aspects of entitlement and development of three of San Francisco’s largest redevelopment projects -- Pier 70, 5M and Stonestown Galleria -- representing 8 million square feet of residential and commercial space. Prior to this, Jack spent 8 years in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office overseeing large public-private real estate development projects including leading the planning and negotiation process for the approximately 8 million-square-foot Treasure Island redevelopment project, where he successfully negotiated agreements with the private development partner, an affordable housing consortium, and the historic agreement with the U.S. Navy for the transfer of the property. Early in his career, he spent time with CB Richard Ellis/Sedway Group providing real estate consulting and financial analysis to private and public clients.

Trent Tesch is a Design Principal at KPF who maintains a diverse portfolio of work that spans the globe and represents a creative balance of program, context, technology and craft. His interest lies in the distinct challenges posed by each project and the inspiration that their unique solutions bring to future opportunities. In New York City he led the realization of One Jackson Square, a 33-unit multi-family residential project in the heart of Greenwich Village. The design was awarded a National AIA Award in 2011, the Institute’s highest honor. Also in Manhattan, Trent led the design of 75 Rock, a high-profile renovation project in Rockefeller Center, and of 55 Hudson Yards, a recently completed office tower on the far west side. Trent also co-designed One Vanderbilt, a transit-oriented supertall linked directly to Grand Central Terminal. On the west coast of the United States, Trent is leading the design of Platform 16, a low-scale office complex linked to major transportation networks in San Jose while in Los Angeles, he led the realization of the Petersen Automotive Museum, a dramatic redesign and renovation project that has redefined the museum’s identity and has become one of the most significant and unforgettable structures in the city. In Asia, Trent led the design team for two of the world’s top five tallest buildings, the International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong and the Lotte World Tower in Seoul. These supertall towers set new standards for both density and sustainability in building design. In Changsha, China Trent co-led the planning of Meixi Lake, a sustainable new city for 180,000 inhabitants. He is currently working on several high-profile projects, including what will be the world’s largest airport facility, Changi Terminal 5, in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio, the Harbor Garage Project in Boston, a two hundred meter tall residential project at Wood Wharf in London, and The Clearings, a high profile residential project in Knightsbridge, London. Trent Tesch started his career at KPF in 1996, and became a Principal in 2009. He is a registered architect in the State of New York and an active member of the AIA.

In her role as Vice President at S&P, Krysen Heathwood pulls from twenty-plus years of in-depth experience within the real estate industry. Based out of San Francisco, she leads strategic growth for S&P’s California portfolio, overseeing product design, research, marketing, sales and operations in the United States. A California native, she is knowledgeable in numerous West Coast markets including Southern California, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle – along with Las Vegas, Denver and Dallas – giving her an ability to navigate through various market conditions. Having collaborated with upwards of 150 developers and capital partners, Krysen’s expertise is illustrated through her previous work with The Mark Company, which she built into one of the leading real estate sales and marketing firms in the Western United States as former owner and managing partner. During this almost 18-year tenure, Krysen acted as chief strategist, successfully marketing and selling more than 10,000 units in projects that spanned from urban residential to conversions and premier luxury new construction. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Diego State University and is a member of ULI and SPUR.

Wayne solves complex business problems for construction and infrastructure programs around the world: large and small, from airports, railways and pipelines, to data centers, hospitals and solar farms. His expertise includes dispute analytics, fraud investigations, program management systems and controls, financial damage analytics, forensic accounting, root-cause analytics, environmental risk remediation, cost estimating, litigation support, and expert testimony. Wayne has hands-on experience with the design, construction, and oversight of capital projects within the energy, power, technology, transportation, water, higher-education, military, institutional, manufacturing, healthcare, health science, and gaming sectors. As a result, he understands why construction projects succeed, how they fail, ways they can improve, and how to translate complicated technical issues into plain English. Wayne is a licensed Professional Engineer (Civil and Structural). He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner, lectures at the University of Southern California, and is a Technical Expert for the California Department of Consumer Affairs and its Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. Wayne is Senior Advisor to a private equity fund in Manhattan, and serves on the Board for an engineering company in South Florida, where he provides operational guidance. He provides expert testimony in Federal and State courts across the United States on issues related to construction defects, financial damages, fraud, business management, financial management, financial controls, and standard of care. While studying at MIT, Wayne wrote about “Skyscraper Technology in Manhattan: 1930 to 1990” for his research thesis. He also engineered the move of an historic lighthouse on Cape Cod National Seashore in 1995, where his construction drawings remain on display at the Highland Light Museum.

Gavin Keith leads the Northwest Life Sciences Group for DPR Construction, one of the country’s top technical builders and #1 ranked pharmaceuticals contractor in the U.S. (ENR 2018). With over 33 years of experience (24 with DPR) in the delivery of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, research and development, as well as commercial office facilities, Gavin works to enhance DPR’s overall project delivery and quality of service for the company’s Life Sciences customers, which include such industry leaders as Alexandria Real Estate Equities, AbbVie, Baxter(Shire), Bayer, BioMarin, BIOGEN, Genentech, and Merck. Gavin drives continuous improvement throughout the organization and constantly seeks new ways to enhance overall construction delivery through emerging processes and technologies. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986, and is a registered California Professional Engineer. Gavin has achieved LEED® Accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council and is a member of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE).

As Founder of AlfaTech, Jeff has over 35 years of experience in the engineering design, development, and execution of projects worldwide for numerous high profile and Fortune 500 firms. Jeff has successfully grown the firm to three highly successful offices in California, and now has resources through 55 additional offices across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. Through Jeff’s efforts and his ability to build strong and lasting client relationships, the firm has worked on some of the most innovative and creative projects for firms such as Uber, LinkedIn, Okta, ADI, AirBnB, Kaiser, Stanford, and Genentech. The firm is presently involved in the highly visible Lucas Museum in Los Angeles, and additionally, through Jeff’s efforts, AlfaTech has become a known leader in the Data Center industry, providing engineering and technology services for data centers around the globe. Jeff has been recognized through CoreNet as Service Provider of the Year through the Northern California Chapter.

Rich Elder is a Partner in Lubin Olson's Litigation and Real Estate Practice Groups. He specializes in construction law and handles both litigation and the negotiation and preparation of construction contracts. As a seasoned construction attorney, Mr. Elder represents property owners as well as design-build, engineering and construction firms in construction claims involving delay, defective design and engineering, unforeseen site conditions and breach of warranty and in the negotiation and drafting of contracts and related project documents. Mr. Elder also has experience in general commercial litigation, including matters relating to securities, trade secrets and other business disputes.Prior to joining Lubin Olson, Mr. Elder was a partner at Burke Williams & Sorensen LLP in Oakland.

As President of Related California, Mr. Canori leads Related California's market rate, luxury and mixed-income residential development and strategy throughout California. He is currently overseeing a $6 billion pipeline of 7,000 multifamily and senior units, and over 1 million square feet of commercial space located in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County. He oversees an integrated development team that encompasses all aspects of development, including financial analysis, acquisition, planning and design, deal structuring, entitlements, public and private financing, construction, marketing and asset management. For the past 21 years, Mr. Canori has played a lead role in building the company's substantial portfolio of mixed-use and mixed-income developments. He is responsible for the growth of the Related California pipeline, including the development of 4,000 multifamily units with development costs in excess of $3 billion. Mr. Canori is a graduate of the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. He serves on the Executive Committee for the Lusk Center for Real Estate at the University of Southern California and the Policy Advisory Board for the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Property Trust, Nelson Mills is responsible for the Company’s overall strategy, capital transactions, operations, and the performance of its portfolio of investments. Mr. Mills has also served as a director on the Columbia Board since 2007. He was an independent director for Columbia until being named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2010, when he oversaw the establishment of an internal management team for the Company. Mr. Mills has more than 30 years of experience in the real estate investment and financial services industries. Prior to joining Columbia, he served as the President and COO of Williams Realty Advisors, LLC, managing and advising a series of real estate investment funds. Previously, Mr. Mills served as Chief Financial Officer with Lend Lease Real Estate Investments (US), Inc., one of the world’s largest institutional investment managers specializing in the acquisition and management of commercial real estate.

Alexander Kolovyansky is the Director of Investment sales at Vanguard Properties and one of San Francisco’s top brokers. Alexander has been investing and brokering real estate for over 19 years and has been recognized as one of “The Leading 100” by Real Trends. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Alexander, earned his degree in Economics from Princeton University where he was a two time Track & Field All-American. He worked at a fast paced hedge fund and as a marketing manager/negotiator at Intel Corporation working with senior executives brings a unique insight to the real estate industry. He has a California Real Estate Broker’s License, is a member of The Urban Land Institute, the San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association (SPUR), Belden Club, the San Francisco Association of Realtors, and an MBA from the University of Arizona.

Bruce Lawrie has led commercial real estate groups for over twenty-five years at Umpqua Bank, Comerica Bank, Heritage Bank of Commerce, and others. In addition, he served as a CRE Divisional Credit Administrator for Comerica Bank’s Western Region. His current team at Umpqua Bank has Relationship Managers in four offices located across California, focusing on ground-up construction, bridge/value-add, and permanent loans in the $10 million to $40 million range. His team provides a full suite of banking services to commercial real estate professionals. Bruce is a member and former board member of NAIOP and is a member of Urban Land Institute. A graduate of Indiana University’s MBA program, Bruce began his CRE career in the Bay Area where he continues to reside today.

Tim Doherty currently serves as Executive Vice President, Head of Investments. In this role, Mr. Doherty leads the investment team of Safehold Inc (NYSE: SAFE), a public REIT focused on the acquisition and creation of ground lease investments across all property types nationwide. Safehold is the first publicly traded company focused solely on ground lease investments and is externally managed by iStar. Mr. Doherty worked at iStar between 2000 and 2008 and recently rejoined iStar in 2013. Prior to becoming the Head of Ground Lease Investments, he focused on structured finance having worked on over 60 transactions totaling more than $5 billion during his tenure at iStar. The transaction structure types included first mortgage, mezzanine, B-notes, preferred equity, DIP financing, participations and corporate finance investments and included all traditional property types (office, retail, hotel and industrial) and non-traditional product types (self-storage, entertainment and land). Prior to his latest tenure at iStar, Mr. Doherty co-founded and operated Shem Creek Capital (“SCC”), a boutique real estate finance fund located in Boston, MA. Prior to joining iStar Financial in 2000, Mr. Doherty was at Archon Group, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, investing on behalf of the Whitehall funds. He received his BS in Finance from Georgetown University.

Jesse Gundersheim is a market economist for CoStar, the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces. Jesse analyzes real estate tends and maintains market reports for the San Francisco Bay Area, helping investors, property managers, and lenders minimize risk and maximize returns. Jesse regularly speaks at industry events to discuss his findings, and has been quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times, Bloomberg, and BisNow. Jesse was raised in Marin County and studied finance at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Previously, he led Bay Area market research departments at the brokerage firms of Grubb & Ellis, Studley, and DTZ. Jesse has also worked for private apartment investors, providing due diligence and pro-forma analysis. Jesse enjoys hiking in the North Bay in his free time, and has traveled to nearly 50 countries.