OC Execs Talk First Jobs

R.D. Olson Construction prez Bill Wilhelm says that at 15, he convinced the local Taco Bell manager he was reliable, and she agreed to hide him in the back, frying taco and tostada shells for the first six months. Once he turned 16, he had the opportunity to work the cash register and manage the front line, prepping orders and getting them out to the customer. “After a year, I took over the assistant manger's duties and then quickly stepped into the role of manager,” he tells us. “I even hired my older sister, which resulted in a food fight, but mostly we worked really hard.”

Berkadia VP and mortgage banker Jackson Cloak tells us as a kid, he made rubber-band guns and sold them to local toy stores, showing an enterprising streak at a young age (we wish we'd thought of that). His first job after college was an options trader for Solomon Smith Barney.

Great roofs aren't just for Brooklyn brownstones where hipsters lurk. We're on the hunt for the coolest building tops in SoCal. Rooftop amenities are especially important for apartments that want to lure Millennials, according to Lifescapes International prez Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, here with daughter Maya Rodgers (the artist who did the work in the background). Julie designed the roof at The Marke Apartments, a new property in Santa Ana developed by Lyon Communities that she calls “current, cool, cozy, and fun.”

The Marke's roof's inspiration is a Las Vegas pool party, Julie says. The one-acre rooftop include fire pits, resort-style saltwater pool and spa, bar, outdoor theater, and two clubhouses—one has a two-lane bowling alley and restaurant, the other a training facility. “Millennials want all levels of excitement, mostly with their friends or potential new friends,” Julie explains. We're searching for the coolest roofs in OC, and we need your help. Send your cool roof pics to dees.stribling@bisnow.com, and we'll publish the best.

Position: President of Newport Beach-based MetroGroup Realty Finance

Background: Founded MetroGroup Realty Finance in 1983. The company specializes in providing capital advisory and mortgage banking services throughout Southern California. 

Memorable projects: Currently a $180M portfolio. The Center at Rancho Niguel in Laguna Niguel, a 118k SF retail center with a $26M loan; Western Avenue in Garden Grove, a 210k SF industrial property with a $17M loan; and the Commons at Aliso Viejo Town Center in Aliso Viejo, a 30k SF retail center with a $10M loan.

Hometown: Joliet, Ill.

Current home: Newport Beach

First job: At a steel mill.

Came to OC for: Lifestyle.

Person (living or dead) you'd like to meet: John Wooden

Favorite book: All Tony Hillerman novels (he's best known for his Navajo Nation Police mysteries)

Favorite movie: Wedding Crashers.

Family: Three adult children. Two grandchildren and growing.

Advice to 18-year-old self: Never take the easy way out.

Each week we'll offer nuggets about top OC real estate execs. Tell us who you'd like to learn more about: dees.stribling@bisnow.com

Just in time for school: a new science building for Costa Mesa Middle School, completed last week. Holding the scissors is Newport Mesa United School District board prez Karen Yelsey. (Good luck to whichever student gets those scissors for a crafts project.) The 31k SF building, with classrooms and labs, includes some unique features, GC Swinterton Builders project manager Rich Garcia tells us (HMC Architects designed the project). Its waterproofing barrier system is strong enough to withstand a Category 5 hurricane; there are several large garden planters for students to learn about horticulture; and thin solar panels will create 9kW of power.

The Urban Land Institute Orange County/Inland Empire District Council has a new chief. PlaceWorks prez Randy Jackson, right, will take over for the man standing next to him, CalOptima chief of strategic affairs Michael Ruane. Randy focuses on land use and design concepts that integrate transit, open space, and recreation.