Giving Back
1. NAIOP has selected Margarita Effron as a recipient of its annual $5K Diversity Student Scholarship. The scholarship program supports students who are pursuing a graduate degree in commercial real estate and is a key component of the association’s pledge to advance diversity in the industry. Effron is a graduate student in the Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program at Arizona State University and a member of NAIOP Arizona.
Awards & Accolades
2. Rommie Mojahed, the Director of Retail Leasing & Sales Investments for SVN International Corp., was just recently named to the President’s Circle within the SVN international network for his top producing performance in 2020.
3. Sheryl Palmer, the Chairman & CEO of Taylor Morrison Home Corp, was named W.P. Carey Executive of the Year. Palmer will be honored on Thursday, April 22nd, from noon to 1 p.m., at a live virtual Economic Club of Phoenix (ECP) ceremony.
Boards & Commissions
4. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry named Danny Seiden as its new president and CEO on Thursday to replace Glenn Hamer. Seiden recently served as general counsel for GMI and Valor Global, and previously oversaw government and public affairs for Intel’s Arizona operations. Seiden will begin his new role in early summer.
Company News
5. TDIndustries, Inc. celebrates 75 years of excellence through servant leadership and trusted partnerships as the premier mechanical construction and facility services contractor. Founded as Texas Distributors in Dallas in 1946 by Jack Lowe, Sr., the founder’s son Jack Lowe, Jr. joined Valerie Sokolosky for a special segment podcast, “Doing it Right!” as a kick-off to TD’s 75th anniversary.
6. NAI Horizon recently started a new Church Realty Solutions Practice and helped negotiate three deals totaling $3.8M. NAI Horizon Senior Vice President Thomas Smith helps churches acquire new buildings, lease part or all of their existing facilities, repurpose buildings to accommodate places of worship, consolidates and assists with the sale and disposition of properties and facilities for churches of all sizes and styles. Smith represented the seller, Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church in the $2.41M disposition of the iconic church at 3539 E. Stanford Drive, to HOH PV LLC, and represented that buyer in a long-term lease totaling $654K for a new tenant, Blessings Community Church. He also represented the buyer, Trinity Church, in the $740K purchase of a commercial flex building in Scottsdale that will serve as the church’s multimedia facility.
7. Kimco Realty Corp. recently announced an agreement to buy Weingarten Realty Investors in a cash and stock deal that values the owner of grocery-anchored shopping centers at about $3.9B. After closing, which is expected to occur during the second half of 2021, Kimco shareholders are expected to own 71 percent of the combined company.
Promotions
8. The Town of Gilbert announced that Sydney Bethel will be joining the Office of Economic Development in a brand-new position as Redevelopment Specialist. This position will serve as a liaison to the downtown Heritage District. Bethel has been a member of Team Gilbert since 2018, and before joining the Office of Economic Development, she worked as a Planner in the Development Services Department.
9. NAI Horizon elevated six professionals to new leadership roles. Denise Nunez and Russ Warner were promoted to Managing Director; Lane Neville and Mark Wilcke were promoted to Executive Vice President; and Matt Harper, CCIM, and Mike Myrick, CCIM, were elevated to Senior Vice President.
10. Antonya Williams was promoted to Executive Vice President of McCarthy Building Companies Southwest region’s marketing & business development teams in AZ, NV, CO and NM, where her collaborative leadership style mixed with her background in operations and business development focus on exceptional client experiences, operational excellence, and supporting team innovations and achievements.
11. Ryan Companies US, Inc. announced four promotions within their company. Colleen Kucera has been promoted to Senior Director of Business Unit Marketing; Mary McGowne has been promoted to Senior Director of Development; Theresa Schultz has been promoted to Director of Construction; and Beau Brush has been promoted to Director of Construction.
New Hires
12. Mark Sonnenberg recently joined CRG, the real estate development arm of Clayco, as Vice President and Partner, where he will lead the company’s Phoenix office. Hannah Keim will also join Sonnenberg in the Phoenix office as Director of Development.
13. Mary Fedewa, who previously served as president and COO for Store Capital Corp. was named CEO of the real estate investment trust. Fedewa will replace current CEO Christopher Volk, who will become executive chair of the board.
14. Andrea Engelsberg joined R.O.I. Properties as Marketing Director, where she works with R.O.I.’s Brokerage teams in both traditional and digital marketing, for real estate assets and services.
Transitions
15. Logan Simpson announced the firm’s leadership has transitioned from founding principal Diane Simpson-Colebank to Bruce Meighen, AICP, who became the new president and CEO as of April 1st, 2021. Diane Simpson-Colebank was one of two partners who started Logan Simpson in 1990. She will remain with the firm as a principal, focusing on key projects and clients. Incoming president and CEO Bruce Meighen has been a part of Logan Simpson’s leadership team for nearly a decade and has 25 years of experience in community and environmental planning.