Executive Board

The Nareit Executive Board is Nareit’s policy and steering body, responsible for all long-term planning, financial budgets, investments, policy positions, and statements.

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Chair

Lisa Palmer
President & CEO
Regency Centers Corporation

Lisa Palmer is president and CEO of Regency Centers Corporation. She has served as president and CEO since January 2020, and was president and CFO from 2016 to 2019. From 2013 to 2015, she was CFO, and from 2003 until 2013 was senior vice president of capital markets. Palmer has held other leadership positions with Regency Centers since 1996. Prior to joining Regency Centers, Palmer was a consultant with Accenture, formerly Andersen Consulting Strategic Services, and was a financial analyst for General Electric. She is a member of the boards of the Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Brooks Rehabilitation. She also serves as chair of the board of directors of the United Way of Northeast Florida. Palmer is also a member of the Urban Land Institute and Innovating Commerce Serving Communities. She received her B.A. in economics from the University of Virginia and her MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

First Vice Chair

W. Matthew Kelly
CEO
JBG SMITH

W. Matthew Kelly is CEO of JBG SMITH. Kelly worked at JBG from August 2004 until the formation transaction and served as managing partner and a member of JBG's executive committee and investment committee from 2008 until the formation transaction. Prior to joining JBG, he was co-founder of ODAC Inc., a media software company, which he helped start in March 2000, and prior to that worked in private equity and investment banking as an analyst with Thomas H. Lee Partners and Goldman Sachs, & Co. Kelly received his B.A. with honors from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Conor Flynn
 

Second Vice Chair

Conor C. Flynn
CEO
Kimco Realty Corporation

Conor Flynn was named CEO of Kimco Realty Corporation in January 2016. Flynn joined Kimco in 2003 as an asset manager and has held a variety of senior leadership roles within the company, including president, COO, CIO and president, Western Region. Flynn is a founding member of Nareit’s Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion CEO Council, and he is also a member of Real Estate Roundtable, Urban Land Institute, a trustee of Innovating Commerce Serving Communities (ICSC) and a member of ICSC’s executive board. Flynn holds a B.A. in economics from Yale University and a master’s degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

Treasurer

Sumit Roy
President & CEO
Realty Income Corporation

Sumit Roy has served as Realty Income Corporation’s CEO since 2018, and its president since 2015. He previously served as COO from 2014 to 2018, and was CIO prior to that. Prior to joining Realty Income, Roy held a senior leadership role at UBS Investment Bank, worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch, and was a principal in technology consulting at Cap Gemini. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science, and also holds an MBA in finance and economics from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

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Nareit Officers are also members of the Executive Board.

Peter E. Baccile
President & CEO
First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.

Peter Baccile became president of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. in September 2016 and assumed the CEO position in December 2016. Prior to joining First Industrial Realty Trust, he served in various senior leadership roles during his 26-year tenure at J.P. Morgan, most recently as vice chairman of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. He earned his B.S. degree from Cornell University and holds an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University where he was a Fuqua Scholar.

Tom Bartlett

Thomas A. Bartlett
President & CEO
American Tower Corporation

Thomas Bartlett serves as president and CEO of American Tower Corporation. He previously held the positions of executive vice president and CFO. Prior to joining American Tower, he served as both the corporate controller and treasurer with Verizon Communications, Inc. He also served in numerous operations and business development roles, including president and CEO of Bell Atlantic International Wireless, where he was responsible for wireless activities in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Bartlett earned a B.S. in engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from Rutgers University.

Tamara D. Fischer
Executive Chair
National Storage Affiliates

Tamara Fischer serves as executive chair of National Storage Affiliates. She previously served as president and CEO of the company and has been an officer since its inception in 2013. She is also a member of NSA’s board of trustees and serves as chairman of the PRO Advisory Committee. Before joining NSA, Fischer served as executive vice president and CFO of Vintage Wine Trust, Inc. and as executive vice president and CFO of Chateau Communities, Inc. She is a certified public accountant (inactive) and graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a B.A. in business administration.

Leslie Hale headshot
 

Leslie D. Hale
President & CEO
RLJ Lodging Trust

Leslie Hale is president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust. Since joining RLJ in 2005, Hale has held progressively senior roles at RLJ – she was appointed to CFO in 2007, COO in 2016 and CEO in 2018. Hale helped to lead the execution of the IPO of RLJ in 2011. Before joining RLJ, Hale held senior positions at GE in its Commercial Finance Mergers & Acquisitions Group and its Real Estate Strategic Capital Group, and she was also an investment banker with Goldman Sachs. Hale currently serves on Macy’s, Inc.’s board, is a Howard University Trustee and is a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Baltimore Branch. Hale earned a BBA from Howard University (summa cum laude), and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Goldman Sachs and Toigo Fellow.

Marguerite Nader
 

Marguerite M. Nader
President & CEO
Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc.

Marguerite Nader is president and CEO of Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. Nader has been with the company since 1993 and is a member of its management committee and board of directors. Nader was President and CFO prior to her appointment to CEO. She also serves on the board and is a member of the Audit Committee of Ventas, Inc.

mark Parrell headshot
 

Mark J. Parrell
President & CEO
Equity Residential

Mark Parrell is president, CEO, and trustee at Equity Residential. He has been CEO since January 2019, and president since September 2018. Parrell has worked in various finance capacities for Equity Residential since 1999, including as its CFO from October 2007 until September 2018. He currently serves on the board for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, is a member of the Ross School Advisory Board for the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and National Multifamily Housing Council. Parrell received a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Ed Pitoniak
 

Edward B. Pitoniak
CEO
VICI Properties, Inc.

Edward Pitoniak is the founding CEO of VICI Properties, Inc. Before joining VICI Properties in 2017, Pitoniak served as vice chairman of Realterm and as an independent director on the board of Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers. In April 2014, Pitoniak became managing director of InnVest, and then served as its chairman from June 2015 to August 2016. Previously, he served as CEO of Canadian Hotel Income Properties (CHIP), senior vice president at Intrawest Corporation, and editor-in-chief of Ski Magazine with Times Mirror Magazines. Pitoniak has a B.A. from Amherst College.

James F. Risoleo
President & CEO
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

James Risoleo joined Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. in 1996 and became president and CEO in 2017. Prior to becoming CEO, Risoleo led the company’s West Coast investment activities in addition to its European business activities. Prior to joining Host Hotels, Risoleo held positions at Interstate Hotels Corp. and Westinghouse Electric Corp. He received his B.S. from the Palumbo Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University and his J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.

Joe Russell
 

Joseph D. Russell, Jr.
President & CEO
Public Storage

Joseph Russell, Jr. is president and CEO of Public Storage. Russell has been president of Public Storage since July 2016 and its CEO since January 2019. He has more than three decades of experience in real estate. Prior to joining Public Storage, Russell was president and CEO of PS Business Parks, Inc. from August 2002 until July 2016. Previously, he was an officer of Spieker Properties, Inc. and its predecessor for more than ten years. Russell holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Benjamin Schall
 

Benjamin W. Schall
President & CEO
AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

Benjamin Schall is president and CEO of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. Schall joined the company in January 2021 as AvalonBay’s president. Prior to that, he was president and CEO and a trustee of Seritage Growth Properties from 2015 to 2021; COO of Rouse Properties, Inc. from 2012 to 2015; and before that a senior vice president with Vornado Realty Trust. Schall received his undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Michael Schall
 

Michael J. Schall
Board Member
Essex Property Trust, Inc.

Michael Schall is a board member of Essex Property Trust, Inc. after having served as president and CEO of the company since 2011. He previously served as senior executive vice president and COO of the company from 2005 to 2010, and from 1993 to 2005, was the company’s CFO. He joined The Marcus & Millichap Company in 1986. He was also the CFO of Essex’s predecessor, Essex Property Corp., and worked in roles at Churchill International and Ernst & Young (then Ernst & Whinney). Schall is a certified public accountant (inactive) and a member of the National Multifamily Housing Council and AICPA. Schall received a B.S. from the University of San Francisco.

James M. Taylor
President & CEO
Brixmor Property Group, Inc.

Jim Taylor joined Brixmor Property Group in 2016, bringing more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience with him. His passion and leadership are grounded in a deep belief that retail shopping centers should do more than reflect the surrounding community: they should be an integral part of local daily life. Taylor is a trustee for the Innovating Commerce Serving Communities (ICSC). He holds a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Virginia, and is a trustee for the university's Jefferson Trust.

Owen D. Thomas
CEO
BXP

Owen Thomas is the chairman and CEO of BXP. He is a director of Lehman Brothers Holdings and served as its first chairman from 2012 until 2013 when he joined BXP. Prior to Lehman, he was with Morgan Stanley for 24 years serving in a number of different roles, business units, and locations. He is a director and former global chairman of the Urban Land Institute, a director of the Real Estate Roundtable, a member of the Economic Club of New York, and a director of Episcopal Charities of New York. He attended and is chair-elect of the Board of Trustees at Woodberry Forest School, received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.


 

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Nareit Officers are also members of the Executive Board.

Steven A. Wechsler
President & CEO

Steven Wechsler is Nareit's president and CEO. He joined Nareit in 1997 from the National Realty Committee (NRC), now known as The Real Estate Roundtable. He served as NRC's CEO from 1990 to 1997 and first joined NRC in 1983 as general counsel. Prior to joining NRC, Wechsler practiced law with Stein, Miller and Brodsky, and served as counsel to Thevenot, Murray and Scheer, a government relations consulting firm. He is a graduate of the Boston University School of Communications and the Cleveland State University College of Law.

Tony M. Edwards
Senior Executive Vice President

Tony Edwards is the senior executive vice president of Nareit. Before joining Nareit in 1993, Edwards was a tax partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Morrison & Foerster. From 1975 through 1979, Edwards was an attorney-adviser (tax) with the Interpretative Division of the Internal Revenue Service's Office of chief counsel. He received his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Lehigh University; his J.D. degree, with honors, from the University of Miami School of Law; and his L.L.M. in taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center.

John D. Worth
Executive Vice President, Research & Investor Outreach

John Worth is the executive vice president, research and investor outreach at Nareit. Prior to joining Nareit, Worth was the chief economist of the National Credit Union Administration from 2010 to 2015. Prior to joining NCUA, he spent nearly a decade at the U.S. Treasury where he served as the director of the Office of Microeconomic Analysis. Worth has also worked as a consultant for Welch Consulting and the RAND Corporation. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Southern California.

Cathy Barré
Executive Vice President, Policy & Public Affairs & General Counsel

Cathy Barré is executive vice president, policy and public affairs and general counsel at Nareit. Prior to joining Nareit in 2015, Barré served in key senior positions in the public and private sectors, including tax counsel for the Senate Finance Committee, a senior executive role at the IRS, and director, associate general counsel, and tax counsel for the funds at Legg Mason Global Asset Management. She earned a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and was an Olin scholar in law and economics while earning her J.D. (order of the Coif) from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Matthew Bechard
Executive Vice President, Communications & Industry Affairs

Matthew Bechard is the executive vice president, communications and industry affairs at Nareit. Prior to joining Nareit in 2001, Bechard spent his career in business-to-business journalism focused on the marketing, publishing, and investment markets. He holds a BA in journalism from SUNY Plattsburgh.

Victor Dristas

Victor Dristas
Executive Vice President, Operations

Victor Dristas is the executive vice president, operations at Nareit. Dristas has been with Nareit since January 2000 and is responsible for Nareit’s information technology, human resources, office operations, and corporate dues activities. In addition, Dristas operates Nareit’s top level domain registry, .reit. Prior to joining Nareit, he was a systems engineer with Unisys Corporation on the U.S. Coast Guard TISCOM base. Prior to that he was an IT manager with U.S. News & World Report and helped launch their online media division. He holds a B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University and a M.S. in Information Systems from The George Washington University.

Roberto Diaz

Roberto Diaz
Executive Vice President Finance & Fiscal Management

Roberto Diaz is the executive vice president, finance and fiscal management at Nareit. Prior to joining Nareit in 2007, Diaz held several finance and accounting positions at Marriott International. He earned a B.A in economics from Virginia Tech. He is a licensed CPA in the state of Maryland; as well as a CFA charterholder.

Please visit the staff page to see the rest of the Nareit staff.

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Past Nareit Chairs

Marguerite M. Nader
President & CEO
Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc.
Term: 2022

James F. Risoleo
President, CEO & Executive Director
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Term: 2021

William Stein
Former CEO
Digital Realty
Term: 2020
Retired

Sandeep Mathrani
Former CEO
Brookfield Properties Retail
Term: 2019
Director
Sycamore Partners

Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr.
Chairman, President & CEO
Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.
Term: 2018

Timothy J. Naughton
Former Chairman, President & CEO
AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
Term: 2017
Executive Chairman of the Board
AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

Edward J. Fritsch
Former President & CEO
Highwoods Properties
Term: 2016
Retired

David J. Neithercut
Former President & CEO
Equity Residential
Term: 2015
Chairman
​​​​​​​Equity Residential

Ronald L. Havner, Jr.
Former Chairman & CEO
Public Storage
Term: 2014
Chairman
Public Storage

Edward Walter
Former CEO
Host Hotels & Resorts
Term: 2013
Retired

Donald C. Wood
President & CEO
Federal Realty Investment Trust
Term: 2012

Bryce Blair
Former Chairman & CEO
AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
Term: 2011
Retired

Debra A. Cafaro
Chairman & CEO
Ventas, Inc.
Term: 2010

Constance B. Moore
Former President & CEO
BRE Properties, Inc.
Term: 2009
Retired

Martin E. Stein, Jr.
Former Chairman & CEO
Regency Centers Corporation
Term: 2008
Executive Chairman
Regency Centers Corporation

Arthur M. Coppola
Former President & CEO
The Macerich Company
Term: 2007
Retired

Scot Sellers
Former Chairman & CEO
Archstone-Smith
Term: 2006
Retired

David E. Simon
Chairman, President & CEO
Simon Property Group
Term: 2005

Hamid R. Moghadam
Former Chairman & CEO
AMB Property Corporation
Term: 2004
Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO
Prologis, Inc.

Steven Roth
Chairman & CEO
Vornado Realty Trust
Term: 2003

William D. Sanders
Former Chairman
Security Capital Group Incorporated
Term: 2002
Retired

Warren E. Spieker, Jr.
Former Chairman
Spieker Properties, Inc.
Term: 2001
Retired

Samuel Zell
Former Chairman
Equity Office Properties Trust
Equity Residential Properties Trust
Manufactured Homes Communities
Terms: 1999 & 2000
Deceased

Steven J. Guttman
Former President & CEO
Federal Realty Investment Trust
Term: 1998
Retired

Milton Cooper
Former Chairman & CEO
Kimco Realty
Term: 1997
Executive Chairman
Kimco Realty

Stanford J. Alexander
Former Chairman & CEO
Weingarten Realty
Term: 1996
Deceased

Kenneth B. Roath
Former Chairman & CEO
Health Care Property Investors Inc.
Term: 1995
Retired

John P. McCann
Former Chairman & CEO
United Dominion Realty Trust
Term: 1993 & 1994
Deceased

William Newman
Former Chairman & CEO
New Plan Excel Realty Trust, Inc.
Term: 1991 & 1992
Deceased

 

Advisory Board of Governors

The Advisory Board of Governors is the advisory body to the Executive Board and provides advice and assistance in all matters related to Nareit, the membership, and the REIT industry.

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Edward K. Aldag, Jr.
Chairman, President & CEO
Medical Properties Trust Inc.

H. Eric Bolton, Jr.
Chairman & CEO
MAA

Jon E. Bortz
Chairman, President & CEO
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

Byron L. Boston
CEO, President & Co-CIO
Dynex Capital, Inc.

Jay A. Brown
President & CEO
Crown Castle Inc.

Stephen E. Budorick
President & CEO
COPT Defense Properties

Richard J. Campo
Chairman & CEO
Camden Property Trust

Frank Cohen
Chairman & CEO
Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.

Lisa R. Cohn
President & General Counsel
Apartment Income REIT Corp.

Victor J. Coleman
Chairman & CEO
Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc.

M. Colin Connolly
President & CEO
Cousins Properties 

Laurel B. Durkay
Head, Global Listed Real Assets
Morgan Stanley

Jeffrey S. Edison
Chairman & CEO
Phillips Edison & Co.

Mary Fedewa
President & CEO
STORE Capital Corporation

Jason E. Fox
CEO
W. P. Carey Inc.

Jennifer F. Francis
President & CEO
Diversified Healthcare Trust 

Kenneth A. Gunderman
President & CEO
Uniti Group Inc.

David A. Helfand
President & CEO
Equity Commonwealth

Mary Hogan-Preusse
Founder & Principal
Sturgis Partners LLC

Jackson Hsieh
CEO & President
Spirit Realty Capital

Lisa L. Kaufman
Managing Director & Global CEO
LaSalle Investment Management Securities

Katharine A. Keenan
CEO
Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.

John B. Kilroy, Jr.
Chairman, President & CEO
Kilroy Realty Corporation

John A. Kite
Chairman & CEO
Kite Realty Group Trust

Theodore J. Klinck
President & CEO
Highwoods Properties, Inc.

Marshall A. Loeb
President & CEO
EastGroup Properties, Inc.

David R. Lukes
President & CEO
SITE Centers Corp.

Joseph D. Margolis
CEO
Extra Space Storage, Inc.

Christopher P. Marr
President & CEO
CubeSmart

John P. McCarthy, Jr.
Vice Chairman
Starwood Real Estate Income Trust

Paul T. McDermott
President & CEO
Elme Communities

Sheila K. McGrath
Principal
Grayton Advisory

William L. Meaney
President & CEO
Iron Mountain

Charles J. Meyers
President & CEO
Equinix, Inc.

Shankh Mitra
CEO & CIO
Welltower Inc.

Diane M. Morefield
Board member
UDR, Inc.

David L. Nunes
President & CEO
Rayonier Inc.

Thomas E. O’Hern
CEO
Macerich 

Jeffrey S. Olson
Chairman & CEO
Urban Edge Properties

C. Taylor Pickett
President & CEO
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.

David J. Schulte
President & CEO
CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc.

Gregory K. Silvers
President & CEO
EPR Properties

Wendy L. Simpson
Chairman, President & CEO
LTC Properties, Inc.

Devin W. Stockfish
President & CEO
Weyerhaeuser

Jeffrey A. Stoops
President & CEO
SBA Communications Corporation

Gerard H. Sweeney
President & CEO
Brandywine Realty Trust

Gina Szymanski
Managing Director & Lead Portfolio Manager, North America REITs
AEW Capital Management

Dallas B. Tanner
President & CEO 
Invitation Homes

Diane L. Wade
Head of ESG, Listed Securities
CBRE Investment Management

Sarah J. Wade
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager
Nuveen Asset Management

Bonnie Wongtrakool
CEO
Western Asset Mortgage Capital Corporation

Stephen J. Yalof
President & CEO
Tanger Outlets

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Audit and Investment Committee:
Chair: Marshall A. Loeb, President & CEO, EastGroup Properties, Inc.
Mary Fedewa, President & CEO, STORE Capital Corporation
Sumit Roy, President & CEO, Realty Income Corporation

Best Financial Practices Council and Accounting Committee Co-Chairs:
John Gottfried, SVP – CFO, Acadia Realty Trust
Angela Valdes, CAO, JBG SMITH
Mike Walsh, SVP & CAO, BXP

CFO Council Chair and Vice Chair:
Chair: Marc J. Smernoff, EVP & CFO, Americold Realty Trust
Vice Chair: Michael LaBelle, EVP, CFO and Treasurer, BXP

Communications Council Co-Chairs:
Melissa McNamara, VP, Head of Corporate Communications, Cousins Properties
Karen Noonan, Director, Internal Communications and Engagement, CubeSmart

Corporate Governance Council Chair and Vice Chairs:
Chair: Scott. J Fenster, EVP & General Counsel, Equity Residential
Vice Chair: Samantha Sacks Gallagher, EVP & General Counsel, VICI Properties, Inc.
Vice Chair: Eric G. Kevorkian, SVP, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, BXP

Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DDEI) CEO Council Co-Chairs:
Thomas J. Baltimore, Chairman, President & CEO, Park Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Thomas A. Bartlett, President & CEO, American Tower Corporation
Debra A. Cafaro, Chairman & CEO, Ventas, Inc.

Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative Steering Committee Co-Chairs:
Mary Hogan-Preusse, Founder and Principal, Sturgis Partners LLC
Diane Morefield, Board Member, UDR, Inc.
Sherry L. Rexroad, Board Member, Aimco

Federal Tax Committee Chair:
Maura Wheet, VP-Tax, Boston Properties

Government Relations Committee Co-Chairs:
William P. DeKlerk, VP, Tax, Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Puneet Sharma, Global Director, Tax, W.P. Carey, Inc.

Insurance Committee Chair:
Janet Kerr, VP, Risk Management, BXP

mREIT Council Executive Committee Chair:
Byron L. Boston, CEO & Co-CIO, Dynex Capital Inc.

Public Non-Listed REIT Council Executive Committee Chair:
C. Allan Swaringen, President & CEO, JLL Income Property Trust

Real Estate Investment Advisory Council Chair:
Conor Flynn, CEO, Kimco Realty Corporation

Real Estate Sustainability Council Chair and Vice Chair:
Chair: Michael Chang, VP, Energy and Sustainability, Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Vice Chair: Carol Samaan, VP, Corporate Counsel and ESG, Healthpeak Properties, Inc.

Social Responsibility Council Co-Chairs:
Lisa Alonso, EVP & CHRO, Healthpeak Properties, Inc.
Leah Landro, EVP & CHRO, Kimco Realty Corporation