10/02/2023 | by Nareit Staff

Each month, Nareit highlights recent executive career moves, board changes, and other notable individual achievements within the REIT and publicly listed real estate market.

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Nicole
Nicole Witteveen

Agree Realty Corp. (NYSE: ADC) promoted Nicole Witteveen to COO. Prior to assuming the COO role, she served as executive vice president, people and culture as well as chief of staff. Concurrent with Witteveen’s appointment, Craig Erlich assumed the newly created role of chief growth officer. Erlich previously served as chief investment officer and COO. Additionally, Edward Eickhoff joined Agree as executive vice president, asset management.

Brixmor Property Group Inc. (NYSE: BRX) said Angela Aman, currently the company's executive vice president, CFO and treasurer, has been promoted to the additional position of president, and Brian Finnegan, currently executive vice president, chief revenue officer, has been promoted to senior executive vice president and COO.

Angela
Angela Aman

Diversified Healthcare Trust (Nasdaq: DHC) said Phyllis Hollis has been appointed as an independent trustee of the board, effective Sept. 26. In addition, Matthew Brown was named as CFO and treasurer, effective Oct. 1. Brown is a senior vice president of The RMR Group (Nasdaq: RMR) where he oversees the accounting and finance functions.

Dynex Capital, Inc. (NYSE: DX) said Terrence (T.J.) Connelly, a seasoned expert in global economics, fixed-income investing, and financial modeling has joined Dynex to spearhead its strategic initiatives and research efforts. Prior to joining Dynex, he was the founder and head of research at Contingent Macro Advisors.

TJ
T.J. Connelly

Dynex also announced the appointment of Smriti Laxman Popenoe to the company’s board of directors. Popenoe has served as president and co-chief investment officer since 2021 and a member of the executive team since 2014.

Elme Communities (NYSE: ELME) named Susan Carras as an independent director to the board of trustees. Her appointment expands the company’s board to seven members and increases female representation among independent trustees to 50%. Carras is a senior managing director in the Washington, D.C. office of JLL Capital Markets, America.

Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) named Adam Berlew as chief marketing officer. Berlew returns to Equinix after previously serving the company as a vice president of global marketing from 2012 to 2015. Before rejoining Equinix, he served as head of global digital, enterprise, economy and platform marketing for Atlassian.

Adam Berlew
Adam Berlew

Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (Nasdaq: GLPI) said it mourns the loss of board member JoAnne Epps, who passed away suddenly on Sept. 19th. Epps joined the board of directors in September 2021. She was serving as acting president of Temple University at the time of her passing and spent nearly 40 years serving the university and its community.

Industrial Logistics Properties Trust (Nasdaq: ILPT) announced that Tiffany Sy has been appointed as CFO and treasurer, effective Oct. 1. Sy has served in finance and accounting leadership roles at The RMR Group (Nasdaq: RMR) since 2020. Most recently, she was CFO and treasurer of Tremont Realty Capital and Seven Hills Realty Trust (Nasdaq: SEVN).

Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) said that after 33 years of service, Mary Ricks has decided to retire as president of Kennedy Wilson and as director on the company’s board. She will serve as a consultant to Kennedy Wilson to aid in the transition. Concurrently, former Executive Vice President Matt Windisch was promoted to president of Kennedy Wilson. Windisch joined the company 17 years ago. Former Head of UK Mike Pegler, who has been with Kennedy Wilson for nearly a decade, will also assume a new role as president of Kennedy Wilson Europe.

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE: MAA) announced that Albert Campbell, executive vice president and CFO, will retire effective March 31, 2024. A. Clay Holder, senior vice president and chief accounting officer, will assume responsibilities as the CFO effective with Campbell's retirement. As part of his planned retirement, Campbell will remain as an advisor to the company through the end of calendar year 2024.

MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE: MFA) appointed Michael Roper as CFO. He succeeds StephenYarad, who is resigning as MFA’s CFO to become CFO of another company. Roper, who has held various accounting and financial reporting-related positions since joining MFA in 2014, has been senior vice president since January 2019 and chief accounting officer since December 2021, and he will continue in these roles.

Christopher
Christopher Bilotto

Office Properties Income Trust (Nasdaq: OPI) said Christopher Bilotto has been appointed president and CEO and Brian Donley has been appointed CFO and treasurer, both effective Oct. 1. Bilotto has been serving as COO of OPI since 2020 and also as president since 2021. He is also a senior vice president of The RMR Group (Nasdaq: RMR). Donley joined RMR in 2007 and is currently a senior vice president of RMR. He will continue to serve as ServiceProperties Trust’s (Nasdaq: SVC) CFO and treasurer.

Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: PECO) appointed Anthony Terry to serve as an independent director, effective Oct. 30. Terry currently serves as executive vice president and CFO for Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.

Seven Hills Realty Trust (Nasdaq: SEVN) named Fernando Diaz as CFO and treasurer, effective Oct. 1. Diaz joined The RMR Group (Nasdaq: RMR) in 2007 and currently serves as a vice president, responsible for credit risk and business analytics. Seven Hills also announced that Phyllis Hollis resigned from the board of trustees.

Jessica
Jessica Norman

SBA Communications Corp. (Nasdaq: SBAC) said Marc Montagner, a telecommunications and finance executive with over 30 years of experience, has been appointed as the next executive vice president and CFO, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Montagner’s appointment follows the previously announced CEO succession plan, in which Brendan Cavanagh, currently executive vice president and CFO, will succeed Jeffrey Stoops as president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Montagner will join SBA on Oct. 17 as executive vice president-finance, prior to assuming the CFO at the start of the new year.

Tanger® Outlets (NYSE: SKT) named Jessica Norman as the company's executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary. Most recently, she served as chief legal officer of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: IRT).