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 W. Matthew Kelly 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. |
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Conor C. Flynn 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. |
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Second Vice Chair Sumit Roy 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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Mark J. Parrell 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. |
Nareit Officers are also members of the Executive Board.
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Peter E. Baccile 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. |
Eric Bolton serves as the chairman and CEO of Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA). He was named CEO in October 2001 and has served as Chairman since October 2002. Bolton has been a member of MAA’s management team since April 1994 serving as chief operating officer prior to his appointment as CEO. Bolton holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from University of Memphis, and an MBA with a concentration in finance and real estate from University of North Texas. He also holds professional designations as a certified public accountant (inactive) and an associate of risk management. |
Scott Brinker has been president and CEO of Healthpeak Properties, Inc. since October 2022. From January 2019 to October 2022, Brinker served as president and chief investment officer, and from March 2018 to December 2019, he served as executive vice president and chief investment officer. Prior to joining Healthpeak Properties, Brinker served as executive vice president and chief investment officer at Welltower Inc. and held various investment and portfolio management-related capacities during his tenure there from 2001 to 2017. Brinker received a B.A. from Yale University and earned a MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. |
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Tamara D. Fischer Tamara Fischer serves as executive chairman of the board of trustees for National Storage Affiliates, and previously was president and CEO. She's been an officer since NSA's inception 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 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. |
Ted Klinck joined Highwoods in March 2012 and became president and CEO in 2018. Previously, he was principal and chief investment officer with Goddard Investment Group in Atlanta. Klinck has 28 years of extensive real estate experience, and prior to joining Goddard Investment, he spent 16 years with Morgan Stanley Real Estate, including its predecessor companies Lend Lease and Equitable Real Estate. Klinck has a strong focus on sourcing core, value-add and opportunistic real estate investments in high growth markets. He is a member of Raleigh Chamber Board and chair of the First Tee of the Triangle. Ted received his BBA in finance and real estate from Southern Methodist University and his MBA in finance and real estate from the University of Georgia. |
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. |
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Lisa Palmer 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. |
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. |
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 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. |
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James M. Taylor 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. |
Nareit Officers are also members of the Executive Board.
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Steven A. Wechsler 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. |
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Cathy Barré 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. |
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Matthew Bechard 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. |
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Roberto Diaz 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. |
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Victor Dristas 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. |
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John D. Worth 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. |
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Please visit the staff page to see the rest of the Nareit staff. |
Past Nareit Chairs
Company and position details listed are reflective of term year.
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Lisa Palmer Marguerite M. Nader James F. Risoleo A. William Stein Sandeep Mathrani Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr. Timothy J. Naughton Edward J. Fritsch David J. Neithercut Ronald L. Havner, Jr. W. Edward Walter Donald C. Wood Bryce Blair Debra A. Cafaro Constance B. Moore Martin E. Stein, Jr. Arthur M. Coppola R. Scot Sellers David E. Simon Hamid R. Moghadam Steven Roth William D. Sanders Warren E. Spieker, Jr. Samuel Zell Steven J. Guttman Milton Cooper Stanford J. Alexander Kenneth B. Roath John P. McCann William Newman |
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.
Edward K. Aldag, Jr.
Chairman, President & CEO
Medical Properties Trust Inc.
Jon E. Bortz
Chairman & CEO
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
Byron L. Boston
CEO & Co-CIO
Dynex Capital, Inc.
Stephen E. Budorick
President & CEO
COPT Defense Properties
Richard J. Campo
Chairman & CEO
Camden Property Trust
George F. Chappelle, Jr.
CEO
Americold Realty 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
Yael Duffy
President & CEO
Industrial Logistics Properties Trust
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
Mark Fioravanti
President & CEO
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
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
Lisa L. Kaufman
Global Head, Solutions
LaSalle Investment Management
Katharine A. Keenan
President & CEO
Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.
John A. Kite
Chairman & CEO
Kite Realty Group Trust
Angela L. Kleiman
President & CEO
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Kristin L. Kuney
Managing Director, Global Co-Head
of Liquid Real Assets
Goldman Sachs & Co
Daniel S. Letter
President
Prologis, 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
Chairman, President & CEO
Elme Communities
Sheila K. McGrath
Principal
Grayton Advisory
Todd J. Meredith
President & CEO
Healthcare Realty Trust
Charles J. Meyers
President & CEO
Equinix, Inc.
Shankh Mitra
CEO
Welltower Inc.
Peter M. Moglia
CEO & CIO
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Thomas E. O’Hern
Director
Macerich
Anne M. Olson
President & CEO
Centerspace
Jeffrey S. Olson
Chairman & CEO
Urban Edge Properties
C. Taylor Pickett
CEO
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.
Andrew P. Power
President & CEO
Digital Realty
David J. Schulte
Chairman & CEO
CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc.
Gregory K. Silvers
Chairman & CEO
EPR Properties
Wendy L. Simpson
Chairman & CEO
LTC Properties, Inc.
David P. Singelyn
CEO
AMH
Devin W. Stockfish
President & CEO
Weyerhaeuser
Gerard H. Sweeney
President & CEO
Brandywine Realty Trust
Gina Szymanski
Managing Director & Lead Portfolio
Manager, North America REITs
AEW Capital Management
Dallas B. Tanner
CEO
Invitation Homes
Owen D. Thomas
Chairman & CEO
BXP
Thomas W. Toomey
Chairman & CEO
UDR, Inc.
Diane L. Wade
Head Sustainability, Listed Securities
CBRE Investment Management
Sarah J. Wade
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager
Nuveen Asset Management
Stephen J. Yalof
President & CEO
Tanger Outlets
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Audit and Investment Committee: Best Financial Practices Council and Accounting Committee: CFO Council: Communications Council: Corporate Governance Council: Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DDEI) CEO Council: Insurance Committee: mREIT Council: Public Non-Listed REIT Council: Real Estate Investment Advisory Council: Real Estate Sustainability Council: Social Responsibility Council: Tax Committee: |