Personnel News from Bellwether Enterprise, Grandbridge, CBRE

Bellwether Enterprise Names DJ Effler President

Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital LLC, Cleveland, promoted DJ Effler to President effective January 1.

Prior President Ned Huffman will continue to serve as CEO and will work with Effler through the transition and in his new role as president.

Effler’s career in commercial real estate investments spans nearly two decades, including experience as both a lender and an equity investor. He is well-versed in all property types and is especially active in the multifamily and hospitality sectors. He also brings critical partnerships in the capital markets space to the role, including with Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, life insurance companies, CMBS, debt funds, banks and additional subordinate capital sources.

Prior to joining Bellwether Enterprise, Effler served as Vice President of both the Investment and Capital Markets Groups at RockBridge Capital LLC, a private equity firm focused on providing subordinate debt and equity to the hospitality industry. He began his career with Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio.

Grandbridge Adds West Coast Seniors Housing Investment Sales Team

Grandbridge Real Estate Capital added a seniors housing investment sales team to its dedicated Seniors Housing and Healthcare Finance Group led by Senior Vice President Richard Thomas in Atlanta, Ga.

Based in San Diego, the new team is led by David Rothschild and Mary Christian. Both previously with Cushman & Wakefield, thy focus solely on senior living transactions and have represented sellers of senior living properties across the United States, Canada and the U.K. since 1986.

Since 1986, David Rothschild has devoted himself exclusively to the brokerage of seniors housing and long-term care properties. As the leader of the San Diego team, David oversees financial underwriting of seniors housing properties, targets qualified investors, presents marketing packages to investors, conducts negotiations and leads due diligence and closing processes.

Mary Christian began her career in senior living in 1997 and has completed nearly $9 billion in transactional sales with the team. An integral part of the San Diego team, she serves as team manager and coordinator, oversees the marketing process inclusive of the creation and production of offering memorandums, financial underwriting, marketing campaigns and all other areas of the overall marketing and sale of properties.

CBRE Hires Wilke in San Diego
CBRE announced Ken Wilke joined its San Diego office as a project management director for its life sciences division.

Prior to joining CBRE, Wilke held director-level roles in R&D strategy and operations at Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson. He also founded and served as principal of the consulting firm BioStrategy Solutions, LLC.

In his new role at CBRE, Wilke will work directly with clients managing complex life science and lab construction projects.