Commercial and Multifamily People in the News July 24, 2025
(Image courtesy of Western Alliance Bank)
Western Alliance Bank Announces Addition of Charles Jones
Western Alliance Bank, Phoenix, announced that Charles Jones has joined as Senior Director of Multifamily Housing Finance.
He’ll be based in Los Angeles and will lead a team that creates sector-specific financing solutions for multifamily developers including workforce housing projects.
Jones has more than 25 years of experience in commercial real estate finance. He previously served as Managing Director and Vice President of Originations at M&T Realty Capital Corp. He also had a role at Hunt Real Estate Capital (now Lument).
CBRE Makes Personnel Announcements
CBRE, Dallas, announced strategic leadership appointments in its U.S. and Canada Advisory Business.
Chris Connelly has been promoted to Executive Vice President, U.S. and Canada Advisory Services.
James Millon and Tommy Lee have been promoted to Co-Heads of U.S. and Canada Capital Markets.
Mike Casey has been promoted to the newly created role of Chief Data Officer, U.S. and Canada Advisory Services.
Brooke Armstrong, Texas Advisory Leader, has been promoted to Advisory Group President, West Region. Pete Schippits is now Advisory Group President, East Region and Canada, transitioning from his oversight of the West.
Additionally, CBRE has expanded its Debt and Structured Finance team in Texas with the addition of Tom Burns as Vice Chair. He is based in CBRE’s Dallas office and will focus on growing CBRE’s Debt & Structured Finance Business across Texas. He previously worked with Affinius Capital.
KeyBank Makes Hires to Expand Affordable Housing Platform
KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment, Cleveland, has appointed Jon Burckin to the post of Senior Business Development Banker on the Equity Distribution Team. He will be responsible for raising capital and bringing in new investors for CDLI’s affordable housing equity syndication platform across the U.S.
Burckin has more than 25 years of experience in capital markets, focusing on real estate, structured finance and impact investing. He was previously with Regions Bank.
KeyBank CDLI has also appointed Angela Kelcher as Central Region Team Leader. She’ll lead KeyBank’s Central Region debt and equity team.
Kelcher has more than 25 years of comprehensive experience in affordable housing finance, most recently with JLL.
Gantry Names Three Principals to Board of Directors
Gantry, San Francisco, announced Tom Grzebinski in New York, Joe Monteleone in St. Louis and Mark Reichter in Kansas City, Mo., have joined the board of directors as shareholders in the producer-owned/producer-led private corporate structure.
Grzebinksi has been with Gantry as a Senior Director since 2019 and leads commercial mortgage production for the firm in the Northeastern markets.
Monteleone and Reichter both joined Gantry as Principals in 2024 following the firm’s merger with Triad Capital Partners.
Merchants Capital Welcomes Serah Lee
Merchants Capital, Carmel, Ind., announced the addition of Sereh Lee as Senior Vice President of Originations.
She will be based in the New York office, and will help enhance Merchants Capital’s national multifamily and affordable housing debt and equity footprint.
Lee has more than 12 years of experience at Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, where she originated, structured and closed agency debt financing via the GSEs and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She also has worked on the investments team at a commercial real estate hedge fund.
Lument Adds Nick Steele
Lument, New York, announced that Nick Steele has joined the company as a Managing Director, launching efforts across Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Steele has more than a decade of experience in sales in the region.
He was previously with Berkadia, and has held roles at Marcus & Millichap and Apartment Realty Advisors.
Nick LiVigne Joins JLL
Nick LiVigne has joined JLL, Chicago, as Consulting Lead for the Technology Division of JLL Work Dynamics.
LiVigne will be based in San Francisco and brings 20 years of expertise in workplace innovation, flexible office product development, corporate real estate and sustainability strategy.
He has worked for Verizon, Convene and Incendium Consulting.
