Our Management Team
Behringer Harvard is managed by a seasoned, cohesive team of real estate and investment professionals with expertise in deal structure, finance, acquisition, management, and disposition. Including predecessor organizations, our senior executives have managed more than 40 real estate enterprises since 1989.
Board of Directors
Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc.
(independent members only) |
Board of Directors
Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT I, Inc.
(independent members only) |
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Board of Directors
Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT II, Inc.
(independent members only) |
Board of Directors
Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc.
(independent members only) |
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Robert M. Behringer
Robert M. Behringer is the founder, controlling owner, and chairman of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC–the parent company of Behringer Harvard. Mr. Behringer has leveraged his decades of experience in investment, management, finance, and development of commercial real estate to lead Behringer Harvard through an extended period of exceptional growth. Prior to the formation of Behringer Harvard, Mr. Behringer sponsored successful real estate programs through Behringer Partners and founded Harvard Property Trust, Inc., a private REIT where he served as chief executive officer from 1995 to 2001.
From 1985 to 1993, Mr. Behringer held the position of vice president and investment officer of Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Inc. (acquired by Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc.), one of the largest pension fund advisors and owners of real estate in the United States.
Mr. Behringer is a certified property manager, real property administrator, certified hotel administrator, and is a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Urban Land Institute, and the Real Estate Council. He also holds Series 7, 24, and 63 securities registrations as chief executive officer of Behringer Securities LP, the dealer manager for securities offered by investment programs sponsored by Behringer Harvard Holdings and its subsidiaries. Mr. Behringer also benefits from having been a licensed certified public accountant for more than 20 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota.
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Robert S. Aisner
Robert S. Aisner is president and chief executive officer of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC–the parent company of Behringer Harvard. Mr. Aisner also serves all other Behringer Harvard companies in this capacity, bringing more than 30 years of commercial real estate experience and leadership to the company’s operations. In addition, he is chief executive officer of Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc., Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT I, Inc., Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT II, Inc., Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc., and chairman of the board of directors for Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT II, Inc.
Prior to joining Behringer Harvard in 2003, Mr. Aisner served in several senior management roles at AMLI Residential Properties Trust (NYSE) between 1996 and 2003, including executive vice president of AMLI Residential Properties Trust, president of AMLI Management Company, vice president of AMLI Residential Construction and vice president of AMLI Institutional Advisors.
Mr. Aisner received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of New Hampshire. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC), the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA).
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Robert J. Chapman
Robert J. Chapman is executive vice president of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC. He also serves as president of Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc. and Multifamily REIT II, Inc. Prior to joining Behringer Harvard in 2007, Mr. Chapman was the chief financial officer of AMLI Residential Properties Trust, a publicly traded multifamily real estate investment trust (NYSE:AML) from 1997-2007; managing director of Heitman Capital Management Corporation (1994-97); managing director and chief financial officer of JMB Institutional Realty Corporation (1994); and managing director and chief financial Officer of JMB Realty Corporation (1976-94).
Mr. Chapman has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Graaskamp Center for Real Estate of the University of Wisconsin. He was a Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT I, Inc., a non-traded publicly registered company, and served as a Founding Board Member of the National Association of Real Estate Companies (NAREC) and the Real Estate Advisory Council of the University of Cincinnati. Mr. Chapman has also been an adjunct professor of real estate finance at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.
Mr. Chapman received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Cincinnati. He is a Certified Public Accountant and, when previously affiliated with a broker-dealer, was a National Association Securities Dealers Registered Representative. He is, or has been, a member of the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, the National Multi Housing Council, Pension Real Estate Association, the Real Estate Investment Advisory Council, the Urban Land Institute, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Illinois CPA Society.
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Gary S. Bresky
Gary S. Bresky serves as executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC. Mr. Bresky also serves as chief financial officer of other Behringer Harvard companies and is a principal of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC. Previously, Mr. Bresky served as senior vice president of finance with Harvard Property Trust, Inc. from 1996 to 2001.
Prior to joining Harvard Property Trust, Inc., Mr. Bresky was an accounting professional with the Real Estate Group at Coopers & Lybrand LLP. From 1989 to 1994, Mr. Bresky worked with Ten West Associates, LTD and Westwood Financial Corporation in Los Angeles, California. From 1988 to 1989, Mr. Bresky worked for Shearson-Lehman Bros., Inc. and Hambrecht and Quist, Inc. as a real estate analyst and asset manager.
Mr. Bresky is a licensed certified public accountant and holds Series 7, 24, 27, and 63 securities registrations. Mr. Bresky received a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the University of California–Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Gerald J. Reihsen, III
Gerald J. Reihsen, III is executive vice president–corporate development & legal and secretary of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC, and has served as an executive officer since the company’s inception in 2001. He also is president of Behringer Securities LP.
Mr. Reihsen also serves in executive capacities with other Behringer Harvard companies and is a principal of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC.
In 2000 and 2001, Mr. Reihsen served as the vice president–corporate development and legal of Xybridge Technologies, Inc., then a leading telecommunications software development company ultimately acquired by Zhone Technologies, Inc. In 1995, Mr. Reihsen established his own commercial law firm, Travis & Reihsen, where he served as a corporate/securities partner continuing in such capacity at this and subsequent firms to 2000. From 1986 to 1995, Mr. Reihsen served in the corporate/securities group at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
Mr. Reihsen is licensed as an attorney in Texas and Wisconsin and holds Series 7, 24, 27, and 63 securities registrations. Mr. Reihsen received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, and a Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin.
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M. Jason Mattox
M. Jason Mattox is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC. He has served as an executive officer and principal of Behringer Harvard since its inception and holds similar positions within the other Behringer Harvard companies.
Mr. Mattox served as vice president of Harvard Property Trust, Inc. from 1997 to 2002, where he was a member of its Investment Committee and served as an asset manager for commercial office assets, industry association liaison, marketing project manager, and an acquisition officer during his tenure.
Prior to joining Harvard Property Trust, from 1999 to 2001 Mr. Mattox served as vice president of Sun Resorts International, Inc., a recreational property investment company affiliated with Harvard Property Trust, Inc. Mr. Mattox holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 securities registrations. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with honors, and a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
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Michael D. Cohen
Michael D. Cohen is executive vice president of Harvard Property Trust LLC and has more than 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry.
In addition to other corporate responsibilities, Mr. Cohen primarily directs Behringer Harvard’s international platform from the company’s Dallas, Texas, headquarters. Prior to joining Behringer Harvard in 2005, Mr. Cohen served as a vice president at Crow Holdings, where he was responsible for retail, office, and hotel acquisitions.
Mr. Cohen holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. He received a Masters degree in Business and Finance from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Robert Franklin Muller, Jr.
Robert Franklin (Frank) Muller, Jr. is executive vice president and head of distribution at Behringer Harvard Holdings, Inc., a Dallas-based real estate investment company. Mr. Muller leads the company’s distribution efforts including institutional and retail sales strategies. In a career spanning more than 25 years, Mr. Muller has accumulated broad experience building and managing multi-channel distribution services for investment management sponsors.
In the two years prior to joining Behringer Harvard, Mr. Muller was a managing director and partner with Kiski Group, LLC, where he was responsible for sourcing capital for institutional investment managers in the alternative investment space. From 2003 to 2010, Mr. Muller was president and a board member of Hines Real Estate Investments, Inc. He served as vice president of Hines Advisors LP, which manages the Hines REIT and Hines Global REIT. Mr. Muller also served on the board of trustees and executive committee of the Investment Program Association—the trade association of the direct investment industry.
From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Muller was the national director of sales for Morgan Stanley’s Investment Management Group in New York. From 1991 to 2000, he served as the executive director of Van Kampen Investments in Chicago. Mr. Muller began his career working as a corporate controller and financial advisor. Mr. Muller is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting. He also holds Series 7, 24, and 63 securities registrations.
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Stanton P. Eigenbrodt
Stan Eigenbrodt is executive vice president and general counsel of Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC, where he oversees the legal department, broker-dealer due diligence and compliance, and risk management. During more than 20 years as an attorney and prior to joining Behringer Harvard in 2006, Mr. Eigenbrodt practiced as a corporate and securities attorney for several years at Glast, Phillips & Murray in Dallas, Texas, and for more than 10 years at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Washington, D.C. and Dallas. His broad experience includes public and private equity and debt offerings; mergers and acquisitions of public and private companies, including international transactions; general securities advice; venture capital transactions; tender and exchange offers; and corporate transactions in bankruptcy.
Mr. Eigenbrodt received his law degree, cum laude, from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies and German, with honors, from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Mr. Eigenbrodt is the editor and co-author of several chapters in a book regarding short-swing trading reporting and compliance, and is also the author of a number of articles on executive compensation and the effects of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.
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Mark T. Alfieri
Mark T. Alfieri is executive vice president, and chief operating officer of Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc., serving since its inception in August 2006. Mr. Alfieri also serves as senior vice president–real estate for Harvard Property Trust, LLC. From January 1999 to April 2006, Mr. Alfieri was senior vice president of AMLI Residential Properties Trust, formerly a New York Stock Exchange listed REIT, where he directed investment activities for the Southwest region, prior to joining Behringer Harvard in May 2006. During his seven-year tenure at AMLI Residential Properties Trust, Mr. Alfieri completed more than $1.4 billion in multifamily transactions. From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Alfieri was a member of CEC, AMLI’s senior executive committee. From 1991 until 1998, Mr. Alfieri was president and chief executive officer of Revest Group, Inc., a regional full-service investment company. Revest was engaged in the acquisition and development of multifamily and commercial properties as a sponsor and general partner on behalf of international and domestic private investors. Mr. Alfieri also was president and chief executive officer of Revest Management Services, Revest Management Services fee-managed office, mini storage, and multifamily properties. Mr. Alfieri graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing. He is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Texas. Mr. Alfieri served on the board of directors of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) from 2002–2004 and is currently a member of the NMHC.
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Samuel A. Gillespie
Samuel A. Gillespie holds the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer of Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT I and II, Short-Term Opportunity Fund, Strategic Opportunity Funds I and II, and the Mid-term Value Enhancement Liquidating Trust. Mr. Gillespie’s current responsibilities include leading the management teams responsible for executing the operating strategies for each of these Behringer Harvard investment programs. Mr. Gillespie joined Behringer Harvard in November 2004 after spending 21 years in the commercial real estate industry with Trammell Crow Company. In his most recent position with Trammell Crow, Mr. Gillespie served as managing director of national accounts and was responsible for Trammell Crow Company’s largest institutional customers. Prior to that, Mr. Gillespie was partner in charge of Trammell Crow’s Indianapolis office from 1986 to 1997. He began his career with Trammell Crow as a leasing agent in Oklahoma City in 1983. Mr. Gillespie holds a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in accounting from Texas A&M University, and holds the CCIM designation.
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James D. Fant
James D. Fant serves as senior vice president and chief investment officer of Behringer Harvard opportunity funds and has more than 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Mr. Fant’s current responsibilities include sourcing potential new acquisitions as well as management of the acquisition team. Prior to joining Behringer Harvard, Mr. Fant served as vice president of acquisitions for the pension advisory firm, Kennedy Associates. From 1983 to 1998, Mr. Fant served in multiple capacities for MEPC American Properties, including senior vice president. Mr. Fant is a certified public accountant and is a licensed real estate salesman. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington.
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Scott W. Fordham
Scott Fordham is chief operating and financial officer of Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc. He joined the company in May 2008—as senior vice president of accounting for Harvard Property Trust, LLC—with 20 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting with an emphasis on financial forecasting, strategy, and accounting practices for public companies. His experience includes more than 15 years in the REIT industry.
Prior to joining Behringer Harvard, Mr. Fordham served as senior vice president and chief accounting officer of Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIMCO), an S&P 500 company with assets of approximately $10.6 billion. From 1992 to 2006, he held various finance and accounting positions with Prentiss Properties and its successor, Brandywine Realty Trust, and served as chief accounting officer there from 2004 to 2006. He also worked in the public accounting field with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Mr. Fordham received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas.
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William J. Reister
Bill Reister is executive vice president and chief investment officer of Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc. Since joining the company in 2009, Mr. Reister has served as senior vice president – capital markets; executive vice president and chief investment officer of Behringer Advisors; executive vice president of HPT Management Services; and in other similar roles. Mr. Reister has more than 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, including investment management, finance, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, property management, accounting, and reporting.
Prior to joining Behringer Harvard, from 1996 through 2008, Mr. Reister was a senior officer with Prentiss Properties Trust and its successor, Brandywine Realty Trust, a publicly traded REIT (NYSE: BDN). During his tenure with Prentiss, Mr. Reister was responsible for acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, asset management and operations activities of its 12 million square foot portfolio of office properties located in Dallas, Austin, Houston, Denver, and Southern California. Prior to this role, Mr. Reister was a Senior Corporate Finance Officer responsible for portfolio level acquisitions and financing. Mr. Reister was also a member of the executive team that formed Prentiss upon its successful initial public offering, which was the culmination of investments of Prentiss Properties Realty Advisors (PPRA), of which Mr. Reister was a founding officer. Prior to his affiliation with PPRA, Mr. Reister was the senior operations controller for Prentiss Properties Limited, a corporate controller for Cadillac Fairview and a senior auditor for Price Waterhouse. Mr. Reister holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and is a former Certified Public Accountant.
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Gerald D. Oliver
Gerald D. Oliver is Behringer Harvard’s senior vice president of commercial property management. Mr. Oliver is challenged with building and leading the team responsible for managing the assets held in the portfolio of Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc., which currently comprises more than 25 million square feet of office space.
Mr. Oliver has more than 25 years of broad-based experience in asset, property, and facilities management. Most recently, he served as regional senior vice president for Grubb & Ellis Management Services, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for asset services operations in the central United States and managed 100 clients with 250 properties representing 50 million square feet of commercial space. Prior to the beginning of his tenure at Grubb & Ellis in 1997, he held various senior management positions with Premisys Real Estate Services, a unit of the Prudential Insurance Co., Zeller Realty, Miglin-Beitler Developments and Roosevelt National Life. Mr. Oliver holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Olivet Nazarene University and is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Illinois. He is also a member of the National Advisory Council of the Building Owners and Managers Association, based in Washington, D.C.
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Peggy Daly
Peggy Daly is senior vice president of multifamily property management for Harvard Property Trust, LLC. Ms. Daly is responsible for directing the operational platform of the assets comprising Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc. Ms. Daly has more than 30 years of experience managing Class A multifamily assets.
From March 2008 until joining Behringer Harvard in May 2010, Ms. Daly was executive vice president of property management at Place Properties LLP. During her tenure there she was responsible for the profitability, business development, and performance results of over 22,500 units of student housing. From 1988 to 2008, Ms. Daly was with AMLI Residential Properties Trust, formerly a New York Stock Exchange listed REIT, where she served as executive vice president – national director of operations, senior vice president – revenue management, and regional vice president. From 1979 to 1988, Ms. Daly was a divisional vice president of property management for Trammell Crow Residential.
Ms. Daly attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute. She served on the board of directors of the Atlanta Apartment Association from 1996-2000, was a member of the advisory board for the school of property management at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and has served on expert panels at NAA, NMHC, and multifamily executive conferences.
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Board of Directors – Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc.
(independent members only)
Charles G. Dannis —an independent director, has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2003. Mr. Dannis has been a commercial real estate appraiser and consultant since 1972. Mr. Dannis co-founded the firm Crosson Dannis, Inc., a real estate appraisal and consulting firm, in 1977 and has been employed by such firm since that time. He is past treasurer and member of the Board of the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries and past chairman of its Valuation Committee. Mr. Dannis holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University. Since 1988, he has been an adjunct professor/lecturer in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in both the undergraduate and graduate schools. Mr. Dannis is also an award-winning teacher for the Mortgage Bankers Association of America School of Mortgage Banking. He holds the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute.
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Steven W. Partridge —an independent director, has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2003. Mr. Partridge has over 20 years of commercial real estate and related accounting experience. Since October 1997, Mr. Partridge has served as Chief financial officer and senior vice president of Coyote Management, LP, a real estate limited partnership that owns, manages, and leases regional shopping malls. From December 1983 to September 1997, Mr. Partridge served as a director of accounting and finance, asset manager, and then vice president of asset management with Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc., a commercial real estate investment company, and its predecessor, Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Inc. Mr. Partridge has been licensed as a certified public accountant for over 20 years and during that time has been a member of American Institute of CPAs, Texas Society of CPAs, International Council of Shopping Centers, and the CCIM Institute with a Certified Commercial Investment Member designation. Mr. Partridge earned a Bachelor of Accountancy degree, cum laude, and a Master of Accountancy degree (graduate fellowship) from the University of Mississippi.
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G. Ronald Witten —an independent director, has served as a member of our board of directors since April 15, 2004. Since January 2001, Mr. Witten has served as president of Witten Advisors LLC, a market advisory firm providing ongoing market advisory services to apartment developers, investors and lenders nationwide to identify the location and timing of future development and acquisitions opportunities for the nation's 40 major apartment markets. Mr. Witten began his career at M/PF Research, Inc., a national leader in apartment market data and market analysis, in 1973 and served as its president from 1978 to 2000. Mr. Witten has been particularly active in the Urban Land Institute and the National Multi Housing Council, and is currently a member of the NMHC's Research Advisory Group. In July 2004, Mr. Witten completed his term as Chairman of ULI's Multi-Family Silver Council. Mr. Witten received his BBA degree in Marketing from Texas Tech University and has completed graduate classes in statistics and economics at Southern Methodist University.
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Board of Directors – Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc.
(independent members only)
E. Alan Patton has served as one of the independent directors of Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc. since November 2006. Since January 2011, Mr. Patton has been a senior vice president of Hines Interests Limited Partnership, an international real estate firm, where his main focus is to expand the firm's multifamily development activity throughout the United States with involvement in site sourcing, product design, development and capital raising, and financing. From 1998 to January 2011, Mr. Patton served as president of The Morgan Group, Inc., a multifamily development and management company, where he was responsible for day-to-day operations.
Prior to joining The Morgan Group in 1998, Mr. Patton was the managing director of the Chase Bank of Texas Realty Advisory Group (formerly known as Texas Commerce Realty Advisors). During his eight-year tenure at Chase Bank, Mr. Patton developed and managed Chase's Real Estate Mezzanine Financing product, worked in the Real Estate Workout/Restructuring Group and the Commercial Real Estate Lending Group.
Prior to that, Mr. Patton served as a project manager with a Houston-based commercial general contractor, Miner-Dederick Companies, Inc., where he managed office and medical building construction projects nationwide for eight years. Mr. Patton attended Harding University, where he received a Bachelor of Science – Finance degree, and the University of Houston, where he received a Master of Business Administration degree. Mr. Patton is on the board of directors of the National Multi Housing Council and is a council member of the Urban Land Institute.
Roger D. Bowler has served as one of the independent directors of Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc. since November 2006. Mr. Bowler served in various capacities at Embrey Partners, Ltd., a San Antonio, Texas based apartment development and management company, from 1981 through 2006. From 1991 through 2006, Mr. Bowler served as executive vice president for Embrey and was responsible for corporate operations, as well as project feasibility, financing, and sales. In 2006, Mr. Bowler retired from full-time employment at Embrey and is currently providing consulting services to Embrey on a part-time basis. Prior to his full-time employment at Embrey, Mr. Bowler established and managed a corporate planning group for a Midwest bank holding company. Mr. Bowler also served as the senior financial officer for a Houston retail and office developer. Mr. Bowler earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Michigan State University. From 1984 through 2006, Mr. Bowler served on the advisory board of directors for the JP Morgan Chase Bank of San Antonio. Mr. Bowler currently serves on the board of directors for the Marathon Title Insurance Company and American Village Communities, Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia. Mr. Bowler is a member of the National Multi Housing Council.
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Sami S. Abbasi has served as one of the independent directors of Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc. since November 2006. Mr. Abbasi has served as chairman and CEO of National Surgical Care, Inc., which owns, develops, and operates surgical facilities in partnership with physicians and health care systems. From November 2004 to November 2006, Mr. Abbasi served as president and CEO of Radiologix, Inc., a provider of diagnostic imaging services, which was acquired by RadNet, Inc., formerly known as Primedex Health Systems, Inc., in November 2006. From February 2005 until November 2006, Mr. Abbasi served as a director of Radiologix. Mr. Abbasi served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Radiologix from October 2003 until November 2004 and as executive vice president and CFO of Radiologix from December 2000 until March 2004. From January 2000 through June 2000, Mr. Abbasi served as CFO and chief operating officer of Adminiquest, Inc., a private company that provided Web-enabled and full-service outsourcing solutions to the insurance and benefits industry. From August 1996 through December 1999, Mr. Abbasi was senior vice president and CFO of Radiologix. From January 1995 through July 1996, Mr. Abbasi served as vice president in the Healthcare Group of Robertson, Stephens and Company. From June 1988 through January 1995, Mr. Abbasi held various positions at Citicorp Securities, including vice president and senior industry analyst in the Healthcare Group. Mr. Abbasi received his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Rochester and his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Jonathan L. Kempner has served as one of our independent directors since November 2008. In October 2009, Mr. Kempner became the President of Tiger 21, LLC, a peer-to-peer learning group for high net-worth investors. Prior to this, Mr. Kempner was president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) from April 2001 to December 2008. MBA is the national association representing the real estate finance industry with over 2,400 member companies, including mortgage companies, mortgage brokers, commercial banks, thrifts, life insurance companies, and others in the mortgage lending field. In addition, Mr. Kempner served on MBA’s Board of Directors (ex officio) and on the board of its business development affiliate, Lender Technologies Corp.
Prior to assuming his role at the MBA, for 14 years, Mr. Kempner was president of the National Multi Housing Council, a leading trade association representing apartment owners, managers, developers, lenders, and service providers. From 1983 to 1987, Mr. Kempner was vice president and general counsel of Oxford Development Corp., a privately owned real estate services firm in Maryland, with a focus on commercial real estate development, asset and property management, brokerage, and investment advisory services. From 1982 to 1983, Mr. Kempner served as assistant director and general counsel of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corp., a federally-owned real estate firm. From 1981 to 1982, Mr. Kempner also served as assistant general counsel to the Charles E. Smith Companies, a significant owner and developer of apartment complexes.
Mr. Kempner practiced law with Fried Frank, a leading international commercial law firm, from 1977 to 1980, immediately following a clerkship for U.S. District Judge David W. Williams of the Central District of California. Mr. Kempner also served as a special consultant to the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Capital Markets and as a staff assistant to the Subcommittee on Representation of Citizen Interests of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary and in the office of Senator Abraham Ribicoff.
Mr. Kempner holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan (high honors and high distinction, Phi Beta Kappa) and a law degree from Stanford University Law School, where he served on the Stanford Law Review. Mr. Kempner serves on the editorial boards of numerous real estate publications and is on the board of directors of three nonprofit organizations: Greater DC Cares, Yachad and the Ciesla Foundation.
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Board of Directors – Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT I, Inc.
(independent members only)
Barbara C. Bufkin has served as one of our directors since March 2005. Ms. Bufkin is a 28-year veteran of the insurance industry and has been senior vice president, corporate business development of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. since August 2007. Prior to that, from August 2004, Ms. Bufkin was senior vice president, corporate business development of Argonaut Group, Inc. From September 2002 until August 2004, Ms. Bufkin was vice president of corporate business development of Argonaut. From 2001 until Ms. Bufkin became an employee of Argonaut in September 2002, she provided insurance and business development consulting services to Argonaut. From 2000 to September 2002, Ms. Bufkin also provided insurance and business development consulting services to other insurance companies and financial institutions, including consulting services to Swiss Re New Markets, General Re and AIG in connection with the $3 billion workers compensation privatization of the Florida Special Disability Trust Fund. Prior to that, Ms. Bufkin served as director of Swiss Re New Markets and chairman, president and chief executive officer of Swiss Re subsidiaries Facility Insurance Corporation (FIC) and Facility Insurance Holding Corporation (FIHC). Her background also includes nearly 15 years of industry experience in executive positions with Sedgwick Payne Company, E.W. Blanch Company, and other insurance industry firms. Ms. Bufkin graduated cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo, with a B.A. in Philosophy. She is an alumna of Leadership Texas, Stanford Executive Education, and Wharton Executive Education. She was a Director of the Southwestern Insurance Information Service for eight years. In 2000, she was nominated to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, and was selected to the 2004 Class of Leadership America.
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Terry L. Gage has served as one of our directors since September 2007. Mr. Gage has more than 20 years of senior management experience in corporate financial management, accounting and administration within the software, engineering, government contracting and professional services industries. Since September 2007, Mr. Gage has been the chief administrative officer of Wilson & Associates, LLC, an interior architectural design firm. From 2003 to September 2007, Mr. Gage was a business and financial consultant. From 1995 to 2003, Mr. Gage served as executive vice president and chief financial officer, as well as treasurer and assistant secretary, of Carreker Corporation, formerly a publicly traded consulting and software solutions company for the banking industry. Prior to joining Carreker, Mr. Gage was vice president, chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer for FAAC Inc., a software engineering and consulting services company, from 1986 to 1995. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Michigan University and was a Certified Public Accountant from 1982 to 1989.
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Steven J. Kaplan has served as one of our directors since February 2006. Mr. Kaplan also served as a director of Behringer Harvard REIT I from May 2003 until April 2004. He has over 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. From 1979 through 1993, Mr. Kaplan was a principal of and general counsel for Edgewood Investment Corporation, a regional real estate firm that acquired, operated and disposed of over 15 apartment communities, 12 shopping centers, 14 office buildings, and six hotels. From 1994 through August 1999, Mr. Kaplan served as the president and chief executive officer of Landauer Associates, Inc., a national valuation and consulting firm. In this capacity, Mr. Kaplan expanded the services of Landauer to include a national capital markets group as well as an international hospitality division. Landauer was sold to Grubb & Ellis in August 1999, and Mr. Kaplan served as chief operating officer of this international brokerage and property management firm. Since leaving Grubb & Ellis in March 2000, Mr. Kaplan has served as an advisor to leading real estate service providers. Mr. Kaplan is an attorney and is admitted to practice law in Texas, Iowa and Illinois.
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Board of Directors – Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT II, Inc.
(independent members only)
Andreas K. Bremer is one of our independent directors. In October of 2002, Mr. Bremer joined International Capital, Inc. as its chief financial officer and since 2005 has served as its executive vice president. International Capital specializes in acquisition, disposition, management and administration of commercial investment properties, and Mr. Bremer is responsible for all financial aspects of the company’s operations. Before joining International Capital, Mr. Bremer was the Chief Financial Officer of ATLASwerks®, a leading communication software company in Dallas. He acted as a corporate finance consultant for two years at McKinsey & Co. in both the Dallas and New York offices and served as VP finance and treasurer at Paging Network, Inc. Mr. Bremer started his career at COMMERZBANK AG in Germany and spent seven of his 13-year tenure at the company’s New York and Atlanta offices. Mr. Bremer has over 20 years of financial and general management experience with extensive knowledge of corporate finance and commercial lending both in the United States and other countries, particularly Germany. He is the director of the Texas Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany in Dallas and as Knight of Honor is a member of the Order of St John. Mr. Bremer received a law degree from the Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.
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Cynthia Pharr Lee is one of our independent directors. Ms. Pharr Lee has served as President of C. Pharr & Company, a marketing communications consulting firm since 1993, providing strategic brand, marketing and public relations services to many real estate, construction and design firms, in addition to other corporate clients. Ms. Pharr Lee has served as a member of the board of directors of CEC Entertainment, Inc. (CEC-NYSE) since August 1994 and is a member of CEC’s audit and compensation committees. A co-founder of Texas Women Ventures Fund, Ms. Pharr Lee serves on the Fund’s Investment Advisory Committee. She is also a board member of Southwest Venture Forum, a former president of Executive Women of Dallas and former national chairman of the Counselor’s Academy of the Public Relations Society of America. From May 1989 through February 1993, Ms. Pharr Lee was president and chief executive officer of Tracy Locke/Pharr Public Relations, a division of Omnicom (NYSE). She received her B. S. in English (Summa Cum Laude) and her M.A. in English from Mississippi State University.
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Jeffrey P. Mayer is one of our independent directors. From 2000 until 2007, Mr. Mayer was the chief financial officer of ClubCorp, Inc., a holding company that owns and operates premier golf and business clubs and destination golf resorts. He previously served as chief financial officer of Bristol Hotels & Resorts in Dallas, a position he held from 1996 until the company's acquisition by Bass PLC in early 2000. Prior to joining Bristol, he was corporate controller at Host Marriott Corporation (formerly Marriott Corporation) and, prior to that, held various senior financial positions at Marriott Corporation. Mr. Mayer is a member of Financial Executives International and is on the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. A graduate of the College of William & Mary, he began his career as an accountant with Arthur Andersen LLP.
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Diane S. Detering-Paddison is one or our independent directors. From June 2008 to January 2009, Ms. Paddison served as chief operating officer of ProLogis (NYSE: PLD), a Fortune 500 company that owns, manages, and develops distribution facilities and has more than $32 billion in real estate assets under management. Prior to joining ProLogis, Ms. Paddison had a 20-year tenure with CB Richard Ellis and Trammel Crow Company where she served as president, global corporate services-client accounts, and as chief operating officer, global services. She also served on a 10-member executive team that managed the merger of Trammel Crow Company and CB Richard Ellis in 2006. Her role in the merger led to her nomination by Commercial Property News (CPN) as “Executives of the Year–Female Leader of the Year” in 2007, and she was recognized among CPN’s “Stars to Watch” in 1999. Ms. Paddison holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University. She is chairman of the Dean’s Circle of Excellence for Oregon State University. She also serves as chairman of the board for the north central Texas region of Young Life. In addition, Ms. Paddison is a member of Women Corporate Directors and the National Association of Corporate Directors.
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