Commercial Development

Current Responsibilities
As Senior Development Manager, Stephen is responsible for executing existing projects and sourcing new development opportunities. Stephen directly manages the development process from investment feasibility, land planning & entitlement, architectural design, financing, and lease-up through overseeing construction with key project stakeholders. Stephen collaborates with consultants, contractors, and partners on every project to result in the optimal outcomes for end-users and investors while concurrently making decisions to ensure risks are mitigated.

Past Experience
Prior to joining United Properties, Stephen worked at Cypress Real Estate Advisors as Acquisition & Development Associate and then Development Manager, whereby Stephen executed and oversaw commercial office and multi-family development projects in Austin, TX, Nashville, TN, and Denver, CO. In 2022, Stephen secured entitlements for 1,150 rental units in Nashville, TN for a multi-phase master plan, which involved eighteen months of heavy community engagement, design feasibility, and coordination with public officials.

Professional and Community Involvement
Stephen is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and has served on multiple committees within the organization, including the Young Leaders Steering Committee from 2020 to 2023, and served as the Chairperson of the Young Leaders’ Mentorship Forum for a two-year period from 2021 to 2023. Stephen was named ULI Austin’s Young Leader of the Year in 2022. Stephen has also served as Member and Chairperson of The Trail Conversancy’s Redbud Steering committee from 2020 to 2022. Stephen is also an active member of the University of Texas Real Estate Center.

Education
Stephen received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin after transferring from Auburn University.

Current Responsibilities

In this role, Erin is responsible for supporting the overall commercial real estate development process and leading many tasks associated with pre-development, due diligence, entitlement work, internal approvals, coordination, design and construction.

Past Experience

Erin joined United Properties in 2022 with nearly 10 years of commercial real estate experience. Previously with EverWest Real Estate Investors, Erin oversaw projects across the country, including a 900k sq. ft. industrial project in Denver, CO, 242k sq . ft. office entitlement in Burlingame, CA and 331k sq. ft. industrial project in Staten Island, NY. She also spent time at Wixen Real Estate, overseeing tech tenant portfolios, including Facebook and Hitachi Americas Ltd, transacting over 1m sq. ft. in 4 countries and 20 different markets during her tenure. Erin began her career at Cushman & Wakefield in Los Angeles, CA, on a landlord brokerage team that transacted an average of $200m in annual deal value.

Professional and Community Involvement

Erin is involved in NAIOP Denver Developing Leaders, where she is a part of the Programs Committee and DEI Committee. Additionally, she is an active member of the University of Colorado Real Estate Alumni Association.

Education

Erin earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado – Boulder.

Current Responsibilities

In his role as Executive Vice President of Commercial Development, Phil is responsible for pursuing development opportunities in all product types, helping United Properties grow and succeed in new areas, and preparing the next generation of development leaders.

Past Experience

Phil joined United Properties in 2023. He spent the last 13 years at Opus as a senior vice president and general manager, leading and managing the Minneapolis and Des Moines development offices.

Before joining Opus, Phil had a distinguished seven-year stint with the U.S. Army.

Education

Phil is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holder of a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Current Responsibilities

Chris Pohlad serves as Chief of Staff, a key member of the Strategic Leadership Team and Executive Leadership Council. He is also responsible for oversight of the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis asset and all hotel operations.

Past Experience

Chris joined United Properties in 2017 and since has worked as an Asset Manager, led marketing and rebranding efforts for Amira, the company’s senior living brand, and played a role in the establishment of the Four Seasons Hotel in Minneapolis, the first five-star luxury hotel in the state. Prior to that, he was at Northmarq for 6 years as an analyst and loan originator in Boston and Seattle.

Professional and Community Involvement

He serves as a trustee on the board of the University of Puget Sound, his alma mater.

Education

Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Politics & Government with a concentration in International Relations from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Current Responsibilities

Cavonte manages the entire lifecycle of a project, from the initial pursuit stage to the vertical construction and commissioning phases. He collaborates with the development team and external design teams, consultants, and general contractors to ensure that project budgets, schedules, and risks are effectively managed throughout the development and construction process.

Past Experience

In 2022, Cavonte joined United Properties, bringing with him extensive experience in the commercial and renewable sector from his prior work at Mortenson. He specialized in Preconstruction Design, Engineering, and Project Management for both solar and renewable energy projects and commercial ventures.

Professional and Community Involvement

Cavonte is passionate about working and giving back to his community in North Minneapolis. He served as the Community Construction Manager for the ‘Rebuild Restore Reimagine’ fund disbursement project in North Minneapolis. Furthermore, he is a member of the Destination Northside Committee’s Steering Committee and the Phillips Foundation’s Real Estate Advisory and Safety Committee.

Education

Cavonte earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota.

Current Responsibilities

Alan oversees projects from pursuit through vertical construction and works closely with the development team and external design teams, consultants and general contractors to manage project budgets, project schedules and inherent risks associated with all phases of the development cycle.

Past Experience

Alan brings more than 15 years of construction management experience and specializes in new construction of high-rises, medical facilities, office, retail, and multi-family residential properties.

Alan has completed over $1 Billion of ground-up construction during his career. Prior to joining United Properties, Alan held various roles in operations for Western Development Group (Phil Anschutz), Clark Construction Group and Saunders Construction in markets including Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver among others.

Professional and Community Involvement

Alan is an active member of NAIOP and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).  He also serves as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Mile High United Way.

Education

Alan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management with a concentration in Engineering from Colorado State University.

Current Responsibilities

As senior vice president and market leader, Victor is responsible for directing the development and investment activities of all commercial properties, including office, industrial, and mixed-use in Central Texas.

Past Experience

Victor joined United Properties in 2022. With an established background in real estate development, he most recently served as a principal at Cypress Real Estate Advisors where he specialized in multi-family, office, and mixed-use developments.

Prior to that, Victor launched Greenbelt Commercial, the real estate acquisition and development company behind properties such as the award-winning SXSW Center in downtown Austin. He was also a development partner at Capital City Partners, Inc. and a commercial real estate broker for Aquila Commercial.

Professional and Community Involvement

Victor is a member of ULI Austin and previously served on the board of the Pease Park Conservancy. He is currently serving on the board for Juiceland, a Texas-based health food chain with over 40 locations. Victor actively supports several local nonprofit organizations including the Texas Book Festival and the West Austin Youth Association. 

Education

Victor is a Texas native with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University (where he played football) and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Current Responsibilities

As vice president, Mindy leads the company’s efforts for the development and acquisition of all commercial properties in the Denver market.

Past Experience

With over 14 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, Mindy has joined United Properties in 2022. She began her career at CBRE’s Minneapolis office in brokerage and moved on to Prologis where she was responsible for acquisitions, dispositions, sale/leasebacks, fund contributions, and 1031s for Prologis REIT and affiliates’ North American assets, closing 36 transactions valued at over $750 million. Most recently, Mindy oversaw the industrial and office development portfolio at Confluent Development and developed STNL projects for well-known clients such as Walgreens, Chipotle, and Starbucks.

Professional and Community Involvement

Mindy has been honored by NAIOP on multiple occasions over the course of her career. She was named a NAIOP Visionary by the NAIOP research foundation and board of Governors, and has been the recipient of multiple awards, including the 2016 National NAIOP Developing Leader of the Year award, 2015-2016 NAIOP MN Developing Leaders Committee Chair, and the CBRE RISE Award in 2012. In addition to her professional successes, Mindy also devotes her time to youth sports coaching and to teaching financial literacy in classrooms through Junior Achievement.

Education

Mindy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in French and International Business from the University of Iowa.

Current Responsibilities

Nicole is responsible for supporting the overall commercial real estate development process and leading and managing many tasks associated with pre-development, due diligence, entitlement work, internal approvals, coordination, design and construction.

Past Experience

Prior to joining United Properties in 2020, Nicole spent two years as an analyst at Jones Lang LaSalle, where she assisted in the closing of $860 million of investment advisory transactions in Austin and San Antonio. Nicole also completed internships at The Opus Group and Colliers International.

Professional and Community Involvement

Nicole is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the NAIOP Developing Leaders Forum.

Education

Nicole graduated from Indiana University – Kelley School of Business where she received her Bachelor of Science degrees in finance and real estate.

Current Responsibilities

As Development Director for United Properties – Austin, Brenda Studt is responsible for leading and executing multiple development projects including securing new opportunities, land acquisitions, underwriting, entitlements, land planning, architectural and design decisions, financing, marketing strategy, lease-up and all other aspects of development. She works collaboratively with several teams to ensure project tasks are completed timely and risks are mitigated.

Past Experience

Prior to joining United Properties in 2020, Studt spent over eight years in senior marketing roles, most recently as Senior Vice President/Creative Director at Excelsior Creative (an affiliate of The Excelsior Group), overseeing all facets of agency operations. She has also held leadership positions with Architectural Alliance and Stahl Construction.

Professional and Community Involvement

Brenda is an active member of NAIOP, currently serving as the Austin Chapter President as well as on the NAIOP Austin Board of Directors.

Education

Brenda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and business from Minnesota State University, Mankato.