24.
Sharon Dworkin Bell, senior staff vice president for multifamily, NAHB. Through most of its history, say multi-housing experts, NAHB has focused primarily on single-family, for-sale housing. Even when the association created its multifamily division, apartment developers were skeptical that NAHB was truly inclined to represent their concerns. That thinking has changed since Bell came to the organization in 2001. “She has restored the credibility of the multifamily division at NAHB,” says one apartment REIT CEO. Prime examples of Bell’s work on behalf of multifamily include conferences and the Pillars of the Industry awards program, which showcases excellence and innovation in some 30 categories of multifamily development. She also has strengthened NAHB’s Multifamily Leadership Board of top industry executives and championed multifamily interests in such areas as legislation, building codes, standards, zoning, legal questions, and affordable housing.
23.
F. Barton Harvey III, chairman and CEO, Enterprise Community Partners. In 1984, Bart Harvey left a lucrative investment banking job to join the legendary James Rouse in Enterprise’s crusade to develop affordable housing for low-income families. Described as “passionate beyond belief” about that mission, Harvey and his colleagues work with 2,400 nonprofit groups, public housing authorities, and Native American tribes to finance more than 12,000 affordable units annually. In late 2004, Enterprise made a $1 billion commitment to create or preserve 15,000 homes for low-income families in New York City over five years. Another new initiative is the foundation’s Green Communities program, a five-year, $555 million effort to build 8,500 affordable units designed to conserve water, energy and other resources. The foundation also has been very aggressive in providing emergency housing for low-income Katrina victims and is planning construction of thousands of homes in the storm-torn region.
22.
Mark Humphreys, founder and CEO, Humphreys & Partners Architects. Ask prominent multifamily builders to name their “go-to architect,” and the name Mark Humphreys comes up again and again. The Dallas-based firm is described as “fast, flexible, and easy-to-work with,” whether the project is an apartment tower, lofts above retail, or a mid-rise that wraps around parking. Described as a consummate marketer, Humphreys pioneered the “Big House”–mansion-like structures that yield high rents and calm the NIMBY set. That creative spirit also extends to high-rise buildings, where Humphrey has introduced such concepts as the “home-rise,” where elevators open to a small cluster of units rather than a long hallway. Developers praise Humphreys’ architects for creating large structures that appear less imposing on the outside and more livable on the inside, while blending well with the surrounding neighborhood.
21.
Geoffrey L. Stack, managing director and principal, Sares-Regis Group. This highly respected California executive heads a firm with real estate properties and management contracts valued at more than $3 billion, including more than 12,000 apartments and 15 million square feet of commercial space. “Jeff runs a terrific organization and is great to work with,” says a joint venture partner. Known for creating a corporate culture that instills deep loyalty in staff, Stack has assembled a strong portfolio of Class A properties and been a pacesetter in developing premium condo projects and conversions. Prime example: the fast-selling new Watermarke project in Irvine.
A former Marine Corps officer and U.S. Senate aide, Stack was the 2005 chair of the National Multi Housing Council. In that role, he strengthened relationships with groups as diverse as the Urban Land Institute and the Sierra Club–and focused attention on affordable housing, emerging technologies, and the insurance crisis.
20.
Tom Bozzuto, president and CEO, The Bozzuto Group. Some multifamily executives wield tremendous influence in the industry. Others help shape their surrounding communities. Tom Bozzuto does both. His company, The Bozzuto Group, builds a wide variety of housing for residents in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Bozzuto also takes a leadership role in the industry, serving such groups as the Millennial Housing Commission, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, National Association of Home Builders, and National Multi Housing Council. “Invariably in the multifamily arena, we knock on Tom’s door and ask him to be a sounding board,” says Nicolas Retsinas, director of Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. “He’s more than a sounding board. He has some very constructive insights.” And, given Bozzuto’s reputation, these insights and ideas can often become reality.
