Developers Diversified announces ’09 management trainees

Cleveland Developers Diversified Realty Corp. said Tuesday it has named this year’s appointees to the company’s Management Training program. The three college students have begun their first rotation in the program.

The 2009 class includes Thomas Newell of Duke University; Jacob Stein of Colgate University; and Jenna Weiss of Indiana University-Bloomington.

Developers Diversified launched the program in 2000 to cultivate young talent into experienced commercial real estate leaders. The program’s curriculum permits the trainee to select up to three or four six-month rotations in the company's leasing, development, anchor store redevelopment, property management, investor relations, acquisitions & dispositions, and joint venture relations departments.

“The Management Training Program is an integral element to our management succession planning,” said Daniel B. Hurwitz, president and COO at Developers Diversified.  “This program provides each trainee personal mentoring by our executives, giving them the opportunity to experience a variety of responsibilities and find the best fit within in the company.”

To date, graduates of the program have taken leadership positions within the company, including VP acquisitions and dispositions, VP leasing-anchor store redevelopment, director of mall operations and commercial assets, and development director-anchor store redevelopment.