Real Estate's 12 To Watch

CSA’s annual call for nominations for rising stars in retail real estate never fails to produce a bumper crop of young talent and a problem for our judges.

There are so many nominees worthy of high accolades, but only 10 spots on the 10 Under 40 list.

Here we recognize another Worthy Dozen of rising stars in retail real estate:

Andrew Turf, 38
senior VP — CBRE

Turf’s client base spans the United States and Europe and includes everything from Michelin-starred restaurateurs, premier restaurant chains, and independent retailers. His new pet project is Hollywood Park, the future home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers that will also house 500,000 sq. ft. of retail.

Jacob Cooper, 33
partner, managing director — MSC Retail

Cooper oversees leasing and strategic initiatives for the University of Pennsylvania’s 350,000-sq.-ft. retail portfolio and has been instrumental in completing over 50 lease transactions in the past five years.

Brad Dumont, 36
managing director — EDENS

Dumont’s most recent project, South Bay, is transforming the Dorchester area of Boston and represents a $295 million investment on the part of his company. The 700,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use project planted a 12-screen AMC theatre, 475 upscale apartments, and a 130-room hotel on what was a vacant industrial property.

John Pierce, 33
real estate manager — HOM Furniture

While new to the industry, Pierce quickly learned the ropes and handles the Midwestern furniture retailer’s 2.5 million-sq.-ft. portfolio. “I have a great group of people around me who are the sole reason for my success,” Pierce said.

Joy Fan, 36
chief creative officer — The Storefront

Founding member of this pop-up store facilitator, Fan has partnered with Bonobos, Warby Parker, Brookfield, and Macy’s. “In the old days, ‘short-term’ was a dirty word. It meant you couldn’t manage a property and didn’t know how to engage audiences. Nowadays, many brokers love short-term leases,” she said.

Aaron S. Fishbein, 29
director — Winick Realty Group LLC

Fishbein has orchestrated 80 lease transactions and fostered meaningful relationships with some of the country’s largest owners. “I want to be intimately involved in the retail real estate renaissance,” he said.

Nick Mann, 31
associate — Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP

Mann said his greatest trait is resourcefulness: “I had a client with very little leverage but strict parameters, and I was able to creatively structure a complex sale/leaseback transaction that helped complete the project on schedule.”

Ryan Leeming, 33
senior designer — New England Development

Long involved in complex, large-scale retail projects totaling millions of square feet, Leeming encountered his biggest challenge to date in NED’s first outlet center, Palm Beach Outlets. “It was a challenging new venture for the company and served as a catalyst for development of our other outlet centers nationwide,” he said.

Joshlyn M. Steele, 34
regional manager of leasing — Kite Realty Group

Steele has been managing Kite’s West portfolio of 1.3 million sq. ft. of retail GLA for the past year“I started in the industry when I was 18, and I’ve expanded my knowledge regarding the many facets of the business, from asset management to construction to leasing.”

Jon Bradley, 31
senior associate of retail services — Avison Young

Bradley said his most significant accomplishment was taking over as the second leasing company on a difficult in-fill development that many said wouldn’t happen. The 36,400-sq.-ft. center is 100% leased with 13 tenants and two satisfied owners.

Julie T. Fox, 37
leasing director — ShopCore Properties

Fox leased an urban mixed-use project while finding the time to co-found The Pipeline, a networking group of female real estate professionals. In a time when bonding with customers is crucial for retail developers, Fox spends countless hours volunteering for community nonprofits.