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Senior Management

Rick Holmstrom

Founder & Managing Partner
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Rick Holmstrom

Menlo Park

Richard Holmstrom is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of the firm.

Prior to Menlo Equities, Mr. Holmstrom was a Partner at The Shidler Group, where his primary responsibilities included asset and liability management of The Shidler Group’s 20 million square foot private property portfolio. Mr. Holmstrom and Mr. Bullock worked together on the restructuring and recapitalization of The Shidler Group which included guiding and coordinating the initial public debt and equity offerings of TriNet Corporate Realty Trust (acquired by iStar Inc., NYSE: STAR) and First Industrial Realty Trust (NYSE: FR).

Mr. Holmstrom is a member of the Executive Committee of the Policy Advisory Board of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at UC Berkeley, a member of the Stanford Alumni Real Estate Council, and an advisory board member of the DAPER Investment Fund at Stanford. Other previous outside board experience includes serving on the board of MB Financial Bank (acquired by Fifth Third Bancorp, NYSE: FITB), as a member of the board of directors of Buena Vista Fund Management LLC , as a trustee of The Nueva School, as a member of the Stanford Live Advisory Board, as a trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation, as a member of the Advisory Board of the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, as a director of the Stanford Alumni Association, as a founding director of the Consortium for International Development, and as a founding director of International Development Exchange.

Mr. Holmstrom received his BA from Stanford University and his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kevin Kujawski

Partner, President & Chief Operating Officer
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Kevin Kujawski

Menlo Park

In addition to spearheading the structure and formation of Menlo Equities Absolute Return Fund (MEARF), and overseeing the ongoing growth of this platform, Kevin Kujawski directs the firm’s daily operations and is responsible for facilitating the development, prioritization, implementation and oversight of Menlo’s strategic initiatives. Mr. Kujawski joined Menlo Equities in 2011 and previously served as Menlo Equities' CFO.

Prior to joining Menlo Equities, Mr. Kujawski served as Chief Financial Officer of Los Angeles-based River Hospitality Management, where he oversaw all aspects of finance, accounting, risk management and treasury operations for an upscale and luxury hotel portfolio. Prior to his tenure at River Hospitality, Mr. Kujawski was Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ Division Chief Financial Officer for its Global Development Group. In this capacity, Mr. Kujawski led the company’s financial efforts in its acquisition and integration of Le Méridien Hotels and Resorts and Bliss Spas, while overseeing financial operations associated with new hotel development, architecture and design, and pre-opening operations. Before joining Starwood, Mr. Kujawski worked out of the European office of NYSE-listed Action Performance Companies in Aachen, Germany, where he served as European Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Kujawski is a certified public accountant in Arizona and served as audit manager in the mid-1990s for Arthur Andersen’s Phoenix office. Mr. Kujawski received his BS in Finance from Arizona State University and his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Jane Vaughan

Partner, Development & Construction
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Jane Vaughan

Menlo Park

As the Development Partner at Menlo Equities, Jane Vaughan has been responsible for all aspects of development of the company’s major projects since 1997. Ms. Vaughan’s 10+ million square foot development portfolio ranges from data centers nationally to traditional office and technology projects in Silicon Valley. In 2017, Ms. Vaughan completed the development of a 1.65M square foot technology campus in Santa Clara, including the 1M square foot headquarters for Palo Alto Networks. Currently, Ms. Vaughan is developing four data centers in NOVA, Phoenix, and Silicon Valley, totaling 2.2M square feet / 373MW.

Prior to joining Menlo Equities, Ms. Vaughan was a Development Partner at the Koll Company and a Vice President with Wells Fargo Bank’s commercial real estate group.

Ms. Vaughan holds an MBA with honors from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Finance and Accounting. Ms. Vaughan is a structural engineer and earned a Master of Science with honors from the University of Maryland and an undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in Civil Engineering.

Ms. Vaughan is a former board member and Chair of Goodwill in San Francisco. As Chair from 2012 to 2015, Ms. Vaughan spearheaded the sale of Goodwill’s under-utilized San Francisco property, creating a large endowment for the local Goodwill. Ms. Vaughan also coordinated the acquisition and remodel of non-profit Sunnyvale Community Services’ headquarters in Sunnyvale.

Christopher Chang

Partner, Business Development & Investor Relations
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Christopher Chang

Menlo Park

Christopher Chang is a Partner at Menlo Equities and oversees Menlo’s strategic initiatives, leads the firm's engagement with its limited partners, and spearheads capital raising strategy and execution.

Prior to joining Menlo in 2017, Mr. Chang was in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs where he led the firm’s West Coast Real Estate investment banking business. Over the course of his investment banking career, Mr. Chang advised private and publicly traded real estate companies in raising more than $20 billion of capital and on more than $30 billion of strategic M&A transactions. Mr. Chang also held positions at JPMorgan Chase in New York, London and San Francisco in the Investment Bank Technology and Global Technology Infrastructure groups.

Mr. Chang received his BS in Applied Economics and Business Management from Cornell University and his MBA in Finance and Real Estate from Columbia Business School where he earned Beta Gamma Sigma honors.

Michael Griffin

Partner, Chief Financial Officer
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Michael Griffin

Menlo Park

Michael Griffin is responsible for internal controls and leads all aspects of finance and accounting, including debt financings, treasury management, tax and financial reporting.

Prior to joining Menlo Equities, Mr. Griffin was with Carmel Partners, where he was responsible for accounting and financial reporting for a series of real estate private equity funds. Previously, Mr. Griffin was a manager in the San Francisco office of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he worked in the Assurance and Business Advisory Group, specializing in serving real estate clients. Mr. Griffin has broad experience in providing attestation services for commercial, retail, industrial, and multifamily real estate clients, and has extensive experience in accounting for operating and developing real estate assets, as well as joint ventures and partnerships. His clients included AMB Property Corporation (now Prologis), Stockbridge Real Estate Funds, and BlackRock Real Estate Investments.

Mr. Griffin received a BSC in Accounting with a minor in Economics from Santa Clara University and is a Certified Public Accountant in California. His professional memberships include the California Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.

Chad Iverson

Partner, Acquisitions & Asset Management
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Chad Iverson

Newport Beach

Chad Iverson joined Menlo Equities in 1999 and is responsible for the Southern California, Arizona and Minnesota operations of Menlo Equities, including property acquisitions, financings, asset management, and dispositions. Mr. Iverson has directly sourced and closed more than 40 investments totaling over 6.5 million square feet and currently oversees more than 3 million square feet. His experience includes the development of 550,000 SF of Class A office space in southern California along with the repositioning and releasing of over 3 million SF of value-added office and R&D investments. Mr. Iverson manages the Newport Beach and San Diego offices.

Prior to joining Menlo Equities, Mr. Iverson was with AEW Capital Management in Los Angeles, where he was involved in analyzing, structuring and closing high-yield investments in real estate, equity securities and operating companies with an aggregate value exceeding $2 billion.

Mr. Iverson graduated cum laude with a BA in Economics from Claremont McKenna College, where he was a leading member of the nationally ranked debate program. He was previously a member of the Advisory Board of Streamload.com, an online digital media storage service, which was acquired by Nirvanix. Mr. Iverson is currently a member of the advisory board for Mako Labs, a startup-phase on-line advertising, social media application and virtual reality game developer. He is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).

C. Michael Johnston

Partner, Acquisitions & Asset Management
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C. Michael Johnston

Menlo Park

Michael Johnston joined the firm in 2007. Mr. Johnston has been involved in the acquisition and disposition of more than $4 billion of commercial real estate and the negotiation of more than 2.5 million square feet of leases with major corporations. His responsibilities include overseeing investment efforts in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain Region and working with institutional separate account and joint venture relationships in the digital infrastructure and development platforms.

Mr. Johnston holds a BA from Northwestern University. Mr. Johnston is a board member and a past Chapter President of NAIOP Silicon Valley; he also serves on NAIOP’s National Board of Directors.

Max Sanford

Partner, Acquisitions & Asset Management
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Max Sanford

Austin

Max Sanford is responsible for the all aspects of the investment process including acquisitions, asset management and debt financings for the Menlo Equities portfolio in the eastern United States and Texas. Most recently, Mr. Sanford has spearheaded the expansion of the firm into a number of new markets including Austin, Raleigh-Durham, Nashville and greater Washington, D.C. Since joining the company, Mr. Sanford has been involved in more than $2 billion in transaction volume including direct sourcing of more than $600 million in acquisitions.

Prior to joining Menlo Equities, Mr. Sanford worked for North Dam Mill, a development group focusing on historic rehabilitation projects. Mr. Sanford is a member of the NAIOP Forums and was a prior group head for the NAIOP Silicon Valley Developing Leaders group. Mr. Sanford holds a BA in Economics and a BS in Mathematics from Claremont McKenna College.

Melanie Matthews

Senior Vice President, Property Management
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Melanie Matthews

Newport Beach

Melanie Matthews’ responsibilities include oversight of Menlo Equities’ portfolio operations nationally, including financial reporting and forecasting, lease and contract administration, tenant relations and construction.

Ms. Matthews has over 15 years of commercial property management experience, with previous positions at The Irvine Company and Maguire Properties. Ms. Matthews also served as General Manager for Bixby Land Company, overseeing property management operations for 3.5 million square feet of industrial and office assets throughout Southern California.

A graduate of the University of Southern California with a BS in International Business, Ms. Matthews was awarded the Dean’s Scholarship for four years. Ms. Matthews holds a California Real Estate Broker License and enjoys mentoring new professionals starting their careers in real estate.

Allison Koo

Senior Vice President, Development & Construction
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Allison Koo

Menlo Park

As a Senior Vice President of Development at Menlo Equities, Allison Koo is coordinating the company’s four data center developments in process in NOVA, Phoenix, and Silicon Valley, totaling 2.2M square feet / 373MW.

Prior to joining Menlo Equities, Ms. Koo was a Managing Director at Sand Hill Property Company. At Sand Hill, Ms. Koo was responsible for approximately 1.5MM SF of Class A Office/R&D in Stanford Research Park. Her developments have received numerous design honors, which include the 2017 Silicon Valley Business Journal Structures Award, 2nd place for Commercial Building Concept at the Rethinking the Future Awards in 2018, the 2019 Winner of The American Architecture Award (organized by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, together with The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press), and the 2019 Silicon Valley Business Journal Structures Award. Ms. Koo also has extensive hotel development experience, completing both Marriott and Hilton branded properties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ms. Koo was honored as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s “40 under 40” in 2016 and has been recognized as a Bisnow Power Woman - Bay Area Commercial Real Estate Thought Leader in 2018, 2019, and 2021.

Ms. Koo received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Koo studied abroad at Beijing University and the University of Seville and is fluent in Chinese Mandarin and Spanish.

Tess Pilli

Vice President, Controller
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Tess Pilli

Menlo Park

Tess Pilli has been with Menlo Equities for 24 years. Ms. Pilli is responsible for day-to-day management of accounting, financial reporting and engagement with the firm’s external audit and tax consultants. Ms. Pilli works closely with the senior management, accounting, asset management, and property management teams. Ms. Pilli also serves as the firm’s accounting and property management database administrator. Prior to joining Menlo Equities, Ms. Pilli worked at Bayview Bank (which was acquired by Washington Mutual) and Provident Funding, where she worked in their accounting group.

Ms. Pilli is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a BA in Social Work.

Colin Albright

Vice President, Finance
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Colin Albright

Menlo Park

Colin Albright performs an active role in Menlo’s strategic planning and analysis, with responsibilities that include financial planning and oversight of the General Partners, internal forecasting, and financial operations.

Mr. Albright brings 10 years of experience across financial functions at public companies. Prior to joining Menlo in 2023, Mr. Albright worked in corporate FP&A for Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW), where he directed strategic planning efforts and served as financial lead on new market entries. Previously, Mr. Albright advised on acquisitions and capital projects at Emerson, and developed strategies for hedging and capital structure at Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX).

Mr. Albright received his MBA from the University of Virginia and BA in Economics from Chapman University. He was awarded a CFA charter in 2017.

Acquisitions & Asset Management

Javier Perez

Senior Associate
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Javier Perez

Austin

Javier Perez is involved in Menlo's acquisitions, asset management, and debt financing activities with a primary focus on the firm's Eastern United States and Texas portfolio. Prior to joining Menlo in 2023, Mr. Perez worked for Karlin Real Estate where he focused on office, multifamily, lab, and mixed-use development in Central Texas. Mr. Perez began his career with Goldman Sachs' Merchant Banking Division, where he was involved in acquisitions and asset management for Goldman's real estate principal investing business.

Mr. Perez graduated cum laude from Cornell University with a BS in Applied Economics & Management.

Jackie Gilbert

Associate
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Jackie Gilbert

Menlo Park

Jackie Gilbert is involved in Menlo's underwriting and analysis of acquisitions, developments, and financings. Prior to joining Menlo in 2021, Ms. Gilbert worked as a Financial Analyst at Eastdil Secured in their Santa Monica office.

Ms. Gilbert graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California and holds a BS in Real Estate Development and Business Administration.

Maxwell Pearson

Associate
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Maxwell Pearson

Newport Beach

Maxwell Pearson is involved in Menlo's underwriting and analysis of acquisitions, developments, and financings. Prior to joining Menlo in 2021, Mr. Pearson worked as a Financial Analyst at LaSalle Investment Management.

Mr. Pearson graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a BS in Real Estate Development.

Reed Fratt

Associate
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Reed Fratt

Newport Beach

Reed Fratt is involved in Menlo's underwriting and analysis of acquisitions, developments, and financings. Prior to joining Menlo in 2021, Mr. Fratt worked at Green Street as a Market Research Associate.

Mr. Fratt received his BS in Environmental Science with concentrations in Business and Economics from Cornell University.

Henry Shimp

Analyst
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Henry Shimp

Austin Visit Linkedin

Henry Shimp is involved in Menlo's underwriting and analysis of acquisitions, developments, and financings. Mr. Shimp joined Menlo in 2022.

Mr. Shimp received his BS in Science, Technology, and Society and his MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.

Development and Construction

Katherine Ingersoll

Assistant Vice President
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Katherine Ingersoll

Menlo Park

Katherine Ingersoll is involved in Menlo's development and construction activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2018, Ms. Ingersoll worked as an Investment Analyst at Hines in their Orange County office.

Ms. Ingersoll graduated cum laude from Harvard University and holds a BA in Architecture.

Business Development & Investor Relations

Debbie Ababa

Assistant Vice President
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Debbie Ababa

Menlo Park

Debbie Ababa is involved in Menlo's marketing activities, capital raising, and engagement with Limited Partners. Prior to joining Menlo in 2019, Ms. Ababa was an Investment Banking Analyst at Wells Fargo Securities in the Financial Institutions Group.

Ms. Ababa graduated cum laude from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BS in Finance and Accounting.

Elisabeth Muñoz

Administrative Assistant
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Elisabeth Muñoz

Menlo Park

Elisabeth Muñoz is involved in Menlo's office management and administration activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2020, Ms. Muñoz worked at a local law firm as an Administrative Assistant.

Ms. Muñoz graduated from San Francisco State University with a BS degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.

Accounting & Finance

Debra Briggs

Assistant Controller
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Debra Briggs

Menlo Park

Debra Briggs is involved in Menlo's financial management and accounting activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2022, Ms. Briggs spent over 30 years at Simeon Commercial Properties where she most recently served as Chief Financial Officer overseeing the accounting department.

Ms. Briggs has a BA in Health Care Management from California State University, Chico and has taken graduate level courses at Golden State University in finance and accounting with ongoing CPE accredited courses.

Jack Li

Senior Accountant
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Jack Li

Menlo Park

Jack Li is involved in Menlo's financial reporting and accounting activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2021, Mr. Li worked at Pacific Urban Residential (an affiliate of Marcus & Millichap) and Moss Adams LLP as a Senior Accountant.

Mr. Li graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Business Management Economics with an Emphasis in Accounting.

Karen Moffeit

Senior Accountant
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Karen Moffeit

Menlo Park

Karen Moffeit is involved in Menlo's financial reporting and accounting activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2022, Ms. Moffeit worked in the manufacturing industry as an accounting manager. In years prior, Ms. Moffeit owned a manufacturing business which she ran for over 20 years.

Ms. Moffeit is a graduate of Stanford University with a BA in English and MA in Education.

Johnny Duong

Senior Accountant
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Johnny Duong

Menlo Park

Johnny Duong is involved in Menlo's financial reporting and accounting activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2022, Mr. Duong worked at Pacific Urban Residential (an affiliate of Marcus & Millichap) and Moss Adams LLP as a Senior Accountant.

Mr. Duong graduated from Menlo College with a BA in Accounting.

Kayla Lee

Senior Accountant
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Kayla Lee

Menlo Park

Kayla Lee is involved in Menlo's financial reporting and accounting activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2023, Ms. Lee worked at De Anza Properties as a Senior Property Accountant. Before her time at De Anza, Ms. Lee worked at CCA Accountancy Corporation as a Tax Accountant.

Ms. Lee earned a MS in International Business from Joongang University in Seoul, Korea and is a Certified Public Accountant in California.

Wen Wang

Senior Accountant
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Wen Wang

Menlo Park

Wen Wang is involved in Menlo's financial reporting and accounting activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2023, Ms. Wang spent a decade as an auditor working at KPMG and Moss Adams. Ms. Wang also served as an internal auditor at Simpson Strong Tie, Inc.

Ms. Wang holds a MA in Accounting from California State University, Los Angeles, and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California.

Maria Miranda

Senior Accountant
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Maria Miranda

Menlo Park

Maria Miranda is involved in Menlo's financial reporting and accounting activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2023, Ms. Miranda worked at the City of Milpitas as a Financial Analyst. Before the City of Milpitas, Ms. Miranda worked in the accounting department for Robinson Oil Corporation and Cypress Semiconductor.

Ms. Miranda holds a BS in Accounting from San Jose State University.

Jodi Johnson

Accounts Payable Manager
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Jodi Johnson

Santa Clara

Jodi Johnson is involved in overseeing Menlo's accounts payable operations. Prior to joining Menlo in 2001, Ms. Johnson worked as an office manager at Master Institute and previously worked in accounts payable at other organizations.

Jasmine Velazquez

Accounts Payable Accountant
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Jasmine Velazquez

Santa Clara

Jasmine Velazquez is involved in Menlo's accounts payable activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2022, Ms. Velazquez worked in the Finance and Business Services department at San Jose State University and in Accounting in the non-profit sector.

Ms. Velazquez obtained a BA from San Jose State University where she is currently pursuing an MBA.

Dragan Saric

Manager, Treasury and FP&A
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Dragan Saric

Menlo Park

Dragan Saric is involved in Menlo's treasury and financial planning activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2019, Mr. Saric was on Fitbit’s Treasury team for three years where his responsibilities included global cash forecasting, cash management, audit compliance, and bank relationship management. Before Fitbit, Mr. Saric served as a Treasury Implementation Advisor at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Mr. Saric attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where he received his BA in Mathematics.

Anthony Pallone

Senior Treasury Analyst
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Anthony Pallone

Menlo Park

Anthony Pallone is involved in Menlo's financial reporting activities. Mr. Pallone joined Menlo in 2017.

Mr. Pallone graduated from the University of San Diego with a BBA in Finance and a minor in Political Science.

Property Management

Sharis Priest

Senior Property Manager
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Sharis Priest

Newport Beach

Sharis Priest is involved in Menlo's property management activities for the Orange County, Los Angeles, and Phoenix portfolio. Prior to joining Menlo in 2016, Ms. Priest worked with American Campus Communities where she was involved in leasing, accounting, and property management. Ms. Priest transitioned to the office/industrial sector in 2015 when she joined Bixby Land Company’s property management team.

Ms. Priest graduated with honors from the University of California, Irvine with a BA in Political Sciences.

Krystal Hoang

Senior Property Manager
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Krystal Hoang

Santa Clara

Krystal Hoang is involved in Menlo's property management activities for the Northern California, Boston, and Colorado portfolio. Prior to joining Menlo in 2020, Ms. Hoang spent over 15 years in commercial property management at Equity Office, Maguire Properties, and CBRE among other companies; and has managed different product types including Class A office, Class B office, retail, and flex office space.

Ms. Hoang received her BA in Business Administration with a concentration in General Management from California State University, Fullerton.

Kenny Chung

Property Manager
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Kenny Chung

Santa Clara

Kenny Chung is involved in Menlo's financial reporting and collaborates closely with the Northern California property manager to serve the needs of tenants and vendors. Prior to joining Menlo in 2015, Mr. Chung worked as a Staff Accountant at The John Stewart Company, the largest affordable housing provider in California.

Mr. Chung holds a BA in Business Management Economics with an emphasis in Accounting from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Catherine Lawrence

Property Manager
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Catherine Lawrence

Newport Beach

Catherine Lawrence is involved in Menlo's property management activities for the Orange County, Los Angeles, and Phoenix portfolios. Prior to joining Menlo in 2018, Ms. Lawrence served as the Director of Property Management for Bixby Land Company, overseeing an office/industrial portfolio of 7.3 million square feet.

Before starting her career in commercial real estate, Ms. Lawrence studied History and obtained her BA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Callum Wallace

Assistant Property Manager
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Callum Wallace

Newport Beach

Callum Wallace is involved in Menlo's property management activities for the Southern California and Phoenix portfolio. Prior to joining Menlo in 2022, Mr. Wallace worked as an Operations Coordinator with EQ Office in their Costa Mesa office.

Mr. Wallace graduated cum laude from Azusa Pacific University and holds a BS in Business Economics.

Eva St Clair

Lease Administrator
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Eva St Clair

Austin

Eva St Clair is involved in Menlo's property accounting and lease administration activities. Prior to joining Menlo in 2014, Ms. St Clair spent 10 years with TA Associates Realty in Newport Beach, CA.

Ms. St Clair is currently studying Business Administration and Management at BYU Idaho.