Bergstrom Center Alumnus of the Year
Every year the Center recognizes a UF graduate who has made an impactful and sustained contribution to Real Estate Education at the University of Florida. All recipients are friends of the Center who have gone above and beyond to grow the presence of UF’s Real Estate Program. Please take a moment to learn about each of the individuals who’ve helped our Center, program, and students in a positive way.
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Mary Pat Dunleavy2023 Recipient
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Nick Banks
2020 Recipient
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Sandy Hostetter
2019 Recipient
Sandy Hostetter, Central Florida Market President for SunTrust Bank, Inc., has over 35 years of local experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining SunTrust in the fall of 2018, Ms. Hostetter spent 16 years as the President of Valley National Bank, formerly CNLBank, a bank she helped build from the ground up. Prior to joining CNLBank, she spent seven years as the Chief Executive Officer of Florida Community Partners, a not-for-profit bank lending consortium that specialized in financing affordable housing communities. From 1982 until 1992, she was Vice President of Corporate Banking for Barnett Bank of Central Florida.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida and a Masters of Business Administration from the Crummer School of Business, Rollins College.
Ms. Hostetter has earned numerous awards during her career and represents SunTrust Bank in various organizations within the Central Florida community. She formerly served as the Board Chair of the Central Florida YMCA Metro Board and is still an active member of their Board and Executive Committee. She is Past Chair of the Mennello Museum of American Art Friends Board and Past Chair of the Winter Park Health Foundation. She co-chaired the Florida Tomorrow Campaign for her alma mater, the University of Florida and is the Chairwoman of the UF Bergstrom Real Estate Center Advisory Board. She has also served on the Foundation for Foster Children Board and is Past Chair of the 2010-2011 Heart of Florida United Way Board Campaign and continues to serve on the United Way Board of Directors. She also serves on the Florida Hospital Board and the Florida Citrus Sports Board. She is a founding member of LIFT Orlando and serves on their Board as the Housing Committee Chair. Recently, she was added to the boards of Florida Citrus Sports and 4Roots Farm.
In 2008, Ms. Hostetter was named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year by the Central Florida Association of Fundraising Professionals for her work on the YMCA Scholarship campaign. She was named Central Florida Woman of the Year by the Women’s Executive Council in 2011. In 2012, the Orlando Business Journal presented her with the prestigious Publisher’s Award and in 2013 she won the coveted Athena International Leadership Award in recognition of her contribution to the Central Florida community. In 2016 Onyx Magazine named her as one of their Women on the Move. In 2017, the I4 Business Magazine presented her with the prestigious Women’s Inspired Leadership Spirit of Advocacy award. And, the American Business Association Foundation recognized her as a finalist for the 2017 George Bailey Distinguished Service award for her commitment and service in her community.
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Dan Woodward
2018 Recipient
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Cliff Taylor
2017 Recipient
Cliff Taylor is a Senior Vice President in the Jacksonville office of CBRE focusing on retail investment sales as a member of the company’s Investment Properties Group. His main focus is representing sellers and developers of retail centers ranging in size from unanchored strip centers to grocery-anchored and power centers. Although located in Jacksonville, Mr. Taylor has systematically expanded his presence into markets throughout the southeast and is now licensed in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Over the course of his career he has represented REIT’s, hedge funds, private equity firms, private syndicators, developers and individual investors. Since joining CBRE he has sold more than 125 shopping centers totaling over 10 million square feet and valued in excess of $1.4 billion.
Cliff is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and serves on the Advisory Board of the Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Florida. In addition to holding a Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of Florida, he has also completed professional education courses at both The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Mr. Taylor resides in Jacksonville with his wife and two children.
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Rick Scarola
2016 Recipient
Frederic A. Scarola, “Rick”, is a co-founder, principal and Managing Partner of Covenant Capital Group. Rick is responsible for setting investment strategy for acquisitions and dispositions, and is a member of the Investment Committee.
During the past 25 years, Rick has been involved in the acquisition and disposition of apartment properties for a number of companies where he was directly responsible for identifying, evaluating, negotiating and executing these transactions for apartment communities located in the Southeast and Midwest. From 1998 to 2001, Rick was an Executive Vice President with Brookside Properties, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. From 1985 to 1998, Rick worked for Insignia Capital Advisors and predecessor organizations, where he played a major role in the disposition of over 15,000 multifamily units. These transactions involved 250 apartment communities with a value of over $2 billion. While at Insignia, Rick acquired apartment properties under exclusive advisory agreements for Mid-America Apartments Communities, Inc., New Plan Excel Trust and Graystone Properties. Rick also serves on the University of Florida Real Estate Advisory Board and is a member of the National Multi Housing Council. Rick holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida (1982).
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Jim Stine
2015 Recipient
James W. Stine is President for RAM Realty Services. Mr. Stine provides senior leadership for several Company functions, including asset management and development. He joined Ram in 2010 and serves on the Company’s Investment Committee. Prior to joining Ram, Mr. Stine spent 25 years with Stiles Corporation, where he served as Chief Investment Officer, coordinating the firm’s real estate development, leasing, asset management and property management departments. Formerly President of Stiles Capital Group, he was responsible for asset management activities, including arranging and executing all project financing, as well as the acquisition and disposition of portfolio assets. Mr. Stine is an active member in the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Additionally, he currently serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Florida’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies (UFCRES) and served as chairman 2012-2013. He is a past member of the University of Florida Broward County Regional Development Committee, the Board of Directors of Children’s Place at Homesafe as well as Leadership Palm Beach. Mr. Stine is licensed in mortgage brokerage and real estate sales in the State of Florida.
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Richard Bezold
2014 Recipient
Mr. Richard M. Bezold is chair of the Real Estate Practice Group, Akerman LLP, one of the nation’s top-ranked real estate legal teams representing developers, investors, and other real estate end users in complex transactions, development and redevelopment projects, public-private initiatives, and loan origination and recovery across the United States.
Rich immerses himself in the details of a deal, helping clients’ maximize their investments and advance their business objectives. Chambers USA notes that he is sought after for his “considerable experience advising on real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, and financing, among other matters.” He has represented The Rockefeller Group, North American Properties, Crocker Partners, Wells Fargo, and other clients in complex commercial real estate transactions across a variety of asset classes. He also has experience with multifamily projects, medical office buildings and senior living facilities. He is Board Certified in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar.
His broad range of experience includes acquisitions and dispositions, public-private partnerships, infrastructure development, commercial landlord and tenant representation, distressed loan and property workouts. In addition, he represents investment funds and global investors buying income producing property in the United States.
Rich served as chairman of the alumni advisory board to the Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center at the University of Florida, and has been recognized by both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in real estate.
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Richard Donnellan
2013 Recipient
Mr. Richard P. Donnellan, Jr. is a founding member and Vice Chairman of ARA, A Newmark Company and Vice Chairman of ARA Newmark Florida, based in Boca Raton. Dick oversees ARA Newmark’s operations throughout Florida. He has served twice as President of ARA Newmark National and has also served on ARA Newmark’s National Executive Committee.
Prior to the formation of ARA Newmark, he co-founded and was President of a South Florida based investment sales company that primarily represented institutional owners with an emphasis on the sale of multi-family communities throughout Florida. Prior to that, he was an investment sales specialist for a national brokerage platform where he worked on office, retail and industrial property transactions. He served on the Executive Committee of the University of Florida’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies and is a past Chairman of the Center’s Advisory Board. He also serves on the Board’s Chairman’s Circle and has served on the Center’s Scholarship Committee. Mr. Donnellan is a past recipient of UF’s “Alumni of the Year” award.
Mr. Donnellan has appeared as a spokesperson at national meetings and forums including the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF), Nova University Masters program, UBS Annual Investor Conference, RAM Real Estate Annual investors conference and the University of Florida Masters of Real Estate program. Dick is a past recipient of UF’s “Alumni of the Year” award. Mr. Donnellan graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Real Estate.
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Angie Brown
2012 Recipient
Mrs. Angie Brown, MAI, Senior Vice President of Meridian Appraisal Group, Inc. earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 1983 with a major in Real Estate. She has over 33 years in the valuation industry and is currently a Principal and Vice President of Meridian Appraisal Group, Inc. located in Winter Springs, Florida. Meridian Appraisal Group, Inc. is a valuation and consulting firm providing its clients valuation, advisory services, market studies, feasibility analysis, expert witness testimony and appraisal review on both residential and commercial real estate throughout Florida with a primary focus on Central Florida. Since 1983 Angie has provided valuation and consulting services on almost all types of commercial real estate including land, retail, multifamily, office, industrial, and special purpose properties for lending institutions, accountants, attorneys, developers, property owners, government agencies and municipalities, non-profit organizations and corporations. Angie earned the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute in 1988 and is also a State-Certified General Real Estate Appraiser and began her career at Pardue, Heid, Church Smith & Waller where she became a Board of Director of the firm. During the S & L Crisis, she became a bank review appraiser at Southeast Bank and First Union Bank and after several years in the banking industry, Angie was appointed President of Realvest Appraisal Services, Inc. in 1992. In 2008 Realvest Appraisal Services became Meridian Appraisal Group, Inc. and in addition to help building a successful real estate company Angie has served in numerous local, regional and national positions with the Appraisal Institute and was the President of the East Florida Chapter and National Chairman of the Young Advisory Council of the Appraisal Institute. She has been qualified as an expert witness for Federal Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida and for numerous Circuit Courts throughout Florida. Angie is actively involved with the UF Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Advisory Board and has been a board member since 2003. In her spare time, Angie enjoys time with her husband Chip, a UF MBA graduate and her two sons Trevor and Parker, also Florida Gators.
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Todd Jones
2011 Recipient
Mr. Todd D. Jones, MBA, MAI, CRE, FRICS Professional Experience Principal, RealAdvice. Responsible for all areas of the practice, Mr. Jones provides property tax counseling, representation, and expert witness services for various entities. Since 1985, Mr. Jones has provided complex income–producing commercial property valuation, expert testimony, litigation support, ad valorem property tax counseling and representation, appraisal review, investment advice, marketability analysis, and feasibility analysis, including highest and best use analysis for virtually all types of commercial, industrial, residential, and special purpose real estate, on behalf of financial institutions, REIT’s, government entities, publicly traded companies, and private concerns.
As President of the Florida Association of Property Tax Professionals, and an inaugural member of the Florida TaxWatch Tax Advisory Council, Mr. Jones regularly addresses the Florida Cabinet, Legislature, and various state agencies on property tax policy and issues impacting taxpayers. Since 2007, the Association has successfully collaborated with other influential groups to change the law in Florida affecting how the assessors must develop and support valuations in defending challenged assessments, leveling the playing field by lowering the burden of proof for taxpayers in assessment challenges, and requiring the development of uniform rules, policies, and procedures for Value Adjustment Boards across Florida’s 67 counties to improve fairness in taxation for all Floridians. In 2011, Mr. Jones served on the Florida Governor’s Tangible Personal Property Taskforce. In 2012, the Florida legislature sought Mr. Jones’ counsel on comprehensive property tax reform legislation.
In addition, Mr. Jones is a frequent presenter for government, businesses, and organizations including the firm’s clients, the Appraisal Institute, the Institute for Professionals in Taxation, The Florida Bar, Florida TaxWatch, JP Morgan, Opus, CBRE, Colliers, and others. Mr. Jones is a member of The Counselors of Real Estate, holds the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute, and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The MAI, CRE, and FRICS designations are the highest designations bestowed by these globally recognized organizations; and acknowledge the member’s professionally recognized expertise in real estate valuation, counseling, investment advice, and policy matters. The CRE designation is awarded only to those individuals who are invited by their peers into the membership of The Counselors of Real Estate; membership acknowledges an advisor’s status as one of the most trusted professionals in the industry based on peer recognition of outstanding intelligence, integrity, and judgment in real estate. Adjunct Professor University of Florida, Warrington College of Business, Hough Graduate School Mr. Jones is responsible for reinstating and instructing the Appraisal Valuation course in the Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) degree program since 2005. The UF MSRE program has been consistently ranked in the Top Ten of all university real estate programs in the US. Florida Bankers School | Florida Bankers Association Mr. Jones teaches the appraisal course for the Florida Bankers School. The purpose of the Florida School of Banking (FSB) is to provide bank personnel at the supervisory and officer level the opportunity to increase their knowledge about the banking industry and the economy.
Todd D. Jones, MBA, MAI, CRE, FRICS Executive Managing Director, Property Tax Services Colliers International Valuation & Advisory Services Mr. Jones served as the Executive Managing Director of Property Tax Services for Colliers International Valuation & Advisory Services. The team specialized in minimizing property tax liabilities for all types of commercial real estate across North America. Academics Master of Business Administration (1983) University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida Major: Finance Bachelor of Fine Arts (1980) University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida Major: Communications Professional Licenses Florida State–Certified General Real Estate Appraiser
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Blaine Strickland
2009 Recipient
Mr. H. Blaine Strickland is a Consultant and Coach for HBS Resources, Inc. Blaine is a 35-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry. He’s held leadership positions in national companies and companies he started himself. He’s worked as a producer, manager, broker, consultant, coach and instructor. He’s raised money for his projects through both debt and equity sources. Blaine’s vast experiences, along with his thirst to learn, enables him to bring a broad perspective to consulting assignments.
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James Izzo
2008 Recipient
Mr. James Izzo is the Managing Principal and President of the 1220 Group. He serves as the chief executive responsible for all activities that take place within the 1220 Group.
With more than twenty years of experience in the real estate industry, James has successfully completed numerous development and construction projects throughout the United States. His activities in the industry over the years have helped create landmark projects for many different groups. The various types of projects he has worked on include residential, commercial, retail, restaurant, hospitality, entertainment and healthcare. His responsibilities have ranged from planning efforts to managing the project through to completion of construction.
While working with different development and construction groups he successfully completed several master planned residential communities in Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland of over 3,000 housing units. The product types ranged from traditional single family to multi-family attached. These projects totaled approximately $300 million of development costs and were completed in the 1980’s. In addition to working on these residential communities, James was responsible for the development and construction of a number of office projects in the suburban and downtown Washington D.C. area that totaled approximately $150 million in development expenditures. The design of these residential and office projects have earned several industry awards for innovative technology, use of space and community/quality of life enhancement.
James also has years of experience in different commercial product types in the Southern and Northern California area. This accomplishment includes an impressive portfolio of projects in landmark high-rise, low-rise and unique single user buildings in excess of $1 billion in development expenditures. Some of these projects have earned a host of real estate awards in the past decade. His responsibilities of these projects included managing the planning and design process as well as overseeing the completion of all construction activities and coordinating the efforts to move tenants in as scheduled and open these projects to the general public.
In addition, to his impressive portfolio of real estate projects, James has been responsible for financially repositioning over $1 billion of real estate equity and debt in the past 10 years. Of notable significance is the restructuring of the real estate financing for the landmark Pacific Design Center and LA Mart in Los Angeles and a host of office and hotel projects in Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Diego and Washington, DC. Through his involvement, the transactions maximized the potential returns and value for the investors and financial institutions alike.
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Nathan S. Collier
2007 Recipient
Mr. Nathan S. Collier is founder, principal and chairman of The Collier Companies and The Paradigm Group, which are focused on apartment markets in the southern and eastern United States. Under the Collier/Paradigm umbrella, Collier owns 9,600+ apartments homes in Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Ocala, and Tallahassee, Florida, and Norman, Oklahoma. Collier/Paradigm is one of the largest owners of apartments in the state of Florida, housing almost 20% of the off-campus student body of the University of Florida. He is a licensed real estate broker, a building contractor, a CPA, and an attorney. Collier is a life member of the board of the University of Florida Foundation and is on the board of the National Multi Housing Council, serving as chair of its Student Housing Committee, one of the organization’s five standing committees; he also is a member of Urban Land Institute and NAREIT. He is an avid racquetball player, a voracious reader, and life- long learner. Collier loves to travel, and enjoys teaching occasionally as an adjunct professor at the University of Florida. Collier is active in World Presidents’ Organization and supports the local arts,including the Hippodrome State Theatre, UF’s Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and Dance Alive! He earned a BSBA in Finance from UF in 1974 and an MBA in 1978. Collier passed the CPA exam on the first sitting, scoring among the top ten individuals in the state of Florida. In 1982, he received his J.D. from UF’s Levin College of Law, scoring in the 97th percentile on the LSAT. He is lead author of “Construction Funding,”a textbook published by John Wiley & Sons, now in its fourth edition. Collier is an avid blogger; his blog on personal leadership and business ethics can be found at NSCBlog.com.
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Bruce Cumming2006 Recipient
Mr. Bruce Cumming (Hettema Saba) is Founder & Chairman for The Collier Companies. Bruce is a senior real estate analyst specializing in the research, analysis, and valuation of challenging + unique properties. He has extensive commercial real estate experience in brokerage, research, valuation, and real estate education. Bruce has professional association leadership experience with the Appraisal Institute in numerous capacities and is an energetic member of the Real Estate Advisory Board of the Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Florida.
Bruce rose from project manager to associate director in the Valuation and Advisory Services Group of Colliers International Commercial Real Estate Services, where he continues to complete contract work. He has extensive experience with all major property types and has a special interest in historic properties. Bruce was engaged by Colliers clients to provide solutions to complex commercial real estate problems at both the property and portfolio levels. His projects typically involved sophisticated quantitative research using industry standard economic data services and state-of-the art commercial property databases coupled with complex mapping tools and wide angle digital photography for greater visual imaging combined with more qualitative field research and market participant interviews and surveys synthesized through the classic valuation methods (i.e., cost-depreciation, income-capitalization, and comparable property sale analyses) sometimes augmented by advanced investment analysis software applications, such as ARGUS Valuation – DCF modeling, to derive a value, or other solution. Bruce developed and wrote the original company data sheet & spreadsheet templates and report type stencils. He was very actively involved in the marketing, prospecting, and sales functions for the Group where he developed marketing plans, marketing material including both print and online content, and prospect lists. Approximately 30% of the Group’s client base originated from his marketing efforts. Bruce assisted in recruiting research analysts/trainees from Florida universities. Bruce has qualified as an expert witness in the General Civil Division of the Hillsborough County Circuit Court.
Bruce began his real estate valuation & consulting career in the Commercial Valuation Group of Orlando based Pardue, Heid, Church, Smith & Waller’s Tampa office (now Integra Realty Resources – Tampa Bay). He has managed the commercial real estate research and information technology functions for Royal LePage Commercial Real Estate Service’s Tampa office (now Cushman & Wakefield LePage (Canada)) and was responsible for a staff of six – system administrator and five research assistants. Bruce has retail properties brokerage experience with the Australian L. J. Hooker International Corporate & Investment Real Estate’s Tampa office (formerly Merrill Lynch Commercial Real Estate, now Lambert Smith Hampton Commercial Property Consultants (UK)) and office properties brokerage experience with Grubb & Ellis Company’s Tampa office. He also has architectural design and drafting experience with ARC Construction, Inc. in Venice, Florida.
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Jim Fried
2005 Recipient
Sandstone Realty Advisors
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Albert Rex
2005 Recipient
