At Avanti Residential, we do things a little differently. In an industry focused on profit, we put people first. As it turns out, good returns follow! We own and operate approx. 7500 apartment homes, give or take, in Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Florida, and Arizona cities.
We’re “people people.” Our goal every day is to make living and working with us easy and enjoyable. That’s why exceptional customer service and uncompromising integrity are top priorities at every level of our organization.
When choosing a company name, we came across the story of the famed World War II, Colorado-based, 10th Mountain Division. They were the only American division of it’s size trained to fight in winter and mountain terrain – and were specifically training for an invasion of Italy.
In that spirit, their rally cry was Italian – Sempre Avanti. Meaning “Always Forward.” We saw the beauty and the strength in these words and adopted Avanti as our business name. We’re always looking forward as a company. A secondary meaning of “Sempre Avanti” is “Always Welcome” which serves as a guiding principal for our valued residents.
And we treat our people – from corporate support teams, leasing consultants and community managers, to service technicians and supervisors – the way great team members should be treated – like family! Our benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; vacation, sick, and holiday pay; 401(k); incentive compensation; tuition reimbursement; and flexible spending account.
Our leaders come from a wide range of backgrounds and have diverse industry expertise. One characteristic they have in common is a commitment to doing whatever it takes to create a positive experience for our residents and a great work culture for our team members.
CHAIRMAN
Doug has worked in commercial real estate in Colorado since 1983 and has specialized in apartments and multifamily land since 1991. In the last ten years, with his partner Jeff Hawks, he has closed more than $7.4 billion in multifamily transactions, representing a list of clients that includes JPI, Equity Residential Properties Trust, AMLI Residential Trust, Blackrock, The Carmel Companies, Embrey Partners, The Morgan Group, Archstone/Smith, TIAA/CREF, Wellsford Real Properties, First Pacific, Rocky Mountain Mutual Housing, Griffis Blessing, Waterton Associates LLC, Pauls Corporation, Baron Properties, CAN Insurance, Sentinel Real Estate, Lincoln Property Company, Columbia Savings, John Hancock, Henderson Global Investors, Prudential Real Estate Investors, Goldman Sachs, RREEF, Allied Realty Services, PaineWebber Properties, Principal Insurance and Simpson Housing. Mr. Andrews has been a member of the portfolio disposition teams for Balcor/American Express ($600 million), Archstone Communities ($650 million), Mitsui Real Estate ($225 million), and Jupiter Realty Corp. ($65.5 million).
In 2005, Doug co-founded Capital Real Estate. He is also a partner in ARA Newmark’s Denver office. ARA Newmark is a full-service investment advisory brokerage firm that focuses exclusively on the multifamily industry. He was honored as the Denver Realtor’s Investment Broker of the Year in 2000 and has been the #1 multi-housing specialist in Denver for 20 of the last 21 years.
Prior to 1991, Mr. Andrews was president of Andrews & Company, a family held commercial real estate investment and development firm with more than $30 million in assets, including apartments, office and retail properties. Mr. Andrews is a native of Denver and a graduate of The Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Denver Southeast, currently serves as a director on the board of the Colorado I Have A Dream Foundation and has served as president of Apartment Realty Advisors, Inc.
CEO
Chris has been with Avanti Residential since 2019 and brings over 35 years of commercial real estate experience. His long career has included leadership roles in investment, finance, operations, brokerage, acquisitions and portfolio management where he was responsible for more than $6 billion in real estate and led more than $4 billion in transactions with $4.8 billion in multifamily over approximately 125 properties. Prior to Avanti, Chris was a Managing Director with GE Real Estate responsible for leading the equity investment team throughout the western United States. Along with Chris’ 15-year tenure at GE Real Estate, he has held senior leadership positions at MG Properties and MIG Real Estate. Chris is a past member of the California Mortgage Bankers Association and National Multifamily Housing Association.
Chris is a graduate of University of California at Los Angeles where he received his degree in political science in 1983, and is married with two college-aged children. He loves to sail, ski and enjoys spending time outdoors and with his family and big dogs.
SVP OF MANAGEMENT
Brenda was previously a VP at Pinnacle Management in Seattle where she was responsible for operations, business development, and client relations. She oversaw a portfolio of 55 properties for 8000 units and team of seven Regional Managers. Brenda is a 22-year veteran in this industry with experience in multiple roles, markets, and product types such as new construction, renovations, and value-add properties. Her history of success is widespread with other multifamily firms including MG Properties, BRE Properties, Lyon Communities, Orion Real Estate and JPI. In her free time, Brenda's passions are her love for her husband, animals, and the outdoors. She has completed two full Ironman triathlons, about 15 marathons, and competes in numerous triathlon events each year. She is actively involved in the local Doberman rescue organization and has two at home that she rescued. Brenda's adventures have led her to swim, run, and bike through Spain, swim the Greek Isles, bungee jump, skydive, and hike Mt. Whitney Brenda holds a California, Washington, and Colorado Real Estate License. She attended Kings River College in California where she was a member of the woman’s basketball and softball teams.
• Customer Service Idol: Nordstrom
• Has completed two ironman triathlons and 15 marathons, and competes in various other races each year
• Volunteers for her local Doberman rescue and has two rescued Dobermans at home
• Swam, ran, and rode her bike through Spain, swam the Greek Isles, and has bungee jumped, skydived, and hiked Mt. Whitney
DIRECTOR OF EQUITY - INSTITUTIONAL
Dave serves as Avanti’s Director of Equity. His responsibilities include procurement of equity through family offices, private equity groups and institutional investment firms. He also assists with investor relationships and fulfilling the needs of current and future high net worth private investors as well as assisting in deal sourcing. Previously, Dave procured over 6.5 million square feet of agency business and negotiated leases and sales in excess of 2 million square feet during his 10 years with Cushman & Wakefield. He oversaw hundreds of transactions totaling over $2 billion in asset value during his 10 years as Regional Manager/Director of Management Services with Grubb & Ellis and as Regional Manager with Marcus & Millichap. As Director of SV Capital, Mr. Osborne was responsible for procurement of over $250 million in equity and $500 million in debt financing. This capital has been distributed through a number of SV Capitals resort projects totaling over $1.5 billion in asset value.
Dave is a licensed Colorado Real Estate Broker and a member of NAIOP, ULI, and NACOR. He is also involved with the Denver Chamber of Commerce Business Leaders & CEO Exchange, as well as the Mile High Unit of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors.
• Customer Service Idol: Green Bay Packers, locally owned-highly competitive nationally
• Ski raced in college
• A sports guy that competed in every sport, including most extreme outdoor activities.
• Life goal is to be an influence to his grandkids while they grow and become an integral part of society
DIRECTOR OF EQUITY - PRIVATE
Mark is Avanti’s Director of Private Equity. He has over 18 years of experience in Capital Markets at investment banks such as Citigroup, Credit Suisse, and Barclays. He has held roles as Head of a NY based Hedge Fund team at Citigroup, Head of the Capital Markets’ Equity Sales team at Barclays and as Executive VP and Head of Equity & Fixed Income, Commodities and Currency Sales and Trading at a boutique investment bank. For 18 years Mark has placed hundreds of equity financing deals for Wall Street’s largest public companies.
In 2020, Mark launched Centennial State Capital to invest in 200+ unit multifamily properties. Centennial State Capital and Avanti Residential partnered to bring investors a 256 unit deal in Phoenix. In 2010, Mark founded Solo Oak LLC, a real estate investment company. As CEO, he built a successful Florida real estate portfolio of single-family homes and developed land. He has over 11 years of experience in the residential housing space. His real estate experience extends to Wall Street as well where Mark placed a significant number of equity financing deals for large public market REITs.
Mark played collegiate and professional golf, which included a PGA Tour appearance. As a finance major from the School of Commerce at the University of Illinois, Mark was an Academic All-American and All Big-10 Academic award winner. Mark resides in Colorado with his wife who is a USPTA teaching tennis professional. His licenses include the NASD Series 7, 63 and 65 as well as the Partners, Directors and Officers designation.
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS
Jason Wine serves as Avanti Residential’s Director of Acquisitions. In this capacity he is responsible for asset acquisitions, market underwriting, transaction / due diligence management and business development. His 26-year multi-family career has given him extensive experience and a broad perspective including property management, development, investment, and multi-family brokerage.
Since joining Avanti’s predecessor company in 2013 Jason as overseen over $1.5 billion in multi-family acquisitions across 40 transactions totaling over 9,000 units as well as $673 million in dispositions. His broad range of transactional experience includes value add, core-plus, syndications, institutional JVs, grounds up development, tax increment financing, recapitalizations, land lease acquisitions, mixed use retail, and affordable housing. He has worked extensively in the Denver, Colorado Springs, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Kansas City markets. Prior to joining Avanti Jason was an associate broker with Apartment Realty Advisors where he oversaw $2.775 billion in investment sales across 163 transactions.
Jason graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and in 2006 received a Master’s Degree from Denver University in Real Estate and Construction Management. Jason is a licensed Colorado Real Estate agent and a fourth generation Colorado native.
• Customer Service Idol: Disney Cruise Lines - "Best customer service I have ever seen, hands down."
• Met the Pope and even kissed the ring!
• Is on a constant search to achieve his dream of someday owning a Bob Ross original painting.
SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST
Bio Coming Soon...
VP OF INVESTOR RELATIONS
Megan Schuermer joined Avanti Residential in 2017. As the VP of Investor Relations, she is responsible for engaging Avanti’s 300+ high net worth, ultra-high net worth and institutional investors, establishing strong channels of communication and ensuring information is accurately and efficiently conveyed. Upon joining Avanti, Megan implemented a customer relationship management (CRM) system, providing investors with a secure portal to view and access investment related data and documents; the CRM supports and promotes a transparent relationship between Avanti and its investor base.
Megan began her career as a fund accountant before pursuing investor relations, when she was able to align her interest in numbers and reporting with her aptitude for summarizing information. During her 15 years within the profession, she has built long-term credibility within the investment community. Megan has worked for world-renowned financial institutions, as well as within startup organizations. Her esteemed experience includes and ranges from accounting and operations to client communications across multiple investment strategies. Megan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Delaware.
VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Leah Chelist joined Avanti Residential as the VP of Human Resources in the fall of 2020. Her role is focused on the support and development of the corporate and community teams through strategic talent management design in the areas of total rewards, recruitment, employee onboarding and retention, professional development, and organizational design.
She previously served as the Director of HR & Culture for BMC Investments/BLDG Management. Before joining BLDG and beginning her career in Human Resources, Ms. Chelist worked with several non-profit agencies providing clinical mental health services for children involved in the child welfare system and as a mental health professional in private practice. Ms. Chelist transitioned to Real Estate/Property Management and Human Resources due to her interest and passion for organizational psychology, leadership development, professional relationship management, and the allure of the real estate industry.
Leah received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of New Mexico. After moving to Denver in 2007, she earned a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver.
• Customer Service Idol: Four Seasons – The Golden Rule!
• Is a true New Mexican and believes everything can be improved with a little green chile
• Loves everything interior design and overdoes it on throw pillows
• Was attacked by a goat in Nepal but lived to tell the tale
• Receives at the very least, one HR book via Amazon per week
• Her goal in life is to just be present and soak it all up!
VP OF FINANCE
Savannah Wheeler joined Avanti Residential in April of 2021 as the VP of Finance. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing property, corporate and partnership accounting, budgeting, financial forecasting, and reporting. Savannah brings over 17 years of real estate experience to the table with a primary focus on developing and growing Multifamily investment and management companies.
Prior to Avanti, Savannah served as a founding member of Mission Rock Residential. Over a ten-year period, she helped drive the company from zero properties managed to 116 properties with over 26,000 units spanning 18 states. As the Vice President of Finance, Treasury and IT she led a shared services center to support four total sister companies, drove a data centric financial planning and operational reporting process, and developed and led the interdepartmental Advisory Team, a diverse group of leaders who work together to steer the strategic direction of technology implementations, innovation, and positive changes throughout the organization.
Prior to Mission Rock, Savannah served as Portfolio Controller at Hamilton Zanze & Co where she managed corporate and property level financials, supervised the investor distribution process, improved reporting systems, and coordinated year-end tax reporting.
Savannah attended Champlain College where she earned bachelor’s degrees in Business Finance and International Business. Savannah is also a member of the Forbes Finance Council.
VP OF TAX ACCOUNTING
Laura Theiss joined the team as VP of Tax Accounting in June of 2021. Prior to joining Avanti, Laura was a tax partner with SingerLewak LLP. For the past 18 years in her career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), she has helped businesses & individuals maximize tax efficiency and fuel growth through tax and business planning. Laura has worked with Avanti as a client for the past 12 years and couldn’t be more passionate about the combination of values with business intelligence that drives prospects for their future.
Laura is originally from Northern Colorado, where her father owned a small business, inspiring her to get involved helping business owners be better prepared, informed, and maximizing every opportunity.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Taxation from University of Denver. Laura is a CPA and a Registered Investment Advisor Representative.
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Allison has been a member of the Avanti Residential family since 2018 and has 14 years of experience in the multifamily industry serving in marketing roles with Archstone, Avalon Bay (AVB), Greystar, and most recently, Independence Realty Trust (IRT). She likes to tell people she got into the multifamily industry as a pool attendant for an apartment community in Michigan and worked her way up through the ranks. The bulk of her career has focused on marketing stabilized and lease-up communities, winning California Apartment Association’s Best Marketing in 2010 and 2011, and Multifamily Executive Magazine’s “Best Marketing Campaign” in 2016 for Troy Boston. Allison holds a BA from Western Michigan University in Public Relations & Journalism, and an AFA from the Academy of Art University in Graphic Design with a focus on Print and Brand Identity.
• Customer Service Idol: Zappo’s
• Thinks Oreo Thins are the superior Oreos
• Lives with her rescue dog, Arlo
• Aca-Nerd and terrible beatboxer
• Dreams of converting a school bus into a tiny house and traveling the National Parks
DIRECTOR OF SERVICE & FACILITIES
Johani has always had a passion for building, renovating, and improving. He applies his experience to envision a community’s potential and determine how to add immediate value through improvements. Johani is a multifamily professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career as a Porter/Groundskeeper, and through dedication, hard work, and perseverance, he was promoted up the ranks. Johani has great wealth of knowledge in facilities and maintenance operations, as well as construction and renovation. He has an extensive background in improving underperforming assets through talent development, and the creation of new processes. He has a passion for leading, developing, and training service teams and has earned several industry certifications, including CPO and EPA 608 Universal, Asbestos training Classes.
Johani joined us in 2019 from Radco where he spent 6 years a Regional Service Manager. Johani hold an Associate of Business Administration degree.
• Customer Service Idol: Chick-fil-A
• Enjoys reading, watching the news, spending time outdoors, and his favorite is spending time with his family.
DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION
Ryan joined Avanti in 2021 as the Director of Construction to lead capital projects and unit renovations. He previously led construction teams on portfolios through the US at Lion Real Estate and Waterton Residential, overseeing over $200 million in capital projects on 14,000+ units. Ryan completed degrees in Civil Engineering and Construction Management at Temple University, where he also competed in NCAA track and field as a decathlete. Following college, he served in the US Navy, leading construction and facilities teams.
• Customer Service Idol – Chic-fil-A
• Welcomed daughter Penelope in 2020
• Has two German Shepherds – Luna and Thor
• Life Goal – climb all 14’ers in Colorado
DIRECTOR OF REVENUE MANAGEMENT
Gloria joined Avanti in February 2020 and has 9 years of experience in the multifamily industry. Gloria started out as a leasing agent with Pinnacle but was quickly recognized throughout her tenure at Pinnacle, and began her journey as an ambassador for Revenue Management. For the last two years, she lead revenue management for Weidner and was a key ally for her supported regions of AZ, CA, OK and CO.
• Customer Service Idol: Warby Parker or Nordstrom
• Obsessed with French Bulldogs, especially her own
• Travel enthusiast and next on her bucket list is Korea/Japan, Switzerland and South Africa.
• Lived in 3 different states in the last 3 years (TX, WA, AZ)
• Personal Goal – run a marathon. Completed a half marathon last year.
DIRECTOR OF ASSET MANAGEMENT
Robert joined Avanti Residential in 2019. He has over 20 years of asset and property management experience. Robert has held asset management roles with Aslan Realty Group, Lyon Management, Shea Properties and most recently Homeunion, Inc. Robert has overseen $2B of multi-family and single family real estate totaling more than 12,000 units. Robert’s abilities include asset management, evaluating acquisition opportunities, managing property renovations and third-party property management companies, and executing property business plans. Robert attended California State University at Long Beach.
Additional Info. / Fun Facts:
• Customer Service Idol: REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.)
• Goal to own, operate, and ride a mountain bike park in Hawaii
•
Favorite dog breed is Boxer
GENERAL COUNSEL
Drew has served in the role of General Counsel for Avanti Residential since 2020. He has more than 20 years of legal and real estate experience, including over 10 years serving as in-house legal counsel for two large companies: a national homebuilder and a global manufacturing conglomerate.
Drew’s experience also includes private practice at two Denver law firms with a focus on commercial and residential real estate development, acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, and finance (including financing of public infrastructure projects).
Drew holds a B.A. in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara and a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He is admitted to practice in the State of Colorado and is a member of the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations, and the Association of Corporate Counsel.
PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Alicia Maruya joined Avanti Residential in 2019 as a Yardi Support Specialist, climbing the ranks to Performance Development Manager by 2020. In this role, she oversees Employee Performance, Training, and Software Systems. Alicia brings over nine years of industry experience, mastering each role from Leasing Consultant to Multi-Site Community Manager. On the weekends, you can find her reading, golfing, being a Lego Master Clicker and/or playing video games.
• Customer Service Idol – Howard Schultz “To meet and exceed the expectations of our customers”
• Personal Goal – To visit every Harry Potter World
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, ARIZONA
Amy recently joined Avanti Residential as Regional Director. She has nearly 24 years of experience in the multifamily industry starting in Ohio before moving to the West Coast. She has worked in Washington and California for companies such as BlackRock/Riverstone, General Investment Development/Windsor, and Pinnacle. Her experience includes stabilized, lease-up, acquisitions, renovations, re-positioning, conventional, and affordable assets. Amy attended Lee University in Cleveland, TN.
• Customer Service Idol: Because I Said I Would, by Alex Sheen
• Grew up in small-town Ohio and luckily the city lights of Seattle saved her from corn fields and Folgers coffee
• Loves the outdoors and hiking, road trips, and picking veggies at u-pick farms
• Has a passion for cooking and baking for family/friends and making jam from berries she’s picked
• Has goals of taking a culinary class in Europe and spending a fall in New England
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, ARIZONA & KANSAS
Stephanie joined Avanti Residential in February 2019. She began her multifamily career in Denver, Colorado in 2002 as a leasing consultant and was quickly promoted to a manager one year later. She moved to Houston, TX to run multiple sites and became a Regional Manager soon after. Her management portfolio has included all types of multifamily housing, including LIHTC, conventional and Section 502C. Stephanie has over 20 years of managing teams in diverse work settings. Building relationships and helping people achieve their goals has always been Stephanie's top priority.
• Customer Service Idol - Trader Joes and Alaska Airlines – Both companies truly have a genuine desire to make you happy
• Loves living in a big city but my heart will ALWAYS remain in beautiful Montana
• Embraces the thrill of bungee jumping, roller coasters, motorcycles, bridge jumping, and week long music festivals!
• My happy place is out camping when you are surrounded by the tranquil beauty of nature
• At the end of the day it’s not about being the best IN the world, but being the best FOR the world
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, ARIZONA & UTAH
Jennifer joined Avanti in 2021 and is an accomplished Regional Director with 20+ years of experience in property management and leadership roles. Jennifer started her career in Investor Relations raising capital to fund multifamily purchases and moved to onsite operations, fell in love, and has been in Operations ever since. Jennifer has worked in third-party and owner managed environments and has operated properties at Alliance Residential and CWS Apartment Homes in Texas, Colorado and Arizona. Jennifer has managed portfolios of over 2,500 units and supervised renovation projects in excess of $5MM.
She is passionate about building and leading teams, and the process of bringing something from good to excellent. Jennifer earned her BA from University California, Irvine in Economics and Masters Degree from Grand Canyon University in Business Administration.
• Customer Service Idol: Ritz-Carlton
• Took a 5 year break from the industry to help female entrepreneurs start launching or scaling their dream business
• Loves golf and running
• Is a Denver Broncos superfan
• Has a life goal of traveling to any many unique experience as possible with her husband and two children.
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, COLORADO & FLORIDA
Matt has had a warm welcome as a new member of the Avanti Residential family since January 2021. Before joining Avanti, he gained experience in multifamily property management in roles with Dermer Management, Echelon, Baron, and Maxx Properties, with his most recent role focusing on acquisitions and transitions of teams at properties across the country. An East Coast native born and raised in Brooklyn, he moved to Colorado in 2015, taking his experience as a partner in a property management group in New York to grow in the multifamily market. Throughout his career, which started in hospitality, he has successfully developed leadership teams with a deep commitment to excellence in customer service. Matt’s experience includes stabilized, lease up, renovations, affordable assets, acquisitions, training and transitioning management teams.
• Customer Service Idol: Southwest Airlines
• Favorite cookie: Vienna finger
• Favorite TV show: The Golden Girls
• Favorite Denver dining spot: Sushi Den
• Can tell what borough of NYC you are from by how you wear a baseball cap
• Can tell the difference between cheese puff brands in a blind taste test
• Life Goal: Own a pizzeria on the island of Bonaire and go SCUBA diving every day
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, COLORADO
Bio Coming Soon...
