TEAM

Jordan Albaugh

Jordan leads the Systems Solutions team at Ballast, supporting the technology needs of all divisions and departments across the company. He advises and guides teams on how to best utilize software and technology to improve their workflows and access actionable data.

Jordan holds a Bachelors degree in Studio Art from University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters degree in Studio Art from New York University.

Paola Alunni

Paola is the Schematic Design Manager for Ballast’s architecture and construction affiliate. Paola manages multiple projects, making sure each design fits the desired requirements and budget. She has relationships with construction and structural engineers to ensure that designs meet all business constraints. Before joining the firm, Paola worked at Bartos Architecture, a firm specializing in renovations across the education industry.

Paola has BA in Architecture from Academy of Art University.

Kevin Bacon

Kevin is a Manager for the Pre-Design team at Ballast’s architecture and construction affiliate. He oversees the capture and assembly of 3D data and the quality and accuracy of as-built drawings. Prior to joining the team, Kevin worked with BIM firms across the Bay Area as a 3D-Architectural modeler and CNC/ Laser Cutter Fabricator, remodeling homes, designing and building public art installations, and creating outdoor dining solutions during the pandemic.

Pace Barker

Pace is a Principal for Ballast focused on acquisitions throughout the Western U.S. He also serves on the investment committee and assists with maintaining relationships with key Ballast partners Prior to joining Ballast, Pace was a vice president on the U.S. real estate team at The Carlyle Group where he focused on acquisitions and asset management of over $2.0bn in assets across various property sectors and geographies.

Pace received his BA in Economics from Brigham Young University.

Brittany Blacksmith

Brittany is a Senior Project Administrator for the human resources team at Ballast. Brittany facilitates staffing, development training, company culture, communication, transparency, and risk management for the company. She started her human resources career at Dutch Bros Coffee, where she managed all items relating to payroll, benefits, and employee relations.

Brittany studied Elementary Education and Spanish at Oregon State University. She is a licensed notary in California

Ryan Brewer

As co-founder and managing principal of Ballast, Ryan focuses on developing corporate strategy and leading the acquisitions efforts for Ballast. He also serves on the investment committee and is responsible for maintaining relationships with key Ballast partners. Prior to establishing Ballast, Ryan focused on multifamily acquisitions at Veritas Investments. Prior to that, Ryan was on the U.S. real estate team at The Carlyle Group, where he focused on asset management across property sectors that included over $6.0bn in value. Ryan began his real estate career on the investments team at McMillin Capital.

Ryan received his BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from London Business School.

William Cadle

William is an Accounting Manager at Ballast. William is responsible for reviewing all matters of reconciliations, preparing payments and capital analyses, and maintaining financials. William’s background includes both commercial and residential accounting. Prior to joining Ballast, William worked for CBRE.

William has a BS in Accounting from Grand Canyon University.

Amy Chan

Amy is a manager supporting the Architecture, Engineering, and General Contracting divisions. Amy’s experience in residential and commercial design ranges from high-end custom homes to affordable multi-family housing in the Bay Area. Prior to joining Ballast, Amy worked for Apple’s Interior Retail Space Planning division.

Amy holds a BA in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, with a minor in Urban Planning.

Xiao Chen

Xiao is a Senior Property Accountant at Ballast. Xiao started her real estate accountant career in 1988.  Prior to joining Ballast, Xiao worked for Mid-Peninsula Housing, CBRE and Prado Group.

Xiao earned a degree in Accounting and Computer Application from Heald Business College.

James Cook

James is the Leasing Manager for Ballast’s property management affiliate. He began his real estate career as a sales assistant to one of Southern California’s top real estate producers and went on to work with Trinity Property Management as a Leasing Agent.

James has a BS in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge. He is a licensed Real Estate Agent in California.

Mike Costello

Mike is a Vice President at Ballast Investments focused on acquisitions and asset management of multifamily assets. Prior to joining Ballast, ​Mike was at Meridian where he focused on acquisitions of value-add office and medical office properties throughout the Western United States. Mike began his career at Prologis where he focused on financial planning and analysis of the company’s $200bn global portfolio. ​ ​

Mike received his BA in Finance from Bentley University.​

Taylor Fairman

Taylor is a Project Manager for the Property Operations Team. Taylor facilitates projects, throughout all phases from planning to closure. She started her career in construction management prior to transitioning to operations management.

Taylor graduated cum laude with tow Bachelor of Science degrees in Human Health and Performance from Montana State University. She is a licensed Project Management Professional (PMP).

Jake Herczeg

Jake is the Chief Operating Officer for Ballast and its affiliates. Previously, Jake led the Property Operations division and Halyard’s Architecture, Engineering, and General Contracting divisions. Before joining Ballast, Jake founded Herczeg + Tobias Architects, where he specialized in multifamily renovation and addition projects.

Jake holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from The Cooper Union. He is a licensed Architect in California, Illinois, Arizona, and Texas.

Oscar Hernandez

Oscar is an Architecture Manager for the ADU & Renovation teams. He oversees the development of projects from schematic design through permitting and ensures the designs are elegant, functional, and feasible. Prior to joining the team, Oscar worked with architecture firms to design custom single-family homes, commercial retail, mixed use, and multifamily projects.

Oscar holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Kris Hicks

Kris oversees revenue accounting for Ballast owned properties. Kris started her real estate accounting career at Invitation Homes, where she worked in various accounting teams and specialized in updating processes to create efficiencies and synergies.

Kris has a BBA from Baylor University with a double major in Accounting and Finance, as well as an MBA with an Accounting emphasis from Grand Canyon University.

Bill Hung

Bill manages renovation design, drawing production, and permit acquisition for Ballast’s architecture and construction affiliate. He is passionate about designing community-based buildings that connect people with beautiful environments and spaces. Bill has guided projects of all sizes, from small renovations to ground-up multifamily projects.

Bill graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a BA in Architecture. He is a licensed Architect in California.

Daniel Ibarra

Daniel oversees all maintenance operations for the company. Daniel has over 25 years of experience and has been responsible for operating procedures, building systems, project management, construction development, security, safety, and green building initiatives for several large real estate companies during his career.

Daniel has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Architectural Designs from UPAEP (Universidad Popular Autonoma de Puebla Mex) and has completed more than 100 certifications of maintenance in the United States.

Kuahiwi Kahapea

Kuahiwi is a Manager of Communications for the Property Operations team at Ballast’s property management affiliate. Kuahiwi manages the overall communication with residents while focusing on improving and implementing new processes and continuing to develop innovative ways to communicate with tenants.

Chris Lee, CPA

Chris is an Asset Management associate at Ballast that focuses on transaction due diligence and driving operational value within Ballast’s multifamily portfolio. Chris started his real estate career in 2019 at Carmel Partners, where he worked as a fund manager handling investor reporting and capital forecasts.

Chris received his BA in Economics and Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Greg Long, CFA

Greg is a Director focused on Investor Relations, where he partners with current and prospective investors to deliver the Ballast platform to the marketplace. Greg has worked across private assets since 2007. Prior to joining the company, Greg raised capital from leading public and private institutions while working at Barings LLC. Prior to that, Greg was a real estate investor for the Bank of America Pension Plan, where he also oversaw private equity and hedge fund allocations.

Greg received his BBA in Finance from University of Georgia. He is a CFA Charterholder.

Greg MacDonald

As co-founder and CEO of Ballast, Greg focuses on developing corporate strategy and leading the Ballast platform. He also serves on the investment committee and is responsible for maintaining relationships with key Ballast partners. Prior to establishing Ballast, Greg was a Principal at The Carlyle Group where he sourced and executed residential assets across multifamily, senior housing and manufactured housing. Prior to that, Greg worked in the investment banking division of Merrill Lynch.

Greg graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Economics from Columbia University and earned his MBA in Finance with Real Estate concentration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Lauren Medley

Lauren manages the construction of ADU and other capital expenditure projects for Ballast’s architecture and construction affiliate. She manages the internal construction processes as well as the bidding process with the third party contractors to add value to the buildings while keeping costs manageable. Prior to joining the firm, Lauren was the assistant purchasing manager with a home builder where she maintained vendor relations and contracts.

Lauren earned a BA in Management from Georgia Gwinnett College.

Tyler Moser

Tyler is a Structural Engineer for Ballast’s architecture and construction affiliate. In his role, Tyler provides structural guidance on an array of building improvements, retrofits, and repairs. He has over ten years of design and construction experience with residential, commercial, and institutional structures in California.

Tyler is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in California, having graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Masters in Structural and Earthquake Engineering. Tyler also holds a BS in Civil Engineering from University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in Business Economics from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Yuri Palhof

Yuri is a Transaction Administrator for Ballast Investments. Yuri previously worked as a Property Administrator and as a Maintenance Administrator for Ballast’s property management affiliate. Prior to Ballast, Yuri was an Assistant Property Manager for Blackpoint Management, Inc.

Yuri received a Bachelors degree in Social Sciences with a double minor in Modern Languages and Psychology from the University of Bridgeport, as well as a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Bridgeport.

Brian Peyrovian

Brian is a construction manager for Ballast’s architecture and construction affiliate, focusing on unit renovations, and managing relationships with third party contractors. Prior to his current role, Brian managed capital expenditure projects for the firm. Before joining Ballast, Brian worked for Prado Group, where he specialized in ground up development and multifamily renovation.

Brian holds a BA in Economics with dual concentration in Accounting and Finance from California State University, Fullerton.

Patricia Prado

Patricia is a Senior Administrator for the Maintenance team where she manages several in-house technicians and Resident Managers that service all tenant related maintenance issues. Patricia has a background in property management and construction. Prior to joining the firm, she worked for Prado Group and CitiScape Property Management.

Patricia studied Psychology and Human Services at Chabot College.

Krisel Ramos

Krisel is the Assistant Controller for the Property Accounting team at Ballast. Prior to joining Ballast, Krisel worked as a property accountant at Hines and with Swift Real Estate Partners as a Property Accounting Manager.

Krisel has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from San Diego State University.

Jon Schwerin

Jon is an Investment Associate at Ballast focused on acquisitions and asset management. Jon has worked in the investment industry for the past 10 years. Prior to joining the company, Jon analyzed investments in single family homes for Unison Investment Management and was an asset manager at Essex Property Trust. Prior to that, Jon was an equity analyst focused on the Micro-Cap and REIT portfolios at Uniplan Investment Counsel.

Jon Received his BBA in Finance from Marquette University and his MBA from University of Wisconsin – Madison. He passed all three levels of the CFA Program.

Sophie Stoerkel

Sophie works across all entities within the company, focusing on operations and pre-design. Sophie implements new technologies that create a more efficient system for delivering timely and accurate floorplans. She focuses on improving the tenant experience and streamlining the unit turnover process and works to build effective systems that facilitate interdepartmental communication and knowledge sharing.

Sophie graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Environmental Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Ronice Sweet Gaines

Ronice is an Accounting Manager at Ballast, overseeing cash management for multifamily properties. Prior to joining Ballast, Ronice was an Accounting Manager for Signature Development Group. She began her career as an Audit Associate at Ernst and Young.

Ronice has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Saint Mary’s College and a Master’s degree in Accounting from University of Virginia. She is a licensed CPA.

McNeil Sylvester

McNeil works as an architecture manager for Ballast’s architecture and construction affiliate’s ADU team. McNeil creates & coordinates the in-house architectural plans for new ADU projects. He also manages the creation of the bid set documents for contractors in the field. McNeil began his architectural career in New York City.

McNeil holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the New York Institute of Technology. He is a licensed Architect in New York State.

Gino Tarantino

Gino is a Senior Investment Analyst that focuses on reporting and analytics within Ballast’s multifamily portfolio to help keep investors and lenders updated on Ballast’s fund performance. Prior to joining Ballast, Gino worked as a Loan Underwriter at Luther Burbank Savings in their Income Property Lending department.

Gino received his BS in Accounting & Financial Management from California Polytechnic State University.

Matt Tripaldi

Matt is a Senior Investment Analyst focused on multifamily acquisitions, where he analyzes multifamily deals across different markets. During his time at Ballast, Matt has experience working across asset management and single family rental acquisitions. Prior to joining Ballast, Matt worked as an Investment Analyst at Newmark Knight Frank on the Investment Sales team in San Francisco.

Matt has a BA in Economics & Political Science from Indiana University.

Alex Wall

Alex is a Vice President for Ballast where he helps source new acquisition opportunities, develop business plans, and manages various portfolios of homes across the West Coast. Alex has worked in the institutional residential market, servicing both the multifamily and single-family sectors across brokerage, asset management, and acquisitions. Prior to joining Ballast, Alex worked for The Jones-Saglimbeni Group of Institutional Property Advisers as a Financial Analyst.

Alex received his BSC in Finance from Santa Clara University and has been a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of California.

Mackenzie Wall

Mackenzie is the Human Resources Manager for Ballast, where she oversees employee engagement and HR functions across all divisions. Prior to joining the company in 2019, Mackenzie worked in the corporate retail and fitness industries.

Mackenzie received her BS in Business Marketing from Santa Clara University.

Alex Zhao

Alex oversees all construction activities for Ballast’s construction affiliate, including fire alarm upgrades, seismic retrofits, ADUs, and maintenance. Alex develops construction strategies and phasing plans in order to meet project timelines and tenant demands. Alex directly manages internal construction and maintenance teams. Alex has been working in the construction industry for 20 years and has experience in both residential and commercial building constructions.

Alex has a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Alex has E.I.T, General B and C-10 License from the State of California.