The board of directors of the NYC Housing Partnership in New York City has named Jamie A. Smarr as president and CEO.

In his new role, Smarr will continue to expand the partnership's role in creating and preserving affordable housing in the region, according to James Hedden, chairman of the board for the NYC Housing Partnership.

The nonprofit housing partnership has worked for four decades to bring together private sector developers and financial institutions with city, state and federal agencies, and has created and preserved more than 70,000 low- and moderate-income housing units in the five boroughs, leveraging over $7 billion in private financing and more than $500 million in subsidies for affordable housing.

Smarr joins the housing partnership from the NHP Foundation, where he led the nonprofit's affiliate program, which seeks joint-venture affordable housing partnerships with other not-for-profits and community-based organizations. He was also involved with its acquisitions program and worked with the financial community, policymakers, equity funds and foundations to support affordable housing development.

Before that, Smarr worked for 11 years as executive director of the New York City Educational Construction Fund, which engages public-private real estate development partnerships for the New York City school system. While there, he was responsible for the addition of 3,000 new public school seats and more than 1 million square feet of new residential and commercial space in New York City. Earlier, Smarr served as director of tax and zoning incentives for New York City's Housing Preservation and Development Department.

Throughout his public service career, Smarr has helped create more than 2,500 units of affordable housing through various public-private partnerships.

Smarr holds graduate degrees from Columbia University and Harvard University and a bachelor's degree from Duke University. He completed the Woodrow Wilson Public Policy and International Affairs fellowship at Princeton University.

The Ashforth Co. and its board of directors has adopted an 18-month succession plan that includes the promotion of Ryan Harvey to chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Until then, Harvey will serve as co-CEO alongside Andrew Ashforth.

In his new role as co-CEO, Harvey will focus on the company's investments, office operations and strategic planning while serving on the company's executive, investment, compensation and audit committees.

The announcement came earlier this month, as Darrell Harvey, who with Ashforth had served as co-CEO of the Ashforth Co. for over 20 years, became executive chairman of the board and Ryan Harvey was promoted from chief operating officer to co-CEO. In January 2024, both Ashforth and Darrell Harvey will become co-chairmen and Ryan Harvey will become sole CEO of the 126-year-old company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Ashforth will also remain president and CEO of AP Construction, the company's construction management division.

"Knowing that under 5% of family businesses survive the fourth generation and beyond, we are particularly proud that our family business is now in its seventh generation," said Darrell Harvey, executive chairman of The Ashforth Co., in a corporate statement. "Our succession plan has been an important priority of the company for many years."

Ryan Harvey joined the Ashforth Co. eight years ago, and before that served as deputy associate counsel for the White House in Washington, D.C. He began his legal career at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City before moving to Nashville and serving as clerk to Hon. Gilbert S. Merritt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, then joining the office of the Federal Public Defender in Nashville and working as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt Law School.

After graduating from Brown University, Ryan Harvey earned his Juris Doctor and a master's degree in legal history from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Columbia Business School Executive Program. He also serves as treasurer and CFO of the Foundation for Society, Law and Art in South Africa and is a member of the Connecticut and New York State Bars.

Commercial real estate firm P.A. Commercial has promoted Matt Schiffman to CEO and managing member.

In his new role, Schiffman will guide the Southfield, Michigan-based company's growth and expand its service offerings.

He succeeds Peter Ventura, who co-founded the company in 2008 with David Plumley, the firm's current CFO. Ventura, who has more than 40 years of experience in commercial real estate and development, plans to focus on his clients after stepping down from his previous role as CEO.

Schiffman joined the company in 2011 and was promoted to director of broker development in 2020. Throughout his tenure with the firm, Schiffman has mentored new team members, implemented new processes, helped expand the brokerage team 25% and been a consistent top producer in the office transactions sector.

Lindsay Garner Sears has been promoted to managing director with SVN | the Equity Group in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In her new role, Garner will oversee the property management department and assist with the company's business development operations.

Garner joined SVN as director of property management in 2019 and currently serves on the SVN National Property Management Product Council. She brings more than a decade of property management experience across the Southwest, having worked at CBRE, JLL, Gatski Commercial, Sperry Van Ness and Commerce TNP, an affiliate of Cushman & Wakefield.

Kidder Mathews hired Ariel Sayani as a first vice president with its Southern California office in Century City.

In his new role, Sayani will focus on multifamily property transactions across the greater Los Angeles region.

Sayani joins Kidder Mathews from BRC Advisors in Los Angeles, where he most recently served as an acquisitions specialist. He began his real estate career in 2017, and since then has closed on more than $30 million in completed transactions.

Stefanie M. Graham has joined the real estate practice group at ArentFox Schiff as a partner.

In her new role, Graham will continue to advise clients on all aspects of commercial real estate.

Graham brings more than a decade of experience advising owners, investors, trusts, developers, managers, landlords and tenants in acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing and leasing transactions. She joins ArentFox Schiff from Rosenberg & Estis, where she was a member of the firm's transactions department.

Daniel Digerness has joined JLL Capital Markets as a director in its Phoenix office.

In his new role, Digerness will focus on debt and equity advisory across all property types in the Southwest.

Digerness brings more than 20 years of industry experience, having advised on over $3 billion in debt and equity transactions throughout his career. He joins JLL from Preferred Capital Advisors, where he worked for 12 years, most recently as a vice president. Before that, Digerness was with National Retail Development Partners, PDG America Shopping Centers and Marcus & Millichap, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association has selected Shawn Dortman to serve on its board of directors for a three-year term. The election occurred at the board meeting this summer.

Dortman is currently the general manager at Lodge Kohler in Green Bay. During a career with Kohler Co. that spans 23 years, she most recently worked with Kohler Hospitality and was also resident manager for the American Club and the Inn on Woodlake in Kohler, Wisconsin.

"Shawn is coming in at a time when our industry is facing new challenges, and her leadership will be valuable as we put together our plans to chart the course for the future of WHLA and Wisconsin’s lodging businesses," said WHLA President and CEO Bill Elliott in a corporate statement announcing the move. Established in 1896, WHLA is a nonprofit trade association representing hotel and lodging properties across the state.

Matthews Real Estate Investment Services hired Gene Mello as vice president of leasing in the firm's San Diego office.

In his new role, Mello will assist in the growth of the firm's leasing division across Southern California.

Mello brings more than 16 years of retail leasing experience for a client list that includes Burger King, Ross Dress for Less, Aldi Food Market, Best Buy and Petco. After beginning his brokerage career at Phillips Edison & Co., Mello most recently worked as a broker at Enduring Real Estate, formerly Epsteen & Associates San Diego.

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