PHOENIX, ARIZONA (Dec. 15, 2023) – Now in its 12th year, NAIOP Arizona’s Developing Leaders Young Professionals Group (YPG) mentorship program graduated 20 protégés.
Mentors and protégés of the 2023 class gathered Dec. 7, at the Phoenix Country Club for a reception, presentations, and dinner. The 20 protégés, grouped into five teams, each pitched a development proposal to a potential equity partner for a site at Pima Road and Princess Drive near TPC Scottsdale.
As part of their equity partner’s review of the development proposals, presentations were judged by the projects’ ability to provide the highest and best use of the site while generating a positive yet realistic projected return on investment.
Chris Beall, Stream Realty, and Josh Schifferer, GO Industrial, served as 2023 program chairs. “The YPG program gives Developing Leaders across all trades the ability to experience what goes into getting a development out of the ground while networking with peers and industry leaders,” Beall said.
This year’s winner was Perimeter Center, an industrial park. Team members included Hunter Fadynich, CHASSE Building Team; Casey Koziol, Colliers; Dylan Whitwer, NAI Horizon; and Chase Woosley, Cotton Architecture + Design. Mentor Alex Boles of ViaWest Group led the team.
“I'm extremely impressed by my group in this year’s YPG program. A diverse group of young professionals came together and learned about real estate development in an accelerated program, and they crushed it. There’s nothing easy about the requirements of this program. However, the team pushed themselves to learn, adapt, and analyze a development deal, and I’m very proud of their work and final presentation," Boles said.
Additional mentors for this year’s class were Brandon Dillingham, Hines; Kevin Miller, Kitchell Development Company; Alicia Saxby, Prologis; and Andy Snedeker, Suntec Concrete.
Other program graduates included:
Team Dillingham: Stephanie Oleska, SmithGroup; Danny Schuster, Colliers; Violet Thornton; Kitchell Development Company; Lorraine Urie, HomeGuard Exterior Construction Services.
Team Miller: Patrick Bush, Langan; Nick Salzle, Tramell Crow Company; Matt Terpstra, Bellwether Enterprises; Jennifer Villalobos, Cushman & Wakefield.
Team Saxby: Han Salle, Irwin G Pasternack AIA + Associates, PC; Jake McClaughry, Western Retail Advisors; Bryce Quigley, Kimley-Horn; Ian Wright, Wespac Construction.
Team Snedeker: Pruthvi Akarapu, GCON; Christian Crandell, Jokake Construction; Blake Peters, Lee & Associates Arizona; Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Ukaga; Michael Baker International.
PHOTO CAPTION: Members of the winning team, Perimeter Center, include (left to right) Casey Koziol, Chase Woosley, Hunter Fadynich, Dylan Whitwer, and team mentor Alex Boles.