Real Estate Advisory Board

Todd Rechler ’93
Chief Construction and Development Officer at RXR Realty & President at RXR Construction and Development

Todd Rechler serves as Chief Construction and Development Officer and President of RXR’s Construction and Development companies.  Founded in 2007, RXR Realty is a private real estate company with expertise in investment management, property management, development, design, construction, leasing and financing. RXR is focused on New York City and the surrounding metropolitan region.

RXR Realty's portfolio comprises approximately 25 million s.f. of commercial property as well as over 6,000 multifamily and condominium units in the market or under development. The portfolio has an aggregate value of more than $18 billion and includes notable properties such as The Helmsley Building, The Starrett Lehigh Building, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, Pier 57 and luxury developments such as The RitzCarlton Residences.

In addition to serving as Chair of the Real Estate Advisory Board, Todd has been a member of the RWU Board of Trustees since 2014 and he previously served on the President’s Advisory Council. Todd received a BS in industrial technology from RWU. 

Heather Boujoulian ’97 
Managing Director | Chief Investment Officer, Development Investments, Berkshire Residential Investments

Since 2012, Heather Boujoulian has brought extensive multifamily development and construction experience to Berkshire Residential.  She oversees all development investments for the company and serves as Portfolio Manager for Berkshire’s dedicated senior housing fund.  In these roles she is responsible for all multifamily and senior housing development joint-ventures, overall portfolio construction and performance for the senior housing fund, as well as any construction-related challenges across the Berkshire portfolio.  Heather also serves as a member of Berkshire’s Investment Committee, Valuation Committee, and Leadership Team.

Across her 23-year career, Heather has held leadership roles in both GP and LP positions and participated in over $4.5 billion of multifamily investments, encompassing over 15,000 units across the United States. Prior to joining Berkshire, she served as Vice President at Criterion Development Partners where she oversaw all aspects of multifamily development in New England.  Prior to that, Heather held several different positions for both the construction and development departments at JPI’s Northeast division.

Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Roger Williams University and a Master’s in Urban Planning degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.  Heather serves on the Multifamily Leadership Board of the National Association of Home Builders and is a member of the National Multifamily Housing Council.  She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Roger Williams University, is a member of the Board for the exciting new startup Promise Robotics, and on the Board of Heading Home a non-profit on a mission to end homelessness in Greater Boston.      

Robert A. D’Amico, Esq.
Managing Partner, D’Amico Burchfield, LLP

Bob D’Amico has been actively practicing law in Rhode Island for over 30 years. Bob is a zealous litigator with a broad range of experience in many areas of the law. He focuses his practice in real estate, transactional and business-related matters. Bob is an Associate Broker at Strive Realty in Providence, Rhode Island where he maintains an active real estate brokerage business, as well as advising and mentoring other real estate professionals. Together with multiple business partners, Bob is also a real estate investor and developer, primarily focusing on multi-unit residential properties, with significant experience in acquiring and rehabilitating distressed properties, along with ground up construction of new apartments. He combines his vast experience from the practice of law with his diverse experience as a real estate professional to provide a wide variety of perspective, insight, guidance and representation to clients, businesses, real estate buyers, sellers and investors.

Bob earned a BS in Accounting from Bentley University in 1988 and a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in 1991.

Hadley Enright ’11
Lila Delman Compass

Though raised in California, it was her annual visits to “Quonnie” Rhode Island and family ancestry that brought Hadley to make the Ocean State her home. Her interest in real estate was anchored from an early age as a second-generation Realtor. After graduating from Roger Williams University with a major in International Business and Finance she worked for Mario Gabelli HD '92 and Partners Capital. Her ability to negotiate while remaining calm, communicate complex transactions, and keep her sense of humor make her a perfect fit for the most seasoned buyer, seller, investor and first-time buyer. She believes strongly in the importance of discretion and as a result, she forms lasting relationships with her clients, and strives to be a valued resource long after the close of escrow. The partnership with her mother, Hope Avery, makes for a truly dynamic duo and accessibility for their clients. Hadley currently resides in Bristol, RI, with her husband, Jonathan Enright (RWU Class '10 and Owner/Dentist at East Bay Dental Associates) and their two boys. They enjoy memberships at the Aquidneck Club and New York Yacht Club.

Zé Figueirinhas ’92 
Executive Managing Director, JLL

Zé Figueirinhas, Executive Managing Director at JLL, has twenty-four years of real estate related experience with an emphasis on transactions and portfolio advisory work for JLL’s corporate clients including Amazon, Meta and Microsoft.  During his career at JLL Zé has completed over 18 million SF of transactions with an associated asset value of approximately $15B.   Zé secured and oversees two of the largest clients for JLL, one of which is in fact JLL’s largest global client, with over 2,000 dedicated JLL employees.   Zé is consistently one of JLL’s top brokers and is a 2-time MVP award winner and 4-time finalist for MVP awarded annually to the top revenue generator in a company of over 90,000 employees.  During his tenure at JLL, Zé has led every conceivable deal structure, including leasing, sale leasebacks, ground up build to suit, ground leases, sales, and acquisitions.  Among some of his notable accomplishments, Zé negotiated the largest lease transaction in the U.S. in 2021 as well as the largest lease ever negotiated in San Francisco and Vancouver. Prior to JLL, Zé worked for the Lisbon EXPO’98 where he defined and oversaw design guidelines for the 140 participating countries and worked on some of the most iconic ground up development projects in Lisbon in what was the largest construction project in Europe at the time.  Zé is also currently focused on real estate development and investment opportunities in Portugal.

Zé attended Roger Williams University where he obtained a Bachelor of Architecture degree and then earned his MBA from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. Zé is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. He has been a guest lecturer at UC Davis’ MBA Real Estate Finance and Investments class on the subject of “Valuation of Income Producing Real Estate.”​ He and his wife Laura Figuerinhas ’95 live in California with their three children.​ 

Luis F. Gomez ’92  
Executive Director/CEO Promotora Inmobiliaria LFG S.A.

Luis is Executive Director and CEO at Promotora Inmobiliaria LFG, a real estate development company in Ecuador. Previously, he was President of Promarisco S.A., a private shrimp exporting company. He is a partner with Fundación Enseña Ecuador. At RWU, Luis served as a member of the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2010. He was a member of the Board of Overseers from 2005 to 2007. He received a BS in business administration from RWU. 

Adam Gross, FAIA 
Principal, Ayers Saint Gross Inc.

Adam Gross is the Principal in charge of Design for Ayers Saint Gross, a 210 person interdisciplinary design firm with expertise in architecture, urban design, campus planning, interior design, landscape architecture, graphic design and space analytics. With nearly 40 years of experience in planning and architectural design, Adam provides the broad design direction for Ayers Saint Gross and works in close collaboration with many of the firm’s longstanding clients. Adam joined the firm in 1984 and has watched it grow from an eight person staff to where it is today, with more than 210 employees. During that time, he has completed over 130 campus planning processes and his visionary urban master plans have impacted cities including Providence, Washington DC, Baltimore, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Providence, and Miami.

Adam’s goal as an architect and planner is to engage people and places to create uplifting designs that enrich the world. He believes good design should combine recollection and innovation, with spaces that are grounded in history while also creating something new. He’s passionate that all voices should be heard in the design process and that designers need to be responsive to a client’s criticisms, desires, and needs.

Named an “Influential Marylander” by The Daily Record in 2015 and 2017, Adam has a particular passion for improving Baltimore City, collaborating on the planning for Inner Harbor 2.0, Rash Field, Pratt Street Redevelopment, Harbor Point Master Plan, and Johns Hopkins University. He is also interested in building the architectural profession and has written and lectured extensively on urban design, collegiate architecture, and master planning. In addition to his mentorship within the firm, Adam has taught at several universities, most recently as the Fay Jones Chair in Architecture at the University of Arkansas and the Kea Distinguished Professor of Architecture at University of Maryland.

Adam and his wife Fredye reside in Baltimore MD and in Tiverton RI.

Stephen Hahn ’06  
Director, Gardiner & Theobald, Inc.

As a Director at Gardiner & Theobald, Stephen Hahn has over 16 years of extensive experience in the management of complex and high-security level project.  Stephen joined the firm upon receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management and is a member of the American Institute of Constructors (AIC).  Stephen uses his technical expertise and familiarity with a wide range of sectors to ensure that each project achieves its maximum value while maintaining the highest level of industry standards.  Stephen’s portfolio includes a number of high-profile clients, including the United Nations, the San Diego Chargers, NBCUniversal, and WWE, among many others. He is known for solving technical issues with the team and driving the project to a successful completion.

David P. Iannuccilli
Owner and President, Davelen, Inc. dba RE/MAX Professionals

David lives in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and is married with three adult children and seven grandchildren. He is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Professionals in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Bryant College and the Realtor Institute. David holds designations of CRB-Certified Real Estate Broker and CRS-Certified Residential Specialist. He has been licensed in the State of Rhode Island since 1972, the State of Massachusetts since 1982 and the State of Connecticut since 2000, giving him 50 years of Real Estate experience. He has served as President on the Kent County Board of Realtors, Statewide MLS, and the RI Board of Realtors. He also served as Chairperson of the Real Estate Commission of the State of RI for 10 years. 

Ryan Jabs ’12 
Owner, RDJ Consulting and Vice President, Development & Construction, Ten Five Hospitality

As Vice President, Development & Construction, for Ten Five Hospitality Ryan oversees the company’s developments in addition to property level capital expenditure budgets and planning. Ryan has worked as a General Contractor, Owners Rep, Consultant and Developer since graduating in 2012 from Roger Williams with a degree in Construction Management. In the last seven years, Ryan has been a part of opening over $1 billion dollars' worth of ground up hospitality development including: PUBLIC New York, Times Square Edition, West Hollywood Edition, Thompson Los Angeles, Tommie Los Angeles, and most recently Moxy & AC Hotel DTLA. In addition, leading the D&C role for Relevant Living's new multifamily and hospitality brand in Los Angeles.

Matthew R. Kinell L’09  
Associate, DLA Piper

Matthew Kinell is an Associate in the Real Estate Practice Group at DLA Piper’s Boston office. Matt specializes in transactional commercial real estate, including the representation of owners, developers, and investors in the acquisition, financing, permitting, disposition, leasing, and joint venture structuring of all commercial property types. In addition, Matt has experience in mergers and acquisitions, other business and financial transactions, and environmental issues.

Parker E. Lacoste ’08 
Associate, Dechert LLP 

Parker E. Lacoste is an associate in the global finance group at Dechert’s New York City office. Parker focuses his practice on real estate, structured finance and securitization matters, with a particular emphasis on commercial mortgage-backed securities. Parker represents issuers, underwriters, government-sponsored enterprises, mortgage loan sellers, depositors and investors in connection with public and private commercial mortgage-backed securitizations. Prior to joining Dechert, Parker worked extensively in the field of national security in Washington, D.C., with an emphasis on training, cross-cultural communication, and civil-military relations. Parker earned his J.D. from Georgetown Law in 2017 and a B.S. in Legal Studies from RWU in 2008. Parker and his wife, Rachel (RWU ’09), reside in Chappaqua, NY, with their three children and enjoy spending summers on Block Island.

James McCurdy
Vice President of Finance at Gilbane Development Company

James (Jim) McCurdy is Vice President of Finance at Gilbane Development Company, where he is responsible for developing corporate and project-level finance strategies, capital sourcing, advising development teams, and managing the finance team. Jim has seventeen years of experience in finance and real estate development and has been actively involved in capital raises totaling more than $4.3 billion. His experience includes student housing, affordable and market-rate housing, military housing, residential communities, mixed-use developments, and municipal infrastructure. Prior to joining Gilbane Development Company in 2015, Jim was the Director of Finance for a real estate development group developing strategic fiscal solutions for long-term P3.

In 2020, Jim was honored by Providence Business News as one of Rhode Island’s “40 under Forty” professionals who are successful in their careers and involved in their communities. Jim, an Eagle Scout, volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America and served on the Young Professionals Board of the BSA’s Narragansett Council. He has served on the board of his local YMCA and parish church council. Jim holds a Master of Business Administration degree, a Bachelor of Science degree in applied economics, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Rhode Island.

Jim and his wife, Kate, have three children and reside in Lincoln, RI.

Michael L. Mineau, Esq. L'09
Counsel, Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

Michael serves a Counsel at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, focusing on land use and development, commercial real estate transactions, and property-related litigation.  Michael represents developers, owners, landlords, tenants, investors, and joint venturers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in their land use and development projects and in all phases of deals, including acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, due diligence, zoning and permitting, subdivisions, drafting and negotiating easements and restrictions, and resolving title issues. Over the years, Michael has represented some of the largest area developers in a variety of transactions and settings. Michael also has significant experience in real estate-related litigation, including boundary and title disputes, adverse possession and prescriptive easement cases, breach of contract suits, specific performance claims, requests for declaratory and injunctive relief, land use litigation, and zoning appeals. Michael has extensive litigation and first-chair trial experience (jury and non-jury) and has represented clients in appeals to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Michael’s trial experience has included trials in the Rhode Island Superior Court and Massachusetts Land Court.  

Michael resides in Portsmouth, RI with his family, where he is very active and serves as a member of the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee and Secretary and a board member of Portsmouth Little League.  Michael earned his J.D. from RWU Law in 2009 and a B.A. in Political Science from Miami University (Ohio) in 2006.

Michael C. O'Brien P’19 , ’27
Principal, Galaxy Development, LLC 

Principal owner and founder of Galaxy Development, LLC and Galaxy Life Sciences, LLC, Mike O’Brien has been engaged in real estate since 1980 and commercial real estate development since 1986. Galaxy Development is a developer of shopping centers and free standing NNN lease properties in MA, CT, NH and NY.  Galaxy Life Sciences is a real estate development company specializing in the construction and leasing of biomanufacturing space including the 500,000 sf Reactory Park now under construction in Worcester.

Young Park 
President, Berkeley Investments 

As President of Berkeley Investments, Young Park sets strategic priorities for the firm and directs investment production, investor relations and development activities. He is a board member and former president of the Massachusetts Chapter of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and a member of various non-profit boards, including The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy; A Better City (ABC); the School of Social Science, Urban Affairs and Public Policy of Northeastern University; and the Boston Harbor Association. Young is a graduate of MIT (BS Urban Studies) and Harvard University (MArch UD). 

Kathryn L. Pray, Esq. L’16  
Director of Strategic Initiatives, D.F. Pray

As Director of Strategic Initiatives, Kate is focused on developing, overseeing, and managing the execution of D.F. Pray’s highest-priority company initiatives.  Specifically, she is focused on strategic programs and projects that support D.F. Pray’s vision and short- and long-term plans which include cultivating real estate relationships and opportunities in current and new markets.  Additionally, Kate serves as corporate legal counsel. She serves as co-chair of The Pray Family Foundation and is a member of Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association, National Women In Construction (NAWIC), Professional Women in Construction (Boston Chapter), International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) & Urban Land Institute (ULI). 

Joelle C. Rocha, Esq. L’06  
Partner, Duffy & Sweeney, Ltd.

Joelle Rocha is a partner at Duffy & Sweeney, Ltd. with a focus on real estate development and land use; she also represents clients in business disputes and general commercial litigation. Previously, she served as Assistant to the Solicitor for the towns of Warren and Lincoln. She is admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Joelle has successfully permitted several of the State’s largest mixed-use developments. She has represented private developers in residential, commercial, mixed use and solar projects and before municipal and state boards and agencies. She has secured tax stabilization agreements for several private development projects. 

She has successfully litigated several class actions against municipalities regarding illegal and excessive impact fees and building permit fees and recovered litigation costs for landowners and developers as a result of unlawful and unsubstantiated government actions. She has argued before the Rhode Island Supreme Court on behalf of several clients in matters involving recovery of attorneys’ fees and challenges to local ordinances. 

In 2023 and 2024, Joelle worked with Speaker of the House of Representatives Joseph Shekarchi as legal counsel on his housing package where she drafted and assisted in the passage of 27 bills over the two year period addressed at the housing crisis and reforming the permitting process for developments in Rhode Island.

Joelle has been recognized by Providence Business News with its Forty Under 40 award, by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, and in Rhode Island Monthly both for its Excellence in the Law in the area of Environmental Law/Land Use, and as the recipient of the Outstanding Women in Business award. Most recently, she was selected as a Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Association and noted as a Best Lawyer in the area of Commercial Litigation from 2022-2024.

In addition to serving on RWU's Real Estate Advisory Board, Joelle is a member of the Rhode Island Builders Association, Professional Women in Building (National Association of Home Builders), Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association, and the Board of Directors at ONE Neighborhood Builders.

Jordan M. Stone  
Founding Partner, Peregrine Group LLC, Peregrine Real Estate Advisory LLC and Peregrine Property Management LLC

Jordan is Peregrine’s lead partner in the physical conceptualization, planning, budgeting, and delivery of projects.

Jordan has broad experience in real estate development, construction, due-diligence, and project management. He has managed successful projects throughout the United States and Mexico for over twenty years.

Current projects include numerous multi-family, mixed-use, medical, and hospitality projects throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Jordan has been a guest lecturer on real estate development at Harvard Law School, The Graduate School of Design at Harvard, Mass College of Art and Design, and Roger Williams University.

Jordan initially started his career as a project manager at Mark Development, the construction division of The Flately Co headquartered in Braintree, MA. Prior to founding Peregrine with Colin P. Kane, Jordan oversaw his family’s manufacturing and real estate interests.

Jordan graduated from The Northfield Mount Hermon School (PG) and The University of Rochester. In addition to serving on the RWU Real Estate Advisory Board he also serves on the Hebrew Senior Life Board of Trustees, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, and the Rhode Island Builders Association Board of Directors. 

Thomas R. Taranto Jr. P’12  
Chief Investment Officer & Director, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation 

Mr. Taranto is Chief Investment Officer & Director at Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation.  He oversees all Acquisition, Disposition & Portfolio Management activities. Also directs all fund resources, strategic direction, investment strategy and asset management initiatives, as well as joint venture relations. He joined the company in 1984 and currently directs a staff of over 40 real estate professionals.

Tom received a BS in business management from Bentley University in 1985. He is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers and National Council of Real Estate Fiduciaries. 

Bio coming soon!

Curtis Verdi ’94
President, Verdi Construction Management Co.

Curt Verdi is the founder and President of The Verdi Construction Co. LLC, located in Newtown CT. Before starting his own company, Curt worked for a well-respected construction company where he gained valuable experience in project management, scheduling, and estimating. Utilizing the skills and experiences he acquired both in school and in his professional career, he established Verdi Construction. Since its humble beginnings with three employees, the company has continued to grow and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Verdi has grown into a fully integrated design and construction solutions firm providing clients with a sole source for architecture, engineering, and construction services. Verdi specializes in industrial and infrastructure projects throughout the Northeast and self-performs site work with its fleet of heavy equipment.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Curt graduated from Roger Williams University with a B.S. in Construction Management and a minor in Business. In addition to his studies, Mr. Verdi played on the RWU men’s soccer team and was named as captain in his senior year. He and his wife, Heidi, have three children and reside in Fairfield County, CT. 

Orin S. Wilf ’96
Founder and President at Skyline Developers, Principal at Garden Homes

Orin Wilf is the President of Skyline Developers and Principal of Garden Homes Development, which was founded by his grandfather, Harry Wilf, and great-uncle Joseph Wilf, both Holocaust survivors. Along with his father Leonard, cousins Zygmunt, Mark, Jonathan and Steven Wilf, Orin has continued to develop single-family homes, condominium towers, rental apartment complexes, retail centers, office buildings and hotels across the country. Today, Garden Homes – one of the largest private builders of residential and commercial real estate in the country – owns and manages more than 150,000 apartment units and over 25,000,000 square feet of retail centers, office buildings and hotels in over 37 states, with offices in New Jersey, New York, Tampa, Florida, and San Diego, California.

During Orin’s 20 years leading Skyline Developers, the company has cultivated an impressive residential rental roster and was one of the first developers to bring luxury living to the Financial District. Skyline has developed various condominium projects, including the wildly successful 200 East 79th Street and proudly owns and manages several premiere office towers and retail locations throughout Manhattan.

Focusing on special projects, such as the first private school in the Wall Street area to one of the finest planned communities in California in La Jolla, San Diego, the Wilf family develops real estate with the intention of improving the communities they serve. The family has deep philanthropic roots in New York, having fostered partnerships with City Harvest, New York University, The Jewish Museum, New York Presbyterian Hospital and Selfhelp Community Services.

Orin is a graduate of The Hun School of Princeton, where he is currently on the Board of Trustees, and Roger Williams University, where in addition to the Real Estate Advisory Board he is a member of the President’s Circle. He is Treasurer of the Wilf Family Foundations, which provides grants to support Jewish causes, underserved communities, educational opportunities, and the advancement of social justice for all. An avid baseball and sports enthusiast, Orin and his father are part owners of the New York Yankees, and his family owns the Minnesota Vikings. Orin has two sons Harley and Alex and currently resides in Bergen County, New Jersey. 

James Wrisley ’01 
Operations Director of Life Sciences, Columbia Construction Company 

A dedicated partner and experienced Operations Director, James has a deep understanding of construction and is committed to team members' success and growth. With nearly 20 years of experience, he is known as a technical builder with a keen financial eye, able to continually assess the impact of design details and construction feasibility with cost effectiveness. He focuses on oversight of project operations from planning and development through execution and project closeout. James brings a client-oriented mindset to his projects, and he strives to create interpersonal synergy between all team members to effectively manage and foster jobsite relationships.