The CREC Team
Over the prior two decades, CREC has assembled an experienced and cohesive cycle-tested team executing a disciplined approach to real estate investment. Our team’s collective depth of knowledge continues to deliver compelling investment opportunities across the real estate investment risk spectrum while remaining deeply committed to the investor experience.
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Jeffrey Coopersmith
Chairman and Founder
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Jeffrey Coopersmith
Chairman and Founder
Jeff directs strategy, investment sourcing and capital origination for CREC’s principal activities. With 40+ years of real estate experience, Jeff identifies value-oriented, institutional-quality real estate investment opportunities. Since its inception, Jeff has led CREC to become an investor focused firm that delivers proven performance through calculated risk management, forward thinking strategy and maximized returns.
Prior to founding CREC, Jeff was President of Distribution Centers (DCI), a warehouse developer and operator for Fortune 500 companies in the United States. Jeff also served as President & CEO of Directel and Triplefin—both direct marketing and direct distribution companies. Jeff is an author and was a frequent contributor to the Direct Marketing Association, Council of Logistic Management and Warehouse Education and Research Council.
Jeff earned his B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his M.B.A. from The Ohio State University. An active member of his community, Jeff has served as Chairman of the Columbus Jewish Foundation, World Presidents Organization (Columbus chapter) and The Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus.
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Aaron Dixon
President
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Aaron Dixon
President
Aaron oversees all operating components of CREC including finance, acquisitions, asset management and investor management. He has spent most of his career in the financial services industry developing infrastructure and improving operational efficiency for large organizations.
Prior to joining CREC, Aaron served as Senior Vice President of REO Operations for Albertelli Law, with prior appointments as Vice President of National Field Relations for Stewart Title, and Vice President of National Home-Builder Services for LandAmerica Financial Services. Aaron is a strong executive leader who consistently develops operational accountability, values partnerships, and possesses a unique ability to quickly assess and solve business challenges.
Aaron graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Administration from Franklin University, and an A.A.S. degree in Technical Communications from Columbus State. An avid outdoorsman, Aaron devotes his extra time with his wife and kids skiing, wakeboarding, hiking, hunting, fishing, or camping.
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Christopher Montgomery
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
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Christopher Montgomery
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Christopher “Monty” Montgomery joined the CREC team in 2022 after serving as CREC’s outside counsel for many years. As the chief legal officer for CREC, Monty manages all legal processes relating to CREC’s acquisition, disposition, leasing, managing, construction and financing of real estate assets. Prior to joining CREC, Monty was a partner at the Frost Brown Todd LLC law firm, with a real estate practice focused on structuring joint ventures, direct acquisitions, real estate fund investments and syndications.
Monty holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University, and a law degree from The Ohio State University. Away from the office, Monty loves spending time with his wife Chelly and their three kids.
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Tom Sarko
Chief Compliance Officer
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Tom Sarko
Chief Compliance Officer
Tom joined the CREC team in 2020. In his role as Chief Compliance Officer, Tom ensures that CREC complies with all outside regulatory authorities, domestically and globally, as well as internal policies and bylaws.
Tom has over 20 years of experience as an attorney and compliance professional in the financial services industry. Prior to joining CREC, Tom served as a compliance manager at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in support of their institutional sales, U.S. mutual fund and ETF distribution, and global liquidity businesses. Tom also served as an enforcement attorney with the Ohio Division of Securities, and as a compliance attorney with a third party mutual fund service provider.
Tom received a B.A. from the University of Dayton and a law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. In addition, Tom is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve with over 28 years of active and reserve service. He was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and enjoys fly fishing, reading, and spending time with his wife and children.
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Joe Bergman
Senior Vice President of Acquisitions
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Joe Bergman
Senior Vice President of Acquisitions
Joe Bergman has been with CREC since the second half of 2013, when he was hired as Senior Analyst to help facilitate all acquisitions, refinancings and dispositions. Since joining the firm, Joe has played an increasingly instrumental role in all aspects of CREC’s investment activity, which has led to the successful deployment over $195 million of equity capital over Joe’s tenure.
In his current role as SVP of Acquisitions, Joe oversees all aspects of CREC’s acquisitions process, including new business development, deal underwriting/analysis, deal negotiation and structuring, and preparation of investor marketing materials. CREC’s acquisitions team, with Joe’s oversight, reviews 100’s of potential investment opportunities annually, performing thorough analysis, underwriting and due diligence to identify what it believes are the best deals to bring to CREC’s investors. Through effectively and efficiently reviewing this high volume of deal flow, Joe and his team are able to continually monitor trends in the various markets and asset classes, allowing CREC to stay on the front end of investment paradigm shifts.
Prior to joining CREC, Joe was Manager of Finance at Abercrombie & Fitch, where he oversaw the financial analysis of the company’s international expansion. Joe holds a B.A. in Finance from The University of Dayton. Joe also graduated in the top 15% of his class at Ohio State’s M.B.A. for Working Professionals program, which he attended nights and weekends while working full-time at Abercrombie & Fitch.
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Seth Porter
Senior Vice President of Investor Relations
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Seth Porter
Senior Vice President of Investor Relations
Seth Porter joined CREC’s Investor Relations team in 2016. He serves as the primary point of contact for current and prospective investors. Seth utilizes his experience in finance and investment management to add an investor focused and advisory perspective to CREC’s team. Seth serves on CREC’s Investment Committee, which analyzes all potential real estate opportunities and provides approvals for all major decisions. Seth has an investor-first approach, and he actively seeks to educate investors about CREC’s strategy and conservative approach to real estate investment.
Prior to joining CREC, Seth held wealth management positions at The Bank of New York Mellon and JPMorgan in Columbus, Ohio. Seth carries a Series 63, Series 65 and Series 22 licenses, and he is an investment advisor on behalf Core Investment Advisors, LLC.
Seth graduated with degrees in Master of Financial Economics (MFE) from Ohio University and B.S. in International Business Administration from The Ohio State University (Fisher College of Business). In his free time, Seth enjoys spending time with his wife Chi and their three daughters.
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Kurt Gatterdam
Controller
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Kurt Gatterdam
Controller
Mr. Gatterdam is Controller for Core Real Estate Capital, joining the Company in August 2023. Mr. Gatterdam is responsible for overseeing CREC’s accounting, financial reporting and tax functions.
Prior to joining CREC, Mr. Gatterdam was Chief Financial Officer for NAI Ohio Equities, Vice President of Finance for Fillmore Capital Partners, Vice President and Treasurer for DSW, Tween Brands and Assistant Treasurer for Papa John’s International.
Mr. Gatterdam holds a B.S. in Finance from The Ohio State University, a Master of Business Administration from Ohio University and is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Treasury Professional.
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Michele Chadwell
Vice President of Human Resources
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Michele Chadwell
Vice President of Human Resources
Michele Chadwell is an experienced and dedicated human resources professional who joined CREC as Vice President of Human Resources in September 2023. In this role, Michele is responsible for managing all aspects of human resources, including payroll, recruitment, benefit management, safety, workers compensation, employee engagement and creating a positive work environment. Michele has spent most of her career in human resources, accounting, banking, developing employee engagement plans and enhancing operational efficiency for organizations. Michele’s top priority at CREC is to create a positive work environment and to lead hiring and recruitment efforts firm-wide, covering both CREC Real Estate LLC and Fourth Street Residential.
Before joining CREC, Michele served as the Human Resource Director at Scioto Country Club for 17 years and Bishop Hartley High School’s Finance Manager for six years. During her tenure, Michele gained diverse experience working with a large range of employee benefits, international recruitment, scholarship programs, and safety and wellness initiatives to not only motivate team members to better themselves but also drive the companies’ bottom line.
Michele earned her Bachelor’s in Human Resources from Franklin University and her Associate in Financial Management from Columbus State. In her free time, Michele and her husband Andrew enjoy traveling, working on their property, volunteering for community programs and cheering on their children in their Cross Country, Soccer and Equestrian hobbies.
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Jenny Roginski
Assistant Controller
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Jenny Roginski
Assistant Controller
Jenny Roginski has been a vital component of our CREC team since September 2023, leveraging her vast expertise in various aspects of real estate accounting. With her proficiency in property accounting, and financial analysis, Jenny handles monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements for all properties, in addition to creating comprehensive budgets and forecasts.
Jenny’s extensive experience of 20 years goes beyond her current position at CREC. Previously, she held several asset management and accounting roles, including Assistant Controller and Senior Accountant at Equity, Washington Prime Group, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Signature Associates. Jenny also led accounting teams at Equity and Signature Associates that included Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and payroll.
Jenny holds an MBA and Bachelor’s in Accounting degrees from Franklin University. When she isn’t at work, Jenny enjoys cheering on her daughter during soccer games or traveling with her family.
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Eric Henrickson
Vice President of Acquisitions
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Eric Henrickson
Vice President of Acquisitions
Eric Henrickson joined CREC’s Acquisitions team in 2020 to focus on direct multifamily acquisitions. His 30 years of commercial real estate experience has encompassed multiple asset types with an institutional focus.
Prior to joining CREC, Eric served as Executive Vice President of Everest Healthcare Properties, in which he was responsible for leading the medical office building acquisitions, asset management, and research teams. Prior to Everest, Eric was the Director of Capital Markets for Equity, Inc. in which he was responsible for raising debt and equity capital, investor relations, research, and acquisitions. Eric also spent 17 years with Simon Property Group, Inc. in various roles, eventually serving as Vice President of Treasury and Capital Markets. In this role, Eric was responsible for closing multi-billion dollars worth of acquisition, financing, and hedging transactions.
Eric received a B.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. in Finance from Butler University. In addition to enjoying spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, Eric serves with various community and charitable organizations.
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Mary Heidorn
Manager of Investor Relations
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Mary Heidorn
Manager of Investor Relations
Mary works closely with CREC’s clients to create the best possible investor experience. She guides investors through the real estate investing process before, during and after a capital raise. Mary also manages the investor portal, important communications, and collaborates with Seth Porter to address investor requests.
Prior to joining CREC, Mary’s diverse experience included supporting wealth advisors at Legg Mason (now Franklin Templeton), Janney Montgomery Scott LLC and Capital Asset Management. Mary also built and directed all operations of a franchise business from the ground-up including construction, staffing, product inventory, marketing and sales.
Mary holds a B.A in Speech Communications with a concentration in Business from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA. She enjoys watching her two daughters play softball, gardening, and cheering on the Steelers and Buckeyes.
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Justin Papuga
Director of Capital Markets
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Justin Papuga
Director of Capital Markets
Justin joined CREC in June of 2021, as Director of Capital Markets. Justin’s primary role with CREC is to create new investor relationships for CREC through HNW, Family Office and RIA channels and source equity capital for CREC’s closed-end investment funds.
Previously, Justin led Investor Relations at CA Ventures, a vertically integrated real estate investment manager based in Chicago. Justin was tasked with managing and overseeing an investor base of over 600+ HNW/Friends and Family investors. Chief among Justin’s responsibilities was to coordinate equity raises for CA’s various investment vehicles, including CA’s first GP Fund. The $100mm GP Fund-comprised of institutional investors, HNW investors, Family Offices and Wealth Managers- was CA’s first commingled, closed-end fund. Additionally, Justin was tasked with creating and coordinating all investor reporting pertaining to F&F investments as well as managing distributions and tax documents.
Before that, Justin managed Monroe Title, the REO/title company business of law firm Kropik, Papuga & Shaw. Monroe Title served as an agent of First American Title, Stewart Title and Chicago Title. KPS was a Chicago-based law firm that represented some of the largest banks and mortgage servicing companies in the country.
Justin is a graduate of the University of Miami (FL), earning his BA in Political Science and Psychology from the School of Arts and Sciences. Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, traveling, and helping coach his kids’ various sports teams.
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Carson Hammer
Vice President of S.E. Acquisitions
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Carson Hammer
Vice President of S.E. Acquisitions
Carson Hammer serves as Vice President of S.E. Acquisitions for CREC Real Estate, LLC from Chattanooga, TN. Carson manages the firm’s acquisition efforts in the southeastern United States. Carson brings over ten years of multifamily experience to the CREC team, most recently with Vice President of Investments for Sundance Bay based in Salt Lake City, UT where Carson was responsible for $250MM of acquisitions.
Prior to Sundance, Carson worked at Rincon Partners, a real estate company based in Phoenix, AZ, as Vice President of Acquisitions for the Southeast. During his time there, Carson was responsible for $65MM of acquisitions. Carson began his acquisitions career at Passco Companies, a DST multifamily investment firm based in Irvine, CA during which time he was a part of $900MM in acquisitions. Before his time on the principal side, Carson worked for Greystar on their regional operations team and Cushman and Wakefield as an analyst for the multifamily sales team.
Carson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate from Georgia State University.
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Ashley Pritt
Senior Accountant
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Ashley Pritt
Senior Accountant
Ashley Pritt joined CREC as a Senior Accountant in 2023 to support Fourth Street Residential’s growing property accounting needs. Using her prior accounting knowledge and residential property experience, Ashley is responsible for monthly financial statement preparation, budget support and on-site assistance with Fourth Street’s growing accounting needs.
Prior to joining CREC, Ashley learned the multifamily and commercial industry with Wallace Ackley Real Estate Company. Starting in an Accounts Receivable role and growing into the company’s Staff Property Accountant, Ashley learned all aspects of day-to-day property management activities. Ashley also worked as the Assistant CFO of a local mortgage company, leading the company’s transition of accounting software to a loan management software platform while growing her knowledge of the mortgage industry from the ground up.
Ashley graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Family Financial Management, with a specialization in Financial Planning. Ashley enjoys exploring the metro parks in and around Columbus, golfing and traveling. She also enjoys volunteering her time to local pet rescue organizations and the local foodbank.
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Charity Jacobs
Director of Operations
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Charity Jacobs
Director of Operations
Charity Jacobs joined CREC in 2022 as our Director of Operations. Charity has a wealth of experience in third-party management, and leads our company-owned assets and operating teams through Fourth Street Residential, our property management company.
In her role, Charity provides invaluable insight to the CREC team on how to run a successful property management company. Charity is responsible for overseeing all aspects of daily and future operations nationwide, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
Prior to joining CREC, Charity spent most of her career managing assets on the front lines at Steadfast Management, Scioto Management Group and GoldOller.
In her free time, Charity enjoys attending her kids’ sporting events and traveling with her family.
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O’Neil Graham
Director of Facilities Operation
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O’Neil Graham
Director of Facilities Operation
An Accomplished Facilities Manager with Over 20 Years of Experience.
O’Neil is a highly experienced facilities manager with over two decades of experience in Resort Facilities and Operations Management, specializing in managing, customer service, maintaining, and optimizing large-scale facility operations. O’Neil oversees the entire maintenance operation for our multiple Fourth Street Residential properties, and he is responsible for overseeing and managing value-add initiatives, asset preservation, and overall operations. O’Neil is a proven project manager, with a track record of successfully managing multiple projects, training development and initiatives simultaneously.
Prior to joining CREC, O’Neil held the position of Capital Project Manager and Regional Facilities Manager at GoldOller. O’Neil’s journey began in Jamaica, where he served as a Private in the Third Battalion National Reserve Jamaica Defense Force. In 2017, O’Neil chose to move to the United States to establish a foundation for his children, which has also contributed to our company’s stability.
In his free time, O’Neil enjoys spending quality time with his children, cooking, carpentry and working on various projects around his home. He is also an avid soccer fan and loves supporting his favorite team, Manchester United.
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Chris Noland
District Manager - 4th Street Residential
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Chris Noland
District Manager - 4th Street Residential
Chris is a seasoned multi-family professional who comes to us with 16 years of experience. Chris joined 4th Street Residential and CREC in February 2023 as the District Manager of our Fourth Street Residential locations. Chris is responsible for the entire Ohio region’s daily operations of all Fourth Street Communities and strives to develop initiatives that provide the best support to employees, assets, and residents.
Before joining CREC, Chris worked for Cottonwood Residential, Cortland Partners & GoldOller. He started out as a leasing professional and quickly advanced to Assistant Community Manager, Community Manager and Multi-Site Community Manager positions.
Chris attended West Virginia University, where he pursued business studies and developed a keen interest in real estate, leading him into multi-family management 16 years ago.
In his free time, Chris enjoys traveling and exploring new places around the world.
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Bryan Henderson
Director of Asset Management
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Bryan Henderson
Director of Asset Management
Bryan Henderson joined CREC in August 2024 as Director of Asset Management. Bryan has 20+ years of real estate experience at the site and corporate level working mainly with multi-family assets, but also mixed-use, commercial and retail.
In his role, Bryan is responsible for overseeing the operational performance and financial metrics of the portfolio. Bryan ensures optimum performance results are achieved through successful implementation of comprehensive programs, initiatives and strategies across the entire portfolio.
Prior to joining CREC, Bryan held positions with Morgan Properties, DHD Ventures and Equity Residential. Bryan holds a BS is Business Management from The Ohio State University. He also holds Certified Apartment Manager and Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor certifications through the National Apartment Association.
In his free time Bryan enjoys golf, tennis, softball, kayaking, walks with Charlie and attending Ohio State, Steelers and Yankees games. Bryan also donates his time to both the American Cancer Society and Special Olympics.
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Ryan Darner
Director of Asset Management
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Ryan Darner
Director of Asset Management
Ryan Darner joined CREC in 2024 as Director of Asset Management. Ryan is responsible for monitoring the operational and financial performance of the portfolio, along with providing support and analysis to the Acquisitions team and Investor Relations team.
Prior to joining CREC, Ryan spent over five years at White Oak Partners, a real estate private equity firm specializing in institutional-quality multifamily housing with more than 9,000 units under management. At White Oak Partners, Ryan led investor reporting for the firm, managed the firm’s valuation analysis and modeling, and provided analysis and support across portfolio management, investor relations, and marketing. Prior to his time with White Oak Partners, Ryan was an investment analyst at STRS Ohio, focused on private equity and real assets. He previously earned the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and obtained his CPA license in Ohio.
Ryan graduated from Otterbein University with a B.S. in Business Management and played on the basketball team. He later earned a Specialized Master in Finance from The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business. In his free time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his two boys in basketball, baseball, and football, and watching the Ohio State Buckeyes play football in the fall.