Keynote Speaker
Rochelle mills
President and CEO of Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO)
A NATIONAL LEADER WITH LOCAL INFLUENCE
As Rochelle Mills is President and CEO of Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO), she is responsible for implementing the nonprofit’s vision and expanding its portfolio of high-quality affordable housing. Since joining IHO, she has helped multiply the organization's assets and footprint from a single-asset entity to an award-winning developer with projects throughout Southern California. She has guided the organization to living its values and positioned IHO's small and culturally diverse team to compete, and win, with peers many times their size and balance sheet. Prior to joining IHO, she and her husband founded mills studio, where their high-end designs were featured on FineLiving, Homes Across America, and national print media. Ms. Mills also founded architours, a boutique art and architecture tour, and symposia company that was recognized internationally. She was an Extension instructor at UCLA and Otis College of Art & Design, editor of LA Architect magazine, and a proud graduate of Crenshaw High School. Ms. Mills believes her diverse background which includes architecture, construction administration, cultural tourism, and creative placemaking, has uniquely prepared her to lead this organization at this moment. She served two terms on the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission and the Crenshaw Community Design Review Board. Past leadership roles include the California Cultural Tourism Advisory Committee, the Kennedy Commission, the SoCal Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects, the Association of Women in Architecture (now AWA+D), and Southern California Association of NonProfit Housing (SCANPH). She currently serves on the boards of the California Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (Cal-ALHFA), Housing California, Arts for LA, and is a founding member of the Black Developers Forum. Ms. Mills was recognized on the California State Senate floor for her work in affordable housing and received awards as one of Congressman Lou Correa’s 2020 Women of the Year, CREW OC 2019 Spire Top Woman in CRE, and a Bisnow 2022 SoCal Power Woman.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
CHERYL OSBORN
CASCO CONTRACTORS
one of orange county’s top women owned businesses
Cheryl Osborn founded Casco Contractors in 2000 and has grown it into one of Orange County’s Top Women Owned Businesses. What started as an idea at her kitchen table, has transformed into one of the most successful tenant improvement companies in Southern California. Over the past 22 years, she has completed more 5,000 jobs, developed the “Countdown to Zero” program incentivizing ZERO PUNCH projects, and achieved over $400 million in revenue making her a leader in a very male dominated industry.
Cheryl is an active philanthropic member in the community as a board member for Laura’s House and Girl’s, Inc, and spearheads Casco’s annual charity fundraiser benefitting Make-A-Wish. In her spare time, Cheryl enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with her daughters, Cassidy and Riley.
Welcome Hostess
Ashleigh Aitken
Mayor of Anaheim
First woman mayor in anaheim’s 165- year history
Ashleigh Aitken was elected as the 48th mayor of Anaheim in November 2022. She is the firstwoman mayor in Anaheim’s 165-year history. Mayor Aitken represents all Anaheim residents, neighborhoods and businesses on the City Council.
As mayor, Aitken is focused on increased transparency at City Hall, enhancing public safety, expanding affordable housing and growing Anaheim’s economy by supporting our visitor industry and streamlining processes so employers can expand and attract new industries. Aitken previously served two terms on the Anaheim Community Services Board and was chairwoman from 2011-2013.
A trial lawyer for more than 20 years, Aitken is of counsel at Santa Ana-based Aitken Aitken Cohn, a boutique personal injury firm. She is a former federal prosecutor in the Central District of California. She prosecuted armed bank robbery, narcotics, mail and wire fraud, child pornography, firearms and other federal law violations.
In 2015, she was elected president of the Orange County Bar Association, where she established a veterans committee to expand free legal support for veterans and military families.
From 2012 to January 2023, Aitken served on the board of directors of the OC Fair & Events Center, including as chairwoman in 2015. Directors are appointed by the governor of California and set policy for the annual OC Fair and year-round events at the Costa Mesa fairgrounds.
A lifelong Anaheim resident, Aitken volunteers as a Girl Scout troop leader and serves on the board of Anaheim-based Caterina’s Club, Chef Bruno Serato’s nonprofit to feed and help needy families. She is also on the board of Santa Ana-based WISEplace, a shelter for homeless women.
Aitken holds a bachelor’s in secondary education and history from Boston College, where she was an All-American rugby player. She has her law degree from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law.
She lives in Anaheim with her husband Michael, the couple’s three children and family’s pets.
Judges
The members of the 10th Annual SPIRE Awards judging panel were selected to achieve diversity of industry specialization within commercial real estate. These individuals are accomplished leaders in Orange County. In addition, two members of the CREW Orange County Board are represented on the panel.
Alex Leonard // Senior Director of Development, Greystar Real Estate Partners
Alex Leonard is a Senior Director of Development for Greystar Real Estate Partners. He is responsible for sourcing, coordinating, and executing project development for Greystar-owned projects in Southern California submarkets of the company’s Western region and is implementing the entitlements and construction of over 2,500 apartment homes worth over $1b in capitalized costs. Before joining Greystar in 2018, he was senior manager of development at AvalonBay Communities, where he delivered over 3,000 apartment homes, totaling over $1.2b in capitalized cost, in urban and suburban communities throughout Southern California.
Alex holds a master’s degree in real estate from the University of San Diego and a bachelor’s degree in finance and sociology from the University of Nebraska. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He serves as a board member for HomeAid San Diego, a non-profit dedicated to building multi-unit housing for San Diego’s temporarily homeless. Alex is an Academy of Magical Arts (the Magic Castle) associate member. He also is furthering his education by pursuing a sommelier diploma from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and currently holds the Level 3 sommelier designation.
Anya Ostry, MCR // Senior Vice President, CBRE
Anya Ostry is a commercial real estate professional with more than a dozen years of experience. As a partner on the CBRE Corporate Partners HUB Team, Anya is a leader within a dedicated group of 45 real estate professionals focused exclusively on MultiMarket Corporate Real Estate Advisory Services. The team takes a full service and consultative approach to the corporate occupier lifecycle. In the last five years, CBRE Corporate partners have supported over 100 million square feet of successful projects on behalf of our clients. Anya’s areas of expertise includes assisting with business location strategies and relocation services, negotiating facility leases or purchases, and leading and negotiating asset dispositions. The Corporate Partners platform includes a full scope of services including project management, lease administration, workplace strategy, technology implementation, data aggregation and analysis, portfolio optimization, supply chain solutions, labor research, state and local incentives consulting, and ESG support. Anya’s track record shows consistent positive outcomes for her Fortune 500 clients in markets across the globe.
Achievements
CoStar Power Broker of the Year
Transwestern West Region Young Professional of the Year
Irvine Company Broker of the Year
Irvine Company Broker of the Quarter, Q2
CoreNet Global, Southern California Chapter
Young leader of the Year
Cheryl Osborn // President & Founder, Casco Contractors
Cheryl Osborn founded Casco Contractors in 2000 and has grown it into one of Orange County’s Top Women Owned Businesses. What started as an idea at her kitchen table, has transformed into one of the most successful tenant improvement companies in Southern California. Over the past 22 years, she has completed more 5,000 jobs, developed the “Countdown to Zero” program incentivizing ZERO PUNCH projects, and achieved over $400 million in revenue making her a leader in a very male dominated industry.
Cheryl is an active philanthropic member in the community as a board member for Laura’s House and Girl’s, Inc, and spearheads Casco’s annual charity fundraiser benefitting Make-A-Wish. In her spare time, Cheryl enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with her daughters, Cassidy and Riley.
Craig Sullivan // President, California Lodging Investment Conference & [CLIC] Connect
Craig Sullivan is the Founder of the California Lodging Investment Conference & [CLIC] Connect ™. He launched [CLIC] in 2017 to create the only lodging conference focused exclusively on the California Hotel Market. Craig is recognized as an expert in California hospitality, lodging, investment, and in commercial real estate development. He is a popular speaker, panelist, and moderator at the leading national hospitality and investment conferences, and at local CA based CRE conferences.
Craig was the co-host, co-creator and co-producer of ‘Check Out California®’, the only California focused hospitality, travel, and tourism radio show, airing on OCTalkRadio. In 2019, Craig launched ‘Check Out California 3x10®’ and in 2020 the show was relaunched as "Check Out California®" featuring Hotels, Restaurants, Sports & Entertainment Venues across California. Along with launching [CLIC] Connect® an online interview show featuring leaders in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries. The show’s engaging format asks the Guest(s) a series of questions followed by our Lightning Round and films on location across the state or in the [CLIC] Connect Studio.
Also launched in 2019 Akira HG a hotel consulting and investment group and in 2020 Glenn Haussman & Craig created The hotelREBOOT® Podference series educates and empowers hoteliers, arming executives with strategies and tactics required to thrive as the lodging industry reinvents its future. The initial series of four interactive and entertaining events leverage live polling, real time audience interactions and an entirely new structure focused on the themes of Redesign & Redevelop, Reinvent, Refinance & Reinvest and Refuel: F & B Sales. In 2021 Craig teamed up again with Glenn Haussman to co-create & co-host Friday Night Audit an energetic 60 minute live streaming show with one guest to have a lighthearted conversation on the hotel market, mixing in some laughter, food & beverage.
Craig was also the publisher of The Hotel Report, a monthly hospitality newsletter that reached a circulation of 60,000 hotel professionals globally. Craig has served in executive positions and business development roles at EVP, Westpark Investments, CDO, Broughton Hotels, VP, 24/7 Hotels, and VP & Manager of North American Title Company's Hotel Group that he created. Craig has helped underwrite and close nearly 25 billion dollars in hotel transactions. His deals cover national and global hotel sales, refinancing, construction loans, including 2.2 billion dollars' worth of transactions in one year, 2 Shows in the Top 30 Podcasts, Top 25 Travel & Tourism Promoters and Top 25 Social Media Hospitality Influencer and 100 Most Powerful People in US Hospitality 2022 by the International Hospitality Institute.
Craig is a connector and advisor, and passionate about giving back to the community. He mentors the next generation of hotel professionals, advocates for women's equality, and supports charitable causes. Craig’s affiliations include Bracken’s Kitchen, IHI, CREW-OC, AAHOA, CLIA, ILLA, BLLA, and CHLA.
Daniel Ceniceros // Founder and CEO, Connect Media
Daniel Ceniceros is Founder and CEO of Connect Media.
Connect Media is a full-service creative marketing and strategic media company with six core business lines. These include news, creative & communications, events, continuing education and a listing service – all which specialize in the commercial real estate and investment/finance industries. From inspiration to execution, Daniel develops ideas into projects and campaigns that allow Connect clients to effectively market their products, services, teams, and events.
Daniel has more than 26 years of media and marketing experience. He has guided the largest brands in the commercial real estate and investment/finance industries, and continues to shape the national media landscape.
Daniel started his career at a creative agency where he worked with residential real estate developers and a variety of commercial real estate clients. His experience includes branding and launching of commercial developments, as well as master planned communities such as Valencia. Daniel was also part of the teams that created the HUD and BIA logos and worked with one of the first outsourced residential design studios.
Prior to Connect, Daniel was Vice President of the Real Estate Media Group at American Lawyer Media, working with the company’s top clients across all platforms – thought leadership, advertising, events, digital and print advertising. Daniel led the division’s focus on national real estate banking and legal clients, some of which included Goodwin Procter, DLA Piper, K&L Gates, Fried Frank and others.
Daniel continues to expand Connect’s business offerings with the recent launch of its continuing education platform, Connect Classroom, and the acquisition of a cutting-edge apartments listing platform, ApartmentBuildings.com. Connect’s creative agency has expanded to serve over 50 clients, providing creative services and marketing communication strategies to large national and international companies such as Trammell Crow Company, Hines, Manulife, KBS, Walker & Dunlop, Marcus & Millichap, Avison Young, Colliers, and more.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DE&I”) has always been a priority for Daniel and his company. His team is currently comprised of 50% women and 39% minority team members, and Connect is certified by NMSDC, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, as a minority owned business.
Daniel was named one of the “2017 Folio 100,” a list of the 100 most influential players in media.” In addition to numerous awards in the commercial real estate space, Daniel was named by the Los Angeles Times as a Visionary in Commercial Real Estate. Under Daniel’s direction, Connect has also been published in the Los Angeles Business Journal and the L.A. Times. In 2022, Daniel was selected to participate in Capital One’s annual Catapult Cohort, designed to help diverse business owners accelerate their business strategies.
Since 2019, Connect Media has been included on the annual Inc. 5000 list of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America, ranking as one of the top 10 media companies, and was included on The Financial Times’ 2022 ranking of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies.
Jeff Manley // Senior Managing Director, Board of Directors, Savills
Spanning more than a quarter century, Jeff Manley’s commercial real estate career brought him to Savills in 2017. As an integral part of the firm’s Orange County office in Newport Beach, California, Jeff advises companies that are involved with professional services, biotechnology, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, industrial, education, AEC and TAMI. His international experience has included managing and negotiating large office and industrial leases, building sales and purchases, land sales and purchases, build-to-suits, government negotiation and construction management. In total, Jeff has directed over 20 corporate headquarters relocation projects.
Jeff began his commercial real estate career with The Staubach Company, where he stayed for 11 years as Managing Principal. Afterwards, Jeff worked at Cresa over a 13-year span as Managing Principal and served as a member of the national board of directors for over ten years. Prior to entering the world of commercial real estate, Jeff received hands-on experience as a successful manager for diverse engineering and construction projects. His tenure as a real estate veteran and project manager, combined with his friendly and relatable working personality, make Jeff the optimal commercial real estate broker to work with across Southern California, the United States, and the globe.
AWARDS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
While at Cresa, Jeff was presented with the firm’s ‘highest honor, the ‘William W. Goade First Citizen Award’ for his contributions to Cresa. He was also selected twice to the OC500, the list of the business leaders/influencers in Orange County, as well as a member of the military academy review boards of four different congressmen in Orange County. Jeff is a founding member of LEADERS, an Orange County based angel fund devoted to helping veteran entrepreneurs and is very active with Veterans Legal Institute, an organization devoted to helping veterans and their families in need with free legal services.
John Leehey // Principal Urban Planner, JMLPlanning
John Leehey provides forty years of experience in Planning, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture. Currently he is the Principal for JML Planning Consultancy based in Irvine CA. Previous to this he was the director of planning at JZMK Partners for 5 years, worked for 7 years as the Director of Planning at Danielian Associates, and worked for 10 years as a Principal and Sr. Associate with EDAW/AECOM.
John’s national work includes numerous projects in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, and Florida. His international work experience includes extensive work involvement and travel throughout many areas of the Middle East, China, Australia, Mexico and Canada.
John has a unique skillset that bridges the complexity of Planning, Architecture and Landscape Architecture to provide the best solutions for project developments. He is currently working with several design firms on numerous California projects varying from half-acre residential site plans to 80-acre community master plan to a 1700 acre Industrial Park Development.
Karen Flanigan // Executive Vice President, Greenlaw
Karen Flanigan maintains 26 years of experience in the field of commercial real estate management. She commenced her career with 1997, working in firms over the years such as Birtcher Real Estate Group, Signature Services, and Irvine Company, in the property management of several office, industrial, medical office, and retail properties located throughout Southern California.
Karen joined Greenlaw in 2006, as an Asset Manager on the Greenlaw team. Currently, as Executive Vice President of Greenlaw, Karen oversees the operations of an in-house managed portfolio, comprised of over ten million RSF of Class A office high-rise, varying classes of mid-rise office and low-rise campus office, industrial, and mixed-use assets, positioned throughout Southern California as well as out of state regions located within Nevada, Idaho, and Utah. She maintains the leadership oversight of the Greenlaw Property Management and Property Accounting Teams, with a comprehensive group of over fifty Greenlaw team members. Karen holds an active role on the firm’s Executive team, participating in annual, strategic planning and goal setting, as well as in the development of employee initiatives, company culture enrichment measures, and corporate operations and communication.
Karen holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Human Development, with an emphasis on Education, from California State University, Fullerton. She remains highly active within the Orange County Commercial Real Estate industry, served on the Board for CREW (Commercial Real Estate for Women) Orange County for five years, and was President for the CREW OC Chapter in 2017. Additionally, Karen served on the Board for BOMA (Building Owners Managers Association) Orange County for three years from 2018 through 2021, holding the role of President of the BOMA OC Chapter in 2020.
Kimberly Hynek // Owner & COO, Avenida Partners
Kimberly Hynek has served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for privately held real estate companies that develop, own, and operate senior living assets. In her current role, she serves as a Fractional CFO and/or COO providing asset management services, including over-sight of leasing and marketing, along with managing recapitalizations and dispositions. Kimberly has over 30 years of experience in the senior housing industry with more than 20 years in leadership positions encompassing capital markets, finance, marketing, human resources, operations, and asset management. In these roles, she has crossed the spectrum of senior housing product types including active adult/55+, independent living, and higher levels of care including full service and entry fee CCRCs.
Kimberly earned her B.S. degree in Human Resource management from Friends University in Wichita, KS and an MBA from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. She previously served as a member of the NIC Owner Operator Advisory Board. She is an avid photographer and is actively involved with environmental protection initiatives.
Lisa Kim // City Manager, City of Garden Grove
Lisa was appointed Garden Grove City Manager on March 1, 2023, becoming the first female, Asian-American to lead City operations. She joined the City of Garden Grove in April 2016 as the Community and Economic Development Director, bringing more than 20 years of development experience from the cities of Orange, Pomona, and West Covina.
Since 2019, Lisa carried out dual roles as assistant city manager while overseeing one of the most crucial departments in the City comprised of the Office of Economic Development, Planning Services, and the Building and Safety Division.
In addition to attracting several key developments and new businesses to the city, Lisa also developed the 2021 Comprehensive Plan to Address Homelessness that included the launch of the Be Well OC in Garden Grove Mobile Response Team, a street medicine initiative currently in the works with CalOptima, and the creation of the future Central Cities Navigation Center. During COVID-19, Kim implemented the Garden Grove Business Resource and Resiliency Plan to help business owners achieve financial recovery. She also initiated community engagement efforts for the proposed relocation of the Garden Grove Police Department headquarters in the Garden Grove Civic Center.
Lisa holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Massachusetts Global, a member of the Chapman University System; and a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
She maintains strong involvement in professional and service organizations, including the American Planning Association – Orange County Chapter; Commercial Real Estate Women of Orange County; Planning Directors Association of Orange County; International Council of Shopping Centers; Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County; Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce; Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance; and United Way.
In her spare time, Lisa enjoys being involved in philanthropic organizations committed to community services, leadership development, and cultural experiences together with her son and daughter as well as volunteering her time to community-based organizations.