Mark Ogier joined ContraVest in 1995 as the Property Management and Construction Coordinator. He became the Director of Property Management in 1997, and an Executive Vice President in 2006. Currently he is a Principal in the three ContraVest vertically integrated companies: ContraVest Development Partners, ContraVest Builders and ContraVest Management Company. As President of ContraVest Development Partners, Ogier has overall responsibility for the operations and strategic direction of the development program. He is responsible for site acquisition, community development, equity investor relations and portfolio performance. Over the years, Ogier has gained valuable insight into the needs of various ownership structures including REIT’s, TIC’s, life insurance companies, pension funds and private investors.

Schaffer’s background encompasses nearly 44 years of experience working in the real estate field covering development, investment, operations, finance/accounting, and workouts. In 1997 became a partner and now is intimately involved in the analysis, structuring, and closing of all real estate developments, joint ventures/partnerships, and property dispositions. In addition, he is responsible for securing construction and permanent loan financing and in 2013 became the Partner in charge of ContraVest Management Company. John is a Partner in ContraVest Development Partners, ContraVest Management Company and ContraVest Builders. Schaffer previously worked for Prudential Life Insurance Co. in its Real Estate Investment Office, as well as BJF Development, Inc.(Condo Converter/RE workout firm), Cardinal Industries (RE Developer), Arlen Realty Co. (National RE Investment Co.) and the FDIC (liquidating failed banks). His responsibilities included asset management, financial/acquisition analysis, workouts, and other various accounting duties. Schaffer received his Bachelors Degree in Accounting in 1976 from the University of Florida, and a Masters Degree in Accounting from Florida International University, Miami, in 1980 and his CPA designation in 1980. John has been a member of the University of Florida’s Real Estate Advisory Board since 2006 and sits on his Church’s Finance Committee since 2004.

Steve joined ContraVest in 2000 and currently serves as the President of the general contracting company, ContraVest Builders. As a licensed General Contractor in multiple states, Steve has been personally involved in the development and construction of over 8,000 apartment units. He passed the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) Accredited Examination for Commercial General Contracting Contractors which facilitates licensing and building in multiple jurisdictions. As a principal in all three operating companies, Ogier plays an active role in the apartment development company and site acquisition. Before working with ContraVest, Ogier spent five years as a sales professional in the medical and financial services industries. After graduating from The Citadel in 1990, receiving a B.S. degree in Business Administration, Ogier served five years on active duty in the United States Army as an Airborne Ranger qualified Armored Cavalry Officer stateside and in Germany and four additional years in the Florida National Guard. In 1995 Ogier was honorably discharged from active duty as a Captain. Ogier is very active in his church, local community and his alma mater, The Citadel. He serves on the advisory board for the Baker School of Business at the Citadel and is often invited back to teach and speak about commercial real estate finance, leadership and professional sales. He held a Real Estate Broker license in Colorado, is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM, since 2006).

Alfred Rembowski, better known to most as “Alfie,” has been a ContraVest team member since 1998. He has held positions with ContraVest Management Company, as well as, ContraVest Development Company. During these years, he successfully oversaw several lease-up and stabilized assets throughout the Southeast as both an On-Site Manger and Regional Director. Alfie also served as a Development Associate tasked with acquiring viable vacant land sites and working each development through due diligence, design, permitting, financing, and closing. Currently, Alfie serves as the Acquisitions Director for ContraVest Development Partners. He actively seeks both multifamily land opportunities and the acquisition of existing apartment assets with the focus on helping to grow the ContraVest Development, Construction, and Management brands. Alfie received his BS in 1996 as a graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, NC. In his off-time he enjoys sports, boating, and above-all as a dedicated family man, spending time with his wife and 2 daughters.

Alex Best joined the ContraVest team as a Development Associate in May of 2022. His primary responsibilities include working with senior leadership on site selection, due diligence, market studies, proforma creation and analysis, requests for proposals, consultant plan coordination, permitting, and closings. Prior to joining ContraVest, he was a Development Coordinator for a Central Florida developer, where he gained experience working on multifamily, independent living, assisted living, retail, and mixed-use developments during various stages of the projects’ life cycles. While in college, he interned for Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT, ContraVest Development Partners, and ContraVest Construction. Alex received a B.S. in Economics from Florida State University with a minor in Business and coursework in Statistical Programming. In his off-time he enjoys sports, traveling, trying new restaurants, spending quality time with friends and family, and the great outdoors.

Ephraim originally joined ContraVest in 2006 and served as VP of construction. He was appointed President of ContraVest Builders in May 2022. Ephraim is actively involved in the day-to-day management of all aspects of the construction company, developing goals, operating plans, company policies, short and long-term objectives, establishing organizational structure, reviewing results of construction operations and reporting to the principles and general partners. Ephraim is a current Licensed General Contractor in multiple states and has more than 25 years of experience in development and construction of complex projects. He holds a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, a Master’s in Business (MBA) from Mississippi College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. Ephraim is a retired Colonel with 30-years of service in the US Army. He served on active duty as a Jumpmaster in the 82nd Airborne Division and in the North Carolina Army National Guard. Ephraim is active in his community as a Rotarian for more than 20 years and pop warner football coach for over 15 years.

Ken Perry first joined ContraVest in 1998. During his initial 6 years he was involved with 8 projects totaling 2100 units. Ken rejoined our team in June of 2015 as our Preconstruction Director and promoted to Vice President of Operations in May of 2020. Ken has experience operating in both private and public sectors of the industry with over 19 years of experience, overseeing both multi-family and military projects. Ken is recognized for high level performance and has participated in and overseen many aspects of multimillion-dollar operations, including pre construction development, logistics, capital planning and development, project/program management, design services, process enhancement, quality assurance and staff augmentation for a variety of NASA and DoD clients. Ken has gained a reputation for delivering projects on time and under budget. He is proficient in assembling high performance teams and effectively works with architects, engineers, contractor/subcontractors, and clients to deliver a smooth construction process while maintaining cost control objectives.

Mike Tamayo joined ContraVest Builders in May of 2013 and has been an integral part of our success. He has been promoted through the ranks and has managed and led our team in a variety of roles during his tenure which has contributed to the successful completion and delivery of over $93M in assets for our investment partners. He is currently serving as a Senior Project Manager, responsible for leadership, oversight of budgets, schedules, personnel, and the daily operations of the project construction team. Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our team and has a diverse sampling of experience in residential and commercial construction which includes: Retail, Hospitality, Institutional, Government/Federal, and most recently Multi-Housing. Mike also brings his Marine Corps leadership/logistics experience to the team. He has an Associate’s Degree in Logistics and is currently completing his bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering Technology.

Devin Oberto joined ContraVest in 2020 as a Project Manager. Prior to joining the ContraVest construction team, his unique construction experience included owning a Central Florida residential HVAC company and working for two top 50 Engineering News-Record ranked Contractor companies. This experience provides Devin with the understand of what subcontractors need to be successful and why. In addition to his multi-family work at ContraVest, Devin’s project management experience includes multiple casinos and an 853-unit high-rise condominium for one of the largest commercial contractors in the country, WG Yates Construction. His experience, exposure, and implementation of a full BIM process for the constructability of a project showed the value this level of coordination was for both the construction team and client. Devin is a State of Florida Certified General Contractor (CGC1518156) and State of Florida Certified Air Conditioning Contractor (CAC1817130). He has an EPA 608 Universal Certification and is 30-hour OSHA Certified. Devin received a B.S. degree in Building Construction from the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction, University of Florida and has a HVACR Vocational Certification from Seminole State College. He is married, loves to cook, enjoys traveling, and you can see him rooting on his beloved Florida Gators on football weekends.

After 40 years in Washington, DC, Rob moved to Central Florida and joined ContraVest in January 2022. He brings with him more than two decades of multifamily experience on both the contractor and owner side. Rob’s experience in construction covers a diverse portfolio of projects which includes hotels, hospital expansions, medical research facilities, Army & Air Force Commissary and Exchange Services as well as the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Prior to joining ContraVest Rob managed multifamily construction projects for some of the leading developers and contractors on the east coast culminating with the successful delivery of over 3,000 apartments units in the DC Metro Area, Raleigh, NC and Atlanta, GA. Rob has both his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and MBA in Urban Development from The George Washington University, where he was also a 3-year varsity letterman in swimming and a proud member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. He is married with two sons and a diehard Yankees fan.

Rob Stapleton first joined ContraVest in 2016 to oversee quality control and closeouts for projects in Gainesville, Florida. He rejoined the team in May 2022 as Project Manager responsible for leading developers, architects, engineers, sub-contractors and municipalities through the successful completion of assigned multifamily projects. Rob’s attention to detail at every phase of the construction process is key to achieving the ContraVest goals of budget, schedule, quality, administration and safety. Prior to joining ContraVest, Rob successfully managed a variety of multifamily new construction and renovation projects throughout Southern California and Florida. Rob holds a CT Engineering Degree from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). He is OSHA 30-hour Certified and continues his self-growth through construction industry educational programs. Rob’s passion for construction extends to high-end luxury residential renovations and you can always strike up a conversation about his latest restoration project! Weekends are spent at the lakes or beaches of Florida and Rob is also an automotive enthusiast.

David joined the ContraVest team in May 2015 as Chief Estimator. David has worked in the construction industry for more than 20 years in which he has worked in both operations and preconstruction in the residential, commercial, hospitality, multifamily and healthcare markets. David plays a vital role in the preconstruction department to establish conceptual budgets, identify underlying issues, forecast material/labor issues, qualify subcontractors, bidding, prepare estimates, subcontractor relations and provide preconstruction services. David’s interaction with the owner/developer in the preconstruction and development of the plans is instrumental in building a usable model through our internal Building Information Model (BIM) process. This process assists in yielding relevant pricing information and design considerations that affect cost. David graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in Building Science.

Joanna Aragones joined ContraVest in 2018. Joanna goes by the nickname “Joy.” In her role as Executive Assistant, she directly assists Steven Ogier and works closely with the President of Construction and Vice President of Operations of the Construction division, as well as supporting the Real Estate Development Operation. She brings over 18 years of extensive administrative experience working in roles with property management, customer service, human resources, payroll/accounting, purchasing, as well as providing direct support for C-Level Executives. Joanna graduated in 2013 with her Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Her main priority outside of work are her husband and two kids. She is very involved with the local church she attends, serving in the community, enjoys reading, writing, music, the beach, and personal growth.

As Senior Vice President of Management Operations, since 1999, Christin is responsible for overseeing the management portfolio to include both stabilized and new lease-up communities. Her dedication, loyalty, leadership and team building skills permeate throughout the entire company. In addition to her management responsibilities she plays a vital role in development with input on location of new projects as well as interior/exterior design of clubhouse, units and amenity package. She is also actively involved in the construction process from coordination of design, setup, to opening communities from dirt to keys to ensure the best outcome for both ContraVest and investors. Christin began her career in Property Management in 1987. She has experience working for large institutions, REIT’s and with individual investors. Christin’s lease-up experience spans 44 properties and 12,900 units. She has both CAM and CAPS accreditations through the National Apartment Association Education Institute. Christin is actively involved in the apartment industry, served three years as a Board of Director for the Orlando Apartment Association (AAGO) where she was involved in increasing membership and encouraging current members to attend monthly events to build a stronger association. She motivates her teams to be involved in legislation with annual visits to Tallahassee. In addition, Christin continues to volunteer for AAGO, FAA & related industry services.

Brigitte Desko has been a ContraVest team member since 2011. She has held positions with ContraVest Management Company as a Leasing Specialist, Assistant Property Director, Property Director, Regional Training Director and Regional Director. During these years, she has successfully overseen multiple lease-up and stabilized assets throughout the Southeast as the Property Manager and Regional Director. Currently, Brigitte serves as the Regional Director for ContraVest overseeing a portion of the ContraVest Management portfolio. Brigitte’s overall responsibilities include training, development, strategic marketing, personnel management, revenue growth, expense control, and reporting to owners. Brigitte has 12 years of apartment industry experience which has led her to sharpen her leadership skills and asset management capabilities. Brigitte received her Bachelors Degree in Psychology at The University of Florida.

Christina Haskin began her career in property management as a Leasing Specialist in 2003 where she was quickly promoted to Assistant Property Director working in both Naples and Orlando markets. Due to a sale, she continued to work with Epoch Management and joined the ContraVest team in 2011 as an Assistant Property Director at Integra Meadows in Champions Gate, Florida. Her experience on both stabilized and lease-up assets earned her a promotion as Property Director at The Addison Apartment Homes in Brandon, Florida that same year. Christina continued to successfully manage luxury apartment homes in Brandon and Champions Gate for ContraVest. Her 15 years of successful management and experience landed her a promotion to corporate as a Regional Director over a portion of the ContraVest Management portfolio. Her overall responsibilities include development, training, applying innovative target marketing, personnel management, revenue growth, expense control and reporting to owners.

Beth Buckman joined ContraVest in 1991 as an Assistant Manager at The Greens at MetroWest, one of ContraVest’s first projects in Orlando. In 1993 she moved to the home office and has been in charge of the administrative operations for the management company ever since. She has overall responsibility for weekly and monthly reporting to owners as well as being the company historian and statistician. In addition to her duties with ContraVest, Buckman also earned CAM and CAPS accreditations from the National Apartment Association. Beth received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing/Management in 1988 from Florida Southern College.

Heather Lamoriello joined ContraVest in 2020 as a Building Information Modeling (BIM) Technician for the Pre-Construction division and will focus on the development of BIM processes and protocols. Heather brings over 10 years’ experience working in the engineering and construction industries with advanced knowledge of AutoCAD and Revit design. Heather also has extensive knowledge in the creation, development, and management of quality control procedures. Heather will act as the chief liaison to ContraVest’s deign partners which will streamline 3D building modeling from design to operation. Heather received an Associates of Science Degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design from Seminole State College.

Wendy McWhorter Manning joined the property management industry in 1992 where she gained extensive experience in property management software, network administration, software implementation, hardware and training. Wendy joined ContraVest in 1999 as their IT Director and was promoted to Chief Technology Officer in 2013 where she oversees all company web design, communication, hardware/software implementation and support. She also configures and supports new development networks, community network setups and property management applications. Wendy is Chair of the Greater Apartment Association (AAGO) Branding and Communication committee and served on the AAGO Board of Directors 2020-2022. Wendy received her Bachelor’s degree from Stetson University in 1991.

Bonnie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Radford University and is a Certified Public Accountant in Virginia. Bonnie started with ContaVest in 1995 and is responsible for all aspects of accounting for the Development, Construction, and Management Companies. Her duties include preparing monthly financial statements for all three entities as well as coordinating and working with CPA’s and Auditors for year-end financials/tax returns, preparing soft cost draws, overseeing the accounting for the hard cost construction process, coordinating with owners and banks to ensure timely funding of projects, assist in obtaining and maintaining proper insurance, working with general liability and workers comp auditors, payroll, maintaining licenses, filing state regulated annual reports and managing corporate cash. Prior to ContraVest, Bonnie worked for the Federal Government as an Auditor and Staff Accountant and as a full charge bookkeeper for a small business handling all payroll, A/R & A/P, preparation of financial statements and payroll tax returns.

Vickie’s journey with ContraVest started January 1997. Her initial role as Property Management staff Accountant expanded quickly. Her talents and dedication have propelled her forward. Vickie is currently Director of Property Management Accounting and Director of Human Resources. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Minor in Business Administration.

Jahnelle Sikes brings 15+ years of construction accounting and administration experience with her after joining the ContraVest team in 2016 as a Staff Accountant. She has extensive knowledge with financial reporting, analysis, GL reconciliations, inventory management, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, software implementation, and operations procedure development. Jahnelle received her AS in Business Management, Marketing, & Administration from Seminole State College of Florida in 2010. She was promoted to Construction Accounting Manager in 2019 where she continues to work closely with the Project Managers, Superintendents and Construction Admins to ensure the demands of the company, equity partners, and subcontractors are being met. She coordinates all hard cost accounting functions to meet owner and bank requirements to ensure timely funding of projects.

Julie started at ContraVest in a temp accounting position in 2016 and then was hired on as a full time Property Management Accountant in early 2018. Julie Brings almost 30 years of accounting and administrative experience in the fields of insurance, banking, building supply and single family property management. Some of her specific responsibilities included Accounts Payable Manager, Accounting Specialist and Executive Assistant.

Amy Clermont brings twenty years of experience in the medical industry with a focus on billing, accounts payable and receivables, and customer service. She assists our accounting department with invoicing and payroll as well as provides administration to management, development and construction. Amy was promoted to Project Administrative Assistant in 2017.