REFA elects new officers for 2010 - 2011

The Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut (REFA-CT) has reelected Michael Riccio as president. Riccio is head of CBRE Capital Markets Debt & Equity Hartford office covering all of Connecticut. With more than 26 years of real estate experience, Riccio has closed over $4 billion of mortgage transactions in major metropolitan areas around the U.S. in all property types. Prior to opening the CBRE Capital Markets office in Hartford, Riccio spent 23 years at CIGNA and held several real estate positions. Riccio is or has been an active member in the following organizations: International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF), and serves as past president and board member of The Hartford Chapter of the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA). He graduated with a BA in mathematics from Southern Connecticut State University, and a MBA in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Connecticut. Fairfield/Westchester Chapter REFA also elected the new president of the Fairfield/Westchester chapter, Mark Ellman along with the vice president Elizabeth Chappel. Mark Ellman, a licensed real estate broker and securities principal, holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Penn., a J.D. (cum laude) from Fordham University School of Law and an LLM in taxation from New York University of Law. He has served on numerous corporate, non-profit and trade organization boards and is a frequent speaker on real estate acquisitions and finance. He has served on the REFA Program Committee for many years as well. Prior to founding CCGL's predecessor company in 1994, Ellman was a founding partner and senior vice president at Value Properties, Inc. and a senior vice president and partner at Oppenheimer Properties, Inc., the real estate affiliate of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. Ellman practiced law for 11 years before becoming a real estate investor in 1981. He has personally directed property acquisitions and dispositions exceeding $600 million. Beth Chappel, vice president, joined CB Richard Ellis' Stamford, office in 2002. Her primary territory continues to be the northern suburbs of New York City. She has completed more than 2.6 million s/f of transactions over her 20 years of commercial real estate experience on behalf of tenants and owners, buyers and sellers, and for corporate clients in all industries. Prior to joining CB Richard Ellis, Chappel was a director at Colliers ABR, and was the primary force in developing a business strategy and planning the opening of the firm's first Connecticut office. Previous to this, Chappel was a senior vice president in charge of investment sales and business development at Grubb & Ellis. Hartford Chapter Elected as the REFA-Hartford Chapter president was Vincent Bergin and elected as vice president was Patrick Mulready. Bergin is a vice president in People's United Bank's Commercial Real Estate Finance Department. For over 5-years, Bergin has been responsible for originating, underwriting and asset managing commercial real estate loans throughout the Tri-State area. Prior to joining PUB, Bergin spent 8 years at Berkshire Mortgage Finance in Boston where he specialized in underwriting and product management of the Fannie Mae DUS and Freddie Mac Seller Servicer programs. Throughout his career Bergin has been responsible for more than $2 billion in mortgage transactions throughout the U.S. Bergin is an active Conn. licensed general real estate appraiser, member of the REFA-CT Hartford Chapter since 2003 and an executive board member since 2004. Bergin is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance. Pat Mulready joined CB Richard Ellis in 1996 as an appraiser, specializing in the valuation of office buildings. He became a member of the brokerage staff in 1998, and has developed a career as an investment specialist in Central Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. Mulready has played a significant role in more than 150 building sales in the past 12 years, including several downtown Hartford office towers and suburban portfolios. He is a partner of the firm and is consistently one of the top producers in CBRE's Hartford office.