About Us

Prior to Hamilton Zanze, Mark sponsored the acquisition, ownership, and revitalization of nearly 40 Bay Area properties. His main focus has long been finding value-add properties in urban neighborhoods and re-working them into higher-quality properties with higher incomes, improved tenant profiles, and higher resale values.
Mark has considerable experience in partnership formation and operations, project planning and implementation, asset management, landlord-tenant and rent-control issues, risk management, and zoning and building matters. Before forming his own commercial brokerage and investment business in 1994, Mark worked in the San Francisco office of Marcus & Millichap, then co-founded a small brokerage firm and investment group.

Mark earned a B.A. with High Honors in English Literature from San Francisco State University and an M.A. in English and American Literature from Brandeis University, where he attended as a University Scholar and Fellow.

Since 2016, Mark has served on the board of First Graduate, previously serving on the board of a San Francisco affordable housing development corporation.

He lives in San Francisco with his wife and dog. They enjoy family, travel, culture and the arts, and food.

Prior to Hamilton Zanze, Tony Zanze’s experience in real estate included capital markets, asset management, leasing, development, and investment and brokerage of multifamily and commercial properties.

Before HZ, Tony was with RREEF Real Estate Investment Managers overseeing asset disposition. Before joining RREEF, he was manager of the San Francisco office of GE Capital Real Estate, where he handled the production of mortgage-backed securities, structured finance, and equity investments. From 1986 to 1997, Tony was with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, where he originated long-term fixed-rate loans and joint ventures.

Tony began his career as a sales investment broker with Cushman & Wakefield and holds a B.A. in Psychology from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. in Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin.

Kurt graduated from University of California, Berkeley and now lives in Marin with his wife and three daughters.

Ashlee Cabeal is a Partner and Chief Financial Officer at Hamilton Zanze, where she has been instrumental in shaping the financial strategy and leading the launch of key initiatives, including the HZ Evergreen Fund in 2024 and the firm’s first discretionary general partner fund, HZ GP Fund I, in 2022. These initiatives have bolstered the firm’s financial agility and expanded its investment capabilities.

As CFO, Ashlee leads and mentors a high-performing team of 18 finance and accounting professionals, driving the firm’s financial operations and ensuring strong fiscal management across all projects.

Previously, Ashlee served as Senior Director on the HZ Transactions team, overseeing acquisitions, dispositions, and refinancing efforts, with expertise in deal sourcing, underwriting, and loan originations.

She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Senior Audit Associate, focusing on banking and private equity clients. Ashlee holds a B.S. in Accounting and a B.B.A. in Marketing from Loyola Marymount University, and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Davis. She is also a Certified Public Accountant in California.

David Nelson, President of Hamilton Zanze, serves as a partner and is the Chief Investment Officer at the firm. He leads the transactions team managing the acquisition and disposition pipeline, arranging financing, equity, and closely partnering with owners, brokers, and institutional partners to orchestrate and execute on investment opportunities and strategies. David joined Hamilton Zanze in 2004 and has played an integral role in the firm’s sourcing and closing of over 250 multifamily property acquisitions, totaling almost 50,000 units and $5 billion in transaction volume across the United States.

He is a Bay Area native and graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of San Francisco. David resides in Tennessee and enjoys fly-fishing, golfing, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Todd Williams is a partner and Hamilton Zanze’s General Counsel. Todd joined HZ in 2014. He works with various HZ teams, HZ affiliates and subsidiaries, and outside counsel to guide and oversee the legal matters that affect the firm’s day-to-day business and its strategic goals—from acquisitions, dispositions, and exchanges to leasing and property management, corporate governance, and risk management.

Todd’s background spans both transactions and litigation, as well as experience as inside and outside counsel. He was previously an assistant general counsel at Paul Hastings, where for over a decade he focused on real estate and complex litigation and internal and external enterprise risk management. Todd has also worked at a Sacramento law firm specializing exclusively in real estate development and transactional work.

Todd completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley and obtained his law degree from the University of the Pacific. Originally from Sacramento, Todd currently lives in Lafayette with his wife and three kids and enjoys coaching his son’s and daughter’s soccer, rugby, and baseball teams as well as cheering for the SF Giants and California Golden Bears.

Tim Bruss is a partner and Managing Director of the Asset Management team. Tim works closely with the asset managers to strengthen operations of the portfolio, drive net operating income, and execute on property-specific business plans.

Since joining the company in 2010, Tim has been involved in transactions, construction management, and data management. Prior to joining HZ, Tim worked as a project manager for a New Jersey real estate developer, overseeing the construction of a variety of commercial, retail, and residential assets.

Tim earned a degree in Engineering from Lafayette College and received his M.B.A. from the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His professional credentials include a Certificate in Sustainable Design from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and LEED accreditation.

Originally from New Jersey, Tim now resides in Oakland, CA with his wife, son, and daughter and enjoys spending time outdoors.

John Gilmore is a partner and Managing Director of the Hamilton Zanze Project & Risk Management team. Since joining the company in 2006, John has worked as a project/construction manager, risk manager, and asset manager. He currently oversees budgeting, project management, insurance and risk management, and various green initiatives.

John has a diverse real estate background encompassing development, construction, and property management. Prior to joining HZ, John worked for an emerging Northern California real estate development company as a project manager on an 80-acre mixed-use project. Previously, John worked as a project engineer for Webcor Builders on the 42-story St. Regis Museum Tower in San Francisco.

John is a San Francisco Bay Area native and has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and an M.B.A. from Fordham University in New York. He now resides in Templeton, CA with his wife and three kids.

Peter Casey joined Hamilton Zanze in 2022 and is the Managing Director of Capital Markets. He oversees institutional fundraising, joint ventures, and debt procurement.

Prior to HZ, Peter held similar roles at Sack Properties and Interstate Equities Corporation (IEC). At IEC, he was responsible for raising $500 million across two commingled fund vehicles, including IEC’s first institutionally capitalized, discretionary fund. These commitments included allocations from leading Endowments, Foundations, Pension Funds and Family Offices. Prior to IEC, Peter worked in the Asset Management division of JP Morgan Chase & Co. In his role, he was responsible for business development, including raising capital from Family Offices and Foundations. Peter started his career in the Investment Banking division of JP Morgan Chase & Co., where he was responsible for sourcing real estate loans and securities for the firm’s securitization shelves, and providing interest rate hedging strategies to mortgage originators, banks, and hedge funds.

Peter graduated with a B.S. from Vanderbilt University and an MBA with a focus on Real Estate Investment from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He lives in Marin County with his wife and three sons.

David joined Hamilton Zanze as Senior Director of Marketing in 2022. He leads all marketing and communications efforts for the firm with a focus on brand building, content marketing, and the investor experience.

David has more than 25 years of marketing experience in the financial services industry. He previously served in the Chief Marketing Officer role for White Oak Commercial Finance, a division of White Oak Global Advisors, and as Director of Integrated Marketing for Silicon Valley Bank. Additionally, he managed marketing communication programs for Charles Schwab Advisor Services and served as Director of Digital Marketing for BlackRock, where he led iShares ETF go-to-market strategies in Latin America, Southern Europe, and Asia.

David earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from U.C. Davis. He resides in San Francisco and enjoys tennis, traveling, and jazz.

Toby Costello is a Senior Director and leads the Investor Relations team. Since joining HZ in 2016, Toby works to foster relationships with current investors and grow the investor network. He is also a licensed Real Estate Broker in California.

Prior to Hamilton Zanze, Toby spent over 10 years in commercial real estate brokerage in both office leasing and multifamily investment sales. Most recently, he co-lead the San Francisco multifamily investment sales practice at CBRE where he represented individual investors and small private equity firms in the purchase and sale of investment properties. Toby has deep roots in San Francisco as a fifth-generation native.

Toby is an avid consumer of podcasts, enjoys reading, and keeps himself sane by biking, fly fishing, and spending time outdoors. Toby resides in Mill Valley with his wife and two daughters.

Justin Fossum joined HZ in February 2014. As Senior Director on the Asset Management team, Justin manages operations for a portfolio of HZ properties. He works with property managers and staff, regional managers, and regional maintenance supervisors to strengthen cash flow and execute property specific business plans. Prior to joining Hamilton Zanze, Justin worked as an analyst at Rosen Consulting Group.

Justin received his BA in History from Emory University and his JD from Tulane Law School. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and now resides in Florida with his wife and daughters. In his spare time, Justin enjoys cooking, fishing, reading, and chess.

Elizabeth Jensen is a Senior Director on the Asset Management team. She joined HZ in May 2017.

In addition to her asset management role working with select separate accounts and JV partners, she also oversees Strategic Initiatives and ESG.

Prior to HZ, Elizabeth worked at Marcus & Millichap and Pacific Urban Investors. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Bucknell University and an M.B.A. with a specialization in Real Estate from UCLA Anderson.

Elizabeth lives in the Peninsula with her family and german shepherd mix, Bart. She enjoys skiing, spending time in the mountains, and watching sports with her friends and family.

Anthony Ly is a Senior Director on the Hamilton Zanze Transactions team. He evaluates potential sale and financing opportunities and works with commercial brokers, lenders, and buyers.

Anthony has experience in asset management, leasing, and acquisitions. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Riverside in Political Science and Law and Society. He also holds an M.S. degree in Real Estate and an M.B.A. from the University of San Diego. Anthony is a licensed real estate broker and active member in the Urban Land Institute.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Anthony enjoys working out, playing golf, and is a dedicated San Francisco Giants fan.

Sidney So joined Hamilton Zanze as controller in December 2017 and is now a Senior Director on the Finance team. Prior to joining HZ, he worked as a fund controller at MacFarlane Partners and a senior fund manager at Hellman & Friedman, managing various multimillion- and multibillion-dollar funds. Sidney obtained his CPA during his career at Ernst & Young, where he was a manager in the assurance practice, servicing public and private real estate clients in the Bay Area.

Sidney is a San Francisco native and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of San Francisco, where he earned a BSBA in Accounting.

Scarlet Tam is a Senior Director of Tax on the Hamilton Zanze Finance team. She is responsible for the income tax matters for HZ properties and management companies, including Federal and States tax reporting, tax planning and structuring. She works with national accounting firms and various independent CPAs to provide tax documents and information to our investors.

Prior to joining HZ in 2016, Scarlet was a tax manager for Colony Starwood Homes, a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). She also worked as a tax manager for Ernst & Young and specialized in Real Estate Taxation.

Scarlet received a B.A. in Economics from York University and a M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University.

Kevin Tang is a Senior Director on the Hamilton Zanze Finance team. He handles investor distributions, assists with taxes, and supports all departments by negotiating fund transfers.

Prior to joining Hamilton Zanze, Kevin worked as a senior accountant for eight years at a private Beverly Hills real estate firm with a portfolio of over 150 properties, where he gained valuable experience in asset management, leasing, and real estate investment management software Yardi Systems. Kevin graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a B.S. degree in Business Administration.

Kevin is a Bay Area native who spent the last 12 years in Southern California.

Berit Tomten is a Senior Director on the Hamilton Zanze Project Management team. She ensures all capital projects at the HZ properties are completed on time and within budget.

Berit joined the HZ team in 2013. She was previously a project manager for Ecological Steel Systems and an assistant project manager for Heery International. She gained experience as an architectural intern at Wattenbarger Architects and at MacDonald & Mack Architects and as a journeyman laborer in construction.

Berit is a LEED AP in Building Design + Construction and received her B.S. in Architecture and Art from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and an M.S. in Construction Management from the University of Washington. She was born and raised in Eau Claire, WI, and in her free time enjoys skiing and other winter sports.

Dylan Blanks joined HZ in June 2021 and is a Director of Asset Management. As an asset manager, Dylan manages operations and drives investment performance for a portfolio of HZ properties. Prior to HZ, Dylan worked on the Asset Management Team at UBS Realty.

Dylan earned his B.S. at UCLA in Business Economics, with a minor in accounting.

Jennifer Do joined Hamilton Zanze in 2011 and is a director on the Finance team. Jennifer handles the company’s corporate accounting, managing the accounts payable and receivables, keeping the financial records organized, maintaining the company’s books, and helping staff accurately report expenses.

Prior to joining HZ, Jennifer worked for The Loan Page, Inc., an online financial marketplace. She has a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from San Francisco State University. Jennifer and her husband currently live in San Francisco, CA, raising their four children.

Dan Lee joined HZ in March 2023 as the Director of Digital Marketing. He is responsible for leading all digital marketing efforts across the web, email, and social media channels for HZ. Prior to joining HZ, Dan was a Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Parnassus Investments, where he led the overall digital marketing strategy. Additionally, he has served as the Director of Marketing and Digital Strategy at AIG First Principles and Director of Digital Marketing at Mellon Investments.

Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz. He lives in San Francisco and enjoys sailing, snowboarding, cooking, and wine.

Masa Miyashiro is a tax accountant and director on the Hamilton Zanze Finance team, handling tax reporting for HZ properties and working with national accounting firms and our investors’ CPAs to prepare tax documents. Prior to joining HZ in 2011, Masa worked as a controller for Bay West Investments and for a company that specialized in filing low-income housing and partnership tax returns.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Masa attended Menlo College on a football scholarship and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration. He has also taken tax courses at San Francisco State University and volunteered for two years on a church mission to Osaka, Japan.

Masa currently resides in the East Bay with his wife and their three boys. He is a Boy Scout Leader, coaches football and basketball, and is active in church.

Ian joined the HZ Acquisitions team in May 2022. As a director on the acquisitions team, Ian is responsible for evaluating potential acquisition opportunities and working closely with commercial brokers, lenders, and sellers. Prior to HZ, he was a Director of Capital Markets at Newmark in San Francisco. Additionally, Ian has worked at Personal Capital and Morgan Stanley.

Ian earned his B.S. in Finance from Santa Clara University, where he also played on the NCAA Baseball team. He resides in San Francisco and enjoys golfing, surfing, and spending time outdoors.

Al Rosato joined HZ in February 2023 as the Director of Database Marketing. He is responsible for modeling end-to-end marketing automation and lead generation processes and related data flows in partnership with the marketing, sales, and client services team. Additionally, he will be designing and executing data-driven programs to streamline sales, client services, and marketing processes for best-in-class prospect and investor engagement. Prior to joining HZ, Al worked at Oracle as a Director of Demand Generation. He has also worked at Salesforce.com as a Solutions Architect and Barclays Global Investors/BlackRock as a Vice President.

Al has a degree in Journalism and Advertising from Temple University. Al lives in San Francisco with his wife and daughters and enjoys traveling internationally with them.

Corey Sherk joined the Hamilton Zanze in 2018 and is now a Director on the Investor Relations team. Prior to joining HZ, Corey spent five years in medical device sales for Johnson & Johnson and Globus Medical. He also served in the U.S. Army as a Field Artillery Officer, where he had two Combat Deployments to Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division.

He earned his B.S. in Systems Engineering at West Point, where he also played NCAA football. He received his MBA in Finance from the University of San Diego.

Originally from Fork Union, Virginia, Corey currently resides in Novato with his wife, daughter, and son. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, golfing, paddle boarding, mountain biking, and hiking with his family.

Cindy joined Hamilton Zanze as Associate Director of Marketing in 2024. She is responsible for campaign and project management, and product marketing.

She brings more than 20 years of marketing experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining HZ, Cindy held various marketing roles at Barclays Global Investors, Silicon Valley Bank, and Wells Fargo.

Cindy earned an MBA from California State University, East Bay. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and fostering dogs from the local shelter.

Linda Tran joined Hamilton Zanze as Senior Counsel in March 2022. She assists HZ and affiliates on matters regarding dispositions and acquisitions, leasing and property management, risk managements, and operations.

Prior to HZ, Linda worked at Eagle Canyon Capital where she supported the company in all aspects of its commercial real estate portfolio. Preceding this, she worked at Hollander & Hollander P.C. as an estate planning attorney and assisted clients with drafting estate planning documents, trust administration, and probate matters.

Linda received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and later attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. During her time as an undergrad, she studied abroad for six months in Shanghai.

Blaise Ducharme joined the Hamilton Zanze in 2018 and is now an Associate Director on the Asset Management team.

Originally from Marin County, Blaise began his real estate career in construction. Prior to joining HZ, he analyzed deals and worked with lenders for a local developer. He also has experience in commercial property management.

He returned to the Bay Area after graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in Finance and specializations in Real Estate and Investment Management.

Kevin Saephanh joined Hamilton Zanze as the HR Manager in December 2024, overseeing all aspects of human resources. His responsibilities include job design, recruitment, employee relations, benefits, training and development, and talent management, all while fostering a workplace culture aligned with the company’s mission.

Kevin brings extensive experience across industries, including healthcare, mental health advocacy, community engagement, and finance recruitment. He specializes in talent acquisition, workforce operations and analytics, and strategic workforce planning, with a strong focus on compensation and benefits management.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from California State University, Sacramento, and a master’s degree in Human Resources with concentrations in Organizational Leadership, Compensation & Benefits Management, and Strategic Diversity from Claremont Lincoln University. He is SHRM-certified and holds credentials in Compensation Planning and Payroll, with ongoing studies toward Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) designations.

Outside of work, Kevin enjoys reading, stargazing, craft beer, and never passes up karaoke or a good trivia game.

Estella Low joined the Hamilton Zanze Finance team as an accounting manager in February 2022. Estella oversees the financial reporting and audits of our funds and other investment vehicles and assists with enhancing reporting policies and procedures.

Estella brings nine years of public accounting experience in a variety of industries, specializing mainly in the real estate industry. Prior to joining Hamilton Zanze, she worked at PwC US and KPMG Singapore as a manager in the Assurance practice, completing a rotation to KPMG US.

Estella holds a Bachelor of Finance, with a concentration in Accounting and Finance. She is a certified CPA in the states of California and Illinois and is a Chartered Accountant of Australia and New Zealand. Outside of work, Estella enjoys hiking with her dog and horseback riding.

Jeanette Lam is an Associate Director on the Hamilton Zanze Project Management team. She executes on capital expenditure projects throughout the Hamilton Zanze portfolio, with a specialization in structural projects. Jeanette also coordinates with regional service managers and consultants on capital projects and budget delivery. She provides expertise in building codes, seismic lateral system design, and construction documentation for permitting.

Jeanette joined the HZ team in October 2021. She was previously a project manager and senior design engineer at Magnusson Klemencic Associates, where she designed premier high-rise residential, office, and retail structures across the west coast, including San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, and Hawaii.

Jeanette holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of California, Irvine, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She earned her M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. Jeanette is a licensed professional engineer, structural engineer, and evaluator in the California Office of Emergency Services Safety Assessment Program. Originally from Berkeley, CA, she enjoys playing softball and golf, backpacking in the mountains, fly fishing for trout, and woodworking.

Julie Cao joined the Hamilton Zanze Finance team as an accountant in 2018. Julie helps oversee incoming and outgoing wires and fund transfer request and handles various accounts.

Prior to joining HZ, Julie grew her real estate background in accounts payable/receivable specialist roles at Starwood Waypoint Homes and Veritas Investments.

Born and raised in Oakland, Julie graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Sociology. She also earned a certificate in Accounting from UC Berkeley Extension.

Judy Chau joined the Hamilton Zanze Finance team in 2020 and is now a Senior Accountant. Judy handles the preparation of financial statements for business entities & investors, and assists in various projects for tax team, including annual tax information for our investors.

Prior to joining the HZ Finance team, Judy worked in a variety of industries including banking, freight forwarding, and residential property management. Most recently, she worked as an Accountant at Community Housing Partnership and as a Property Accountant at Chinatown Community Development Center.

Judy graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Accounting and Finance.

Diep Chu is a senior associate on the Hamilton Zanze Finance team. She joined HZ as an accountant in January 2018 following a year-long internship with HZ. Diep is responsible for preparing tax returns and investor K-1s.

While interning with HZ, Diep completed her undergraduate education at San Francisco State University, earning a degree in Finance. Diep was born in Hanoi, Vietnam and has lived in San Francisco since 2012.

Rich Cotter joined the Hamilton Zanze Finance team in July 2024 as a senior accountant. He is responsible for the financial reporting and audits of our funds and other investment vehicles. Prior to joining HZ, Rich worked as a Senior Audit Associate for Grant Thornton where he served SaaS and Financial Services clients around the bay area.

Rich earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Oregon State University. Outside of work, Rich enjoys rock climbing and disc golfing.

Annie Huang joined the HZ Finance team in July 2019 and is now a Senior Accountant. Prior to HZ, she worked mainly with non-profits and most recently, with the Internet Archive, focusing on accounting operations and analytics.

Annie earned her BA in Mathematics from UC Santa Cruz and her MBA in Finance and HR from University of St. Mary. In her free time, she does landscape photography while exploring the San Francisco Bay Area. She also helps others create memories by shooting portraits and mini sessions.

Ed Houtkooper helps HZ’s Investor Relations and Transactions teams work with investors to track and manage the documents required for an acquisition or disposition.

Ed graduated from the University of South Dakota. He retired after 30 years of work in the medical field, then joined the HZ team in 2007.

Ed was raised in South Dakota and moved to San Francisco in 1963. He still calls the city home and enjoys spending time with his six grandchildren.

Mitch joined Hamilton Zanze as Counsel in May 2023. He assists HZ and its affiliates on matters regarding dispositions and acquisitions, leasing and property management, risk management, and operations.

Prior to HZ, Mitch worked at Miller Starr Regalia where his practice focused on commercial real estate transactions including leasing, acquisitions, and dispositions for various commercial asset classes. Preceding this, he worked at Valence Law Group where he advised clients ranging from start-ups to prominent public companies on their transactional real estate needs.

Mitch received his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (now UC Law San Francisco), where he served as an Executive Notes Editor on the Hastings Business Law Journal.

He is a native San Franciscan and, in his spare time, enjoys taking trips to wine country, playing pickup soccer, and watching reruns of Better Call Saul.

Aaron Sagin joined HZ in March 2023 as a Senior Associate on the Investor Relations team. Aaron is responsible for working with existing and prospective investors to explain HZ investment vehicles and evaluate how our offerings fit with their investment goals. Prior to joining HZ, he worked at a real estate private equity firm, which specialized in multifamily and senior housing assets. He also worked as a real estate agent in San Francisco as a part of the city’s top producing team.

Aaron holds an undergraduate degree from Colorado College and an MBA from University of San Francisco. Aaron lives in San Francisco with his wife and sons, and outside of work, he flies paragliders.

Lisa Yang joined the HZ Investor Relations team in September 2021. Lisa assists the Investor Relations Team with onboarding new clients, the resale process, executing transfers for investors, subscription document review, and client outreach for document amendments.

Previously, Lisa worked for HSBC as an Associate on the Client Services team for the Corporate Trust business. She administered a list of portfolios covering Escrow, Reinsurance Trust, and Project Export Finance. Prior to HSBC, she worked at IHS Markit as a Client Success Analyst on the Municipal Products team.

Lisa is originally from New York City and earned her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo majoring in Business Administration.

Tara Landefeld joined the HZ Investor Relations team in October 2019 and is now an associate director on the Transactions team. Tara assists with deal execution, underwriting potential acquisitions, performing rent roll analyses, and creating business plans.

Previously, Tara worked for Ernst & Young, where she was promoted to the role of FSO Assurance Senior ahead of the company’s regular promotion schedule. She is a CPA licensed in California.

Tara is originally from Valencia, CA and earned her bachelor’s degree from UCSB. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer, listening to podcasts, and traveling.

Emily Lau is a senior associate on the Hamilton Zanze Finance team. She joined HZ in 2017 as an accountant. Prior to joining HZ, Emily worked as an accounting assistant, tax preparer, and staff accountant. Most recently, she was a property accountant for San Francisco-based nonprofit Community Housing Partnership.

Emily earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Armando Chenyek joined the HZ Investor Relations team in October 2019 and is now a Senior Associate. He helps respond to general inquiries and works with investors to coordinate document signings.

Previously, Armando worked in the health insurance industry, managing contracts for the delivery of health care services on behalf of Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Blue Cross. He attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate and obtained an MBA from California State University, East Bay.

Armando and his wife began investing with Hamilton Zanze in 2015. He enjoys the outdoors, taking long hikes and the occasional bike ride with his wife of 33 years, playing soccer, and going for lunchtime runs in the Presidio.

Otto Leichliter is a Communications Associate on the Hamilton Zanze Investor Relations team. Since joining in June 2024, he manages investor communications via Juniper Square and helps create investor reports, including property business plans and asset reports. He also supports the rest of the Investor Relations team. Prior to joining HZ, Otto worked as an Associate Consultant at Forrester.

Otto graduated from UC Berkeley. In his spare time, he enjoys taking his two dogs surfing on the California coast.

Charles Mak joined the Hamilton Zanze in April 2018, currently serving as a Senior Associate on the Marketing & Communications team. He helps organize the company’s visual brand and outreach.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Charles has experience in marketing, communications, and public relations while accumulating a portfolio of freelance design work.

He earned his B.A. in Design from the University of California, Davis with a minor in Economics.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Casey Merryman joined Hamilton Zanze’s Transactions team as an Acquisitions Analyst in 2024. Previously, he was Head of Property Acquisitions for a principal investment shop in San Francisco.

He holds a degree in Urban and Regional Development with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Arizona, where he also captained the club lacrosse team. In his free time, Casey enjoys fly fishing, basketball, and grilling.

Sheren joined the HZ Investor Relations team in August 2022. As an Investor Relations Associate, she is responsible for managing the resale and transfer of investments between investors, subscription document review, coordinating consent for capital events, producing investor and property reporting, and acting as a liaison for IRA custodians regarding investor’s retirement account investments.

Sheren graduated from UCLA in 2022, with her B.A in Business Economics with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Sheren is oatmeal’s biggest fan, and her friends call her “grandma” for her love of the food.

David Muñoz joined HZ in September 2022 as a Junior Data Analyst. In his role, he supports the data team with project management, data entry, and analysis, as well as using HZ data to derive insights. Prior to HZ, David was a Program Manager at a non-profit organization focused on disaster resilience and preparedness, where he partnered with the San Francisco government to build an infrastructure to support districts in San Francisco during times of distress.

David holds his B.A. in Latino Studies from San Francisco State University. He is a music production nerd and uses his spare time to learn how to produce music.

Nickolas Oar joined Hamilton Zanze in 2021 and is an Acquisitions Associate. Nickolas works with the Transactions team on underwriting potential acquisitions, performing rent roll analyses, and creating business plans.

Prior to HZ, Nickolas worked in Financial Planning & Analysis at an International FinTech startup. Nickolas earned his B.S. in Architectural Design and M.S. Candidate in Civil Engineering from Stanford, with an M.S. in Finance from Villanova.

Nickolas is a citizen of both the US and Australia.

Nico Rubino joined Hamilton Zanze as an Analyst in 2021. Nico supports the asset management team on various projects including budgeting portfolio analytics, data analytics, and new deal acquisitions review.
Nico earned his bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University, and prior to HZ, played semi-pro Ice Hockey.

Nico is a music lover, huge Formula 1 fan, and avid watcher of Game of Thrones. Outside of work, he enjoys going out and experiencing the city with his friends.

Charlene Salas joined Hamilton Zanze in 2019 as a senior accountant. Charlene assists the Finance team with the company’s corporate accounting and reporting.

Previously, Charlene worked at Hellman & Friedman for over 20 years in various capacities from Executive Assistant for the CFO to Accounts Payable Accountant, and finally as a Limited Partner Specialist. She earned her B.S. in Finance from Cal State East Bay.

Charlene enjoys hiking, cooking, and entertaining for friends, reading, gardening, and anything outdoors.

Liming Shen joined the Hamilton Zanze Finance team in 2019 as a senior accountant. She performs month-end close for corporate investment or management entities and works with the controller to analyze, enhance, and document internal controls and processes.

Prior to joining HZ, Liming worked as a senior accountant for 13 years at Rawson, Blum & Leon, a private real estate investment firm, where she managed day-to-day accounting for 30 corporate, LP, and LLC entities.

Liming graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Accounting.

Kevin Sparrow joined HZ in July 2022 as a Project Coordinator. He works closely with the Project Management team assisting with due diligence, procurement, research, and auditing. Prior to joining HZ, Kevin was a manager and product buyer for an outdoor activities store. Additionally, he has held roles at an architecture firm, a sub-prime lender, and a woodshop.

Kevin Holds a B.A. in Outdoor Product Design and Development from Utah State University and an A.A. in Art from North Seattle College. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys ultra-running, cycling, rock climbing, and surfer. Kevin currently resides in Seattle with his wife and son.

Erin Smith joined Hamilton Zanze at the beginning of 2019 and is the first graduate of the Wheel Program, through which she gained experience with each team. She now works closely with the Finance and Transactions teams as Closing Senior Associate.

Erin graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration. Originally from San Francisco, she enjoys running and trying out new restaurants around the city in her spare time.

Nikki Tang joined the Hamilton Zanze Finance and Tax team as an Administrative Assistant in October 2022. Nikki helps prepare K-1 information and tracks tax filing and payments for various business entities.

Prior to joining HZ, Nikki worked as an Accounts Receivable Specialist and Account Associate for several nonprofit organizations in San Francisco. Additionally, she has over 10 years of experience working as a Housing Counselor for a first-time home buyer program in the Bay Area.

Nikki graduated from San Francisco City College with an A.S. in Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Janna joined the HZ Human Resources team in September 2022. As the Office Administrator, Janna directs office activities and functions, prepares agendas, makes travel arrangements, and maintains calendars for senior management, and assists with new hire onboarding. Prior to HZ, Janna worked at HZ affiliate, Paramount Property Company, as an Office and Construction Administrator.

Janna earned her B.A. in Rhetoric and Communications from UC Davis.

Anna Xiao is a Senior Accountant on the Hamilton Zanze Accounting Team. She joined HZ in 2024. Prior to joining HZ, Anna worked as a Senior Accountant at a Denver-based property management company, bringing more than six years of property management accounting experience to the team.

Anna earned her master’s degrees in Accountancy and Finance from the University of Denver. In her free time, she enjoys reading and practicing yoga.

Sydney joined the HZ Investor Relations team in August 2023. As an Investor Relations Associate, she is responsible for managing the resale and transfer of investments between investors, streamlining internal processes, and handling investor inquiries. Prior to HZ, she worked at Guidepoint as a Project Manager on the Client Services team where she assisted her Private Equity and Venture Capital clients in their due diligence processes.

Sydney holds a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA. She currently resides in San Francisco and her top three favorite foods are sushi, sourdough, and hot pot.