Master's in Real Estate Development Program

Costello College of Business at ��ӽ紫ý Announces David Tarter as New Executive Director for Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship

Greg Johnson — Tue, 21 May 2024 15:10:30 +0000

Costello College of Business at ��ӽ紫ý Announces David Tarter as New Executive Director for Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship Greg Johnson Tue, 05/21/2024 - 11:10

Fairfax, Virginia (May 15, 2024)—Costello College of Business at ��ӽ紫ý proudly welcomes David Tarter as the new Executive Director for the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (CREE) and Master’s in Real Estate Development Program. As the former five term Mayor of the City of Falls Church and an attorney with decades of legal and real estate experience, Tarter will work toward expanding experiential learning opportunities while building the size, reputation, and impact of Costello’s real estate programs and the Center.

David Tarter. Photo by Jeffrey Porovich/Costello

“We are thrilled to have someone with David Tarter’s considerable experience and knowledge as our new Executive Director to take the Center to the next level,” said Ajay Vinzé, dean of the Costello College of Business. “David will enhance the experience that students have come to expect at CREE while also increasing their career readiness. His unique background and skill set will allow Costello to expand collaboration and innovation opportunities within the real estate community, for the benefit of our students.”

As Mayor of Falls Church from 2014 to 2023, Tarter was instrumental in the City’s efforts to revitalize its aging downtown and promote smart growth development. During his tenure, he led the effort for 1.2 million square feet of transit-oriented development near the West Falls Church Metro station through an innovative public-private partnership. With a focus on walkability and street level vibrancy, Tarter helped attract new businesses like Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and other grocery stores, a downtown multi-screen theater, hotels, senior living, office, and other new development. He has also testified before Congress on behalf of the City on local government matters. Prior to elected office, he chaired the City’s Economic Development Authority, which led the creation of Falls Church’s “Little City” brand.

While Mayor, he served as elected Chair of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), a coalition of 13 local governments, where he was honored by the Virginia Association of Planning Districts with the Gordon N. Dixon Award for outstanding regional leadership during the coronavirus pandemic. Tarter also was elected as the President for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a regional body comprised of elected officials from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. governments facilitating cooperation among the region’s 5.7 million residents.

He previously founded Tarter Nova Law PLC, a boutique firm specializing in commercial real estate where he was lead counsel for governmental entitlements, land use approvals, and transactions for billions of dollars of transit-oriented developments and smart growth projects, including rezonings, site plans, and special exceptions for multi-family residential, office, hotel, and special purpose projects. He has been recognized by his peers as a “Top Attorney” by Martindale-Hubbell, Northern Virginia Magazine, and Arlington Magazine.

Prior to founding his own firm, he was a partner at Lawson, Tarter & Charvet, P.C., specializing in commercial real estate where representative matters included Metropolitan Park, a master planned by internationally recognized architect Robert A.M. Stern for over 3,000 residential units and now home to Amazon HQ2, as well as the Crystal City Sector Plan, where he represented one of the region’s largest property owners in Arlington County’s 40-year plan for Crystal City.

Bridging the gap between academia and practice, the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship addresses the critical issues affecting the real estate industry and the future of the built environment. The Center supports graduate, undergraduate, and non-degree academic programs by providing scholarships for students, industry association memberships, networking opportunities, career advising, and numerous extra-curricular educational programs such as lectures from industry leaders, a unique student investment fund class, case study tours, webinars, and conferences.

To learn more about the Centers for Excellence at ��ӽ紫ý, visit business.gmu.edu/centers.

About ��ӽ紫ý
��ӽ紫ý is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolled more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

About Costello College of Business at ��ӽ紫ý
The Donald G. Costello College of Business at ��ӽ紫ý is one of the largest business schools in Virginia, and is located near Washington, D.C., and in South Korea. The AACSB-accredited college prepares undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe for career success in business and government, through its research-based faculty and focus on multi-disciplinary academic programs, inclusive entrepreneurship, modular education, and corporate partner engagement. Learn more at business.gmu.edu.

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Master's in Real Estate Development Program

Master’s in real estate alumni giving back through service on advisory board

Jennifer Anzaldi — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 16:02:56 +0000

Master’s in real estate alumni giving back through service on advisory board Jennifer Anzaldi Mon, 10/03/2022 - 12:02

In This Story

Greg Hoffman

Kristin Norris, '19

Roger S. Lin

Greg Hoffman, MRED ’16, chair of CREE advisory board

Since the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship’s (CREE) inception a dozen years ago, its advisory board, comprised of the region’s senior leaders from across the real estate industry, has been a staunch supporter of developing the next generation. “Our board members actively support programs across the university and they have been integral in funding and supporting student scholarship,” says Eric Maribojoc, CREE’s executive director. As both the center and the master’s in real estate development program (MRED) mature, former students who have advanced in their careers and become industry leaders themselves, are coming back to support the program that helped them along their way. Today, three CREE board members are MRED alumni from the School of Business, bringing with them their unique perspectives on strengths and areas for improvement in the program.

Vice President at Rooney Properties, Greg Hoffman, MRED ’16, is the new chair of the CREE advisory board and says he “joined the board when the opportunity arose to pay it forward for the next generation of students and share my perspective as an MRED alum serving on CREE to help guide future board endeavors. CREE was incredibly supportive to me as an MRED graduate student by providing access to scholarships, sponsoring industry events and supplemental learning opportunities, and cultivating the professional network I needed to launch my career in real estate development.”

Kristin Norris, MRED '19

Kristin Norris, who graduated from the MRED program in 2019, reflects on the program’s merits. “The MRED program was full of adjunct professors as well as students from all areas of the real estate industry,” she says. “This allowed for collaborative discussions with real professionals in a classroom setting, which helped me expand my knowledge of the industry as a whole, giving me an advantage as a lender when talking to clients and prospects.”

Societal and technological changes have led to a shift in priorities, but some things never change. The advisory board remains firm in its support of real estate education at ��ӽ紫ý. A few of the topics receiving more attention lately are sustainable development and affordable housing. Students educated in the MRED program leave prepared to address these issues and more. “My goals are for the CREE board to continue to enrich the MRED program by bringing industry insights and experience to the students in the MRED program and continuing to bring innovative programs that increase real estate understanding for the general public,” says Roger Lin, MRED ’16.

Roger Lin, MRED ’16

The leaders on the CREE board are incredibly valuable supporters of the university and their funding of scholarships and programs across disciplines places ��ӽ紫ý in a much more advantageous position. And as students learn how to engage in evolving real estate opportunities, they are fortunate to have real experts backing their moves.

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Master's in Real Estate Development Program

Learning by experience: Students raise $1.25 million for Student-Managed Real Estate Fund

Jennifer Anzaldi — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 03:52:54 +0000

Learning by experience: Students raise $1.25 million for Student-Managed Real Estate Fund Jennifer Anzaldi Mon, 08/22/2022 - 23:52

In This Story

Eric Maribojoc

While most students were taking a break from their studies this summer, the student managers of Patriot Real Estate Funds raised $1.25 million for the second student-managed real estate investment fund at ��ӽ紫ý.

The Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (CREE) at the School of Business established the initial student-managed real estate investment fund in 2018 to provide students of the Masters in Real Estate Development (MRED) program a unique experiential learning opportunity. With real money raised from outside investors, this is one of only a few similar programs offered at universities across the country, and allows students the chance to study, recommend, and manage investments in commercial real estate properties in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.

“The class is an education on the wide variety of risks and returns from different commercial real estate property types,” says Eric Maribojoc, the executive director of CREE. “The students have looked at apartment, office, retail, self-storage, and industrial deals. They learn investment and asset management skills. They have professional interactions with industry executives and professionals.”

The first fund, Patriot Real Estate Fund I, raised $750,000, and four years after launch, the 40 students who have gone through the program had fully invested the funds in ten properties, among them a

Hanna Picardi, MRED '22

medical office property in Gainesville, an apartment building under construction in Washington D.C., and an established shopping center in suburban Baltimore. This June, the current student managers raised the $1.25 million for a new fund, which will extend this experiential learning opportunity to the next generations of real estate students at Mason.

“The student fund has been one of my favorite experiences in the MRED program. Its real-world application is invaluable. It is an amazing educational tool and resume booster,” says Hanna Picardi, a recent graduate of the MRED program and one of this year’s fund managers. “I learned how to analyze a potential investment from A to Z, how to manage that investment over time, and how to determine if we’re getting paid for the risks we may take on. I learned not only from the professor, but also through my peers, through interviews with sponsors, through committee board members, and through visits to investment sites.”

Rod Alemi, MRED ’20

Rod Alemi, MRED ’20, agrees that the program’s educational benefits and impact on students’ careers is invaluable. “The student fund plays a vital role in cultivating up and coming real estate professionals going through the MRED program,” says Alemi. “It enhances the value of the MRED program by providing real world investment opportunities for students interested in pursuing the real estate investments and acquisitions career path.” After graduating from the MRED program, Alemi successfully moved from his job at a construction firm to a real estate investment company.

Tyler Kasak, MRED ’18

Tyler Kasak, MRED ’18, values the experiential learning opportunity. “The fact that we were dealing with real capital really forced us to be extremely thoughtful and thorough when looking at potential investment opportunities,” says Kasak. “Pitching a potential deal to the highly experienced investment committee taught me how to prepare and answer important questions. That experience was tough and a little nerve-wracking, but extremely rewarding. The experience had such a positive effect on me. I was pleased to hear about the second fund, which will continue to offer more students the amazing experience I was granted.”

For more information about the student-managed real estate investment fund, please contact Eric Maribojoc at rmariboj@gmu.edu .

Learn more about the Master's in Real Estate Development program here.

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Impact Fall 2023

MS in real estate development program wins NAIOP MD/DC Chapter’s 2022 Capital Challenge

Jennifer Anzaldi — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 15:45:22 +0000

MS in real estate development program wins NAIOP MD/DC Chapter’s 2022 Capital Challenge Jennifer Anzaldi Tue, 06/28/2022 - 11:45

NAIOP Victors

A team of students from ��ӽ紫ý School of Business’ master of science in real estate development (MRED) program recently won the NAIOP MD/DC Chapter’s 2022 Capital Challenge. This year’s win marks the program’s fifth victory in the Capitol Challenge in the last ten years.

NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, is the leading real estate organization across North America. Every year, the NAIOP DC|MS Chapter hosts the Capital Challenge, a competition in which teams of real estate students from universities in the Washington, D.C., area compete to create the best development plan for a challenging, real-world property. The teams must use both their creativity and analytical skills to assess and plan the project, balancing the property’s potential with financial feasibility. This year’s team triumphed against competition from three local schools.

Kat Grimsley, former director of the MRED program, believes the challenge provides a fantastic opportunity for students to apply and demonstrate their learning. “We are excited to participate in the Capital Challenge every year because the intensity [and] complexity of the projects creates a fantastic opportunity for our students to demonstrate and hone their skills,” says Grimsley. “I appreciate all the effort and dedication our team put into this victory! I’d also like to thank the team’s consultants for their support and NAIOP MD/DC for making the Challenge possible each year.”

The students who compete in the Capital Challenge are selected on a competitive basis from current MRED students. Faculty advisor Mark Hassinger provided guidance and support for the following team of Mason students:

Aimee Fogarty (Vice President at Hammes)
Thomas Forde (Director of Facility Space Planning at Children's National Hospital)
Matthew Koss (Project Manager at Davis Construction)
Monique Morales (Assistant Project Manager at Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.)
Chassidy Reese (ARNG Risk Reduction/Substance Abuse Program Manager at the National Guard Bureau)
Kristin Ullman (Development Assistant at Peterson Companies)

According to Hassinger, Mason students have a history of demonstrating excellence in the competition: “It is an honor and pleasure to coach these very bright and dedicated real estate professionals/students. The participants (past and current) have taken [the] Challenge very seriously and have set a very high bar for each team. It is this created culture that allows Mason to field a very competitive team each and every year!”

For this year’s project, students were assigned two tasks: 1) Create an adaptive reuse plan for an existing vacant mall, and 2) Propose a redevelopment plan for the mall, with few restrictions. Mason students provided viable options for both tasks. The cornerstone of the winning solution was their plan for a dynamic, walkable, mixed-use community comprising rental and for-sale residential units, stores, restaurants, and other public features, which would maximize the property’s potential while remaining within the owner’s budget.

Tom Forde, one of the Mason students who competed, says the process was challenging but rewarding. “The NAIOP Capital Challenge gave our team the opportunity to test our analytical abilities in a real-world application; and to see how our proposal compared to the competition. It was an intense six weeks to go from problem statement to solution presentation, but the experience is real and rewarding. Our success is a testament to the leadership and guidance of our coaches and instructors, and to the power of networking, research, and critical thinking,” Forde says.

The team earned a $10,000 prize, as well as the coveted NAIOP trophy, which will be on display at the Mason Square Campus for the next year. The master’s in real estate development is a 36 credit, in-person program run out of the Mason Square (Arlington) Campus. The programs enrolls new students each Fall and Spring term.

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Evolving Solutions for the Global Affordable Housing Crisis

Marianne Klinker — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 18:55:16 +0000

Evolving Solutions for the Global Affordable Housing Crisis Marianne Klinker Fri, 01/14/2022 - 13:55

In This Story

Kat Grimsley

Increasingly, people around the world – even in wealthier countries -- are struggling to afford quality housing. Nearly one-fifth of lower-income households in the OECD countries are housing cost overburdened, meaning they spend more than 40 percent of their income on rent or mortgage payments. The United Nations has made affordable housing a top priority, directly addressed in U.N. Sustainable Development Goal No. 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”. A primary target associated with Goal No. 11 is “By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing.”

C. Kat Grimsley

C. Kat Grimsley, former director of the Masters in Real Estate Development program at Mason, was one of six co-authors and core researchers on a recent U.N. report on affordable housing, in line with United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)’s #Housing2030 initiative. Grimsley’s contribution to the Housing2030 report follows on from her involvement as Vice-Chair of the UNECE Housing and Land Management Advisory Group.

As Grimsley succinctly describes the report, “It’s a toolbox of really interesting, creative examples of policies and solutions that have worked in different contexts.”

Though the report presents a range of measures to choose from, Grimsley warns that affordable housing solutions don’t always travel well across borders. She says, “Vienna, Austria is well known as a benchmark for affordable housing. What people don’t realize is it’s only possible because of the specific way culture and physical reconstruction intersected with policy development at the end of the two world wars.”

For Grimsley, the major theme that jumps out of the report is the complexity of the global crisis. No one step will solve it. Each country – indeed, each locality – would have to build its own portfolio of solutions. The Housing2030 report can help policymakers understand the vast array of tools that may be at their disposal. But it cannot deliver the political will required to take on such a systemic shift in how housing markets currently operate.

Speaking of the United States, Grimsley says, “We have the ability to construct the housing that we need; unfortunately, a range of complex, inter-related factors often stymie our progress. If we don’t address the very real underlying policy issues, the problem will likely still be here in ten years’ time. The good news is that affordable housing issues are increasingly receiving the attention they deserve and there is a robust, growing global community of people working to find solutions.”

The 188-page report compiles and analyzes effective solutions from around the world, organized into four categories: governance, finance and investment, land policy, and climate neutrality – this last issue being key to providing housing at scale without significant impact to the natural environment. Novel solutions for governance include the Slovakian State Housing Policy, which has instituted a five-year planning system that works across policy silos. For example, the 2010-2015 plan, centered on sustainability, involved six different government ministries as well as action by Parliament. With this approach, Slovakia is meeting its targets for affordability, quality, and sustainability of its housing stock.

The report’s finance and investment solutions include the Netherlands’ point-based rent controls, in which the cost of low-income housing is pegged to an official government score assigned to each property based on room size, energy efficiency, etc. Also mentioned, Albania’s unique National Housing Agency has transformed itself from a conventional government agency into a state-owned enterprise that has become financially self-sustaining and acts more like an independent real-estate developer.

In the arena of land policies, one example mentioned in the report is “density bonuses” that permit developers in cities where housing is at a premium, like San Francisco, to construct taller buildings than normal in exchange for integrating a certain amount of low-income housing into the scheme. The city council of Vienna, Austria, requires that subsidized housing occupy at least two-thirds of floor space any time greenfield land is recaptured and converted for residential use.

Many governments are deploying various combinations of public loans, funds, and grants to enable the construction of affordable, carbon-neutral housing. Denmark, for example, has committed four billion euros to bring existing social housing stock up to contemporary energy standards. This is expected to reduce emissions by up to 50,000 tonnes of C02. Estonia had hoped to accomplish a similar upgrade through 2018 legislation that made landlords more responsible for the quality and energy efficiency of homes, especially in rural areas. But the new regulations proved difficult to enforce, leading the government to use a mix of loans, guarantees, grants, and technological initiatives to refurbish all residential buildings built before 2000.

The effects of the affordable housing crisis have been exacerbated by the other wicked problems of the 21st century, including climate change, economic challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic. “These crises have had profound consequences for people and the planet”, the conclusion to the report states. The need for timely strategies bridging all four categories contained in the report could not be greater.

In addition to the report, the #Housing2030 website features videos and podcasts on such topics as investing in affordable housing, the “cocktail of change” affecting global cities and Covid-19’s impact on housing accessibility.

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Master's in Real Estate Development Program Director on Engaging with the United Nations

Marianne Klinker — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 20:18:42 +0000

Master's in Real Estate Development Program Director on Engaging with the United Nations Marianne Klinker Fri, 12/03/2021 - 15:18

In This Story

Kat Grimsley

C. Kat Grimsley, former director of the MS in Real Estate Development program, has made international engagement a central part of her professional career. She currently serves as an advisory member of the Real Estate Markets (REM) advisory group to the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). In 2019, she was elected by this international body to serve as the group’s 2020 vice chair.

Kat Grimsley

The intergovernmental committee is the highest policymaking body of the UNECE in housing, urban development, and land management. Within the committee’s umbrella of operations, REM comprises 27 members from 18 countries.

“As an advisory member and vice chair,” says Grimsley, “I manage special projects and contribute subject expert advice in policy areas that support the mission of the committee and provide guidance to UNECE Member States (national governments as well as their local governments).”

Grimsley’s recent involvement is not the first time she’s worked with the United Nations. She served as the working group lead to update previous guidance and create new material for the UN related to condominium housing. “In this role I helped to provide current policy and organizational guidance to UNECE Member States for use at national, regional, or local levels, depending on existing legal frameworks,” says Grimsley. Grimsley presented this guidance to international audiences including to foreign ministry leadership of UNECE Member States and to the committee.

Grimsley’s latest project is the drafting of the #Housing2030 report in cooperation with UNECE, UN Habitat, and Housing Europe. She is a member of a six-person team whose goal is to improve the conditions of persons living in poverty by creating a “tool kit” focused on raising awareness of best practices and innovative solutions in affordable housing policy that can be used by governments in Europe and beyond.

Grimsley says she first became involved with the UNECE in 2012 while pursuing her doctorate. “I offered to be a research resource to support their needs,” says Grimsley. “That relationship evolved over time into quite a productive collaboration. For younger professionals trying to become involved with a particular group, my advice is to support the organization to the best of your ability and build long-term relationships you never know what future opportunities will come from your efforts.”

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Changing the Rules of the Game in Commercial Real Estate Development

Marianne Klinker — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:36:43 +0000

Changing the Rules of the Game in Commercial Real Estate Development Marianne Klinker Fri, 12/03/2021 - 11:36

In This Story

Kat Grimsley

If you imagine that commercial real estate development would be a classic male-dominated profession, you’d be right. “When I started in commercial real estate in 2001, I worked a commercial brokerage firm,” says Kat Grimsley, PhD, former director of the Master of Science in Real Estate Development program at the ��ӽ紫ý School of Business. “We had a full floor of an office building on Connecticut Avenue in D.C., and all the brokerage professionals and managers were men, apart from the one female broker who hired me.”

Fast forward to 2020. A report by the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network found that women now represent 36.7 percent of the commercial real estate industry. As in most industries, however, equality in wages and leadership is still an issue. For example, in 2020, the fixed salary gap between genders was 10.2 percent and female representation in real estate C-suite positions was only 9 percent.

Continuing the trend of positive change will likely come from women driving an evolutionary change in the industry, or by circumventing the old-school architype by building their own business. “Women are very well aware of the opportunities,” says Grimsley, “and there are a lot of talented women in our industry.”

A 2019 New York Times article highlighted MaryAnne Gilmartin, founder of L&L MAG, a real estate development company with an all-women team. In the article, Gilmartin said she knows “exactly where to go to find the right woman for every single part of the deal.”

In other words, there’s nothing about commercial real estate development that requires a particular gender.

Kat Grimsley

Grimsley brings both her expertise and her perspective to the MS in Real Estate Development program. “We want to prepare all our students to be successful in their chosen career paths, both through traditional subjects and also as they engage with contemporary issues. As the industry continues to evolve, a diverse skill set is needed to engage with the increasingly diverse and sophisticated range of opportunities—and women have an important contribution to make going forward.”

Grimsley began her career in the private sector doing market research, financial modeling, and transactional work with commercial real estate. She transitioned to a global focus when she accepted a role managing an international property development portfolio for the U.S. Department of State, in which she developed acquisition strategies for embassies in more than 25 countries.

“My parents had investment properties, and so I had always planned to go into commercial real estate,” says Grimsley. “That’s the case for a certain percentage of our students as well—15 percent or so come from families who have investment properties, so they're coming to us with an entrepreneurial spirit and the goal of becoming more sophisticated investors and developers.”

Women come to the master’s program from a variety of backgrounds. Most are on the commercial side of the industry, but some come from residential real estate backgrounds. Perhaps unlike 20 years ago, current female students have experience in all sectors of the industry including construction management, architecture, finance/banking, property management, and many others. All represent components of the enormous variety of disciplines needed for a successful commercial real estate development project.

The MS in Retail Estate Development focuses on advanced principles of commercial real estate development, leadership, and entrepreneurial approaches in the field.

The program operates in partnership with the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (CREE), which provides students with the opportunity to connect with the Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., real estate development community.

“Networking has always been an important part of commercial real estate,” Grimsley explains, “and I have always found the women in our industry especially supportive of each other. Through CREE, we are able to offer our students the opportunity to attend a variety of extracurricular industry events to expand their networks further their career goals.”

As more women enter commercial real estate development—particularly in practices conceived and led by women—redefining expectations and values are changing the rules of the game.

“Today, there are more women in leadership roles, wonderful female role models in the industry, and more women’s leadership conferences, says Grimsley. “There are more resources and we're moving in the right direction.”

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Transforming Today’s Military Leaders into Tomorrow’s Business Leaders

Marianne Klinker — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 16:46:57 +0000

Transforming Today’s Military Leaders into Tomorrow’s Business Leaders Marianne Klinker Fri, 11/12/2021 - 11:46

��ӽ紫ý’s School of Business is committed to the active-duty military service members and veterans who come to Mason to enhance their education. Located in the Washington, D.C., area, Mason offers many benefits to active-duty service members and veterans, many of whom choose to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill that provides them funding for tuition, required fees, books, and housing. The bill covers all tuition costs for an in-state public college. At a private institution, annual tuition is capped at a nationwide threshold. For many students taking advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the entire Mason degree program is fully funded.

Meet three recent graduates who have taken advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill as they share their reasons for attending Mason’s School of Business and their advice to others following in their footsteps.

Tyler Kasak

MS Real Estate Development ’18
Veteran, U.S. Air Force
Asset Manager, General Services Administration

After six years as an active-duty enlisted member in the U.S. Air Force serving as an aircraft engine maintenance technician and a member of the regional USAF Honor Guard, Tyler Kasak sought out Mason’s MS in Real Estate Development Program. For Kasak, Mason offered the best value within the Washington, D.C., area and one of the best educations in the country.

“With most private schools in the area being very expensive, you can get close to hitting the GI Bill threshold in one fulltime semester of grad school. At Mason, the entire degree program was covered.

“I know many veterans who have access to such amazing benefits but are intimidated about the process. I would emphasize how easy it was at Mason. The veterans and military office is always willing to talk and help you through whatever problems you have.”

As for his time in the program, Kasak says his group work with fellow students was most memorable for him. “I was always surrounded by fun, like-minded, and good people. Some of the members of my project group from my first semester are still some of my closest friends to this day and are thriving in the real estate industry,” says Kasak.

Following graduation, Kasak started a real estate development and investment company called Kastle REDI LLC. “With Kastle REDI, I plan to develop and invest in residential real estate assets throughout the East Coast. I am utilizing the knowledge I have learned and the relationships I have built through my Mason MS in real estate development degree in order to do so.”

His advice: “I would suggest maintaining your network and the connections that have been cultivated through ��ӽ紫ý and the School of Business. Nothing is more exciting than seeing your friends and fellow students grow in their careers. You also never know when you may need their help, or they may need yours.”

Felicity Wiafe Akenten

BS Accounting’18, MS Accounting ’19
Finance Technician and Staff Accountant, U.S. Army Reserve

Felicity Wiafe Akenten says she chose Mason for her MS in accounting because of the reputation of the School of Business and its location. “Mason is highly praised, and graduates are easily placed into the workforce. Also, I knew I wanted to work in Washington, D.C., so I wanted a school in the area for ease.”

Yet, the support she received from fellow students, faculty, and staff is what made the difference for her. “During what I considered my lowest academic moment [when] I thought about dropping a difficult class, Professor Ingram encouraged me not to drop it and assured me I could definitely do better.”

Akenten says she appreciated the events held by Mason’s Office of Military Services. “They organized activities for military and veterans such as resume polishing, mock interviews, and job opportunities specifically for the military. I think it’s great that Mason has a veteran’s office, as not every school does, and they try to do events to meet students’ needs.”

For Akenten, her main goal of pursuing her master’s degree was to obtain the 150 credits required for her CPA license, which she hopes will open additional doors in her career. Her advice: “Whatever you do in the workplace reflects upon Mason, so I would advise all Mason alumni and those about to enter into the workforce to be as diligent and professional as they can, because they become Mason ambassadors once they mention they graduated from Mason. Employers will be willing to hire other Mason students based on their performance and behavior.”

Major Patrick James Jones

Executive MBA ’19
Congressional Appropriations Liaison and Financial Management Officer, U.S. Marine Corps

Major Patrick James Jones entered the Executive MBA program in hopes that the degree would supplement his career experience and help him become a better financial manager in the U.S. Marines.

With a few Patriots already in the family—his sister-in-law and wife are both Mason grads— Jones says he was drawn to Mason because of the Executive MBA’s course schedule. “Weekend classes allowed me to focus on work and family during the week.”

For Jones, Mason’s commitment to active duty military was impressive. “Mason’s Military Services Office has been extremely helpful and responsive whenever I had questions about VA [Veterans Affairs] services. I enjoyed the fact that the folks working in the office were also veterans and students I could talk with about our experiences at school.”

His advice: “Do your best to maintain balance in your life. We all went to school to refine certain skills, obtain new ones, and become better at our jobs, but in pursuit of our new career goals, don’t get too caught up and forget to take care of your mental, spiritual, and physical health.”

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Costello College of Business at ���ӽ紫ý Announces David Tarter as New Executive Director for Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship

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Master’s in real estate alumni giving back through service on advisory board

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Learning by experience: Students raise $1.25 million for Student-Managed Real Estate Fund

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MS in real estate development program wins NAIOP MD/DC Chapter’s 2022 Capital Challenge

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Evolving Solutions for the Global Affordable Housing Crisis

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Master's in Real Estate Development Program Director on Engaging with the United Nations

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Changing the Rules of the Game in Commercial Real Estate Development

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Transforming Today’s Military Leaders into Tomorrow’s Business Leaders

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Major Patrick James Jones

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Costello College of Business at ��ӽ紫ý Announces David Tarter as New Executive Director for Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship