GET TO KNOW OUR KICK A$$ TEAM
Say hello to some of the smartest, most talented real estate investment and property management professionals in the Midwest. See how we fill the trophy case while keeping it unapologetically positive.
The Big Dogs
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Dominic A. Sergi
As CEO of Clear Height Properties, Dominic is responsible for setting the company’s vision and long-term investment strategy.
Since 2010, he has led the team in acquiring, developing, and selling nearly $500 million in assets.
Dominic is active in a variety of industry, community, and charitable organizations. He’s a member of the local real estate chapters of NAIOP, SIOR, ULI and REIA, as well as PAWS Chicago, USO of Illinois and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In addition, he serves on the boards of several companies, including Conversion Energy Systems and BizAssure.
Dominic is a licensed managing broker with the State of Illinois.
Chief Property Operations Officer and Co-Founder
Joe M. Sergi
Originally joining the firm in 2015 as COO, Joe stepped into his role as chief revenue officer in 2020. As CRO, Joe has responsibility for property management, construction and development projects, and business development. He also contributes to the overall vision and direction of the firm.
During his time at Clear Height, the company has experienced significant growth in portfolio size, service offerings and employees.
Prior to joining Clear Height, Joe was senior vice president for Rex Electric & Technologies, and worked for Newmark Knight Frank and Sergi Farms.
Joe is involved with various civic and philanthropic organizations, most notably as a founding member of the Nicholas D. Sergi Foundation, established to honor the memory of his brother. He has also been a board member and director of the USO of Illinois and BOMA Chicago, a founding member of the City of Hope Future Leaders Board and a board member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, receiving their Man of the Year Award in 2009.
Phone:312.929.0984
Chief Operating Officer and President
Gary Rose
Gary oversees all aspects of Clear Height management, leasing and construction divisions, and is responsible for helping to grow portfolio, private equity, and institutional relationships.
Before joining the firm in 2018, Gary oversaw asset management, disposition, and acquisition efforts at Equity Group Investments, where he focused on a portfolio of private real estate investments, ranging from retail and hospitality to industrial and infrastructure, controlled by Sam Zell.
Gary has also served as vice president of asset management at Ares Management, where he developed and executed value-add business plans for a diverse portfolio of domestic equity and debt real estate investments. He has also held positions at Wrightwood Capital and PwC. Gary holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Michigan Business School. He is a CPA and a licensed managing broker with the State of Illinois.
Phone:312.471.1180
Chief Financial Officer
R. Todd Barthell
As CFO, Todd Barthel overseas accounting and taxation for Clear Height Properties’ portfolio and he’s keenly focused on strategic growth.
Todd brings twenty years of experience in major accounting and investment management firms to his role at Clear Height. Before joining the team, he was the director of accounting for Expansive, a forward-thinking-flex-office real estate investment and management firm in Chicago, where he was responsible for the firm’s quarterly investor reporting, as well as all aspects of the firms’ audit, tax, and treasury responsibilities.
Prior to Expansive, Todd was chief accounting officer at Trilogy Real Estate Group—an award-winning national multifamily and commercial real estate group based in River North. Todd provided leadership in audit, tax, treasury, investor reporting, and property accounting.
He has previously worked at LaSalle Investment Management, Ernst & Young, and RSM McGladrey.
During his career Barthel has developed reporting for funds totaling over $1 billion of AUM; managed cross-functional teams of accountants, analysts, property managers and support staff; and has been responsible for the creation of both 10-K and 10-Q financial reports.
Todd’s energy and experience make him an ideal fit for the Clear Height team, and his real estate financing and accounting knowledge, along with a track record of building efficient teams and processes, will help us continue to grow our portfolios across all areas of the business.
Todd holds a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, including majors in finance, real estate, and management of organizations. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Illinois.
Phone:312.263.1655
Managing Director of Acquisitions
Robin Stolberg
Robin leads Clear Height’s acquisition team, guiding investment decisions and managing the team’s activities.
Clear Height’s acquisition team sources investment opportunities and is responsible for growing the investment portfolio of real estate assets.
Before joining Clear Height Properties, Robin spent 18 years with JLL’s Chicago office—as an industrial market broker concentrating on Chicago agency, tenant representation and property sale projects, then moving into capital markets and private capital transactions.
Robin holds a BS in economics and finance with a concentration in real estate from the University of Illinois. He is a former board director of the Association of Industrial Real Estate Brokers (AIRE). He also serves as a board director of the Children’s Brittle Bone Foundation (CBBF).
Phone:847.807.6817
The Pack
Director of Property Management
Kurt Angst
Kurt is responsible for oversight of Clear Height’s asset base, including tenant relations, process management, building oversight and maintenance, risk management, as well as leasing and disposition/acquisition support.
Kurt brings over 12 years of commercial real estate experience and 16+ years in overall team management. Prior to joining Clear Height, Kurt served as a senior asset manager for HSA Commercial Real Estate where he oversaw 45+ assets spanning 11 states and worked with private investors and joint venture partnerships to maximize profits while controlling operating expenses. Kurt also worked for DCT Industrial, Inc. as a senior property manager/broker responsible for approximately 50 assets totaling nearly 12 million square feet.
Kurt is a graduate of Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business. He is a licensed real estate broker with the State of Illinois.
Phone:630.669.9388
Accounting Manager
Michelle Baio
Starting her career at Jones Lang LaSalle, and most recently, Accounting Manager at Ashley Capital, Michelle brings more than 20 years of accounting experience to Clear Height Properties.
Her discipline, positivity and dedication to lifelong learning make Michelle a perfect addition to the Clear Height team. She helps us facilitate process improvements that align with our objectives in the industrial real estate space and accounting best practices.
Michelle holds a master’s degree in accounting and financial management from Keller Graduate School of Management. She also received her bachelor’s degree, as well as certifications in e-business and entrepreneurship, from Lewis University.
Phone:630.401.0841
Director of Asset Management
Kevin Bufalino
At Clear Height, Kevin oversees the growth and management of the company’s investment portfolio. He coordinates and manages the execution of each asset’s business plan by maximizing asset value and timing its disposition. Kevin also assists in the sourcing, execution and closing of new acquisitions.
Kevin brings more than a decade of experience to Clear Height. Most recently, he was a vice president for Geller Capital Partners, responsible for the acquisition and asset management of the firm’s $750M hospitality portfolio. Kevin began his career in the Ernst & Young real estate practice, with experience in the office, multifamily, senior housing, hospitality and industrial sectors.
Kevin holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MSA from the University of Notre Dame. He is a licensed CPA in the State of Illinois.
Phone:312.263.1655
Project Manager, Project and Development Services
Brock Chenier
Brock brings more than four years of real estate and construction industry experience to the firm, most recently as assistant project manager at Savills, Inc. In his two years with the company, he helped manage more than one million square feet of tenant projects.
At Clear Height, Brock assists in the management of third-party assignments as well as construction and development services projects.
Brock holds a degree in finance from the University of Minnesota.
Phone:630.464.1863
Executive Coordinator
Kailey Cooper
As executive coordinator, Kailey takes responsibility for communication and oversight of daily operations within the property management and project and development services departments. Kailey joined the team at Clear Height Properties in 2018, with more than six years of experience in office administration, facility management, tenant relations, event planning and hospitality.
Phone:312.667.0817
Property Accountant
Deborath Crawley
With a reputation for effectively producing great results and more than 15 years accounting experience in commercial real estate, Deborath joined Clear Height in 2021.
She is responsible for ensuring daily transactional flow of cash receipts and accounts receivable.
In previous CRE positions, Deborath has worked with large, national investment firms with significant US office portfolios. Deborath holds a BS in Business Administration from DePaul University.
Phone:312.937.3218
Property Operations Manager
Kate Czerwinski
At Clear Height Properties, Kate oversees tenant relations, building maintenance and monthly investor reporting.
Kate’s experience includes working as an onsite real estate manager with CBRE, overseeing a Class A office property in Downers Grove, Illinois. During her time in that role, the building maintained a 95%-plus occupancy rate, and her team was often recognized for outstanding tenant relations and tenant retention. Kate has also been a property manager with The Dilweg Companies in Atlanta, where she was directly responsible for managing five Class A office and flex properties totaling nearly 1.0 million square feet.
Kate is a graduate of Colorado State University and continues her CRE education with BOMA and CCIM as a real property administrator and certified commercial investment member candidate. She is a licensed real estate broker with the State of Illinois.
Phone:312.319.2686
Senior Accountant
Tyler Egan
Before joining Clear Height Properties, Tyler honed his accounting skills at Grant Thornton, where he performed sell-side financial due diligence for mergers and acquisitions and was recognized for his ability to deliver clear reports and recommendations.
His insights into historical financial performance, industry trends and target companies’ financial health translate well to the industrial real estate sector, and his dedication to team success suits the Clear Height Properties’ culture to a T.
Tyler earned his MBA and bachelor’s degree from North Central College. He is a licensed CPA in Illinois.
Phone:773.425.1643
Senior Property Manager
Madison Forster
Responsible for managing assets within the Clear Height portfolio, Madison takes charge of tenant relations, renovations and maintenance, investor reporting, risk management, and more.
Madison comes to Clear Height with more than a decade of experience in property management and tenant relations. As a property manager for Sterling Bay, she optimized building operations and operating budgets for hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial real estate. Prior to that, she was with CommonWealth Partners, where she coordinated services for the 1.2 million s.f. Harris Bank Building.
An Illinois real estate licensee and BOMA Emerging Leader Committee chair, Madison is well involved in the CRE community. She holds a BA in business communication and is pursuing RPA® certification.
Phone:312.882.8535
Controller
Jennifer Higgins
Joining the firm in 2021, Jennifer delivers more than 20 years of accounting experience within the commercial real estate industry. She has worked with one of the major international brokerage firms, one of the largest owners of office properties and with smaller, entrepreneurial real estate firms.
Jennifer works closely with the CFO on portfolio transactions and has been integral to developing accounting processes and procedures. She also manages Clear Height accounting teams as well as day-to-day accounting and monthly financial reporting.
Phone:312.755.8597
Property Manager
Nicole Hood
Nicole brings more than twelve years of experience managing complex properties, motivating teams and providing exceptional customer support to her role at Clear Height.
In her previous position with Rothbart Realty Company, Nicole managed commercial and industrial properties across more than 40 locations, providing 24-hour support as well as handling all maintenance, lease administration and service contracts. Before that, she oversaw a portfolio of more than 900,000 sq. ft. of commercial and retail space and coordinated a team of seven at Imperial Realty Company.
Trained as a paralegal and realty professional, Nicole understands rental law and municipal regulations as well as the value of outstanding customer service. She works closely with the Clear Height director of property management, vendors and service providers to ensure exceptional responsiveness and tenant satisfaction.
Phone:224.241.1128
Director of Leasing
Max Hoye
With over a decade in commercial real estate, Max brings a strong perspective to his role as our Director of Leasing. His experience spans acquisition, asset management, leasing, and property management.
Prior to his engagement with Clear Height, Max led portfolio management and business creation as Vice President for a regional real estate investment firm. Max has been recognized for outstanding property management of NBC Tower and O’Hare Plaza, commercial assets exceeding one million square feet each located in Chicago. He has also gained experience as a commercial broker and portfolio manager for real estate firms located in the Midwest.
Max is a licensed managing broker in the State of Illinois, graduated from Western Illinois University and holds a Commercial Real Estate Analysis and Investment Certificate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture. He also sits on the City of Naperville Building Review Board.
Max resides in the West Suburbs and enjoys spending his time with family, on the golf course or cooking a new dish.
Phone:630.618.1526
Analyst, Asset Management and Acquisitions
Kevin Joyce
A lifelong athlete, Kevin brings a team-first attitude to Clear Height Properties. He collaborates with the CEO and the asset management and acquisitions team to help evaluate and underwrite new investment opportunities, as well as support strategic oversight of leasing, operations, and disposition efforts for industrial and office properties.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in real estate from Notre Dame, Kevin gained additional experience with Transwestern Real Estate Services in Chicago. He is integrally involved as a volunteer with The Growing Initiative, an organization that supplies fresh produce to food banks.
Phone:847.648.3747
Analyst, Asset Management and Acquisitions
Hunter Larson
With strong skills in data analysis and modeling, Hunter works closely with Clear Height Properties leadership and assists the asset management and acquisition teams with underwriting, deal analysis, due diligence and more.
After studying economics, finance and general business at Miami University, Hunter worked as a capital markets analyst at Ryan Companies in Minnesota where he focused on underwriting prospective acquisitions and development projects on all asset classes.
Phone:612.554.2242
Director of Acquisitions
Ryan Maher
As a director of acquisitions, Ryan leverages CRE experience and deep relationships within the community to his position identifying and evaluating opportunities. His goal is to further relationships with brokers to facilitate deal making within the Chicago market and across the Midwest.
Before joining Clear Height, Ryan was a broker in the Chicago offices of NAI Hiffman, working with a brokerage team recognized by Crain’s as a Most Influential Brokerage Team in Chicago. The team was the 2017 NAIOP Office Transaction of the Year Award Recipient, 2017 Chicago Food Depository Real Estate Award Brokerage Transaction of the Year Nominee, 2018 and 2019 Chicago Food Depository Real Estate Awards Office Broker of the Year Finalist, and a CoStar Power Broker Recipient. Involved in more than 250 transactions, Ryan represented private companies, financial institutions, investors and developers in the leasing, acquisition, and disposition of commercial assets.
Ryan is a licensed broker with the State of Illinois.
Phone:630.303.1473
Director of Acquisitions
Rick Nevarez
A 10+ year commercial real estate veteran, Rick began his career with global industrial real estate investment trust Prologis, where he oversaw six million square feet of industrial and office real estate and coordinated multi-million-dollar disposition of industrial real estate to the City of Chicago/O’Hare modernization project.
Rick also worked at ML Realty Partners and assisted with the strategic leasing and disposition of Bridgestone Americas’ industrial real estate portfolio.
Rick is involved in the DePaul Real Estate Alumni Alliance; is a graduate of DePaul University, Driehaus College of Business; and is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Illinois.
Phone:312.300.6857
Executive Coordinator
Ashley O’Hara Marin
With experience spanning commercial property management and tenant relations as well as marketing, technology and managing teams, Ashley brings great energy and insight to Clear Height Properties.
Ashley collaborates with property management, project and leadership groups at Clear Height to ensure efficient operations across the company. She is recognized for her exceptional client relations skills as well as an ability to jump in quickly to move projects across the finish line.
Ashley is a graduate of the University of Missouri and a licensed real estate broker in the State of Illinois.
Phone:312.263.1655
Executive Coordinator
Lisa Penrod
Over her 20+-year career, Lisa has established herself as a meticulous, highly organized customer service, project management and finance professional.
A natural problem solver, Lisa ensures clear collaboration and communication between Clear Height Properties’ leadership, asset management and acquisitions groups. Her contributions to the company’s success span day-to-day administrative support and helping ensuring accuracy in building sales, purchases, and investor reporting.
Lisa holds dual bachelor’s degrees in business management and business finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Phone:312.248.7021
Director of Culture and Talent
Meredith Pond
Responsible for advancing Clear Height Properties’ value-driven, people-first culture, Meredith lives by the philosophy that a happy team is a productive team.
Meredith manages Clear Height Properties’ human resources initiatives, including performance management, training and coaching, employee recognition, and all activities involved in attracting and supporting a superior, inclusive workforce. She also leads culture initiatives, which are focused on embedding the firm’s values into everything we do.
Meredith honed her skills and perspective over nearly ten years in HR strategy and administration at Kaleidoscope. She holds Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SCP) awards, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Career Enhancement Certificate in human resources from Illinois State University.
Phone:312.263.1655
Director of Property Operations
Lauren Posey
Lauren brings over eight years of financial and accounting experience to her position as director of property operations at Clear Height.
Lauren oversees the property operations department, a group designed to bridge property management and accounting functions, to problem solve and seek opportunities across the organization. Her team works behind the scenes with all Clear Height Properties’ departments to streamline analytics, communications and decision making.
Before joining Clear Height, Lauren held accounting and property management positions at JLL, as well as various positions at Northern Trust, MidWestOne Bank and The National Bank.
Lauren holds a degree in accounting from the University of Iowa. She has been a member of the Emerging Leaders Group in BOMA Suburban Chicago and completed the BOMA Fundamentals of Real Estate course.
Phone:312.491.1446
Director, Project and Development Services
Arturo Radilla
With a background in architecture, development and project management, Arturo has a unique talent for identifying ways to maximize asset value. He works with Clear Height acquisition teams to gauge opportunities and guides all aspects of buildout—from budgets and bidding to design, engineering and execution.
Before joining Clear Height Properties, Arturo directed and managed retail construction for Cresco Labs’ Sunnyside stores, actively overseeing up to 30 projects at a time. Additionally, he delivers experience as a team lead at a mid-size architecture firm and managing nationwide projects for Levy Restaurants.
Arturo holds a BA in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Phone:312.539.8739
Director of Asset Management
Tom Seurynck
At Clear Height, Tom takes the lead in sourcing and executing the closing of new acquisitions, as well as evaluating current properties, determining how to best enhance various assets’ value, and timing their disposition.
Over his career of 25+ years, Tom has been a senior manager in financial services at Regency Centers, where he analyzed acquisition and development opportunities in the central US and assisted in asset management, leases, and dispositions. He also served as vice president of acquisitions and due diligence for Pine Tress Commercial Real Estate and worked with Marcus & Millichap and Wrightwood Capital.
Tom has an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago.
Phone:312.626.2314
Associate Director of Acquisitions
Jacob Swartz
Jacob assists the asset management and acquisition teams with sourcing, underwriting, and modeling current and prospective investments. His finance background, coupled with practical real estate experience, gives him a leg up in understanding the complexities of underwriting commercial real estate. In his previous roles, he gained valuable experience in investment strategies at High Ridge Financial, investor relations and sales at Morgan Stanley and financial modeling at Copper Beech.
Jacob graduated Cum Laude as a finance major at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business.
Phone:847.778.1172
Director of Asset Management
Joe Young
Joe manages the underwriting, financing, and closing of acquisitions, dispositions, joint venture agreements, investor reporting, and other portfolio and asset management activities.
Before signing on with Clear Height Properties in 2018, Joe provided asset management services at Situs, focused on a portfolio that included office, industrial, retail, multifamily, hospitality and development properties. He has also managed a portfolio of highly structured loans for Bank OZK and worked in the portfolio management, asset management, acquisitions, originations, and accounting groups at Pearlmark Real Estate Partners. Joe began his career as a CPA at PwC.
Joe holds a master’s in accounting and BBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He has also served as a CPA in Illinois and Michigan.
Phone:312.410.8228
CREATIVE
Can we solve it? Of course we can. The confidence is totally warranted—when this team gets going, it's magic.
PASSIONATE
Life is a lot more fun when you love what you do—like working with great people to changify things for the better.
AWESOME
It's our aim every day, by living our values and striving to be a little better than the day before.
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OUR VALUES AREN'T JUST A PAGE IN A HANDBOOK
Five guiding core values form the basis for everything we do. They benefit us individually and as a company, as well as every broker, tenant, stakeholder, and passerby we meet.
WE'RE HUNGRY—AND THAT'S GREAT FOR YOU
Learn a little more about our areas of expertise—including a rock-solid platform for acquiring and operating industrial real estate in which literally everyone comes out ahead.