Team

As Managing Director, Kit is responsible for the origination, capitalization, and execution of acquisitions and developments. Prior to joining CEDARst, Kit spent time with Lendlease, Green Courte Partners, and Fairfield Residential. In these roles, Kit sourced, analyzed, and executed investments in the multifamily, senior housing, manufactured housing, and airport parking sectors exceeding $2.5b in total value. Kit holds a Bachelor of Science in Policy, Planning, and Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in Finance and Economics.

Andrew is responsible for the operational and financial performance of CEDARst’s real estate investments. Prior to joining CEDARst, Andrew was a Senior Analyst at Waterton, where he supported the management of a $3 billion multifamily portfolio spanning the U.S. Andrew brings asset management, acquisition, & development experience across multiple asset classes and is well versed in complex deal structures including historic tax credits, low income housing tax credits, opportunity zone investments, and tax incremental financing.  Andrew attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and graduated with a Bachelor of Business in Real Estate & Finance. He is actively involved in Wisconsin’s Real Estate Alumni Association (WREAA) and an avid Wisconsin sports fan.

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Krystina Bianchi is the Chief Administrative Officer at CEDARst Companies. She is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the Capital Markets division. As the right hand to Alex Samoylovich, Co-founder & Managing Partner of CEDARst Companies, Founder & Co-CEO of Livly, Inc. and Executive Chairman at ProperXPM, she brings over 12 years of administrative support, project management and event planning in the real estate and hospitality fields. Krystina is a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology and holds a BS in international trade and marketing for the fashion industry with a minor in Italian language.

LeAnn assists the design director in all phases from early planning through installation and final styling of interior design projects including multi-family, mixed use, and hospitality. Prior to joining CEDARst, LeAnn worked as a project manager for Rogan Granite where she gained a diverse range of experience working in a family-owned business; this translates to her ability to communicate design intent to vendors and tradespeople. LeAnn earned a Bachelor’s of Fire Art in Interior Architecture from Columbia College of Chicago. She is a member of both Landmarks Illinois Skyline Council, an organization for the preservation of historic places and the National Museum of Industrial History, a Smithsonian affiliated museum, dedicated to preserving industrial heritage.

As Director, Griffin is responsible for origination, underwriting, and execution of new acquisitions and developments in CEDARst’s pipeline. Griffin touches all aspects of an asset’s lifecycle from acquisition through disposition. During his time at CEDARst he has become proficient in organizing intricate deal structures including historic tax credits, opportunity zones, and public financing. Prior to his Director role, Griffin was an analyst and associate for CEDARst, supporting the acquisition team through underwriting and due diligence, asset management, and investor relations. Griffin attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and graduated with a Bachelor of Business in Real Estate & Finance. He is actively involved in Wisconsin’s Real Estate Alumni Association (WREAA) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Heather is responsible for the Interiors of over 30 CEDARst properties with a curated approach to every deal, respecting the developments history and its neighborhood. Creating optimized floorplans for both units and amenities, lighting specification, kitchen design, color theory and all FF&E selection and procurement within she employs over 13 years in the MUH and Hospitality industries. Each project across the award-winning portfolio stands alone in it’s community driven design, yet also has a continuity that enhance the living experience and provides long-term value for both residents and the property. Having also built the CEDARst family of brands functioning in a dual role as Creative Director until 2021, she understands the importance of and maintains cohesion between the branding and the design experience. Heather holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Ben takes part in coordination of the design, entitlement, budgeting, scheduling, contracting, and execution of various construction projects. Before joining Method in 2016, Ben was a Project Engineer for DEN Construction Management, where he assisted in estimating and building several Low Income Housing Developments across Chicago. Before entering the construction industry, Ben attended the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA and graduated with Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Economics and Psychology. Ben volunteers regularly with West Town Bikes and Working Bikes as a mechanic.

Tim assists in managing the company’s development and redevelopment projects and coordinates all aspects of the construction and design process, engaging directly with general contractors, architects, engineers and government officials. Tim also works within Method Construction’s general contracting side, recently overseeing the completion of the Ardus located at 676 N LaSalle. Prior to joining CEDARSst, Tim was a Project Manager at Pepper Construction where he was involved in multiple construction sectors including ground-up, healthcare, tenant improvement, hospitality, and multi-family. Tim is a graduate of Purdue University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.

Dermot Hanafin manages development projects from inception to handover. Before coming to Chicago and joining Method, Dermot had over 15 years of experience in a wide range of development and construction management roles, working for developers, contractors, and as a client representative in both Ireland and the UK. Dermot also practiced as an independent Professional Engineer/Project Manager catering to private and institutional clients serving residential, commercial and hospitality sectors in executing design, due diligence and project management work. Dermot completed his MBA from UCC (Ireland) in 2010, holds Project Management, Civil Engineering, Lean 6 Sigma Black Belt qualifications and is a Passive House Consultant.

Mark Heffron is the CDO and Managing Partner and is responsible for the execution of all CEDARst developments. Mark supervises development, design, and construction operations while creatively evolving the principles that make CEDARst’s branded multi-family product stand out against the competition. With over 20 years of experience, and over $3 billion in real estate transactions, he has successfully completed a variety of award-winning urban revitalization projects that consist of new construction and historic preservation, or both.  Mark graduated from The University of Wisconsin with a degree in Industrial Engineering with a Certificate in Business.

Brandon is Managing Director of Capital Markets at CEDARst Companies.  He is responsible for developing and executing capital strategy for growth and serves as the primary contact for the investor community.  Brandon has over 17 years of capital markets experience focused on alternative investments and raising capital for public and private funds.  Most recently, Brandon spent 6 years at Peachtree Group where he was instrumental in building distribution and growing AUM over $4B.  Brandon holds a BBA in Finance from the Parker School of Business at Georgia Southern University.  He is a frequent speaker at industry-related conferences.

Kenny Kamps is the director of accounting for CEDARst Companies. Before joining CEDARst, Kenny was a public accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and spent a decade in the private sector working for several real estate firms, both industrial and commercial. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double-major in Accounting and Finance and is a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. He also is a proud recipient of the coveted Illinois CPA Society Excel Award.

Brian Leaf is the SVP of Capital Markets at CEDARst Companies. He is responsible for developing, growing, and maintaining relationships with financial advisors across the country for the CEDARst Capital Markets team. Brian has over 11 years of experience in capital markets, with a focus on raising capital for private funds through alternative investments and tax advantage strategies. Most recently, Brian served as VP of Peachtree PC Investors and Head of Internal Wholesalers at Peachtree Group. Throughout his career, Brian has facilitated and raised over $2 billion dollars of capital. Brian graduated from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He holds his Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

Lynda manages CEDARst’s development work from design through construction. With over 25 years of experience in the building industry, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her role. Prior to joining CEDARst, Lynda was a Project Executive with Turner Construction where she spent 15 years working on a diverse portfolio of complex projects. Earlier in her career she worked as both an Architect and a Structural Engineer and is licensed in both professions. Lynda has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Patrick Madison is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Cedar Street. Patrick is responsible for the oversight of the Finance, Accounting, HR, and IT departments. Patrick comes to us with 15 years of diverse financial, operations, and systems management background in Real Estate, Manufacturing, Distribution, Healthcare, and Food Service. Patrick graduated with both a Bachelor’s & Master’s in Accounting (MAS) from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana and both a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and Master’s in Information Systems (MIS) from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Patrick passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in the state of Illinois. Patrick is a US Army Veteran and served overseas in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Matthew Martin is CEDARst’s Senior Asset Manager, responsible for managing CEDARst’s real estate investments. Prior to joining CEDARst, Mr. Martin was at American Realty Advisors, where he managed the firm’s East Coast investments. While at American Realty Advisors, Mr. Martin oversaw JV partnerships, third-party teams, and ensured compliance with rigorous property and investment requirements. Mr. Martin has over 11 years of asset management experience and holds a B.A. degree from Santa Clara University and a Real Estate Certificate from the University of California, Los Angeles Extension. Additionally, Mr. Martin is on the associate board for Cara Collective, a non-profit that helps job seekers, employers, and organizations nationwide break the cycle of poverty through employment.

Will Murphy is the CEO and Managing Partner of Cedar Street. He is responsible for all aspects of the development process and the ongoing management of its portfolio. Will has over 20 years of commercial real estate experience in development and finance, transacting on over $3 billion, across all major asset classes and domestic markets. Will holds degrees in real estate and finance from the Business School at The University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is a frequent speaker at engagements including the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association, REIA and the Urban Land Institute. He serves as a member of both the Graaskamp Advisory Board and Badgers in Finance.

Bryana Murtaugh oversees all aspects of the building process, working closely with engineers and architects to develop plans, establishing schedules, and ensuring projects are completed on budget. Before joining CEDARst, Bryana worked as a project manager at Summit Design+Build LLC. Bryana is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in General Engineering and volunteers her time through her local church.

Stephanie assists in managing the construction of CEDARst developments with a focus on adaptive reuse projects, many with a historical landmark status. Before joining the CEDARst/Method Construction team, Stephanie worked as a Project Engineer for a Chicago-based general contractor who specifically oversaw the modernization and restoration of the historic Marshall Field Annex building designed by Daniel Burnham. Stephanie is a graduate of Indiana University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Management.

Greg Palivos is responsible for raising capital and sourcing national development opportunities. Greg has over 10 years of commercial real estate experience in development and finance. Before joining CEDARst, Greg worked at Morgan Stanley where he raised, co-managed, and participated in raising $250 million in equity from ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices. Greg graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in Economics and Corporate Finance. He currently serves on the Founding Board of Northwestern Hospital’s Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation, and is a member of Leadership 100 and the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation.

Blake Ripley assists in the underwriting and financial modeling of new acquisitions. Prior to joining CEDARst, Blake was an Analyst at Hammes Partners where he underwrote healthcare property acquisition and development opportunities. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate & Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Karol Rozanek is the accounting manager at CEDARst, focusing mainly on fund reporting. Karol is a seasoned professional with 20 years of accounting experience. Karol started his career in public accounting (construction/real estate group at Baker Tilly). Prior to joining CEDARst, Karol spent over 11 years at National Equity Fund, Inc. as a Senior Accounting Manager doing financial reporting for multi-family low-income housing funds. Karol graduated with both a Bachelor’s & Master’s in Accounting (MAS) from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana and is a licensed CPA in the State of Illinois.

Alex Samoylovich is the co-founder and managing partner of CEDARst companies. Since the inception of CEDARst, he has sourced, invested in, and managed hundreds of transactions and has been instrumental in the development value of over $4 billion. Prior to entering real estate, he was an accomplished equity and options trader. Mr. Samoylovich has also founded Livly, a property technology company that enables seamless living between residents and property management via software. In 2016, Alex was named one of Crain’s 40 under 40.

Erika Sancen is a seasoned financial professional with over 15 years of experience in accounting, Human Resources, and payroll. Prior to joining CEDARst, Erika honed her skills in the private and publicly traded sectors of the real estate industry. She has a proven track record of success in managing financial operations, streamlining processes, and ensuring compliance. Erika holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University and is passionate about driving financial growth and organizational efficiency.

George Schelble assists in the underwriting and financial modeling of new acquisitions as well as the asset management strategies for the company’s multifamily portfolio. Before joining CEDARst, George interned at Baum Revision in Chicago where he underwrote historic redevelopment opportunities and employed asset management strategies for mixed-use properties. George graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate and Finance.

Troy assists the executive team as well as several directors. He also keeps the office in order and provides support to the office staff.  He has an eclectic work background ranging from restaurant management to owning a printing & promotions business for over 10 years. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Japanese Language & Culture and lived in Japan for nearly 2 years during his studies.