The School’s MRED program is proud to announce a new crop of talented professionals joining their faculty ranks this semester. Spanning a variety of professional disciplines and experiences, these men and women will share their knowledge and insight with students in classes across a wide range of areas, including a new course in retail development.
Elizabeth Casqueiro
Offering an impressive mix of experience in both architecture and finance, Elizabeth Casqueiro joins the MRED team this semester to teach business writing skills. As a seasoned leader who has served at several world-class financial institutions, including World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, Elizabeth has extensive knowledge in capital allocation, asset/property management, risk management, project management, space and workplace solutions, site improvement and funding/financing. Elizabeth is also a very talented painter; her work, which focuses on transition, pulls from her international background and experiences in architecture. Elizabeth will also teach the summer course in asset management.
Nick Egelarian
MAPP welcomes retail expert Nick Egelarian, President and Founder of SiteWorks Retail Real Estate Services, to the MRED faculty team. Considered a pioneer in the segmentation of retail into Commodity and Specialty sub-categories, Nick has a mile-long resume of clients, including Starbucks, FAO Schwartz and Lane Bryant, and advises some of the biggest development groups in the country. Nick will teach a new course this semester in retail development.
Jeff Lesk
Jeff Lesk is a Managing Partner of Nixon Peabody’s Washington, D.C. office. A finance attorney with over 35 years’ experience in public housing, large-scale investment programs and public/private partnerships, Jeff has made a career of bringing much-needed capital to affordable housing and community projects. He is also a founder of the company’s Legally Green Initiative, Nixon Peabody’s integrated sustainability philosophy. Jeff is teaching the tax credits course this semester.
Ron McDonald
A decorated U.S. Navy Veteran and UMD alum, Ron McDonald brings over 20 years of experience in real estate development to the classroom, and is leading MRED students this spring in the NAIOP/MDDC Real Estate Case Competition. Ron is Managing Principal of RMC Development, LLC, where his team advises both public and private partners in commercial real estate and financial endeavors. Considered an industry expert in BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure), Ron led a complex 12-year acquisition and entitlement for the Department of Defense BRAC project, the David Taylor Research Center in Annapolis, Maryland, a 250 million dollar project considered one of the DOD’s most challenging base transfers.