Center for Real Estate

The Ohio State Center for Real Estate is pleased to welcome Jennifer Stevens, Greg Tavrell, Grant Fitzpatrick, and Chris Gangl.

Jennifer Stevens

_{The Townsend Group, Partner}

Jennifer Stevens joined The Townsend Group in 2004 and is currently the lead Partner and primary relationship manager for a number of the firm’s Advisory clients.  Ms. Stevens joined Townsend’s Investment (Sub) Committee for Advisory clients in 2019.  In her tenure with Townsend, Ms. Stevens has served as the Portfolio Manager for global public pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, superannuation plans, foundations, endowments and family offices. Ms. Stevens provides clients with information related to Strategic Planning, Investment Planning, Manager/Fund/Investment Due Diligence, Benchmarking, ESG monitoring and Portfolio Analytics. Programs include investments in a wide range of structures including separate accounts, commingled funds and special situations.  Before relocating to Southern California in 2018, Ms. Stevens was responsible for the management and oversight of the San Francisco office.  Ms. Stevens also leads Responsible Investment initiatives for Townsend.   

On behalf of The Townsend Group, Ms. Stevens is an Advisory Board member for the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) and served as Townsend’s signatory representative for the United Nations Principals of Responsible Investment (UN PRI) from 2011 to 2019.  Ms. Stevens represents Townsend’s investor interests on multiple Advisory Committees and is a frequent speaker/panelist at industry events. Ms. Stevens is a member of the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) Membership Committee, the California State Association of County Employees’ Retirement Systems (SACRS) and Urban Land Institute (ULI). In 2019, Ms. Stevens was recognized as a Knowledge Broker by Chief Investment Officer’s Magazine.  She was also awarded the Institutional Investor/Money Management Intelligence designation for Rising Stars of Public Funds in 2013 and the inaugural GRESB Investor Leadership Award in 2016.  

Ms. Stevens received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University. Ms. Stevens was appointed to the Board of Directors of Ohio University’s College of Business Society of Alumni & Friends in 2014 and served as its elected President in her final year before being appointed to the Executive Alumni Board. 

Greg Tavrell

_{Huntington National Bank, Vice President of Commercial Real Estate}

Greg brings more than 10 years of commercial real estate and banking experience to his role at Huntington National Bank. As Vice President of Commercial Real Estate, Greg specializes in financial solutions for best-in-class commercial real estate clients throughout central Ohio, including construction, acquisition, mezzanine and term financing. He is responsible for the strategic management of credit and market risks within a real estate debt portfolio consisting of multifamily, retail, industrial, office, hospitality, and affordable housing assets located across the United States.  Greg is actively involved in the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Lupus Foundation of America, Greater Ohio Chapter. Greg received his Bachelor of Science in Finance, Real Estate and Urban Analysis from The Ohio State University. Greg and his wife Angela reside in Columbus, Ohio.

Grant Fitzpatrick

_{Marcus & Millichap, Associate Regional Manager}

Grant J. Fitzgerald is the Associate Regional Manager of Marcus & Millichap’s Cleveland and Columbus offices. After attending Furman University, he moved to Washington D.C. to work in sales for Costar Group. He started at Marcus & Millichap in the sales intern program in 2012 and became an associate in January 2014 in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, specializing in multifamily sales with a particular expertise in TOPA, the District’s local affordable housing statute. Grant joined management in February 2018 in the D.C. office before joining Tampa in July 2018. After taking over the reins of the Tampa office in March 2019, he relocated to Ohio in August 2019. In his current capacity, Grant excels at supporting growth through strategic planning, team architecture and client relations.

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Chris Gangl

_{Wexford Lodging Advisors LLC, Director of Analysis and Administration}

Chris Gangl is currently the Director of Analysis and Administration at Wexford Lodging Advisors LLC, a Columbus based hotel asset management and investment company. Chris is responsible for Wexford’s asset management analysis and support functions, including benchmarking, hotel analytics, client reporting and general support. Chris also supports Wexford’s underwriting activities. Prior to joining Wexford, Chris graduated with magna cum laude distinction from the Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business with a dual major in Finance and Real Estate and a minor in Entrepreneurship.

Fall 2019 Newsletter