REAL ESTATE
{ RETAIL OWNER-OPERATOR }
MARTIN DE RITO
CEO De Rito Partners derito.com De Rito formed De Rito Partners, Inc. in 1992. The company offers fullservice retail brokerage operations, property leasing, sales and tenant representation. The company has 20 seasoned brokers exclusively representing more than 180 shopping centers and 60 national and local retailers. De Rito Partners Development is currently redeveloping 1.2 million square feet at The Pavilions at Talking Stick (formerly Scottsdale Pavilions). Business advice: “At the end of the day, you must be very persistent day in and day out. Look for solutions that benefit both parties and remember that every day is but a small life.”
SCOTT NELSON
Senior vice president, real estate services Macerich macerich.com As senior vice president of real estate services for Macerich, Nelson manages development and redevelopment in the company’s West Region portfolio. His responsibilities include overseeing the design, construction, and tenant coordination processes, along with advancing project entitlements and approvals. He has more than 18 years of experience in real estate and management consulting. Prior to his career at Macerich, Nelson was with Ernst & Young’s management consulting firm, where he collaborated with Fortune 500 companies to implement business best practices. Nelson received an MBA from the University of Southern California.
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JAMES PEDERSON
Founder and chairman Pederson Group Inc. pedersoninc.com A native Arizonan, Pederson started his career as administrative assistant to the mayor of Phoenix after receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona. His experience in real estate development began as vice president of the Grossman Company and then vice president of operations for Westcor, Inc. After 10 years experience with these shopping center developers, Pederson began his own company in 1983. Since that time, the company has grown to be among the premier retail developers in the Southwest. Pederson has been awarded the CSM (Certified Shopping Center Manager) and CMD (Certified Marketing Director) by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
PAUL RHODES Executive vice president Vestar vestar.com
Rhodes, a founding principal of Vestar, oversees construction for its operations. Rhodes has been responsible for the construction of more than 95 shopping centers, in excess of 21.5 million square feet. Source of pride: “Development and construction of the Scottsdale Pavilions Shopping Center, now called The Pavilions at Talking Stick Shopping Center, the first Power Center of its kind in the Southwest, totaling more than 1.1-million square feet. What made this project so rewarding is it was built in conjunction with the Pima Indian Community and on the Pima Indian Reservation.” Surprising fact: “In the summer of 1978, I worked as a rough neck on an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.”
MICHAEL POLLACK
Founder, president and CEO Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments pollackinvestments.com For more than 40 years, Pollack has specialized in all aspects of retail, commercial, multifamily and singlefamily real estate developments, including ownership, management, construction and leasing of real estate projects in Arizona, California, Texas, Louisiana and Nevada.
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: “Even though employment has increased and the unemployment rate nationwide is near 4 percent, wages are rising again and real economic growth just reached 2.6 percent, it’s important to be prepared for change. I believe that over the next 12 months, our country will continue to prosper, but we must be prepared for future changes, as actions will almost always cause reactions. We can seize change for tomorrow with our eyes on the horizon for victory, while dismissing yesterday’s view of being a ‘victim.’ Good days ahead? Possibly, but review your business model today for alignment with the ‘change’ that is coming. As it has been said, ‘It is OK to forget our mistakes, but always remember what they taught us.’”