Senior Executives

C. Joseph Blackbourn

President and CEO

In 2002, Joseph Blackbourn left the Phoenix-based Pivotal Group, where he supervised acquisitions for approximately ten years, to re-start Everest Holdings (see Joe Blackbourn's Pivotal Group Investment Experience).

In Joe’s 25 years in the real estate industry, he has had direct involvement with the investment side of transactions with aggregate value well in excess of $1 billion, including office buildings, master-planned communities, multifamily communities, shopping centers, hotel properties, business parks, mixed-use developments, residential land, commercial land, mortgage pools, and portfolios of distressed assets. His experience includes successful outcomes for many complex underwriting, capitalization and asset management challenges. Blackbourn has been directly involved in real estate assets that include approximately 1.5 million square feet of improved office buildings, 2,500+ hotel rooms, residential communities comprised of 7,500+ approved dwelling units and several millions of square feet of commercial FAR land. He estimates that these investments have produced an aggregate, weighted internal rate of return in excess of 30 percent.

Mr. Blackbourn holds a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and performed post-graduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Arizona State University. He is active in the Urban Land Institute as a member of a national product council and a past Chairman of the Arizona District Council, currently serving on its Executive Committee. He is a member of Lambda Alpha International and has served on numerous civic committees and boards. He is currently a Director of and active supporter of
Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.


Larry D. Teague

Executive Vice President, Finance

 
Larry Teague oversees the Company's real estate investment and residential funding transaction debt and equity structuring and the financial aspects of investment underwriting and transaction origination; manages the Company's overall treasury, cash management, financial reporting, budgeting and risk management functions; and participates in the Company's capital formation.
 
Prior to joining Everest, Mr. Teague held executive level financial management positions with real estate investment companies in Arizona for over ten years and was previously the CFO for a large scale residential funding company. He has extensive experience in investment underwriting; debt and equity structuring; and managing financial relationships with lenders and investors. Mr. Teague graduated from Arizona State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, is a Certified Public Accountant and began his career with Ernst & Young in Phoenix, Arizona and Houston, Texas.

He supports the American Cancer Society, Feed My Starving Children, and
Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.

 

Suzanne Schulz
Executive Vice President, Asset Management

Suzanne Schulz oversees the Company's income producing asset management. Her detailed and analytical approach to asset value creation comes from over 20 years of real estate experience in asset management, accounting and finance. At Everest, she was instrumental in the value creation of Crowne Plaza Phoenix, and she continues to manage the hospitality portfolio. Prior to her positions at Everest, she worked at the Phoenix-based investment firm of Pivotal Group where she supervised financial and asset management functions.

Ms Schulz graduated summa cum laude from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN and has completed graduate classes at ASU. She has served on, been involved in, and contributed to several civic and charitable organizations, including Fresh Start Women's Foundation, Urban Land Institute, and Southwest Autism Research Center. Her speaking engagements include professional gatherings hosted by Ernst & Young, where she was previously employed.

Steven D. Surgent
Vice President, Acquisitions

Steve Surgent leads Everest’s commercial property acquisition team and due diligence efforts. In addition to transaction work, Steve plays an integral role in the continued growth of Everest’s consulting and advisory business. To date, he has been actively involved in the completion of over 50 assignments involving the development, acquisition and disposition of a broad array of high-profile office, multifamily, hospitality and residential assets across North America. With his nearly 10 years real estate experience in the investment banking and financial services, Mr. Surgent is highly resourceful and detail-oriented in his approach to valuation, finance, and the acquisition process.

Prior to his experience at Everest, Mr. Surgent was a private client Financial Consultant for Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and an Equity Trader for JP Morgan Chase & Co., respectively. He graduated from the University of San Diego in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Professional licenses held through the course of his career include Series 7, 55, 63 and 65, in addition to an Arizona Real Estate License.

He is a supporter of the Phoenix Crisis Nursery

Ryan O'Donovan
Vice President, Land Banking Acquisitions

Ryan O’Donovan leads Everest’s land banking acquisitions and due diligence efforts. He oversees site selection, market analysis, business plan development, contract negotiations, and various Company relationships. Most recently, Mr. O’Donovan was a Senior Financial Analyst for Meritage Homes and was directly involved in the structuring and closing of more than $300 million in land bank and joint venture transactions. Prior to Meritage, he was a Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Finance with Comerica Bank.

Mr. O’Donovan graduated from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. He is also an active member of the Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona and the Men’s Arts Council of the Phoenix Art Museum.

Ed DePinto
Vice President, Land Development

Ed DePinto joined Everest Holdings in February 2008 to supervise due diligence during acquisitions and to manage the assets throughout the development process such as budgeting, lot maintenance, verifying development completion and assisting with property tax reduction initiatives.

Ed graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management. He has worked with 3 of the nation’s top home builders, constructing more than 15,000 lots in all the major municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan area as well as several municipalities within Pinal County. His duties have included all aspects of managing the land development process from due diligence, processing plats and plans, budgeting, bidding, purchasing, field supervision and HOA & public report management. Projects have varied in size from smaller, semi-custom lot developments to large master plan developments. Some of the projects included golf courses, water parks, lakes, city parks, lift stations, waste water treatment plants, water campuses and various other major infrastructure improvements.

Prior to entering the homebuilder market, Ed worked as a project manager/contract administrator with AAA Landscape for 6 years (a commercial landscape contractor) where he developed many of the relationships with the homebuilders that he still enjoys today. Ed is also an active participant in the Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona. He supports Hospice of the Valley, the Leukemia Society , and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation .

Antonio Fungairino
Director, Hospitality Operations

Mr. Fungairiño has approximately 12 years of hospitality operations experience with InterContinental Hotels and Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.  His areas of expertise include revenue management, capital projects, financial analysis and rooms operations.  He held executive committee level positions with InterContinental Hotels and Resorts both at the unit and regional level across several brands.  He also held several operations positions with the Four Seasons Hotel Houston, where he started his US career.   

Mr. Fungairiño graduated from Surrey University (England) in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree with Distinction in Hotel Management, receiving the best final year project award from Edwardian Hotels for a study in Yield Management.  He later received a Master’s degree in Hospitality Management from Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) in 1997.  Recently, he received a Six Sigma Black Belt certification from the American Society for Quality.  

He supports the Multiple Sclerosis Society.


Kelley D’Amato
Director, Operations

Kelley D’Amato joined Everest in 2004 to head operations for its residential funding business and has moved on to lead Everest’s day-to-day operations.

Prior to joining Everest, she spent eight years as an asset manager at Acacia Capital Corporation, where she managed $20 million in monthly lot sales, title and escrow compliance, Investment Committee reporting, homebuilder compliance, due diligence documentation, post-closing legal documentation, and critical-date tracking and compliance.

She is an Arizona native who attended Arizona State University. Professional licenses held through the course of her career include Arizona Real Estate Brokers License and NASD Series 6 License.
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Ms. D’Amato supports the Arizona Humane Society and Arizona Pet Rescue.

 

Kristi Dockter
Controller

Kristi Dockter has joined Everest to oversee accounting operations, policy and procedures as Controller. Her experience spans 10 years as an accountant in the Phoenix homebuilding industry and 5 years in internal bank operations and sales. She specializes in analyzing and creating policy and implementing structure relational to accounting integrity. Her most recent homebuilding experience was with Meritage Homes as Assistant Controller; responsible for the financial reporting and accounting operations of their Tucson branch office.

Kristi is an active participant in Landmark Education, attends
Central Christian Church of the East Valley and supports community organizations including Phoenix Youth at Risk and Public Broadcasting Service.