Thomas Brenneke | thomas.brenneke@gres.com
President

Tom Brenneke joined Guardian in 1984, and has been president since 1998. Tom purchased the company in 2001 and set forth a strategic plan to diversify the third-party property management business into a vertically-integrated, real estate management, development and investment company. He has directed major company growth initiatives that have created a company-owned portfolio of 55 properties and 6,000 units, located in four states. Tom has spearheaded the company’s growth and evolution in the affordable housing sector and been an active proponent of preserving this housing stock. He is currently leading Oregon's participation in a national lobbying effort to preserve the Section 42 Low Income Tax Credit program working with Federal, State and local elected officials.

Tom currently chairs the Legislative Committee of the Metro Multifamily Housing Association and last year launched the organization's Political Action Committee fund. He is also a previous MMHA Board member. Tom is a current member of the National Multi Housing Council. He is a founding Board member of De La Salle North Catholic High School and is a big supporter of the school's Corporate Internship Program, giving young adults a unique introduction to business. Tom is a Certified Property Manager; and an Oregon Real Estate Broker. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Portland. 

Janine Lind | janine.lind@gres.com
Senior Vice President, Operations

Janine Lind joined Guardian in 2011 as Senior Vice President of Operations. She oversees Guardian's property management business and is a member of the company's executive management team. Janine has been working in the multifamily housing industry for 20 years with experience in 14 markets from coast to coast.

She has experience in affordable, conventional, and privatized military housing. Janine comes to us from WinnCompanies where she worked in both their residential and privatized housing divisions. As Senior Vice President of military housing, her team delivered $1.7 billion in development and operation solutions which included building over 4,100 new homes, 6,500 renovations, and 12 community facilities. Her portfolio delivered $101+ million in NOI annually.

Janine studied in London and Los Angeles to obtain her B.A. in marketing, and is in the process of earning her MBA. As a member of the National Apartment Association, she has earned the designation of Certified Apartment Manager and Certified Defense Privatized Manager. She is also a member of the Professional Housing Management Association.

 

Teresa Stempel | teresa.stempel@gres.com
Chief Financial Officer

Teresa Stempel is the Chief Financial Officer for Guardian Real Estate Services LLC, having joined the company in February 2009. Teresa serves on the company's executive management team and is responsible for all corporate finance, accounting and reporting. She also oversees the accounting for the company-owned portfolio of multi-family and commercial properties. Teresa started her accounting career with Arthur Andersen and has served as a shareholder at Perkins & Co., a large CPA firm located in Portland, Oregon. Most recently she was a Controller and later CFO for a national restaurant chain, the Old Spaghetti Factory Restaurants, with oversight of all financial operations. Her position at Guardian includes overall responsibility for cash and treasury management, property and corporate accounting, risk management, benefits, computer technology, and financial and regulatory filings. Teresa is a graduate of the University of Portland and is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the Oregon Society of CPA's.

J. Daniel Steffey | dan.steffey@gres.com
Senior Vice President

Dan Steffey is vice president for Guardian Real Estate Services LLC and serves on the company's executive management team. Dan has been responsible for the acquisition and preservation of more than 1,890 units of affordable housing and plays a key role in the company's business development. He has over four decades of experience in housing and community development work in Oregon, including a history of both public and private sector affordable housing accomplishments. Dan has been active in the community, including serving as Chair of the Multnomah County/Portland Citizens Commission on Homelessness, a group charged with the creation and oversight of the community's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, and as a board member of a number of community-based organizations. Dan has also created employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Christopher Laurent | chris.laurent@gres.com
Senior Vice President, Acquisitions and Development

Christopher Laurent joined Guardian in 2012 as Senior Vice President, Acquisitions and Development. He serves on Guardian's executive management team and has been creating affordable and market rate multifamily housing for 15 years. Previously, Chris underwrote and directed Wisconsin's Affordable Housing Tax Credit and $100 milllion direct loan production programs at the WHEDA. After serving as Director of Tax Legislation and Policy at the National Council of State Housing Agencies in Washington, DC, Chris worked for several Midwest developers and managers, where he helped produce over $235 million of housing development and streamlined costs and operations. Virtually every community under his leadership has earned regional or national recognition. In 2010 Chris launched his own firm, Front Range Development, to consult and partner with nonprofit groups focused on restructuring and developing affordable communities. In all, Chris has been involved in the development of over half a billion dollars of affordable residential real estate.

Chris earned his Bachelors of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has served on the Federal Home Loan Bank-Chicago's Community Investment Advisory Council and as director for Porchilight in Madison, Milwaukee's Avenues West, the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, Madison's Tenant Resource Center, and Milwaukee's West End Development Corporation. Madison's mayors have appointed Chris to Madison's Committees for CDA Long-Range Planning, TIF Policy, and Sustainable Design and Energy.

Ross Cornelius | ross.cornelius@gres.com
Vice President, Development

Ross has worked in the affordable housing arena for over 17 years. As the Vice President of Developments for Guardian Real Estate Services, he has led the financing and development of several projects, including historic adaptive re-use, new construction and Section 8 acquisition/rehabilitation. He has successfully negotiated and structured public and private funding sources including LIHTC and historic tax credit equity, commercial construction and term debt, city and state loans, foundation grants, energy incentives, and other sources. His responsibilities include taking projects from predevelopment through funding, construction and lease-up. Ross previously worked for the Portland Development Commission in areas of housing development, urban renewal, and project management. He also previously served with the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department as assistant director and division administrator for planning and community development. Cornelius has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from UC Davis, a master’s in business administration from UCLA, and has attended the JFK School of Government at Harvard on a fellowship. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Marylhurst University in the MBA program.