MICHAEL EMEM
President & CEO
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Design building his first house at the age of 20, Michael is a proven leader in the built industry with over 19 years experience in residential architecture, construction management and real estate development. He has managed the construction of over 100 new and remodeled homes and over 400 new multifamily apartment units, contributing to over $100M in commercial development experience.
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At age 25, he was recognized by the Milwaukee Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 recipient and by the Milwaukee Times Black Excellence Awards as a Corporate Trailblazer.
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Michael obtained a B.B.A. in Finance & Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, an A.S. in Architectural Technology from Milwaukee Area Technical College and was selected as Valedictorian of Marquette University's 2015 ACRE graduating class.
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He has served on the board of directors at Pathfinders Milwaukee, Inc. and We Got This, Inc. He is married and a father of four.
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DESHEA AGEE, M.S., EDFP
Vice President
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Deshea is an innovative leader with over 15 years of experience organizing and implementing successful public and private sector partnerships. His expertise includes real estate and economic development, public process design, community engagement and program formulation.
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Deshea has extensive experience in government/municipal processes and funding tools, real estate financial analysis, and business development. Deshea played a key role in Milwaukee’s commercial corridor revitalization and was instrumental in the re-emergence of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District, leading efforts to grow the entrepreneurial and creative class in the Bronzeville district.
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Deshea obtained a B.S. in Business Administration from Marquette University and an M.S. in Construction Management from University of Wisconsin-Stout. He holds a real estate brokers license in Wisconsin and an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification from National Development Council (Grow America).
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Deshea was recognized by the Milwaukee Business Journal as a 2019 Power Broker. He serves on the Board of Directors of Main Street America, Inc. and Employ Milwaukee, Inc. Deshea is married and a father of three.
SCOTT DREES
Vice President Construction
Scott brings over 25 years of experience in all facets of construction, development and operations management. His attention to detail brings clarity, phenomenal response time and communication coupled with a broad spectrum of field related solutions to project challenges as they arise while under construction. Scott also provides constructability reviews ahead of construction. His hands-on approach to building relationships with architects, engineers, contractors and professional consultants has resulted in the best deliverable approaches and adherence to schedule, budgets and plans. Clients seek his personable demeanor and have come to rely on Scott for a winning combination of sophistication, cost structure, and an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction.
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Scott has extensive experience of multiple levels in the construction industry including the development and construction of over 1,200 multi-family units. He also managed the construction of multiple commercial projects including retail, office and industrial.
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Scott earned a B.S. in Construction Management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and is LEED AP BD + C certified.
MATT MELENDES
Vice President Development
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Matt is a respected leader with over 20 years of real estate development and finance experience with special emphasis on tax credit projects. Matt holds a master’s degree in urban studies and in addition to his experience as a real estate developer, he has experience as a community organizer. He also has underwriting, grant management, fundraising, compliance, and reporting experience both as a lender and borrower.
Matt is responsible for real estate development projects from concept to completion. His duties include proforma development, tax credit applications, securing funding and entitlements, managing the closing process, preparing monthly draw requests, and managing project budgets through stabilization.
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Matt earned a B.S. in Biomedical Science from Marquette University and an M.S. in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also earned the Housing Development Finance Professional Certification from the National Development Council (Grow America).
HOLLY ERFFMEYER
Administrator
RODOLFO "RUDY" RODRIGUEZ
Project Assistant
