Tell us about your role.
I work alongside the transaction team to implement strategic real estate transactions. About 40% of our portfolio is owned by institutional owners—real estate investment trusts, Wall Street traded funds - and I work with them to leverage our portfolio and negotiate competitive pricing on leases.
We also help when our clients have several buildings on a campus, like medical offices around a hospital. I work with various entities to restructure those leases. Additionally, we’ve been tasked by clients to evaluate vacant land parcels they own and determine whether those should be held or disposed of. We evaluate medical office buildings and other properties to help our clients right-size their real estate portfolios.
What path did you take to arrive in your current role?
I have a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan. I spent 10 years working for the city of Boston, taking tax-foreclosed properties and redeveloping them. When my wife and I were getting ready to start our family, we moved back to Michigan, where I worked for a commercial brokerage house for over 15 years, heading up their healthcare division.
Next, I worked for a nonprofit in downtown Detroit called the Greater Downtown Partnership for five years. This was before downtown Detroit started bouncing back. The mayor had an economic development strategy that funded building acquisitions, and our job was to clean up titles and sell properties to the city for a dollar. Opportunistic investors were holding properties hoping to make future profits, so this program helped get those properties redeveloped sooner. It made a huge difference to the city.
Eleven years ago I moved to the healthcare industry, joining the Medxcel team five years ago, helping to drive real estate optimization for our healthcare clients.
Tell us about your team and how their work impacts patient care.
We divide U.S. regions into markets, and each market is led by a regional director who reports to me. All of those regional directors have considerable corporate and healthcare real estate experience, with teams of professionals reporting to them. The regional directors focus on relationships with our clients’ market leaders and implement strategic plans aligned with local goals.
Patient experience is a huge focus for our clients, and our team directly impacts that. How do buildings present to patients, their families, and visitors? Perception is reality, and we need our buildings to present as well-maintained and safe - a positive representation of the healthcare system. When patients and families approach a healthcare facility, that first impression matters tremendously to their overall experience and confidence in the care they’ll receive.
How does your team collaborate with other areas of the business?
What I love about Medxcel is that we offer a full suite of coordinated services. I work very closely with our planning, design, and construction team because real estate transactions often involve some level of space renovation. For larger medical office buildings, our facilities management team is often involved in maintenance and ongoing operations. I think we’re really unique in the comprehensive, coordinated level of services we provide to our customers.
How would you describe the Medxcel culture?
Medxcel does a great job creating a unified team, even though many of us are scattered across the country. We serve client sites nationwide and offer a variety of services, but our culture is collaborative, and I feel proud to work here.
How does Medxcel support you and your team's career growth?
Medxcel is great at supporting career advancement. On both the transaction and property management sides of real estate, there are specific certifications and trainings: Certified Property Manager for property management, and Certified Commercial Investment Member for transaction management. We provide reimbursement opportunities when team members put together a plan and budget to achieve their desired certifications.
When it comes to career growth, Medxcel definitely likes to promote from within. I think people in the real estate industry are looking for a career versus just a good job, and Medxcel is a great place to build that real estate career within the healthcare industry. It’s exciting to see team members being promoted - it sends an affirming message to others.
The other great thing about Medxcel is there are opportunities to learn and grow within multiple disciplines—planning, design, construction, facilities management, and more - not just real estate.
How does Medxcel support your wellbeing?
Medxcel has a strong cultural belief in work-life balance. Everyone is committed to working smart and working hard throughout the day while letting team members enjoy their lives when they’re not at work.