New York People and Company News, Week of April 5, 2025

Skanska promoted Mukesh Upadhyay to VP, account manager of Skanska USA Building for its Metro operations in New York and New Jersey.He will be responsible for managing and advancing the growth of Skanska’s Metro operations in healthcare, higher education and life sciences.

Lee & Associates NYC said that Daniel Lisser joined its Capital Advisory group as a senior managing director. Lisser will continue to concentrate on delivering optimal debt and equity solutions for the many real estate owners and developers that he has represented in the retail, multifamily, office, and hospitality sectors in New York and nationally. Additionally, Lisser will collaborate closely with the Lee & Associates NYC investment sales team.

Levin Management Corporation (LMC) has promoted Denise Ciaravino to director of operations. Ciaravino’s promotion marks her second career advancement at LMC in four years. A Middletown, NJ resident, she joined the commercial real estate services firm as a property manager in 2006 and steadily rose through the ranks, most recently serving as portfolio manager.

Bayport Funding hired Zac Miller as its new CIO. Miller brings more than 15 years of real estate finance experience and has a strong track record in business development, sales, and client success. He’s also held leadership roles at Center Street Lending, Civic Financial and many others.

PREMIER Design + Build Group added Fred Castelbuono as VP of Field Operations, based in Iselin, NJ. In this role, Castelbuono will oversee all field activities, ensuring efficiency, safety, and quality while strengthening PREMIER’s growing presence in the Eastern region.

Freestone Property Group, a property management company headquartered in New York City, appointed Mark Zikra as VP. He will lead Freestone’s operations, compliance and resident success teams and will oversee the implementation of emerging technologies, including AI and predictive analytics, to streamline processes, increase automation and strengthen overall operations.

Peter Riguardi, chairman and president, New York Region at JLL, is serving as chairperson for the 2024-25 American Heart Association New York City Heart Challenge, a community campaign focused on engaging local companies, corporations and their employees to join the fight against heart disease and stroke. As chair of the NYC Heart Challenge, Riguardi has already recruited companies and organizations to take part in various initiatives, including the Wall Street Run & Heart Walk, New York City CycleNation, and Executives with Heart.

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. has received the 2024 IWBI WELL Health Safety Leadership award for its prioritization of building occupant health and well-being and achievement of WELL Health-Safety Rating across 100% of its portfolio in each year of participation since 2020. The REIT reportedly was the first portfolio in the Americas to be WELL Certified by IWBI.

Bluerock Value Exchange, a national sponsor of 1031 exchange and Delaware Statutory Trust (programs since 2005, announced multiple special distributions to its investors totaling more than $1.5 million in the form of Supplemental Rent across its current managed DST / 1031 exchange programs. The special distributions increased the annual return to investors in more than 70% of Bluerock’s current actively managed DST portfolio for calendar year 2024.

Related Stories