Chapter Leadership



Lou Nowikas (Chairman)

Tel: 212-649-2623
Email: lnowikas@hearst.com

Lou is the Senior Director, Corporate Real Estate & Facilities Planning, responsible for the Hearst Real Estate Portfolio and all NY Operations including, but not limited to Property & Facilities Management, Design & Construction, and Food, Fitness, & Wellness Services.

Lou joined Hearst in 2004 to manage the design and construction of the Hearst Tower. Prior to Hearst, Lou worked for Goldman Sachs, CUH2A Architects, Engineers, and Planners and Warner-Lambert Company (now Pfizer)..

Lou holds an MS in Engineering Management from The New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University.



Pay Wu (President)

Tel: 1-212-640-2926
Email: pay.wu@aexp.com

Pay Wu is a Vice President in American Express’ Global Business Services division focused on Global Real Estate and Workplace Enablement.  In this capacity, Pay and her team are responsible for end to end real estate delivery and customer relationship management for the Americas Portfolio.  In addition, she leads American Express’ innovative workplace strategy: BlueWork and is in charge of enterprise program standards, management and deployment of BlueWork programs globally. 

Prior to joining American Express, Pay led a national team to drive the strategic planning and analysis of Deloitte’s 10MM SF of US and India real estate portfolio.   Pay supported Deloitte’s leadership both functionally and operationally to develop strategies that align with the growth and changes of its Consulting, Tax, Audit and Enterprise Risk Services, and Financial Advisory Services businesses throughout the regions.

Pay possesses more than 20 years of industry and consulting experience, including many years spent delivering real estate, process and transformational strategies to Fortune 1000 companies across all industries.   Pay has consulted seamlessly across a range of issues in capital planning, strategic facilities / masterplanning, real estate and facilities cost reduction strategies, asset and equipment optimization, process reengineering, space and facilities management related technologies.  Select representative clients included American Express, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Nortel Networks, Merrill Lynch, Southern California Edison, Time Warner and Wolters Kluwer,  Pfizer, Merck, Emblem Health, Peninsula-St John (South Shore Hospitals), Catholic Health East, Merial-Intervet, etc.

Pay is currently the President of the NYC Chapter of CoreNet Global.  She is a regular speaker within the Corporate Real Estate community, moderating panels at summits, instructing MCR classes and author of articles.  Pay has a Bachelor of Science in Design and Environmental Analysis and Facilities Planning and Management from Cornell University. She is MCR certified and currently working towards her SLCR designation.




Lou D'Avanzo (Vice President)

Tel: 212-841-7688
Email: louis.davanzo@cushwake.com




Lauren Nanna (Secretary)

Tel: 212-576-8461
Email: lnanna@vvainc.com

Lauren Nanna is a Senior Associate at VVA Project Managers & Consultants based out of the firn’s New York City headquarters. Lauren has a plethora of experience in project management, engineering, construction and land development, and a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of a project- from site selection and lease negotiations, to financial forecasting and schedule coordination, through construction and project closeout. Ms. Nanna is an excellent team leader, focusing on cooperative collaboration and ensuring every team member is working to achieve project milestones. Some of Lauren's recent client assignments have included HBO Studios, General Atlantic, Perry Ellis International, Strategies for Wealth, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Prior to joining VVA, Lauren worked as a Project Engineer, handling the site design of commercial, residential, and mixed used developments, for the Walter L. Phillips Land Development Engineering firm in Virginia. Lauren has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science.




Saeid Garebaglow (Treasurer )

Tel: 212-537-3213 
Email: Saeid.Garebaglow@morganstanley.com

With more than 20 years of experience in architecture and the corporate real estate industry, Saeid has worked in such diverse fields as design, systems, project management and real estate strategic planning.

As Vice President at Morgan Stanley responsible for Americas Project Management (US and Canada), Saeid’s currently leads large teams through design/construction stages to complete projects that range from $500K to $128MM. During his 7 years at Morgan, he has also implemented standards and best practices across the Design and Construction Group.

Prior to Morgan Stanley, he worked in Citigroup’s Global Workplace Solutions, where he lead the initiative to develop and implement Citigroup’s Global Occupancy Management System covering 22 countries and 52MM RSF of Citi’s global portfolio.

Saeid holds a degree in Architecture from at City College of New York and has completed further studies in Ecole des Beaux Arts in Fontainebleau, France. He is a New York state registered architect.

Saeid serves as the Treasurer of the New York Chapter of CoreNet Global and is Chair of the Finance Committee. His responsibilities include annual budget planning, day to day financial management and engagement with the Board of Directors on the chapter’s financial direction and overall strategy.


Barry Alton (Communities)

Tel: 212-284-2446
Email: balton@jefferies.com

Barry is a Managing Director and the global head of Corporate Real Estate & Services at Jefferies & Co., a full service Investment Bank with a real estate portfolio of over 1 million SF distributed across more than 30 cities through the US, Europe & Asia.  His scope of responsibility includes strategic planning, real estate transactions, project design & build, critical infrastructure and on-going maintenance of all sites.  Prior to Jefferies & Co, Mr. Alton was a Vice President and Manager of Premises & Logistics at BNP Paribas. His early career as a Mechanical Engineer led him into corporate real estate while working closely with landlords and tenants on creative infrastructure projects.


Cindy Quan (Workshops)

Tel: 917-343-8160 
Email: cindy.quan@gs.com

Cindy is presently a Vice President in the Infrastructure Planning Group in Corporate Services and Real Estate at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Cindy currently oversees the firm’s global environmental initiatives including the green building portfolio and the firm’s carbon reduction strategy. She was responsible for the LEED Gold Certification of the World Headquarters building at 200 West Street in Battery Park City, NY.

Cindy was the past Co-Chair of the Young Leaders Committee of CoreNet New York and the current Board Member for Workshops. She is also an active member of USGBC National Marketing Committee and part of The Climate Group’s and Mayor Bloomberg’s Special Advisory Group for the Government Partnership Program.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Cindy graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Facilities Management and Policy Analysis from Cornell University in 2005.


Ted Moudis AIA (Sponsorship)

Tel: 212-561-2000
Email: tmoudis@tedmoudis.com

Ted Moudis, AIA, has a distinguished 30-year career. In 1990, he founded Ted Moudis Associates (TMA). Ted’s business acumen and leadership have propelled his firm to be a widely recognizable and respected presence in the industry. Ted Moudis Associates is ranked as one of the top 10 design firms in New York and top 50 nationwide. Headquartered in New York with an office in Chicago and a formal alliance with London-based MCM Architecture, TMA provides high-end architectural and interior design services for corporate and retail installations of Fortune 500 companies. Among his many noteworthy clients are Blackstone, Interpublic, Coty, Kaplan, National Football League, Natixis, Tiffany & Co., and Rolex.

Ted’s diverse and extensive experience in architecture and interior design ranges from corporate headquarters for financial firms, insurance companies and media companies to luxury retailers, with projects spanning the globe. He inspires the best in design and performance, delivers beyond what is expected and endeavors to achieve the highest standards for every client. Ted is also leading the way towards efficient, environmentally responsible design and is committed to helping his clients reach sustainable (LEED) goals. He has developed a strong client base that continues to call on the services of Ted Moudis Associates and has earned the respect of his colleagues and the steadfast loyalty of many clients because of his day-to-day involvement, quality control and conviction of providing superior services and technical expertise with high quality design.




Mindy Williams (Special Events)

Tel: 212-682-8448
Email: mwilliams@lkpartnersinc.com 

Mindy Williams-McElearney is a Vice President at L&K Partners Inc, a construction management company based in New York City.  She has over 20 years of experience working in partnership with the real estate, design and construction industries.  In this position, Mindy collaborates with the firm partners to bring strategic vision and direction on all marketing, branding and client-relations initiatives.  Her previous work experience at design firms and furniture companies, as well as her involvement with CoreNet, will lend a unique perspective on industry trends and market trajectories.

Mindy is extremely involved in several industry organizations.  She currently serves on the Board of the NYC Chapter of CoreNet as the Chair of the Special Events Committee and also chairs the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Awards Committee, and serves on the Dinner Committee. 

Prior to joining L&K Partners Inc., Mindy worked with IA Interior Architects as their Director of Business Development, served as the Business Development Manager for TSC Design Associates and spent 13 years at Knoll, Inc.



Lee Kosmac (Membership)

Tel: 212-372-2129
Email: lkosmac@newmarkkf.com

Lee Kosmac joined Newmark Grubb Knight Frank in 2004. In 2011, she transitioned into the role of CEO Barry Gosin’s chief of staff. In this capacity, Ms. Kosmac serves as the executive level relationship manager, strategically managing all of his endeavors to build and maintain key client relationships. She acts as the direct liaison between the client and Mr. Gosin, in addition to coordinating internal communications between the senior executives of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank team. Ms. Kosmac contributes invaluable business knowledge from her past experience in executive management positions, operations, marketing, and brokerage. She understands the value of each client’s unique business objectives, always attuned to its corporate culture, nuances of the organizational infrastructure, competitive landscape and financial goals. 

Prior to her relationship management role, Ms. Kosmac served as a real estate advisor, successfully completing a number of challenging assignments on both a national and international level. Select clients included: Pfizer, Hewitt Associates, MetLife, Merck-Medco, Cable/Wireless, Rutgers University, McGraw-Hill, ING Reliastar, Louis Dreyfus, Cablevision, the New York Times, Bank of New York and J.P. Morgan Chase. Before joining Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, Ms. Kosmac was with GVA Williams as a senior vice president. She also served key positions with Grubb & Ellis and Insignia/ESG. 

Prior to her career in commercial real estate, Ms. Kosmac was vice president of operations for System Connections, Inc. She had P&L responsibility, accountable for organizing, staffing and managing the start-up software development company. Earlier, Ms. Kosmac was vice president of marketing for Updata Software Company. Before joining Updata, she held various management and executive positions at On-Line Software International. Preceding that position, she was a senior consultant with the Stenrich Group, a marketing management consulting firm. Practice areas included strategic planning, marketing, product development, sales training and advertising. 

Ms. Kosmac was selected as one of the 100 Women Real Estate Leaders for the 21st Century by Real Estate Weekly and the Association of Real Estate Women (AREW). She was the recipient of the Real Estate Broker Award from the Morris Area Development Group for her outstanding contribution to the economy of Morris County, NJ. Bergen County and the municipality of Haworth, NJ, named Ms. Kosmac Volunteer of the Year in 2004 for more than 17 years of service as a member of the Haworth Planning Board. She has presented seminars for the American Management Association, The Stenrich Group and Penton Learning, Inc. Currently, she serves as a member of the board of directors for the NYC Chapter of CoreNet Global and chairs the Membership Committee.



Daniel Fishbein SLCR (Programs)

Tel: 973- 422-3169
Email: dan.fishbein@cit.com

Dan Fishbein is a strategically focused asset manager for corporate and investment real estate. Current responsibilities include planning, transactions management, and lease administration for CIT locations worldwide.  At BNY Mellon/Urdang and The Rubenstein Company he drove the performance of over $1 billion of commercial real estate assets as he executed turn around strategies resulting in annualized returns exceeding 15% for most properties.

Mr. Fishbein headed the Real Estate and facilities functions at The Vanguard Group, in Valley Forge, PA. as the company achieved a six fold increase in size and transitioned into a newly constructed corporate campus.  He began his career at Boston’s Economic Development Industrial Corporation where he rose to the position of Director, Real Estate and Planning.  Projects included the redevelopment of two military bases and Boston’s Southwest Corridor.

Having received a Master of City Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Fishbein is currently a member of the Zell Lurie Real Estate Center. He received his BA from Boston University.

Mr. Fishbein has held leadership roles in CoreNet Global since 1994, including five years as Philadelphia Chapter President, co-chair of eight annual Symposiums at the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, and Harvard University, and membership on the global finance and chapter services committees.  Community activities have included appointment to the Tredyffrin Township Planning Commission and board membership at the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association.  He speaks and moderates at industry events and published the Boston Guide to Development and industrial market reports.



Michael Davidson (SIG’s)

Tel: 212-270-3037
Email: michael.p.davidson@jpmorgan.com

Michael Davidson is a Managing Director and Head of the New York Region & Global Corporate & Investment Bank Real Estate Portfolio at JP Morgan Chase and Co., encompassing 15MM square feet (sf) across 500 Locations in 54 Countries, with a $1.7 Billion Annual Operating Plan; Davidson joined JP Morgan in November 2010.

Davidson led the Line of Business integration, strategy and overall leadership engagement for JP Morgan’s acquisition, development and occupancy of 25 Bank Street in London, involving the planning, change management and move of 7,000 employees with a project budget of $328MM.

From 2005 – 2010, Davidson was a Band 2 Senior Vice President and Corporate Workplace Executive at Bank of America, responsible for the Global Banking, Markets, Commercial Banking and Global Wealth and Investment Management Division Real Estate Portfolio, encompassing 34MM sf with a $2 Billion Operating Plan.

While at Bank of America, Davidson led the Global Real Estate Integration with Merrill Lynch and managed a team of real estate and finance professionals in the development and alignment of the global line of business occupancy plans with company leadership. Davidson’s team integrated disciplines including transactions and brokerage, design and construction, property management, business continuity, technology, risk, human resources, finance and compliance.

Davidson helped to establish Bank of America’s occupancy plan in New York City, including strategic space planning, design, program development and delivery of Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, the world’s first LEED Platinum Office Tower.

From 2000-2005, Davidson was an Executive Director of Corporate Real Estate for Morgan Stanley, leading overseas expatriate assignments in Japan, London and Continental Europe, and managing a team of real estate professionals across Asia Pacific, the UK & Europe.

While on assignment in London in 2005, Davidson received the Morgan Stanley International Chairman’s Award for “Living the Values”, based on the nomination of a team of cross-divisional peers and company leadership.

From 1998 - 2000, Davidson was the Chief Operating Officer to the Head of Corporate Real Estate at Morgan Stanley and facilitated the integration of the real estate and corporate services disciplines in New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, with a Global Portfolio of 10MM sf.

In 1999, Davidson participated in the conception and construction of 745 Seventh Avenue, a 1.1MM sf office tower developed to complement Morgan Stanley’s world headquarters at 1585 Broadway.

From 1994 - 1998, Davidson led the Asset Management of 750 Seventh Avenue, a 580,000 sf office tower in Times Square, that was owned and occupied by Morgan Stanley in the midst of a 360,000 sf interior and infrastructure construction fit-out. In his role as Asset Manager, Davidson led a team of property management, engineering and finance professionals for Tishman Speyer Properties and Hines Interests Limited Partnership.

In 1994, Davidson graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Fordham University with a Dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Philosophy, Cumulative GPA of 3.77 and was the first in his family to earn a College Degree.

Davidson has earned the Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and is preparing to obtain Accreditation as a LEED Green Accredited Professional.

Davidson has completed Fifteen Marathons, one on each of the Seven Continents, including New York (5x), Napa Valley, Athens, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Easter Island, Ushuaia and Antarctica, and in so doing has raised $110,000 in personal fundraising for Children with HIV, the Epilepsy Foundation on behalf of his Mother, Children in Hyderabad, India, St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City, the African Leadership Foundation for impoverished and at-risk children and the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, on behalf of his Grandmother.

Davidson is in training for the 2013 San Francisco Marathon and New York City Marathon, the latter as a fundraiser for Cystic Fybrosis.

Davidson has established a Scholarship at Fordham University for graduating Seniors that demonstrate Academic excellence with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and intend to commit her/his life and career toward community service for the benefit of others.

Davidson is a member of the Fordham University President’s Council, Chairman of The Fordham College Dean’s Board of Advisors, Palisades Parks Conservancy Board of Directors, CoreNet Global - NYC Chapter Board of Directors, New York Cares, Torch Foundation, St. Francis Capuchin Food Pantries and Shelters and is a media & liturgical minister in his community Parish.

In 2012, Davidson completed The TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program and earned a degree conferred by the NYU Stern School of Business, London School of Economics & Political Science and École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris (HEC School of Management, Paris).  Davidson was elected Class Representative by the Cohort and Academic Program Leadership.

Davidson lives in Piermont in the New York City Hudson Valley.


Howard E. Peskoe (Counsel)

Tel: 212 592-1522
Email: hpeskoe@herrick.com

Howard is a Counsel at Herrick, Feinstein LLP's Real Estate Department.  Prior to joining this firm, Howard was a partner in Clifford Chance and Winston & Strawn LLP’s.

Howard has in-depth experience in representing clients in connection with the acquisition, development and financing of many significant office buildings in Manhattan, as well as regional office, hotel and multi-use properties. He represents lenders, borrowers, owners and contractors.

In addition to serving as CoreNet Global New York City Chapter’s legal counsel, he is a member of the advisory board of First American Title Insurance Company and of the board of directors of Greater Jamaica Development Corporation where he chairs the Project Development and Finance Committee.


Marcus Rayner (Advisor)

Tel: 212-758-3132
Email: mrayner@cresa.com

Marcus is the Managing Principal of Cresa New York office, and a fomer member of the firm's Board of Directors. Marcus has over 20 years experience providing corporate real estate advice to clients in the US and specializes in strategic planning and transaction services. Marcus qualified as a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) in the UK and has transacted business in Europe and Asia.

CresaPartners is an international corporate real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents tenants and delivers fully integrated real estate services in 35 countries and more than 125 cities.   

Marcus is a former co-chair of the Board of Managers for the Westside YMCA.


Dale F. Schlather (Advisor)

Tel: 212-841-5970
Email: Dale.Schlather@cushwake.com

Dale joined Cushman Realty Corporation, which merged with Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. in 2001, in 1986 as National Director of Financial Services, directing financial services support to the firm’s brokerage, consulting, investment and development divisions. After five years in Cushman Realty’s headquarters in Los Angeles, Dale founded the San Diego office of the company in 1991 where he was a Senior Broker. In 1994, he relocated to the New York City office of Cushman Realty where he was Senior Managing Director. Following the 2001 merger, Mr. Schlather joined the midtown office of Cushman & Wakefield as Senior Director, and in 2005 was promoted to Executive Director.

During his 19-year career, he has been responsible for the financial structuring, analysis and negotiation of major corporate and institutional relocations, development opportunities and joint venture partnerships. He has played an integral role in the structuring, analysis, and implementation of over ten million square feet of lease transactions in over thirty cities across the United States as a tenant representation broker.



Gina Rizzo (Advisor)

Tel: 212-318-3941
Email: gina_rizzo@hermanmiller.com

Gina Rizzo is Global Client Relations for Herman Miller and has over 20 years of experience in providing solutions to the changing workplace environment. Gina is responsible for the marketing and new business efforts within the global corporate real estate community and concentrates on building and maintaining relationships early in the process with top decision makers. To assure a strong partnership between Herman Miller and the client, Gina teams with Herman Miller’s global resources to bring an effective and long-term solution for the corporate environment.

With over 12 years of CoreNet Global experience, Gina has strengthened Herman Miller’s visibility within the organization. She is currently serving on the 2012-2013 CoreNet Global Board of Directors, and is the past New York City Chapter President and Chair. Gina continues as Senior Advisor to the Chapter to assure its legacy as global innovators.


Paul Darrah (Advisor)

Tel: 203-341-3738
Email: paul.darrah@bwater.com

Paul is Director of Corporate Services at Bridgewater Associates.  Prior to Bridgewater, Paul was a Director of Real Estate for the Americas at Lehman Brothers. In this capacity he was responsible for Strategic Planning, Leasing and Transactions, Design and Construction and Property Management for New York, New Jersey and Branches portfolio of over 6 million square feet. Prior to joining Lehman he served as Director of Global Real Estate with Bloomberg for 10 years and was responsible for managing real estate for the over 120 offices around the world; including strategic planning, site selection, design and construction of Bloomberg offices. Prior to Bloomberg, he was President of WPG Design Group. He and his firm were responsible for the design and continued expansion of Bloomberg’s New York Headquarters office as well as design services and project coordination for additional offices including San Francisco, Sao Paulo Brazil and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bloomberg’s rapid worldwide growth necessitated creating a senior internal position with expertise and responsibility to plan and manage real estate and facilities efforts. Paul is responsible for managing over 120 worldwide offices including strategic real estate planning, site selection, design and construction.

Prior to WPG he worked with Brennan Beer Gorman Architects in New York where he was responsible for developing the Washington, D.C. office of Brennan Beer Gorman Monk Interiors as well as a range of office building and hospitality projects.

In addition to his CoreNet board position, Paul is a member of the Trenton Economic Development Corporation, East Manhattan BID, Architectural Institute of America and Architectural League of New York.


Gregg Weisser (Advisor)

Email: greggw11@gmail.com

Over the last 20 years, Gregg Weisser optimized a portfolio of properties for JPMorgan Chase & Co as Vice President and Real Estate Director to reflect the changing needs of the business units to align it with their business strategy.  He ensured the running of cost effective operations which enhanced the company's competitiveness and profitability. Mr. Weisser’s initiatives on behalf of the enterprise varied from real estate-related business strategy through to implementation of many corporate initiatives. During his tenure there, he managed a team of transactors, conducted benchmarking, best practices, and performance metrics exercises, worked with business leaders to determine and create superior business solutions, produced cost and run-rate savings by the sale of properties, consolidation of locations, and managed teams to produce successful long and short-range results. Prior to joining JPMC, Mr. Weisser was a licensed real estate broker at the Cross & Brown Company in New York and he worked as a landlord and tenant representative on leases and building sales. As Managing Director of Radius Advisors, LLC, since 2010, he specializes in managing and advising companies on the creation of occupancy and workplace solutions in support of business strategies.  This group of affiliated professionals utilizes specific disciplines learned over many decades and acts to provide resources needed to ensure customers receive best-in-class solutions to support business objectives.



Kathy Winkler (Advisor)

Tel: 973-367-7185
Email: kathy.winkler@prudential.com

Kathy is a Vice President of Corporate Real Estate at Prudential Financial. Kathy's extensive experience within the corporate real estate and facilities management industry includes interior design, project management, space utilization and planning, customer relationship management, lease transactions, portfolio optimization and workplace strategy.

Kathy’s current responsibilities include portfolio optimization, planning and space management for Prudential's 8 million square feet of space in the US. In addition, Kathy is a customer relationship manager for multiple business units within Prudential, and is responsible for managing their space and developing occupancy and workplace strategies to support their business objectives.

Prior to joining Prudential Financial, Kathy was a manager with Columbia Pictures facilities management group and a space planner at NBC. She has a BFA in Interior Design from New York Institute of Technology.

A recent past chair of the New York Chapter of CoreNet Global, Kathy serves on the board of directors as a senior advisor. Kathy is very active in the corporate real estate industry, presenting at the International ARCHIBUS/FM Users’ Conference as well as participating as a panelist and a presenter on various CoreNet events.