Robert Cohen has been creating successful Washington
area real estate transactions for over three decades.
Drawing on diverse expertise, he develops creative solutions
that enhance the profitability of every project.
Lead Producer, Company President
Mr. Cohen’s career began in 1971 as an associate
broker with Barnes Morris & Pardoe, where he rapidly
became the firm’s leading producer. After maintaining
that position for 11 years, he was named president and
CEO. Under his guidance, Barnes Morris & Pardoe
became a well-recognized brokerage company, specializing
in land assemblies for downtown office buildings, condominium
conversions, investment property sales and finance.
The company under Mr. Cohen’s leadership grew
to become one of the largest and most successful brokerage
firms in Washington, D.C. Its property management group
grew from 2.5 million square feet, when the company
acquired the Kaempfer Management Group, to more than
13 million square feet.
In 1991 Mr. Cohen saw the potential for a profitable partnership with P. Wesley Foster Jr., owner of Long & Foster Inc. Accordingly, the partners merged their companies and Mr. Cohen became Chairman and CEO of the combined company. In 1997, the company was sold to Insignia Financial Group; Mr. Cohen remained the regional executive managing the firm. In early 2004 he founded Perseus Realty.
Capital Investments
Mr. Cohen has handled numerous real estate transactions
for both land and buildings, successfully completing
some of Washington’s most notable sales and financings.
He has personally invested in multiple projects, including
2121 Virginia Avenue, a prime building with 150,000
square feet, and 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW, a 300,000-
square-foot, fully leased office building. He also remains
active in a partnership that owns land to develop over
1.5 million square feet in the premium Union Station
area of Washington, DC.
Some of Mr. Cohen’s most noted projects are International
Square; Republic Place; 1667 K Street, NW; 1015 15th
Street, NW; 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; and the Madison
Hotel and Office Building.
Mr. Cohen serves on the Board of Visitors at the Terry
Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University
and is a member of the Federal City Council. He has
served on the boards of WETA and Norwood School and
has been a member of the Young President’s Organization.
He was a founding member of the Real Estate Group of
Washington and has been active in other civic associations.
John Wood Bolton, Jr. has served as vice president
for several development companies in the Washington,
DC area; he has also headed his own development firm.
He is known for effective project management, often
completing projects early and under budget. Mr. Bolton
also has expertise in acquisition and contract negotiation
for residential, office and retail projects.
Exceeding Expectations
From 1998 to 2003 Mr. Bolton served as a corporate vice
president in the Washington, DC office of Boston Properties,
Inc, a $7 billion, 40-million-square-foot real estate
investment trust. He managed key aspects of Boston Properties’
office development, redevelopment, and acquisition activities
for the capital area.
While at Boston Properties, Mr. Bolton was directly
responsible for development of over $480 million of
new office development, including 901 New York Avenue,
NW – a 550,000- square-foot office building. In
addition, he master-planned the Tower Oaks and Washingtonian
North projects, totaling an additional $700 million.
He earned accolades for completing projects with stellar
efficiency and quality...always on time, often under
budget. Savings ranged from $1 million to $3.7 million
on projects including NASD’s Regulatory Headquarters
in suburban Washington; 2600 Tower Oaks Boulevard (with
successful pre-leasing of 70% of the building); and
1615 M Street, NW, where Mr. Bolton re-tenanted 80%
of the building to 100% occupancy.
A Foundation of Success
Before Mr. Bolton joined Boston Properties, he served
as vice president of Mulligan/Griffin & Associates,
a privately owned real estate development firm. There
he was responsible for asset and risk management, leasing,
and maintaining day-to-day institutional partner and
lender relationships. He has also held the position
of vice president with CarrAmerica, Inc., where he headed
up the land development of Carlyle ... a 6.8-million-square-foot-addition
to the City of Alexandria.
Mr. Bolton holds an MBA in International Business/International
Finance from American University in Washington, DC.
Mark Adamo manages the development and construction of all Perseus Realty properties. Mr. Adamo joined Perseus Realty from Veranda Partners in 2007. Prior to Veranda, Mr. Adamo spent 15 years at Manulife Financial, where he was responsible for the development and construction of over a dozen significant properties.
Mr. Adamo studied Architectural Building Science at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto, and in 1981 joined the firm of Clifford and Lawrie Architects. Mr. Adamo left Clifford and Lawrie in 1985 as their specifications specialist and joined Canadian Gypsum Company as a technical consultant to architects, engineers and building officials on matters related to fire-protection, acoustics and building envelope design.
Mr. Adamo joined the Real Estate Division of Manulife Financial in 1989 and managed the development and retrofit of commercial real estate properties, including feasibility studies, zoning, site planning and development agreements. He was also the senior executive responsible for all design, construction and contract administration.
During his tenure at Manulife Financial and Veranda Partners Mr. Adamo was responsible for the following development projects:
601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts
555 12th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
1100 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.
1350 I Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
750 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Schaumburg Corporate Center, Chicago, Illinois
25 Water Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Manulife Centre/Cineplex Expansion, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Westwood Corporate Center, Orlando, Florida
The Residences of Veranda Park – Building 4000, Orlando, Florida
The Offices of Veranda Park – Building 1500, Orlando, Florida
Tavistock Financial Center, Windermere, Florida
Ms. Calmes is an Assistant Project Manager for Perseus Realty. Her work concentrates on development and construction projects, whereby she maintains DM/CM developed schedules, coordinates all contract, file and data records, contract administration/billings and augments DM/CM coordination communication with consultants, contractors, etc. Ms. Calmes has a B.A. from the University of Maryland and is working towards an associate’s certificate in project management through The George Washington University.
Mr. Hampton is a Construction Manager at Perseus Realty. His is involved in the management and coordination of development and construction activities for all Perseus Realty projects. Prior to Perseus Realty, Mr. Hampton worked at the JBG Companies as a Construction Manager. While there, Mr. Hampton helped manage numerous commercial, residential and hospitality projects including the Artisan condominiums in Washington, DC; the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel expansion; the Arlington Gateway Westin Hotel; and a $12 million structured parking facility in Rockville, MD. Mr. Hampton is currently studying for a B.A. in Construction Management at Montgomery College.
Jill Homan joined Perseus Realty in June 2006 having recently attained both a Masters of Business Administration and Master of Public Policy from Duke University, specializing in finance and urban revitalization. She brings diverse real estate experience from both the private and public sectors and has authored a thesis on the actual impact of real estate redevelopment on surrounding neighborhoods. In said capacities, Ms. Homan has analyzed acquisitions, proposed policy changes to city government, and led redevelopment initiatives in a formerly underserved Durham, North Carolina neighborhood.
Prior to attending business and graduate school, Ms. Homan gained valuable experience in both the public and private sectors – as a Congressional Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant for then-Congressman, now-Governor Bob Ehrlich, and a Territory Manager for John Deere Company. She holds two undergraduate degrees from the University of Dayton, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in German, and has studied at both the University of Heidelberg in Germany and most recently at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – MBA Program.
Ms. Homan’s role at Perseus Realty will include financial analysis, asset management, and acquisitions.
Ms. Kornely is Director of Marketing and Assistant Project Manager at Perseus Realty. Ms. Kornely works on general development initiatives within the areas of design, community and governmental affairs, legal matters, leasing, budgeting and zoning while also managing the marketing of all Perseus Realty development projects and the overall marketing and public relations strategies of the company itself. Ms. Kornely previously worked at the private equity firm Perseus, L.L.C. and has lectured at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. She holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and is a 2010 M.B.A. candidate at the Johns Hopkins University.
Todd Leader serves as Vice President of Finance for Perseus Realty. He is responsible for financial reporting and the day-to-day accounting systems and controls. Mr. Leader joined Perseus Realty after four years at PN Hoffman & Associates, where he was responsible, in addition to other duties, for the oversight of cash flows, general ledger maintenance, budgeting, and reviewing operating and loan agreement documents. Mr. Leader’s tenure at PN Hoffman saw the development and construction of a number of properties, including the Chase Point Condominiums, the Warehouses and Flats at Union Row, the Hudson and the Desoto. Prior to joining PN Hoffman, Mr. Leader was a staff accountant with Boyer & Ritter and the Jersey Shore State Bank. He graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming College with a B.A. in Accounting.
Mr. Parker is Vice President, Legal Affairs for Perseus Realty. He is responsible for all legal matters relating to Perseus Realty’s acquisitions and dispositions, and pre-development, development, and construction projects. He also serves as General Counsel to the company. Prior to working for Perseus Realty, Mr. Parker served as Legal Counsel and Director of Deutsche Bank AG’s CIB Global Markets Compliance Advisory Group and was an Associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) in their Securities Practice Group. Mr. Parkers holds a B.A. from the University of Alabama and a J.D. from Georgetown University.
Stephen
Schwendinger — Vice President for Asset Management
Stephen Schwendinger has provided detailed analysis
for asset disposition and acquisition throughout the
Washington Metropolitan Area over the last five years.
Combining nearly a decade of commercial real estate
experience with a keen eye for value, he helps the firm
recognize and capture prime opportunities.
Efficiency and Timing
Prior to his current position, Mr. Schwendinger served
as a senior financial analyst for CB Richard Ellis,
a leading commercial real estate company. In addition
to high performance through efficiency, attention to
detail, and disciplined organization, he has a broad
understanding of the D.C. real estate market.
He analyzes current trends, studying the market’s
movement to ascertain the best timing to move on a particular
opportunity ... or sell for the highest profit.
Delivering Results
For Perseus Realty, Mr. Schwendinger provides financial
analyses, valuations and projections for future acquisitions.
He is also responsible for the day-to-day operation
of the company’s ventures, ensuring budget objectives
are met and coordinating with contractors, engineers,
designers and consultants. Additionally he is responsible
for project management of the office’s properties,
which includes negotiating tenant leases and supplying
investors with financial reports.
Mr. Schwendinger holds a Certified Commercial Investment
Member designation. He is a graduate of the University
of Maryland, where he studied Economics.
Mr. Siever is Vice President, Development at Perseus Realty. Mr. Siever’s responsibilities at Perseus Realty include planning and oversight of all development and construction activities at Perseus Realty. Mr. Siever has extensive experience in development, construction and pre-construction management of commercial, residential, and hospitality projects throughout the Southern and Eastern United States. Most recently, he was a Senior Preconstruction Manager at the JBG Companies, where he oversaw project schedules, budgets and constructability of such projects as the Marriott Wardman Park, the Park Washington Hotel, the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, Rosslyn Gateway, NPR, and other commercial projects in Silver Spring, Woodmont and Arlington. Mr. Siever also counts the U.S. Department of State, SIGAL Construction Corporation, Spalding & Slye, and Young, Clark and Associates among his former employers; past projects include such diverse buildings as the MCI and Bell Atlantic headquarters, all Delta Air Lines-related construction within the New York City metropolitan area, and participation in the Trans Caucasus Embassy Renovation project. Mr. Siever holds an A.A. in Civil Engineering from Montgomery College and a B.S. in Construction Management from the University of Maryland.
Ms. Steele is a Staff Accountant at Perseus Realty. She is responsible for assisting the Vice President of Finance with financial reporting and the day-to-day financial operations of Perseus Realty.
Prior to joining Perseus Realty, Ms. Steele was a Purchasing Coordinator with Equity Homes in Fairfax, VA. In this position, she was responsible for generating and reconciling purchase orders, maintaining the budget and all variances, coordinating with accounting and sales departments for all cost budgets and draws, among various other responsibilities. Ms. Steele has also consulted for Insignia ESG, National Council of Negro Women, AFSCME and the National Association of Water Companies.
Ms. Steele holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor University.
Mr. Terwilliger is Director of Design & Construction
for Perseus Realty. His primary responsibility is the
overall execution of design and construction activities
for multiple development projects. Mr. Terwilliger also
collaborates with the principals on future acquisitions
of properties providing support for opportunity assessment
and due diligence. Additionally, Mr. Terwilliger is
directly responsible for maintaining project budget
control.
Mr. Terwillliger has been active in the Washington
area development and construction industry since 1978,
providing successful leadership in various project management
and program management roles. In 1988 Mr. Terwilliger
took a position with the successful Washington, DC construction
firm, Hitt Contracting, Inc. While with Hitt, he acquired
a solid general contracting project management foundation
as well as hands-on development experience. He joined
the thriving corporate real estate development group
at Manor Care, Inc. in 1994. Demonstrating his considerable
project management and leadership skills, Mr. Terwilliger
was quickly promoted and assigned execution responsibilities
and resources for approximately 20% of Manor Care's
national development construction program. In 2000,
following Manor Care's acquisition by Health Care and
Retirement Corp., he joined Himes Associates, Ltd.,
a third-party provider of a variety of project management
and program management services, typically for corporate
real estate groups and institutional owner/developers.
Mr. Terwilliger is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where
he received a BS, Building Construction. He also holds
an MBA degree from The George Washington University
School of Business.
