PEAKMADE
LEADERS

MEET THE PEOPLE AT THE
HEART OF PEAKMADE

Biography

Bob Clark

Chief Executive Officer

University/College: Frostburg State University
Favorite Hobby: Playing golf and watching University of Georgia football.
Fun Fact: Bob married his high school sweetheart, Tracey.

As CEO, Bob is responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of all the PeakMade Real Estate companies. He is the current the Chair of the ULI Student Housing Council and regular speaker at student housing conferences. Bob has been with the company for 19.5 years.

Bob Clark

Chief Executive Officer
Biography

Jeff Githens

President of Development

University/College: Georgia Tech
Favorite Hobby: Enjoys the outdoors, college sports, and spending time with friends and family.
Fun Fact: Jeff grew up in heavy civil construction doing everything from manual labor to operating heavy equipment.

As President of PeakMade Development, Jeff oversees all aspects of new developments. He is a member of NMHC and ULI. As a graduate of Georgia Tech, Jeff remains a loyal supporter of his alma mater. He has been with the Company for 15 years.

Jeff Githens

President of Development
Biography

Casey Petersen

Chief Operating Officer

University/College: University of Minnesota
Favorite Hobby: Music – Listening to it, playing it and experiencing it.
Fun Fact: Green Bay Packers Shareholder.

As COO, Casey is responsible for all aspects of the operating platform, including marketing, leasing, training, property management operations, and support functions. He is also responsible for our client services team. He is an active member of the NMHC Student Housing Committee and is the NMHC Emerging Leaders Student Housing Liaison. He has been with the Company for 14 years.

Casey Petersen

Chief Operating Officer
Biography

Wendy Walker

Chief Financial Officer

University/College: Hampton University
Favorite Hobby: Spending time helping the community.
Fun Fact: Member of the National Association of Black Accountants.

As the CFO, Wendy is responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s finances to include tracking cash flows, financial planning, managing financial risks, and reporting. She is a member of the NABA and the Lead Teen Advisor for Buckhead Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Wendy has been with the Company for 14 years.

Wendy Walker

Chief Financial Officer
Biography

Jennifer Hill

Chief People Officer & General Counsel

University/College: University of Georgia
Favorite Hobby: Yoga, outdoor adventures & book lover
Fun Fact: She performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics.

As the CPO & General Counsel, Jennifer is focused on Peak’s ‘people experience’ and creating a space where all people continue to evolve. Jennifer is on NMHC’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee & OPTECH Planning Committee, and she sits on the Education Advisory Board for NAA. Jennifer has been with the company for 15 years.

Jennifer Hill

Chief People Officer & General Counsel
Biography

Jeff Eckard

Chief Technology Officer

University/College: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Favorite Hobby: Playing Basketball and Golf.
Fun Fact: Coached 30+ Youth Sports teams with my sons/daughter.

As CTO, Jeff is responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of property, corporate and business intelligence technology solutions, initiatives, and infrastructure services across all PeakMade businesses.

Jeff Eckard

Chief Technology Officer
Biography

Sandra Barfield

Senior Vice President of Shared Services and Corporate Marketing

University/College: Jacksonville State University
Favorite Hobby: Spending time with family and friends.
Fun Fact: She is a diehard University of Alabama football fan.

As one of the longest tenured associates at PeakMade, Sandra leads the company’s centralization platform and is responsible for Corporate Marketing. She is the Executive Sponsor of the company’s Innovation Committee. She has been with the company for 18 years.

Sandra Barfield

Senior Vice President of Shared Services and Corporate Marketing
Biography

Mandy Elmore

Senior Vice President of Operations

University/College: Pellissippi State Community College
Favorite Hobby: Loves entertaining and hosting at her farm.
Fun Fact: Lives on a 40 acre farm.

As SVP, Mandy is responsible for property operations and support. Most recently, Mandy created and launched an Executive Mentorship and Development program, Cultivate, for the company’s emerging leaders. Mandy has been with the company for 13 years.

Mandy Elmore

Senior Vice President of Operations
Biography

Ashly Poyer

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing

University/College: Sam Houston State University
Favorite Hobby: Working through my bucket list of visiting every Presidential library.
Fun Fact: I’m a proud American Samoan.

As Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Ashly drives the Company’s Sales and Leasing strategy, as well as property/portfolio marketing support by providing leadership to our Digital/Web Marketing, Customer Experience, Communications and Creative Marketing teams. A PeakMade veteran, Ashly has been with the Company for 12 years and started her career on-site in Huntsville, TX. She also chairs Peak Link, the Company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and is a founding member of the W Collective, a resource and networking forum for women in student housing.

Ashly Poyer

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Biography

Mike Paluga

Senior Vice President of Development

University/College: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Favorite Hobby: Loves watching the Cubs and the Dodgers.
Fun Fact: Mike is an aviation aficionado.

Mike is an accomplished real estate executive with over 20 years of diverse development experience on varying real estate asset product types, including for-sale and rental multi-family, and student housing. Mike has been with the Company for five years.

Mike Paluga

Senior Vice President of Development
Biography

Mark Winkelmann

Vice President of Client Services

University/College: Saint Louis University
Favorite Hobby: Anything related to health and fitness.
Fun Fact: When he was younger he set a record for most consecutive rides on a roller coaster.

Mark oversees all aspects of Client Services, assisting current and future partners with Consulting, New Development Planning, and property sales and transitions. Mark has been with the Company for 9 years.

Mark Winkelmann

Vice President of Client Services
Biography

Robert Kochansky

Vice President of Construction and Development

University/College: Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business
Favorite Hobby: Working on his 1979 Mercedes G.
Fun Fact: Built his 1979 Mercedes G from the ground up.

As VP of Development with 25 years of student and multifamily construction and development experience, Robert plays a critical role in delivering new developments into our portfolio. Robert has been with the Company for four years.

Robert Kochansky

Vice President of Construction and Development
Biography

Brandon Hayslip

Vice President of Construction and Development

University/College: Georgia Southern University
Favorite Hobby: Loves anything outdoors and hunting.
Fun Fact: He has three beautiful children.

As Vice President of Construction and Development, Brandon is involved in all aspects of a project from pre-development budget and design through the construction of the project with our GC partners. Brandon has been with the company for five years.

Brandon Hayslip

Vice President of Construction and Development
Biography

Stephen Furr

Vice President of Built-to-Rent Development

University/College: Clemson University
Favorite Hobby: Playing tennis and coaching kids sports
Fun Fact: Played college football at Clemson

In his role as Vice President of Development, he is responsible for all aspects of sourcing, underwriting, and executing new development opportunities for purpose-built single-family rental communities. Stephen joined PeakMade Real Estate in June 2021.

Stephen Furr

Vice President of Built-to-Rent Development
Biography

Seung Hwan Kang

Vice President of Property and Development Accounting

University/College: University of Georgia
Favorite Hobby: Woodworking, golf, and camping.
Fun Fact: My nieces and nephews call me Uncle Trout.

As Vice President of Property and Development Accounting, Seung Hwan provides strategic oversight of property and development accounting operations. From Morgan Stanley/State Street for seven years, becoming an Officer, to the Divisional Controller at Pulte Homes for three years, Seung Hwan has vast experience in Real Estate. Seung Hwan has been with PeakMade for six years.

Seung Hwan Kang

Vice President of Property and Development Accounting
Biography

Mike Costello

Vice President of People Operations

University/College: University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Favorite Hobby: Golf, drawing, coaching kids sports, and leadership coaching.
Fun Fact: Got engaged in Italy.

As Vice President of People Operations with over 16 years of real estate, retail, and healthcare experience, Mike plays a critical role in our employee relations and growth that truly defines our value of “People Matter Most”. Mike has been with the Company for nine years.

Mike Costello

Vice President of People Operations
Biography

Kelly Muller

Senior Regional Vice President

University/College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Favorite Hobby: Shopping, traveling, & watching sports.
Fun Fact: After missing an important free throw and losing the game, she stayed till 3am that night to make 100 free throws in a row.

A 20+ year student housing veteran, Kelly focuses her time on supporting six regional managers and 25+ properties while managing the daily operations and investing time in client relations. Kelly has been with the Company for 12 years.

Kelly Muller

Senior Regional Vice President
Biography

Tami Finan

Regional Vice President

University/College: Ohio University
Favorite Hobby: Traveling and exploring new destinations with my family.
Fun Fact: With three teenage girls, I am very “in-tune” with GenZ.

Tami brings over 25 years of student housing experience and is responsible for operational oversight of over 20 properties while also supporting four regional managers. She earned her CPM designation through IREM. Tami has been with the Company for four years.

Tami Finan

Regional Vice President
Biography

Steven Lewis

Regional Vice President

University/College: NC State University
Favorite Hobby: I am a huge sports fan and love to play golf.
Fun Fact: In high school I played 1-on-1 basketball with Michael Jordan.

As RVP, Steven is responsible for overseeing overall property operations and client relations of a portfolio of properties, while supporting four Regional Managers. He brings over 22 years of student housing experience spanning from the East Coast to the West Coast. Steven has been with Peak for over eight years.

Steven Lewis

Regional Vice President
Biography

Sam Owens

Regional Vice President

University/College: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Favorite Hobby: Seeing live music – currently “The Eagles” are at the top of my “must see” list.
Fun Fact: I have trained service dogs for over 20-years.

As RVP, Sam oversees the operations and client relationships on our multifamily portfolio. With her 13 years at Peak, Sam has served from Assistant Manager to Regional Manager, exploring various roles at the site level. Her diverse portfolio included stabilizing value-add assets and maintaining Class A properties at 100% occupancy, while also spearheading centralization efforts and contributing significantly to our RAM program.

Sam Owens

Regional Vice President
Biography

Keith Long

Vice President, Canada

University/College: Southeastern Louisiana University
Favorite Hobby: Traveling and anything with my dog.
Fun Fact: I once crossed the Atlantic from Miami to Spain on a ship.

As Vice President, Canada, Keith oversees the operations of our Canada portfolio. Keith joined Peak with over 25 years of experience in student housing beginning in the U.S. and leading to Canada with previous experience developing a student housing platform in Canada to over 8,000 beds in prior roles. He has extensive experience with new developments and turnarounds in the U.S. and Canada with a strong focus on team building and development. Keith joined Peak in 2023.

Keith Long

Vice President, Canada

Our Strength Is In
Our Differences

At PeakMade, the goal of collaborating to promote diversity and inclusion are at our core. We believe our differences should be celebrated and our experiences should be shared. We believe in creating a culture powered by the acceptance of others and promoting the involvement of everyone through programs like Project Belong led by our DEI Council, The Peak Link.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DEI

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