THE TEAM

As Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Sorochinsky is the visionary of CEI and the driving force behind the company’s real estate portfolio. Michael’s investment strategies, business philosophy, and transaction execution diligence has brought about substantial annualized returns to equity.

From 2001 through 2005 Michael focused CEI’s investments in the value-add multifamily space, purchasing over 70 properties comprising of 3,500 apartment units and retail.

In late 2006, Michael began to notice significant stress on the credit markets and by 2007 advised his partners to start selling properties. Under Michael’s leadership, CEI successfully sold approximately 80% of its portfolio for significant gains prior to the crash of 2008. In 2008 through 2010, Michael focused CEI’s investments on purchasing blocks of distressed single family homes in some of the hardest hit areas in the country as well as investing in real estate related operating companies.

In 2010, before large numbers of developers jumped into the multifamily development game, Michael saw an opportunity to build Class A apartments in top cities around the US and led CEI to amass a development pipeline of over 9,000 luxury apartments with projected value in excess of $5 Billion in ten top Markets.

Prior to 2001, Michael practiced law at two international law firms – Perkins Coie and Milbank Tweed – representing creditors in distressed real estate debt and equity reorganizations. Michael’s background gives him a unique perspective into real estate finance and an in-depth understanding of real estate cycles, which he has successfully timed since 2001. Michael was also heavily involved in restructuring debt & equity relationships for clients, and repositioning distressed projects across both commercial and residential asset classes.

Michael received his JD from the UCLA School of Law and is based in Denver, Colorado.

As Chief Financial Officer of CEI, Alla Sorochinsky oversees the execution of the CEI vision. Heading finance, asset management and development, she ensures that CEI functions at the highest level of efficiency, integrity and quality.

Between 2001 – 2010 Alla managed the company’s 3,500 unit value-add portfolio, adding significant value through heavy renovation, effective financing strategies and top notch asset management. When the company shifted its focus to ground up Class A development, Alla became instrumental in creating an asset management platform for new development assets.

Previously, Alla was the financial controller of several publicly traded technology companies. Alla graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in International Economics and received a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California.

Bruce Fairty joined Cypress Equity Investments as Chief Operating Officer with thirty-five years of multifamily real estate development experience and investment background as a principal. Immediately prior to joining CEI, Bruce was active as a developer in the San Francisco Bay Area, first as a partner with the Castle Group Company and then as a partner with Thompson-Dorfman Partners. At Thompson-Dorfman and the Castle Group Bruce oversaw the acquisition, entitlement and development of approximately 4,400 units in San Francisco and the Bay Area. At Castle he led the company’s efforts in the use of modular construction processes for multifamily projects.

Prior to moving to San Francisco Bruce was a developer in Florida and founded Heritage Development Company in 1996 in partnership with Chicago’s Pritzker family where he oversaw all aspects of the development process for over 5,600 units. Between 1990-1995, he acquired over 6,000 REO and distressed debt units as Co-founder of Bailey Capital Company in partnership with the Whitehall Fund and Apollo Real Estate Advisors.

Previously, Bruce was CFO of Trammell Crow Residential’s Central Florida Division and later Area Partner, responsible for overseeing the development of 8,500 multifamily units across four regional divisions. Mr. Fairty received his undergraduate degree from Drew University and MBA from Rutgers University.

As Managing Director of Acquisitions, Adrian oversees CEI’s national acquisitions strategy and is responsible for sourcing and analyzing new land development and investment opportunities across the US, as well as fostering and growing CEI’s network of equity partners, lenders and brokers.

Adrian’s acquisitions focus includes: (a) land for multifamily development, (b) value-add retail and life science properties; and (c) GP Equity co-investments with multifamily sponsors.

Adrian brings over 20 years of business development and acquisitions experience in roles in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. Prior to joining CEI in 2015, Adrian lived in New York where he grew a successful real estate brokerage business focused on investment sales and retail leasing.

Adrian is originally from Sydney, Australia and completed his MBA at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydney in 2004. He also has an Advanced Diploma in Telecommunications Engineering from the Lidcombe College of TAFE in Sydney.

Errol Blumer is a Senior Vice President – Acquisitions with Cypress Equity Investments, where he co-leads the Florida Multifamily team based in Fort Lauderdale.

With more than a decade of experience, Errol has been involved in the transaction of more than $2 billion of multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial assets, including land for development and sourcing joint-venture equity and debt for ground-up construction throughout the Southeastern United States – with an emphasis on highly-active markets including: South Florida, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Charlotte.

Before joining CEI, Errol opened the South Florida Multifamily Investment Sales office for Northmarq, where his team led and managed the acquisition and disposition of multi-housing properties and land for development throughout Florida, while also arranging and sourcing Joint Venture Equity and Capital for acquisition and development projects.

Errol has also served at Cushman & Wakefield, Avison Young and ARA-Newmark, where he contributed and assisted in investment sales and capital markets activities related to multi-housing and commercial asset dispositions.

Errol graduated with honors from Nova Southeastern University with a Master of Business Administration Degree with a concentration in Finance. Errol also holds a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a concentration in History from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

As Assistant Vice President, Aaron focuses on underwriting new investment opportunities and analyzing development capitalization strategies. Prior to joining CEI in 2018, Aaron worked as an Analyst at Silverpeak Real Estate Partners, a New York City-based private equity firm, specializing in real estate acquisitions.

Aaron graduated from New York University with Honors and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Management.

As Senior Vice President of Development, Laura is responsible for delivering mixed-use projects in markets across the US.  Prior to joining CEI, Laura was a Development Associate at CIM Group in Los Angeles working on the entitlement, design and construction of both commercial and residential mixed-use projects.

Prior to joining CIM Group, Laura was a Development Manager focused on high-rise residential development in Canada. Laura has over 10 years of real estate experience as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and MBA from the University of Calgary.

As Senior Vice President of Development, Brandon is responsible for delivering multifamily and mixed-use projects for CEI throughout Texas.  Additionally, Brandon assists CEI’s acquisitions and capital market efforts and is involved in investment underwriting, due diligence, project capitalization, and asset disposition.

Brandon has over 9 years of real estate experience focusing primarily on multifamily and senior living development.  Prior to CEI, Brandon served as development manager for two commercial real estate development companies – GenCap Partners and Greystone Communities – where he was responsible for identifying, evaluating, underwriting, developing, managing, and disposing of multifamily and senior living developments across the US. Brandon has assisted in the acquisition, development, and asset management of over 5,000 multifamily and senior living units.

Brandon holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor of Science degrees in both Architecture and Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University.

As Vice President of Development, Jessica is responsible for delivering multifamily and mixed-use projects in markets across the US. Jessica joins CEI following a career as a civil engineer, both in transportation planning and construction management.

Jessica holds degrees in business administration and engineering. She completed her MBA in 2020 at the UCLA Anderson School of Management where she graduated with honors and a specialization in real estate. Prior to returning full-time, she spent five months working at CEI as an MBA summer associate. Jessica received her Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in 2011.

Jessica is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the Commercial Real Estate Women’s Network (CREW), and the UCLA Real Estate Alumni Group (REAG).

As Vice President of Development, Alice is responsible for delivering multifamily and mixed-use projects for CEI throughout Texas. She assists CEI’s acquisitions and capital market efforts and is involved in investment underwriting, due diligence, project capitalization, and asset disposition. She brings over 12 years of experience in real estate development in markets across the US. Previously, she was with PGIM Real Estate, Greenbrier Development, and Onex Real Estate. To date, she has been heavily involved in over $1 billion worth of real estate development.

Alice holds Bachelor of Architecture and a Minor in Real Estate Finance from Cornell University.

As Vice President of Development, Tara leads the development of the value-add portfolio in Texas. This role includes overseeing the design and construction of modular facilities, renovations of common areas and standardization for the Fidus portfolio.

Prior to joining CEI, Tara spent 8 years with boutique real estate development firm Todd Interests where she led adaptive re-use developments consisting of mixed-use, multi-family and hospitality projects. Tara has assisted in the acquisition, development and disposition of projects totaling over $500MM.

Tara received her BA from University of Texas at Arlington and resides in Dallas with her husband, two daughters and dog.

As Assistant Vice President of Development, Catherine Randall is responsible for delivering mixed-use projects in markets across the US.  Prior to joining CEI, Catherine worked at CIM Group in Los Angeles on the entitlement, design, and construction of commercial and residential mixed-use projects.

Catherine is passionate about commercial real estate and has wide ranging experience in multiple sectors of the industry. She started her career in investment sales in New York and went on to work in acquisitions and asset management at Time Equities, Inc. with a primary focus on office. After relocating to Los Angeles, Catherine co-founded Park Plains Development where she raised startup capital and repositioned residential properties in Los Angeles. Most recently at CIM Group, Catherine worked on programming and development of commercial and residential mixed-use projects in accordance with the long-term strategic goals of the portfolio. Additionally, she led the formation of the West Adams Boulevard BID and held a seat on the Board of Directors.

Catherine earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and History from the University of Vermont and a Master of Real Estate Development degree from the University of Southern California.

As Assistant Vice President of Development, Matt oversees all aspects of the development process, including site acquisition, due diligence, entitlements, design, financing and dispositions for Cypress Equity Investments.

Prior to joining CEI, Matt worked for Mill Creek Residential in Los Angeles, California where he was responsible for the acquisition, entitlement and development of assets throughout Southern California. Matt also worked for JLL Capital Markets in New York City, specializing in arranging debt and JV equity for institutional & private developers across all asset classes throughout the country.

As Assistant Vice President, Dash is responsible for delivering multifamily projects across the Colorado and Mountain West markets. Dash manages the development process, participating in due diligence, entitlements, design, financing, and asset disposition for Cypress Equity Investments in the Mountain West region.

Before joining CEI, Dash worked for Highland Development Company, a boutique real estate developer focused on ground-up development in the front range of Colorado. At HDC he was responsible for site acquisition, underwriting, design and entitlements, and project delivery through construction. Dash has assisted in the acquisition, development, and disposition of $100 million worth of multifamily projects.

Dash graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Economics and Real Estate.

As a Senior Associate, Cristian supports various development activities on multifamily projects in markets across the US. Cristian’s responsibilities include underwriting new opportunities, creating complex financial models, conducting market research, and assisting in capital markets and due diligence efforts. He joins CEI following a career working on the owner side of multifamily investments.

Prior to joining CEI, Cristian was a Senior Associate of Asset Management at Essex Property Trust, where he oversaw the development of value-add strategies for a region of 35,000 units. He has also worked in multifamily acquisitions for the investment arm of Beijing Construction Engineering Group, a top 50 ENR general contractor. Cristian received his BS in Business Administration from The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

As a Senior Associate, Investments, Shane’s responsibilities include underwriting new investment opportunities in markets across the US, bringing investments to capital markets, and management of active development projects. Shane specializes in the financial modeling of complex investments, evaluating capitalization alternatives and return metrics.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Shane attended Northeastern University in Boston, graduating with honors. Shane holds a BS in Business Administration, concentrating in Finance and Accounting.

As a Senior Associate, Sam focuses on underwriting, capital markets, and project management of existing projects. Prior to joining CEI, Sam worked as an Associate at The Carlyle Group in Los Angeles, specializing in real estate acquisition and development opportunities throughout the West Coast.  Sam also worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at Deutsche Bank, working in the Real Estate, Gaming, Lodging and Leisure group in New York.

Sam received a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in Mathematics.

As an Associate, Jordan focuses on acquisitions, underwriting new investment opportunities, and capital markets. Prior to joining CEI, Jordan has worked as a Project and Asset Manager at a smaller development company in Santa Monica, and as an Analyst at RCLCO, a real estate consulting firm specializing in institutional projects.

Jordan Graduated from The George Washington University with Honors and holds a Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in Real Estate.

As an Associate, Tyler supports the Colorado and Mountain Region sourcing and underwriting new investments as well as managing the active development pipeline. Prior to joining CEI, Tyler worked at Northwestern Mutual Real Estate where he assisted the debt and equity production team across various markets in his tenure, including the Southeast, Northern California, Southern California, and Colorado, which resulted in over $3bn of funded capital.

Tyler was born and raised in Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with bachelor’s degrees in real estate and economics.

As Senior Vice President, General Counsel, David is responsible for overseeing CEI’s legal matters, activities, and relationships.

Prior to joining CEI, David practiced law in the real estate group of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where he represented private and institutional investors in connection with the acquisition, joint venture, development, financing, and disposition of properties in a variety of asset classes, including office, multifamily, retail, mixed-use, industrial, and hotel.

David received a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. David holds an active California CPA license and an active California Real Estate Brokers’ License, and he is a member in good standing with the State Bar of California.

As Assistant Vice President of Legal, Natalie assists in all legal aspects of the company. Her responsibilities include the formation and maintenance of limited liability companies in various states and assisting the CFO in the review and drafting of legal contracts and real estate agreements. Natalie also acts as our real estate closer. She manages the process and ensures the accuracy of closings on our land acquisitions, construction loans, and debt and equity raises.

Before joining CEI, Natalie worked as a legal analyst for a private equity firm focused on developing operating companies for a variety of markets including esports and video gaming, and digital content production. Natalie specialized in contract review, legal agreement drafting, entity management, and sports, production and labor law. Natalie has also worked as a defense litigation paralegal for major medical and pharmaceutical class action lawsuits.

Natalie has been a certified paralegal since 2017. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.

As Senior Vice President of Construction, Will oversees projects on the East Coast, focusing on the greater NY metropolitan area. Prior to joining CEI, Will oversaw the predevelopment and construction of over 200,000 sf of luxury residential condos, 115,000 sf of mixed commercial and retail office space, and the rehabilitation of 400,000 sf of hotel and restaurant space in New York City.

Previous to his work in New York, Will worked at RPM Development and Construction, building high quality, LEED certified affordable housing in Newark, Orange and Franklin townships. Will received his BA from The College of New Jersey in English.

As Senior Vice President of Construction, Chance oversees multifamily and mixed-use projects for CEI throughout Texas. Additionally, Chance assists CEI’s development efforts and is involved in project due diligence, design development and entitlement.

Chance has over 15 years of development and construction experience and has been involved in the development and construction of over 7,000 multifamily units. Prior to CEI, Chance worked as a Vice President of Construction at The NRP Group and has also worked with Streetlights Residential, JLB Partners and The Hanover Company.

Chance received a B.S. in Construction Science from Texas A&M University and an M.S. in Real Estate from the University of Texas at Arlington

As Vice President of Construction, Alec oversees construction activities in Los Angeles. Prior to joining CEI, Alec was a construction manager at CIM Group where he oversaw the construction of multiple large mixed-use projects in West Los Angeles.

Prior to joining CIM Group, Alec worked at Morley Builders where he was instrumental in the coordination and implementation of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems.  Alec also worked at Lendlease Construction where his experience included high end residential projects in both New York and Los Angeles.

Alec received his M.S. in Construction Management from NYU and his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

As Vice President of Construction, Kyle Fluker oversees construction projects on the West Coast. Kyle brings over 10 years of experience in multifamily residential mixed-use projects.

Prior to joining CEI, Kyle worked as a Senior Project Manager at Onni Group on several large mixed-use projects throughout LA County and Vancouver, Canada. Kyle’s career experience includes several multifamily residential projects ranging from 150 to 700 residential unit projects throughout LA County and Vancouver, Canada. Kyle attended the British Columbia Institute of Technology where he obtained certificates in Construction Operations and Construction Supervision.

As Assistant Vice President of Construction, Chonghui is responsible for implementing construction projects, working closely with both internal and external parties to ensure construction delivery.

Before joining CEI, Chonghui worked as project manager of Seazen Captial Partners to oversee the construction of multifamily projects in Texas and Nevada. Prior to Seazen Capital Partners, Chonghui served as an assistant project manager with Miller-Valentine Commercial Construction, focusing on industry and commercial type of construction.

Chonghui’s career experience includes multifamily projects such as Citadel Apartments in Houston, TX, and student housing project Echo 1055 in Las Vegas, NV. She has also worked on Fuyao Glass America Renovation and Expansion in Moraine, OH, Enerfab office building renovation in Cincinnati, OH, and St. Elizabeth Neurology Clinic fitout.

Chonghui graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. She is also an accredited LEED AP BD+C.

As Vice President, Miranda oversees the asset management of the CEI portfolio. Her responsibilities include managing the initial launch and lease-up of recently delivered projects, maximizing value and cashflow of stabilized deals, and running the sale, recapitalization, and refinance processes.

Prior to joining CEI, Miranda worked in the New Jersey office of PGIM Real Estate and was responsible for asset managing a collection of multifamily and office properties. Miranda graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

As Vice President, Josh focuses on asset management of the CEI value-add portfolio. His responsibilities include overseeing operations, creating and managing the value-add platform, and maximizing cash flow.

Prior to joining CEI, Josh worked for The Related Companies in fund management where he was responsible for a multifamily portfolio of 5,000 units focused on value-add. While at The Related Companies, Josh helped create and manage the value-add platform the fund used to grow AUM. Prior to The Related Companies, Josh spent 8 years at Ilan Investments as an Asset Manager overseeing a 10,000 unit multifamily portfolio. Josh brings 15 years of multifamily experience and has been responsible for capital projects and unit renovations totaling more than $50 million across 7 states.

Josh received his BS degree from Texas A&M University.

As VP – Asset Management, Ryan Hawley is responsible for CEI’s retail portfolio, including existing assets and new developments. Ryan is focused on retail that creates a sense of place for both on-site residents and the local community, as well as adds value for CEI and its investors.

Ryan served as Development Director for the William Warren Group, where he was responsible for acquisition and entitlements of the company’s new housing venture. Prior to his time at the William Warren Group, Ryan spent 10 years at Caruso, where he was in charge of asset management, leasing, and day-to-day operations of the company’s West Los Angeles portfolio of properties, including The Grove, Palisades Village, and Waterside at Marina del Rey.

Ryan is a native of Los Angeles, and lives in Venice with his wife and daughter. Ryan graduated from The University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration.

As Assistant Vice President, Andy Syang focuses on asset management of the CEI portfolio. His responsibilities include managing the initial launch and lease-up of recently delivered projects, overseeing the operations of stabilized assets, and executing the disposition process through sales, recapitalizations, and refinancing.

As an Associate, Zane is actively involved in underwriting and executing new investment opportunities for the firm’s multifamily value-add strategy. He also assists on asset management activities for the Fidus venture’s existing portfolio.

Prior to joining CEI, Zane served as a Fund Management Analyst at Mill Creek Residential where his responsibilities ranged from reviewing proposed development packages to modeling portfolio-level return waterfalls and upsize scenarios. Prior thereto, Zane worked as an Asset Management Analyst at The Related Companies where he helped build, implement, and track the performance of the firm’s value-add platform.

Zane earned his B.A. in Economics and Spanish from Vanderbilt University.

As Vice President of Accounting, Josh supervises CEI’s financial reporting and cash management functions. His responsibilities include construction and property management accounting, construction draws, financial reporting, financial projections and cash management. He also provides support in acquisitions, loan origination and deal closings.

Prior to joining the team, Josh worked as Controller at Fortress Builders, a real estate developer in Atlanta specializing in single family home development projects. Josh graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Accounting. Josh has also been a Certified Public Accountant since 2014.

As Assistant Controller, Anna supervises financial reporting for CEI projects, which includes reviewing construction draws, financial reports, and budget allocations. She also assists with deal closings and annual audits. Prior to joining CEI, Anna worked as a project accountant at Hirsch Bedner Associates in Los Angeles, managing budget projections and project finances.

Anna graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a BS in Economics and Accounting.

As Senior Accounting Manager, Alex supports the accounting team by providing expertise in complex financial transactions and recordkeeping. His responsibilities include tax planning, financial reporting, budgeting, and complying with government and industry regulations.

Prior to joining the team, Alex worked as a Tax and Accounting Manager at Savant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisory firm providing comprehensive financial advice to individuals, families, and businesses, as well as RSM (formerly McGladrey). Alex graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Professional Accountancy and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2018.

As a Senior Corporate Accountant, Taylor prepares financial reporting for CEI’s corporate entities, focusing on cash management, financial reports and budgets.

Prior to joining CEI, Taylor worked as a Private Equity Accountant at Douglas Emmett in Santa Monica, where she was responsible for preparing financial reports for various funds and joint ventures, monthly close processes, and fund level accounting transactions.

Taylor graduated from the University of Arizona in 2019, where she majored in Accounting.

As a Staff Accountant, John helps with preparing journal entries, assists with monthly close processes, and performs monthly balance sheet reconciliations.  Prior to joining CEI, John worked as a Staff Accountant at two public accounting companies in their tax departments.

John graduated from the University of Redlands with a BS in Global Business and a minor in Accounting.

As a Staff Accountant, Edward helps with preparing journal entries, assists with monthly close processes, and performs monthly balance sheet reconciliations. Prior to joining CEI, Edward worked as an accountant at Lawry’s Restaurants Inc. directly assisting the controller and accounting manager.

Edward received his BS degree from California Polytechnic University of Pomona.

As AP Specialist Accounting Coordinator, Aaron is responsible for full cycle Accounts Payable for all Corporate locations, bank reconciliations and the smooth workflow of incoming invoices for timely payments.

Prior to joining CEI, Aaron worked for Cohen Brown Management Group a multi-national consulting firm in Los Angeles as an Accounting Analyst.

Aaron has a Bookkeeping Certification from IT University and attended University of Pennsylvania ICS and Santa Monica College studying marketing.

As an Executive Assistant, Joanna provides support to the Founder and CEO of Cypress Equity Investments and ensures the smooth operation of daily life. Joanna has extensive experience in all administrative tasks, event coordination, and account management.

Before joining CEI, Joanna spent 10 years as an Executive Assistant at Shamrock Capital Advisors, a private equity firm in Los Angeles. Prior to that, Joanna lived in London, working as an Executive Assistant for Diageo, a multinational beverage alcohol company.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Joanna received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Oregon.

As Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing & Creative Director, Claudia Ross oversees corporate branding strategy, project positioning, creative direction, integrated marketing, digital design & development and social media for CEI.

Previously, Claudia was Director of Marketing Services at Disney Interactive Studios. She received an MBA from The Anderson Graduate School of Business at UCLA, a BS in Business from The Haas School Of Business at UC Berkeley, and is an accomplished photographer.