board of Trustees
Steve Dawson | Chair of the Board
A seasoned capital markets and real estate industry executive, Steve
currently serves as a board member of Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW), a US$23 billion EV hospital/healthcare REIT in the U.S. and Europe; and, Cohen & Company (NYSEMKT: COHN), an investment banking company and broker-dealer specializing in in credit-based securities for institutional clients in the U.S., France and the United Kingdom. From 1990 - 2003, Steve served as CFO of Camden Properties Trust (NYSE: CPT), a large multi-family REIT based in Houston which grew from US$240 million to over US$3.5 billion during Steve’s leadership tenure. Most recently, from 2005 to 2022, Steve served as a director of American Campus Communities, Inc the largest U.S. student housing REIT which was acquired by Blackstone for US$13 billion.
Katie Barthmaier | Vice-Chair of the Board
Katie is a proven leader with 15+ years of real estate investment, credit assessment and underwriting experience, primarily focused on sale leaseback and build to suit financings. Katie was the founder and former CEO of GreenAcreage (Now New Lake Capital Partners), a private REIT serving the cannabis industry, where she directly raised $141 million of capital for GreenAcreage; fully-invested in under a year creating diversified, best-in-class portfolio. Katie worked as a former Managing Director of Investments at W. P. Carey, one of the leading and largest net lease REITs, acquiring over $2 billion in properties during tenure at W.P Carey, and is a Fulbright Scholar, Mexico City.
Patrick Burke | Trustee
Patrick is currently the President of Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets where he brings more than 25 years of experience and deep institutional relationships Former Co-Head of Global Investment Banking at Scotiabank. Patrick was the previous Managing Director and Head of Canadian equities at Merrill Lynch, and spent 10 years at Bank of Montreal as Director of Institutional Equity and Director of Fixed Income Patrick holds an MBA from Queen’s University and Bachelors in Economics from the University of British Columbia.
Ed Lowenthal | Trustee
Ed is the former independent chairman of the board from 2015 to 2021 of American Campus Communities Inc. (NYSE: ACC) a US$10 billion REIT. Ed is the President of Ackerman Management LLC since 2002 and founder of Wellsford Real Properties which merged with REIS, Inc. an internet-based provider of real estate information and analytics, where he served as non-executive chairman from 2010 to 2012. Ed is currently serves as director for Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI), a US$14 billion REIT. Ed is a former director of Desarrolladora Homex, a vertically integrated home development company focused on affordable housing in Mexico. Ed also holds a B.A. from Case Western Reserve University and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Andrew Oppenheim | Trustee
Andrew practiced law for 38 years and former partner at Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, a full service multinational law firm. Currently, Mr. Oppenheim serves as an independent trustee of the board of Flagship Communities REIT (TSX: MHC.U) and former lead director of Amica Mature Lifestyles Inc. where he also served on the board of directors’ Compensation Committee prior to its acquisition, and was the former Director of Exito Energy Inc., Aquarius AI Inc. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a Bachelor of Laws from University of Calgary and the ICD.D designation with the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Andrew Shapack | Trustee
Andrew was the Founder and CEO of the first medical office REIT in Canada, GT Canada Medical Properties REIT, before it was taken private in 2012. Andrew is also the Co-Founder of Mohawk Medical Properties REIT, which owned medical office buildings in Ontario, Alberta, New York and Florida before it was sold to a TSX-listed global healthcare company in 2018. Andrew is also a former board of trustee member of OneREIT, a $1.1 billion retail REIT previously traded on the TSX (taken private in 2017). Andrew was admitted to the New York and Connecticut bar and practiced law with Paul Hastings LLP working on real estate transactions involving complex REIT and UPREIT structures, joint venture/preferred equity, property acquisitions and high-yield debt instruments. Further, Andrew is also a former associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the real estate securitization and capital markets group. Andrew, holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin and J.D. from the Catholic University of America.
Richard Turner, ICD.D | Trustee
Mr. Turner is Founder, Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of TitanStar Investment Group Inc., a private company (“home office”) engaged in the provision of private equity capital to midmarket businesses and capital for real estate developments and acquisitions. Currently he is Board Chair and Audit Committee Chair of NexLiving Communities Inc. (TSX-V). Mr. Turner was Board Chair of a number of private and public companies, including Founder and Board Chair of TitanStar Properties Inc. (TSXV: TSP); Board Chair and Audit Committee Chair of Invesque Inc. (TSX: IVQ); Director and Audit Committee member of WesternOne Inc.(TSX:WEQ) and Director and Audit Committee Chair of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority; Board Chair of Pure Industrial REIT (TSX:AAR.UN); Director and Audit Committee Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC); Board Chair of the Insurance Corporation of BC; Board Chair of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation; Board Chair and Governor of the Vancouver Board of Trade; Governor of the B.C. Business Council and director, President and Chief Executive Officer of the operating subsidiary of IAT Air Cargo Facilities Income Fund, a business involved in the development and management of real estate at airports. Mr. Turner serves as the Honorary Consul for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Vancouver. In 2003, Mr. Turner received H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Award for public service in Canada. Mr. Turner holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from the University of British Columbia and holds the ICD.D designation.