Lead by service, efficiency, and innovation
Ms. Tiffany Butcher joined Elme Communities in July 2023 and serves as Executive Vice President and COO. In this capacity, she is responsible for guiding the company’s operating strategy, advancing and implementing operational improvements and aligning the day-to-day operations and asset management with the strategic goals set by the CEO and Board of Trustees. Prior to joining Elme Communities, Ms. Butcher held various positions at JBG SMITH Properties since 2007. She was named JBG SMITH’s…Read full bio
Mr. Daniel Chappell joined Elme Communities in June 2014 and serves as Vice President, Investments. In this role, he oversees all Investment activity pertaining to new Acquisitions and Dispositions. Prior to joining Elme Communities, Mr. Chappell worked in the Multifamily group at Federal National Mortgage Association, where he focused on non-performing multifamily assets located in several major metropolitan markets throughout the United States. Before that, Mr. Chappell had a successful seven-year career at Navigant Consulting,…Read full bio
Mr. Bob Fisher joined Elme Communities in December 2007 and was named Controller in February 2023. In this role, he oversees all accounting functions, including property and corporate accounting, fixed assets, accounts payable, payroll, financial reporting, and REIT compliance. Before joining Elme Communities, Mr. Fisher was a financial analyst at Freddie Mac from 2005 to 2007. His earlier experience spans public accounting and the pharmaceutical industry. From 1995 to 1999, he served as a U.S….Read full bio
Katie Fluence joined Elme Communities in June 2024 as Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). In this capacity, she spearheads initiatives to enhance sustainability and drive environmental, social, and financial value within the company’s multifamily portfolio. With over a decade of experience in sustainability within commercial real estate, Katie previously served as the Head of ESG Reporting at RE Tech Advisors, where she developed impactful reporting strategies that fostered transparency and accountability for real…Read full bio
Mr. Steven Freishtat joined Elme Communities in November 2015 and serves as Executive Vice President and CFO. Prior to joining Elme Communities, Steve served as Vice President for CapitalSource, Inc. from 2004 to 2015, overseeing a portfolio of middle market loans in the Cash Flow group. Prior to CapitalSource, Steve worked as a Senior Financial Analyst in the Financial Planning and Analysis group at Marriott International. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance…Read full bio
Ms. Susan Gerock joined Elme Communities in April 2016 and serves as Senior Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. In this capacity, she is responsible for the leadership, integrative management, and direction for company information systems including corporate-wide planning, budgeting for information technologies, and coordination and integration of all company information technology matters. Ms. Gerock has over 28 years of management and information technology experience in commercial real estate, manufacturing and retail. Prior…Read full bio- Mr. Drew Hammond joined Elme Communities in October 2012 as Controller. In July 2015, he was named Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller and was named Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer in January 2018. In his current capacity, he has overall responsibility for accounting operations, including accounts payable, payroll, corporate accounting and real estate accounting. He also oversees financial reporting, technical accounting, income taxes, REIT compliance and treasury. Prior to joining Elme Communities,…Read full bio
Ms. Amy Hopkins joined Elme Communities in July 2019 as Vice President, Investor Relations. She has overall responsibility for external communications with key stakeholders and the investment community at large. Prior to joining Elme Communities, Ms. Hopkins served in a leadership role within the Investor Relations and Capital Allocation Strategy team at Booz Allen Hamilton. From 2013 to 2016 she was Senior Equity Research Analyst at Compass Point Research & Trading covering financial services companies….Read full bio
Laurel Howell joined Elme Communities in January 2024 as Director of Brand and Marketing. With over 24 years of experience in multifamily real estate, Laurel specializing in branding, digital marketing and business development. Laurel has held progressive leadership roles in marketing at leading management companies such Charles E. Smith, Archstone, Kettler Management and Bell Partners. Known for developing innovative marketing solutions and leading cross-functional teams, Laurel is a results-driven marketing executive with a proven track…Read full bio
Mr. Paul Levine joined Elme Communities in March 2004 as Assistant Controller. In December 2016, he was named Director of Financial Information Systems. In his current capacity, he is responsible for all aspects of financial system configuration, maintenance, and reporting. Prior to joining Elme Communities, he served as a Regional Controller at AIMCO, a diversified real estate investment company, from 2003-2004. Before joining AIMCO in 2003, Mr. Levine was Controller at the Maryland office of…Read full bio- Mr. Paul T. McDermott was elected to the Board of Trustees and named President and Chief Executive Officer of Elme Communities in October 2013. Prior to joining Elme Communities, he was Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Rockefeller Group Investment Management Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. from June 2010 to September 2013. Prior to joining The Rockefeller Group, he served from 2006 to 2010 as Principal and Chief Transaction…Read full bio
- Mr. A. Grant Montgomery joined Elme Communities in July 2014 and serves as Vice President, Research. He provides market intelligence for strategic initiatives that optimize acquisitions, development and dispositions. Prior to joining Elme Communities, he served for nine years as a Senior Vice President and Apartment Practice Director at Delta Associates, a Washington, DC real estate and economic consulting firm. In this role he managed multifamily, retail and office market studies throughout the U.S. and…Read full bio
Mr. Brian O’Donnell joined Elme Communities in February 2015 and serves as Director, Development and Construction. He is responsible for the leadership of the capital improvement team, ensuring the successful planning, design, budget, and execution of construction projects and development initiatives. With over 15 years in commercial real estate, Mr. O’Donnell draws from experience in office, industrial, municipal, and residential development and construction to deliver value add strategies, operational efficiencies, and enhanced resident experience solutions…Read full bio- Kelly O’Shields joined Elme Communities in 2019 and serves as the Vice President of Finance. In this role, she is responsible for managing the financial planning and analysis, capital markets, and treasury functions of the company. Prior to this role at Elme, Kelly was the Director of Property Accounting until Elme’s transition into a pureplay multifamily REIT, where she then served as co-leader of the project management office for the company-wide transformation. Prior to joining…Read full bio
Lori Putnam joined Elme Communities in September 2024 as Director of Learning and Development. In this role, she leads the design, implementation and evolution of high impact leadership development and individual contributor learning strategies. She began her multifamily career in 2008 and has held progressive leadership roles in property management at leading management companies. Prior to Elme Communities, she served as Director of Residential Training and Development at JBG Smith, where she created and executed…Read full bio
Efrem Reid joined Elme Communities in April 2023 as Vice President, Human Resources. He has overall responsibility for the strategic operations of the Human Resources functions of Elme to ensure that practices exist to attract, retain, develop, reward, and recognize talent. He leverages these practices to support company-wide strategic objectives. Efrem has over 25 years of Human Resources experience in industries such as advertising, commercial real estate, healthcare, hospitality and residential real estate. Prior to…Read full bio- Emmanuel Rendon joined Elme Communities in January 2023 as a Regional Community Manager. Emmanuel’s portfolio consists of communities in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. Overall, he is responsible for the oversight of community teams, operations, and financials. Before joining Elme, he worked at UIP Property Management as a Regional Director overseeing A, B, and C class residential and commercial properties. Through the years Emmanuel has fostered relationships with various ownership groups contributing to the growth…Read full bio
Whitney Russell joined Elme Communities in September 2018 and has held a variety of roles within the organization before serving in her current position as Senior Director of Asset Management. Whitney is responsible for overseeing community budgeting and forecasting, optimizing revenue management, and driving the development of asset positioning and renovation strategies across the multi-family portfolio. Prior to joining Elme Communities, Whitney served as Manager of SEC Reporting at JBG Smith, where she honed her…Read full bio
Mr. Kshitij Sharma joined Elme Communities in March 2022 and serves as Director, IT Applications. In this capacity, he is responsible for providing leadership and guidance on the IT applications function. Mr. Sharma has an extensive Information Technology background in different industries. Prior to joining Elme Communities, Mr. Sharma managed the Enterprise Application portfolio and related technologies at Technical Consumer Products. Before that, he was a Managing Consultant at IBM’s Business Consulting Services. Mr. Sharma holds…Read full bio- Lalitha Suresh joined Elme Communities in 2023 and serves as a Regional Community Manager. Lalitha began her multifamily career in 2003, and has overseen performance for lease-up, stabilized, and mixed-use assets in major markets throughout the East Coast. She holds expertise in developing leasing and resident retention strategies, forecasting budgets, generating detailed financial reports, optimizing pricing, administering programs to minimize resident delinquency, implementing revenue management systems, conducting site visits and property inspections, analyzing market data,…Read full bio
Mike Sweeney joined Elme Communities in March 2011 and has since built an extensive career within the organization, holding various roles in the IT department before serving in his current position as Director of IT Operations. Leading a skilled and innovative team, Mike is responsible for managing the company’s entire technology infrastructure, supporting both corporate operations and its geographically diverse communities. His expertise spans multiple facets of IT, with a strong emphasis on ensuring the…Read full bio
Kristen VanHaaren joined Elme Communities in 2023 and is responsible for leading strategic initiatives for the residential portfolio. With over 25 years of experience in multi-family, Kristen brings a combination of cross-disciplinary leadership strength, deep operational knowledge, and versatility to the changing multi-family landscape. Kristen is passionate about innovative solutions to improve community operations and process efficiency, while maximizing revenue and controlling costs. Before joining Elme, Kristen held various roles and portfolio leadership for REITS…Read full bio
Sandra Colareta joined Elme Communities in April 2022 and serves as Director of Risk Management. In this capacity, she is responsible for risk analysis, mitigation strategies and building programs that enhance asset protection. Sandra has nearly 20 years of Risk Management experience in various industries, including real estate, hospitality, and marketing. Prior to joining Elme Communities, Sandra served as the Vice President of Contracts & Risk Management for Indigo Golf Partners, overseeing all legal and…Read full bio
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We are committed to robust corporate governance. Our eight-member Board of Trustees has responsibility for broad corporate policy and oversight of management to enhance long-term shareholder value.