WILLIAM J. HOFFMAN, President & CEO
William Hoffman is president and CEO of Trigild, a San Diego-based company he founded in 1976. He has over 30 years experience as an attorney, is a California licensed real estate broker and has served as the court appointed receiver for over 1,500 assets, among them hotels, commercial office buildings, retail shopping centers, residential projects and restaurants. In addition, Mr. Hoffman is recognized by the American Hotel and Lodging Association as a Certified Hotel Administrator, and is a former president of the California Lodging Industry Association (CLIA), serving seven years on CLIA's Board of Directors. Currently, he serves on the American Bar Association's Hotels, Resorts & Tourism Executive Committee, as well as on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Receivership Forum. He is also a member of the Turnaround Management Association, the Commercial Mortgage Securities Association, and the American Lodging Industry Association and served on the California Tourism Selection Committee.
Mr. Hoffman has authored hundreds of articles for various hospitality, real estate, business, finance, and general publications. He is a frequent lecturer at conferences and conventions for hoteliers, bankers, and lawyers and was instrumental in developing the annual Trigild Lender Conference, an increasingly important national forum for the financial industry.
His unique blend of expertise in management, law, and real estate qualifies him as an expert witness-and has led State and Federal Courts to appoint him as Receiver, Trustee or Custodian for troubled real estate assets across North America.
MARTIN J. GIARDINA, Managing Director, Enterprise Properties
Marty Giardina has 30 years of successful restaurant and hospitality experience, including restaurant and nightclub ownership. As Trigild’s Managing Director of Enterprise Properties, he has overseen the operations of many hundreds of restaurants, hotels, gas and convenience stores, and other types of businesses and real estate. Prior to joining Trigild, Mr. Giardina was franchise director for Applebee’s Restaurants, covering the Midwest and Western territories. In addition, he was previously chief operating officer of Boston Chicken, overseeing 240 locations and $300 million in annual sales; vice president of operations for Showbiz Pizza (Chuck E. Cheese) where he oversaw 200 stores and $240 million in annual sales; and vice president of operations for Peter Piper Pizza supervising 120 locations and $200 million in annual sales. Since joining Trigild, he has been responsible for operations, franchising, new development, marketing, construction, human resources, real estate, and concept analysis and acquisitions, and now leads Trigild’s field based operations team, which is strategically based throughout the United States. He has a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University.
JUDY MAXWELL HOFFMAN, Executive Vice President
A long time Trigild principal, Judy Hoffman has directed the marketing activities and provided consulting services for over 300 different properties in a diversity of industries, including hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, assisted care senior housing, apartment/condo projects and water park/entertainment facilities. In addition, she founded and conceptualized the annual Trigild Lender Conference nine years ago, which has grown steadily, evolving into one of the country’s preeminent forums for the financial industry. In her role as executive vice president, Ms. Hoffman is a member of the company’s executive committee -- directing all business development activities and overseeing all Trigild-managed properties’ sales and marketing activities. She has a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.
NICHOLAS NIGHTINGALE, VP of Accounting & Information Systems
Nick Nightingale heads Trigild’s technology and accounting systems and ensures that his department is expert at accumulating, managing, and disseminating information to Trigild team members, as well as our clients. Mr. Nightingale began his career as a systems analyst for a Canadian hotel franchise where he advanced to the role of Corporate IT Manager. A Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer and Database Administrator, he has been managing and directing IT systems in the hospitality industry since 1988. He has a bachelor’s degree from Trent University.
CAROL CHEN, Controller
Carol Chen has been with Trigild since 1994. She oversees corporate accounting and insurance matters for Trigild and its managed properties, and also handles special projects relating to Trigild’s properties, including forensic audits. Prior to working with Trigild, Carol earned her CPA with a “Big 4” accounting firm and spent many years as controller at a major hotel company, both on site and in the corporate office. Her experience there included opening a new 800-room hotel. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Prior to working with Trigild, Ms. Chen earned her CPA with a "Big 4" accounting firm and spent many years as controller at a major hotel company, both on site and in the corporate office. Her experience there included opening a new 800-room hotel.
Ms. Chen is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles.
KEVIN BERRY, Vice President of Hotel Operations
Kevin Berry brings over 25 years of hospitality experience to his position with Trigild as the Vice President of Hotel Operations where he has managed the operations of over100 hotels. When Trigild is named receiver on a hotel, Mr. Berry oversees the takeover ensuring that all aspects are covered, and leads the turnaround team to improve the hotel’s operations and financial results. He has directed the conversion of independent hotels into franchises and monitored the construction and opening of new hotels. Mr. Berry also oversees the operations of the hotels Trigild managed on a long-term basis. Mr. Berry has held positions as General Manager, Operations Director, and Controller at both independent and franchised hotels, and worked with numerous full-service and limited service franchises including Marriott, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inns, La Quinta Inn, Days Inn and Ramada Inn. He is a graduate of University of Colorado.
JASON HULL, Managing Director, Head of Commercial Real Estate
Accomplished in real estate management, operations and strategic planning, Mr. Hull has maximized value on over $4B in distressed commercial real estate for special servicers and lenders. He is currently responsible for maximizing value on Trigild-managed real estate assets, as well as developing new business opportunities. Prior to joining Trigild, he was a senior acquisition director with a real estate private equity firm that acquires distressed debt and real estate, and was also a development coordinator and senior analyst with Cherokee Investment Partners, a real estate private equity fund specializing in mixed use developments of environmentally contaminated properties. In addition, he has been involved in numerous mixed use entitlement and development projects. Mr. Hull served over six years as a Navy SEAL -- and was decorated for valor in both Afghanistan and Iraq. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he earned his MBA at Duke University.
RANDY HULCE, Managing Director, Hotels
With many years of management, sales and marketing, and acquisitions/dispositions experience as a senior level hospitality industry executive, Randy Hulce is in charge of maximizing value on Trigild-managed hotel properties throughout the country.
He was previously CEO/owner of Executive Guidance Inc., focusing on advising lenders and owners regarding hotel performance in operations efficiency, sales and marketing, revenue management and strategic options for exit or retention strategies. Prior to that, he was vice president/asset management for Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc., directing capital investment project management and third party management operations for luxury hotels such as Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites, Renaissance and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. He also served as president/CEO of Sunstone Hotel Management Inc., and was charged with converting a startup REIT of eight hotels to a professionally managed company of seventy properties with over 10,000 rooms. In addition, he was senior vice president of operations for La Quinta Inn and Suites and senior vice president of asset management for Lennar/Lehman Brothers, supervising an REO portfolio of over thirty deed in lieu managed assets. For 14 years, he worked for Holiday Inn Worldwide in various executive level positions, spearheading the Holiday Inn Express launch. Hulce holds an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University.
KELLEY A. MCLAREN, Manager-Receiver Services
Kelley McLaren has been appointed receiver or assisted in over 100 receivership appointments since she joined Trigild in September of 2006. Ms. McLaren is responsible for managing the receiver services department at Trigild and also prepares court documents for the receiver’s review, maintains relationships between attorneys and key people for the project, and monitors cases from start to finish. She is a member of the California Receiver’s Forum, contributor to eTips monthly newsletter, and is the co-editor of Trigild Deskbook – State by State Guide to Foreclosure and Receiverships. Ms. McLaren has a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.
KIM CODY, Managing Director
Based in Trigild's Atlanta office, Mr. Cody’s 25 plus years of experience brings Trigild an extensive background in operations, financing and management of commercial real estate. His receivership experience began with the FDIC / RTC, where he managed and liquidated extensive portfolios of commercial properties and commercial real estate whole loans and participations through one-off transactions, portfolio sales and CMBS. His considerable expertise includes land development, construction management, acquisitions and financial management including serving as vice president of finance for a tax credit investment firm. As principal of his firm Clear View Consulting, Mr. Cody provided contract underwriting services for CMBS and Fannie Mae lending and for acquisitions of mortgages and real estate to various Wall Street firms, private investors and capital management firms through intermediaries including Situs, Mortgage Ramp, Central Park Capital, and Yale Mortgage. Mr. Cody holds an MS in Real Estate and an MBA in Finance along with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia.
JULES SHERWOOD, Senior Project Manager
Based in Trigild’s Phoenix office, Mr. Sherwood is responsible for managing and evaluating Trigild’s growing portfolio of non-performing assets. Prior to joining Trigild, Mr. Sherwood was a land development manager for Shea Homes’ Trilogy Division in Phoenix, where he designed and developed 800-2500 acre Master Planned Resort Golf Communities and managed all on-site commercial development. In addition, as a project manager at KB Homes in Phoenix he responsible for all aspects of entitlement and development of raw land for single family and multi-family use. Mr. Sherwood was also a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, working as a navigator and legal officer on a guided missile destroyer.
Mr. Sherwood holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and business management from Cornell University and an MBA in finance from Arizona State University. An Ironman triathlete, Mr. Sherwood is also a certified Master Scuba Diver, and holds a real estate license in Arizona.
ERIC KARNES, Project Manager
With experience in both the real estate development and finance industries, Eric Karnes concentrates his efforts on managing - and maximizing value on - Trigild's growing portfolio of office/retail, multifamily and new construction properties. Most recently, he was an assistant project manager with Pacific Coast Development in Newport Beach, conducting research and budget analysis, managing homeowners' associations and dealing with subcontractors for commercial and residential projects. He was also a client service associate for E*trade Australia and a senior investment specialist assistant at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services. He holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.
GARY AHARONIAN, Vice President, Petroleum Properties
With over seven years of experience in the operations of convenience and petroleum properties and direct involvement in every C&G portfolio that Trigild has managed, Gary Aharonian has been promoted to Vice President of Petroleum Properties. Gary will be directly in charge of taking possession of C&G properties, assessing current employees, overseeing vendor management issues, and ensuring that these properties meet all state environmental compliance requirements.
Prior to his current position at Trigild, Gary Aharonian’s exceptional organizational skills and knowledge of real estate operations, principles and practice aided him in overseeing and managing all aspects of the day-to-day operations of Trigild-managed assets throughout the country. As the Operations Manager, Gary was involved in leading staff through property ownership transitions, hiring and training new employees, conducting thorough property inspections and inventories, noting safety issues and deferred maintenance, setting up new bank and merchant accounts, as well as reviewing and obtaining bids for projects pertaining to maintenance and renovation.
He was previously chief of staff for the CEO of Continuous Computing Corp. -- a leading provider of platform solutions for telecom equipment manufacturers -- tracking and reporting key company metrics, as well as disseminating company updates and reports to venture capital investors. Gary also spent two years in Japan working in the International Banking Division at the headquarters of The Bank of Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan and working for Nichiei, one of the largest Real Estate Developers in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University
RON POLOWY, Operations Manager
Ron Polowy is an operations manager with a focus on truck stops and gas and convenience stores. With his experience as a transportation merchandise manager, consultant, operations director and quality control manager, he brings a wealth of expertise to the Trigild team. At his previous employer, Mr. Polowy was responsible for service contract negotiations, materials scheduling, designing, and implementing problem resolution strategies and coordinating resources to meet high customer service standards. He served with the U.S. Army and received his bachelor’s degree in marketing and business from Southern Illinois University.
BASIL LEUNG, Operations Manager
Basil Leung joined Trigild in 2000 and has been involved with the management of many different restaurant franchise operations on the company’s behalf, including both casual dining and quick serve. A 25-year veteran of the restaurant industry, he began his career as a store manager in New York for Sizzler Restaurants. In 1993, he was promoted to area manager for Sizzler Restaurant Corporate and advanced to oversee restaurants throughout New York and New Jersey.
GWENDOLYN ROBERTS, Hotel Operations Manager
Gwen Roberts joined Trigild in 2002, and during her tenure here has served as general manager of the Best Western Alamogordo Inn in New Mexico and the Best Western Kwatuknuk Inn in Montana. Additionally, she has been the turnaround manager for five different hotels, assuming the general manager role when Trigild first takes over management -- implementing the company’s systems and turning around its operations and marketing. She assists with the revenue management of Trigild’s managed hotels working closely with the various online travel sites.
MELISSA ERICKSON, Hotel Operations Manager
With more than 20 years of management experience in the hospitality industry, Erickson has expertise in all facets of hotel operations, including sales and marketing, profit and loss management, staff relations/human resources and accounting. She previously owned and managed a general contracting firm, and has worked in management positions at such known brands as Hilton, Embassy Suites and Crown Sterling Suites. In her current position, she oversees and assists Trigild's general managers in all daily operations - including customer service, staff relations, financial reporting and building maintenance -- at hotel properties throughout the country. In addition, she assists in opening and closing procedures for properties, as well as helping facilitate takeovers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University.
JEFF FRENKEN, Operations
As a part of Trigild's asset management team, Jeff Frenken performs receivership takeovers, qualifies vendors and oversees all aspects of property management. He specializes in construction, commercial condominiums and retail centers, but has experience with all product types. Before joining Trigild, he assisted a local developer in raising capital from joint venture partners and also worked with a top ten commercial real estate brokerage firm. He has a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and is the recipient of many academic scholarships and honors.
MARK FOUSHEE, Senior Project Manager
A seasoned real estate professional as well as a financial analyst; Mark Foushee is responsible for operating and managing Trigild's non-performing assets. Throughout his career, Foushee has handled real estate transactions of all scopes and sizes -- forming real estate investment partnerships to acquire multifamily, self storage and office properties valued at up to $30,000,000.
Prior to joining Trigild, he was owner/broker of Foushee Realty in Clearwater, Florida - generating $5 million in annual sales and managing 1,700 apartment units and 750,000-square-feet of office/retail/storage space throughout the Southeast. He was also a vice president of acquisitions for Great Atlantic Properties in Virginia Beach, an equity analyst specializing in REITS for Raymond James & Associates in St Petersburg Florida, and senior director of investments for Mass Mutual in Springfield, Mass.
He holds an MBA from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Connecticut College in New London, CT. Additionally, he has passed two levels of the CFA exam.
SCOTT LOVELL, Senior Project Manager
Responsible for managing and evaluating non-performing assets for Trigild, Scott Lovell is an experienced asset manager of commercial properties -- with additional expertise in land acquisitions and corporate real estate.
Prior to joining Trigild, he oversaw a portfolio of 2.2 million square feet of office and industrial properties throughout Southern California, Colorado, Arizona, and Texas -- creating strategic plans, completing hold/sell analysis and overseeing financial reporting and budgeting. He has helped in the sourcing, analysis, due diligence and closing of over 27 properties through various acquisitions and dispositions. With a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and an MBA in finance and real estate from the University of California, Irvine, he is fluent in Italian and conversant in German.
CHRIS GIBSON, Operations
As part of the Trigild operations team, Mr. Gibson's efforts focus on managing and maximizing value of Trigild's growing portfolio of office, retail, multifamily and new construction properties. Prior to joining Trigild, he worked as an acquisitions analyst with RedHill Realty Investors, a San Diego-based private equity real estate firm specializing in opportunistic multihousing investments. Mr. Gibson holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in commercial real estate from Colorado State University. He is also an active member of Urban Land Institute’s Young Leaders Group.
RACHEL NOWACKY, Property Manager
With extensive experience as an onsite property manager, Rachel Nowacky concentrates her efforts on overseeing day-to-day operations of Trigild's growing portfolio of office/retail and multifamily properties throughout Southern California. She has many years of industry experience, and is especially adept at lease negations, budgeting and CAM reconciliation's. Most recently, she was a property manager with San Diego-based United Development Group, overseeing the company's retail and office commercial portfolios, including tenant and capital improvements, lease administration and accounting. She was also a property manager with West Palm Beach-based Navarro Lowrey Properties. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Graphic Design from Florida Atlantic University.
STEPHANIE CADIRCI, Marketing & Conference Manager
Stephanie Cadirci oversees special events, marketing and advertising programs for Trigild's hotel properties, as well as for the corporate office. Her responsibilities include developing and directing marketing strategies -- including an emphasis on internet marketing, social media campaigns, graphic design and copywriting -- as well as facilitating, planning and coordinating the annual Trigild Lender Conference, which attracts more than 450 attendees. With over 10 years of experience in Marketing and Event Production, she has managed special events, conferences and tradeshows for companies such as The ALLSTAR Group, Meeting Architects Inc. and Elite Meetings International Inc. with clients ranging from Affirmed Housing Group and REOMAC to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the NFL Players Association. Ms. Cadirci holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in advertising from Pepperdine University, an Event Management Certificate from the University of San Diego and is a member of PMPN and NAPW.
MELISSA STEELE, Property Controller
Melissa A. Steele is responsible for the daily management of the general accounting department, supervision of staff, and preparation of various monthly account analysis and reconciliations. Steele also oversees accounting, tax, budgeting and accounting compliance matters for Trigild hotel and restaurant properties. With nearly 20 years of experience in the real estate, accounting, bookkeeping and tax preparation industries, she was most recently the director of accounting for Redhill Realty Investors in San Diego and was also an assistant controller for Crown Pacific Properties in Carlsbad, Calif. She has also worked as a corporate accountant at Equastone, a real estate investment company, as well as held bookkeeping and accounting positions at several other San Diego-based companies. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Phoenix.
JILL CHILDERS, Director of Human Resources
Jill Childers manages all aspects of human resources for Trigild, with 1000 employees in locations and offices throughout the country. In this capacity, she oversees nationwide recruiting, hiring, training, benefits packages, administration of worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, employee programs and policies and other employee related issues. With nearly 15 years of experience in the human resources field, she was previously the western region human resources manager for TranSystems, a national architectural and engineering firm where she managed human resources and employee relations issues for a multi-state region and 250 employees. She is a member of the National Human Resources Association, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing from Loyola University of Chicago. In her off time, Childers applies her considerable energy to training for ultra marathons and Ironman triathlons.
JIM HAUPERT, Regional Hotel Manager
Jim Haupert joined Trigild in August, 2007 and works closely with Trigild's hotel management team to help with staff selection, training and hotel pre-opening sales and marketing. He has franchise experience with the Westin and worked in hotel management for more than 20 years -- developing strategies to generate revenues, build dynamic staff and deliver top notch customer service -- and was previously a general manager for the Radisson Wilshire Plaza Hotel, a 385-room property in Los Angeles and the Cal Mar Suites Hotel in Santa Monica.
RHONDA BULLION, Field Director, Energy
Rhonda Bullion oversees daily operations and marketing -- including strategic positioning, purchasing, and pricing -- for Trigild-operated convenience and gas stores across the country.
With more than 23 years of experience in the convenience store and gas station industry, Bullion literally grew up working in the convenience and gas industry. Her family owned convenience stores throughout Florida. Bullion has steadily worked her way up from retail clerk to senior level executive positions, specializing in analyzing profit and loss and implementing new marketing strategies. She also specializes in restructuring operations in order to maximize profitability.
Most recently, she was Vice President of Marketing and Operations for Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Ever Ready Oil Company Inc. and also worked as Vice President of Marketing for Exprezit! Convenience Stores.