Harris elected board chair of Project REAP, board expands with 6 directors

Manhattan, NY Project REAP, a national nonprofit that creates pathways into CRE careers for underrepresented professionals, made known new board leadership and the election of six new directors.

Erica-Nicole Harris has been elected board chair, succeeding Mike Kercheval, who led the board for two years. Harris, a commercial real estate executive with more than 18 years of experience in asset management and development, previously served as co-vice chair. She is senior adviser at HazelLee Group and a former vice president at Wispark, where she oversaw an $80 million portfolio.

“For 30 years, Project REAP has shown that talent exists everywhere. What’s been missing is access,” Harris said. “As we look ahead, our focus is on expanding that access and ensuring our alumni have pathways not only to enter commercial real estate, but to excel at its highest levels. The strength of this board, including so many of our own graduates, shows what’s possible.”

Allan Suarez, a Project REAP alumnus and chief operating officer at All Renovation Construction LLC, has been elected co-vice chair alongside continuing vice chair Jimena Sayavedra of Newmark. Suarez brings more than 20 years of experience in real estate acquisition, development and construction.

Continuing officers include Khalid Rashid of Clarion Partners as treasurer and Katrina Rainey of Microsoft as secretary.

Six new directors join board:

The organization also welcomed six new board members, expanding its leadership with executives from major corporations and real estate firms:

• Tiffany Daniels, senior portfolio manager, Walmart

• Sandhya Espitia, chief operating officer, Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)

• Rodney Johnson, regional vice president, JPMorgan Chase

• Carol Spann Joyner, head of real estate transactions, US and Canada, Levi Strauss & Co.

• Hillman Lam, managing director, Sperry Real Estate Capital (Project REAP New York ’08)

• Jenny Chang McMullen, senior vice president, store development, lululemon

Kercheval transitions to advisory council

Outgoing board chair Mike Kercheval will join Project REAP’s advisory council following nearly two decades of involvement with the organization, first as CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers and later as a board member and chair. Under his leadership, Project REAP expanded its national footprint and strengthened its position as a premier pipeline for talent in commercial real estate.

“Mike Kercheval has been a champion for Project REAP since our earliest days, first opening doors through ICSC and then helping guide our growth as board chair,” said Taneshia Nash Laird, executive director of Project REAP. “His fingerprints are on much of what we’ve built, and we’re grateful he’ll continue as an adviser. At the same time, this new leadership reflects exactly what REAP is about — four of our five officers came through our program. They’re not just governing the organization; they’re proof of its impact.”

With the addition of Lam, seven Project REAP alumni now serve on the board. Four of the five board officers are program graduates: Suarez, Sayavedra, Rainey and Rashid. This leadership structure reflects the organization’s close to 30-year track record of developing commercial real estate executives.