East River Partners (ERP) has named Jenny Bernell the new director of development at the New York-based company that acquires and develops residential properties in desirable neighborhoods primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Prior to joining ERP, Bernell served as project director at New York City Economic Development Corp.'s (NYCEDC) capital division, where she managed the design and construction of hundreds of millions of dollars of complex interagency buildings, infrastructure and park projects within New York City. "We are thrilled that Ms. Bernell is joining our team," said ERP co-founders Joseph Cohen and Jody Kriss."Someone of her caliber will help us execute our current development pipeline at the highest level and expand our capacity to tackle new opportunities in New York City." Prior to working at NYCEDC, Bernell was project manager at Leggat McCall Properties, a Boston-based developer. At Leggat McCall, she oversaw and managed the permitting, development and construction of complex institutional projects, including hospitals, universities, and senior living facilities, from conception through realization. Bernell also analyzed acquisition and investment opportunities for the firm's principal fund. Before her tenure with Leggat McCall, Bernell worked with Winn Development on the acquisition, conversion and rehabilitation of multifamily rental housing in the Boston area. She has worked for the New York office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, for Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and for Elkus Manfredi Architects. Bernell holds a Masters of Architecture degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University.