SoCal Industry Roundup: New Faces at DJM, Dekel and Pircher, Nichols
By Greg Cornfield March 8, 2021 6:00 am
reprints
Another week in 2021 means another week of hiring moves for development and investment in Southern California.
Private equity and development firm DJM Capital announced Charlie O’Connell is the firm’s new CFO, and Chad Cress has been promoted to chief creative officer. Additionally, DJM announced the departure of chief retail officer, Stenn Parton. The firm is behind the repositioning of iconic properties in L.A., such as Bella Terra, Pacific City, Hollywood & Highland, and RUNWAY Playa Vista.
O’Connell will oversee all of DJM’s investor relations and capital transactions. Over the course of his 30-year career, O’Connell has provided CFO services to privately held companies through Kinsale Capital Partners. Cress has been with DJM since 2018 and will lead retail strategy, including acquisition, leasing, design and marketing.
Dekel Capital also announced that Peter Houghton was named managing director. Houghton has more than 20 years of experience sourcing equity and debt for institutional commercial real estate investors and developers. He previously worked for Starcity, an urban multifamily development and operating company, as well as Lowe Enterprises. Further, Houghton has also held acquisition- and investor-facing roles with social impact funds, including an urban investment joint venture with Ervin “Magic” Johnson.
Meanwhile, national real estate law firm Pircher, Nichols & Meeks LLP announced Justin Adofina joined the firm as an associate. He previously served as a federal sector clerk in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and was a law clerk for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
