Each of the last six years, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) has sponsored a six-month program running January through June to help mid-career real estate professionals with a mix of industry backgrounds improve their management abilities and develop the skills essential to succeeding as leaders in all aspects of the real estate space.
The REBNY Fellows program accepts about 20 individuals each year — this year there are 23 fellows — and provides training and hands-on learning opportunities so these professionals can accelerate their careers.
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The program was founded by Bill Rudin, who had been inspired by similar initiatives and wanted something complementary for the real estate industry. Rudin, a prominent owner and developer and former REBNY chairman, teamed with the Coro New York Leadership Center and launched the REBNY Fellows program in 2020 (yes, during the pandemic).
“We’re supporting mid-career individuals who are looking for that management training, where they get a deeper understanding of the different areas of the sector,” said Yvonne Riley-Tepie, senior vice president of social impact at REBNY. “The program is in its sixth year, and we’ve seen increasing interest from the industry.”
Commercial real estate pros who have come out of the program — which requires two meetings a month, a capstone project where fellows provide actionable solutions to a problem, attendance at an overnight retreat and a newly added volunteer requirement — have gone on to bigger and better opportunities within their firms and beyond.
“We had one young woman who went through the program, and when she started she was a manager,” Riley-Tepie said. “After [going through the program] she became a director, and she recently called me to let me know that she’s now leading her own debt management team in the firm’s London office.”
Michael Taxin, a senior managing director with CBRE, was a part of the 2024 class of REBNY Fellows. At the time he was a managing director with Cushman & Wakefield. Taxin described his run in the program as formative, having provided him with a greater understanding of what it means to be a leader and to succeed in the commercial real estate industry.
“The REBNY Fellows program was an opportunity to develop and practice my leadership skills while gaining firsthand knowledge of major New York real estate projects and a deeper understanding of how developers, lawmakers and other stakeholders shape the city,” Taxin said via email. “The people I met and relationships developed through the program will always have a special connection, and be friends I can call on for support and guidance throughout my career.”
This year’s cohort of fellows will hear firsthand from some of the program’s alumni, Riley-Tepie said. This will allow fellows to learn not only how exactly the program helped others advance their careers, but also how they tackled the different learning experiences they were exposed to within the program.
Riley-Tepie couldn’t share the topic of this year’s capstone project. She did note that in the past the project focused on residential conversions, the return to office and the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry.
“The fellows are given a question, which has been formulated through work with the social impact committee as well as some of our advisers in the program and REBNY staff,” she said. “Then they take a deep dive into how they would approach the question through conversations with their mentors, and then they dive deeper into the topic. And then they come back with different recommendations for how to solve the problems.”
Some of the solutions to the projects put before the fellows had been so innovative in the past that mentors wanted copies of their projects. In other words, what the fellows had come up with in theory worked in practice.
“We were just happily surprised that their sponsors wanted copies of different projects because it helped to solve issues that they’re facing day to day,” Riley-Tepie said. “This is where the fellows can get really creative, and give their latest opinions, their research and their suggestions on how to make improvements throughout the industry.”
A new addition to the program this year will be a volunteer day focused on community service.
“In May, the fellows will be engaging with different nonprofits, leading volunteer activities, and they’re going to be supported by our social impact committee, our staff and some of our other real estate associations,” Riley-Tepie said.
For Riley-Tepie, the REBNY Fellows program does more than just offer professionals in the CRE space some career advancement skills. It is an opportunity to bring diverse, eager and influential members of the profession together who may not otherwise meet. From there, they can expand their skills, broaden their knowledge base, and forge better leadership skills for an industry facing pressing challenges.
Riley-Tepie said she wants to see the program continue to expand with new offerings and opportunities each year.
“I dream of an international component where we can have the fellows be able to compare real estate in New York with some of the other cities in the world that are known for their real estate — like, I think London would be one,” she said. “Fifteen years from now, I would like to see the continuation of the program. I would like it to be very competitive to get into the program because it’s worthwhile, and that the industry will continue to support the growth and development of their teams. And, of course, to improve on the quality of the program somehow, by introducing something new every year.”
The 2026 REBNY fellows are:
Andrew Mehr from SL Green Realty; Andrijana Lukacevic from Hines; Danielle Hitzig from Tishman Speyer; Esty Ottensoser from Related Companies; Hajir Al Khusaibi from Global Holdings Management Group; James Kelly from the Durst Organization; James M. Gale from Cushman & Wakefield; Jess Guzman from Turner & Townsend (CBRE); Joseph Ham from Greenberg Traurig; Kenneth Richards from Rose Associates; Leah McCusker from Suffolk Construction; Leo Ndreci from the Durst Organization; Nadav Avihay from SL Green Realty; Priscilla Tuohy from Douglas Elliman; Ruth E. Perez from Related Affordable; Ryan Fitzpatrick from Lee & Associates; Sanger De Vine from Two Trees Management; Taylor Smith from Building Skills NY; Tiffany Williams from Rudin; Tina Russell from Rose Property Management Group; Tommy Cater from Prestige Management; William Fitzgerald from Upgrade Services; and William Herring from StacomSilverstein.
Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.
