Kenneth F. Bernstein is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Acadia Realty Trust, which he co-founded in 1998. Acadia Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition, redevelopment and management of open air retail properties. Acadia owns, or has ownership interest in, and operates over 100 properties totaling approximately 10 million square feet.

Under Mr. Bernstein’s leadership for the 10 year period ending December 31, 2009 Acadia achieved annual shareholder returns of 18%. Additionally Acadia has successfully executed its growth initiatives through a series of strategic acquisition funds, AKR Funds I, II, and III, enabling the organization to acquire over $3 billion of real estate across the United States.

Prior to his appointment as CEO in January of 2001, Mr. Bernstein served as President of Acadia. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer of RD Capital until its merger with Mark Centers Trust in 1998, creating Acadia Realty Trust. From 1986 until 1990, Mr. Bernstein was an associate with the New York law firm of Battle Fowler, LLP.

Mr. Bernstein received his BA from the University of Vermont and his JD from Boston University School of Law. Mr. Bernstein sits on the Board of Trustees of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and he is co-chair of the Open Air Center Committee. He is an active member of National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the Real Estate Roundtable. In addition to being a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO), where he was the founding chairman of the Real Estate Network and currently sits on the Board of Advisors, he also sits on the Department of Real Estate Advisory Board at Baruch College. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of BRT Realty (NYSE:BRT) as well as Golub Capital (NASDAQ:GBDC).


Joel Braun
Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Braun is responsible for all merger and acquisition activities at Acadia, as well as overseeing leasing, construction and development. Previously, Mr. Braun was Vice President of Acquisitions for RD Capital, Inc., a private investment company owning shopping centers and multi-family properties throughout the Northeast and Midwest. In 1998, RD Capital, Inc. merged with Mark Centers Trust to form Acadia Realty Trust. Mr. Braun holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and psychology from Boston University and a Master's Degree in Planning from The Johns Hopkins University.

Christopher Conlon
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
As Senior Vice President of Leasing and Development, Mr. Conlon is responsible for investments in retail, mixed-use and urban redevelopment opportunities for the Company, in both existing and new markets. In addition, he is responsible for the design and implementation of leasing strategies for Acadia. Mr. Conlon joined Acadia with over 20 years experience in the retail real estate and development industry. Prior to joining Acadia, Mr. Conlon was a Partner at Ripco Real Estate Corporation, responsible for the leasing and development/redevelopment of neighborhood centers, vertical urban retail centers, and mixed-use properties with retail components. Mr. Conlon received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his J.D. from St. John's University School of Law.

Jon Grisham
Sr. Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Grisham is responsible for all accounting, financial reporting, budgeting/forecasting, real estate finance, capital market activities, tax and treasury. He has over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry and has been with Acadia since its formation in 1998.

Prior to joining Acadia, Mr. Grisham served as Controller at Mark Centers Trust from 1993 to 1998 and at the public accounting firm of Aronson & Company located in Washington, DC from 1987 to 1992. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Masters degree in Finance from Kings College and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from George Mason University.


Richard Hartmann
Sr. Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer
Mr. Hartmann is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the accounting department. Prior to joining Acadia in 1997, Mr. Hartmann was employed at Kimco Realty Corporation as a senior accountant and Coopers and Lybrand as a senior associate. Mr. Hartmann is a Certified Public Accountant and received a Master of Science in Real Estate Finance from New York University in 1999 and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1988.

Joseph Hogan
Sr. Vice President, Director of Construction
Most recently, Mr. Hogan served as Vice President with Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE:KIM), where he was responsible for business development and management of all retail and commercial construction projects for Kimco, in addition to outside customers and development companies. Prior to joining Kimco, he was with Konover Construction Company, a subsidiary of Konover & Associates located in West Hartford, Connecticut, where he was responsible for construction projects throughout the eastern half of the United States.

Robert Masters, Esq.
Sr. Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Masters has been a Senior Vice President, the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Acadia since 1998 and was with the Company’s predecessor, RD Capital Inc., since 1994. Additionally, Mr. Masters serves as Acadia’s Chief Compliance Officer and is responsible for overseeing the Company’s risk and crisis management plans. Prior to 1994, Mr. Masters was General Counsel for API Asset Management and before that he was Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for European American Bank from 1985 to 1990 and Vice President and Counsel for National Westminster Bank from 1977 to 1985. Mr. Masters received his Bachelor of Arts from the City University of New York and his Juris Doctor degree from New York University Law School. Mr. Masters is a member of the New York State Bar Association.

Heather Moore, Esq.
Sr. Vice President, Associate General Counsel
Mrs. Moore has been a member of the legal department at Acadia since 2003. She is responsible for overseeing the leasing and landlord/tenant related matters and redevelopment projects, as well as the employment/human resource issues for the company. Prior to joining Acadia, Mrs. Moore worked at the law firm of Shutts and Bowen, LLP in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and from 1997 to 2000 she was an associate with the law firm of Tripp Scott, P.A. Mrs. Moore received her B.B.A. in Legal Studies with honors, as well as her J.D., from the University of Miami in 1994 and 1997, respectively. She is a member of the Florida Bar.

Joseph M. Napolitano
Sr. Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer
Mr. Napolitano is Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Acadia Realty Trust. He is accountable for managing the company’s property management, human resources, information technology, corporate performance management and business planning functions. Previously, he held the position of Senior Vice President, Director of Operations. Mr. Napolitano has been with the company since January 1995, and has over twenty years of real estate experience. Mr. Napolitano holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Adelphi University, and is a Master Human Capital Strategist (MHCS) as certified by the Human Capital Institute, is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) by the Institute of Real Estate Management, and is a Real Property Administrator (RPA) by the Building Owners and Managers Institute International.

Michael Nelsen
Sr. Vice President, Accounting and Financial Principal
Michael Nelsen currently serves as a Senior Vice President, Accounting and Financial Principal. Mr. Nelsen was the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Acadia Realty Trust from March 2003 to December 2011. Prior to joining Acadia, Mr. Nelsen was the President of G. Soros Realty, Inc. and Director of Real Estate for Soros Private Funds Management LLC from 1994 to 2003. His responsibilities included asset/portfolio management of real estate operations, financial reporting, financings, asset acquisitions and dispositions. From 1969 to 1980 he was an employee, and from 1981 to 1994, he was a partner, of the public accounting firm of Berdon LLP (formerly David Berdon & Co.). Mr. Nelsen graduated from Bernard M. Baruch School of Business in 1969 and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1971.

George Acosta
Vice President, Controller
Mr. Acosta joined Acadia in 2006, and as the Controller is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the accounting department. Prior to joining Acadia in 2006, Mr. Acosta was employed at Forsgate Industrial Partners as an Assistant Controller. Mr. Acosta is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Master of Science in Real Estate Finance from New York University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Seton Hall University.

Steven Adler
Vice President, Taxation
Mr. Adler is responsible for supervising Acadia’s tax reporting and tax structuring. Prior to joining Acadia in December 2008, Mr. Adler served as Chief Financial Officer of a New York based developer and opportunity fund manager. Previously, he was a principal in Ernst & Young’s real estate tax practice, where he focused on serving REITs and opportunity funds. Prior to joining Ernst & Young, Mr. Adler was Chief Financial Officer for a real estate mezzanine fund, a real estate investment banker for several major Wall Street firms, and a tax accountant. He holds a J.D. from Boston University School of Law and an A.B. from Dartmouth College.


Mark O'Connor
Vice President, Property Management
Mr. O’Connor oversees the management team that operates Acadia’s portfolio of properties. This includes the day to day operations such as repairs and maintenance, contract administration, loss prevention, tenant and city/municipality relations, capital improvements, budgeting and financial responsibility, construction, and more. Mr. O’Connor is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, is a Certified Shopping Center Manager (CSM, ICSC) and a licensed New York State Real Estate Salesperson. Prior to joining Acadia in 2007, Mr. O’Connor was employed in the property management discipline with Simon Property Group (1997-2007) and Central Parking Corporation (1992-1997).

Dawn Portney, Esq.
Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Chief Ethics Officer
Ms. Portney joined the legal department of Acadia Realty Trust in August 2005. She focuses on general corporate matters, corporate governance issues and public company filings, as well as acquisitions, dispositions and financings. Prior to joining Acadia, Ms. Portney was an associate at the White Plains, New York law firm of Cuddy & Feder LLP from 2000 through 2005. Prior to entering the field of law, Ms. Portney worked as a licensed audiologist.

Ms. Portney received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Education degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1991 and 1992, respectively, and her J.D. from the Pace University School of Law in 2000. She is a member of the New York State Bar.


Amy Racanello
Vice President, Capital Markets & Investments
Ms. Racanello joined Acadia Realty Trust in 2008 as an analyst in the acquisitions department and, following her successful completion of responsible assignments in acquisitions and finance, was promoted to Vice President, Capital Markets & Investments in 2012. In this capacity, she is responsible for sourcing new equity capital and managing Acadia’s opportunity fund platform, including financial/information reporting, forecasting, and investor relations. Prior to joining Acadia, Ms. Racanello completed GE Capital’s Financial Management Program. Ms. Racanello graduated summa cum laude from the Carroll School of Management Honors Program at Boston College with a bachelor of science in management with a dual concentration in finance and corporate reporting & analysis.

William Regan
Vice President, Financial Reporting
Mr. Regan is responsible for all financial reporting requirements of the Company. Prior to joining Acadia in 2006, Mr. Regan was employed at GE Real Estate as Controller, North America Equity. Over the last twenty years, he has also held increasingly senior financial positions at Trigen Energy Corporation and GTE Corporation. Mr. Regan received his MBA from the University of New Haven and his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Sacred Heart University.

Larry Schachter
Vice President, Information Technology
Mr. Schachter oversees the company's information technology operations and initiatives. Prior to joining Acadia in 2004, Mr. Schachter had been the Director of Business Applications at Tishman Speyer Properties since 1999. Over the last twenty years, he has also held senior technology and financial positions at Northstar Presidio, The Hampshire Companies, Greenthal Harlan, Sage Realty, and Integrated Resources. Mr. Schachter is a Certified Public Accountant and received a Bachelor of Science in Business from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Kellie Varden Shapiro
Vice President, Risk Management
Mrs. Shapiro works closely with senior management and all departments within the organization analyzing, developing and implementing an enterprise risk management process to manage all risk affecting Acadia's entire portfolio. Mrs. Shapiro is involved in the review and drafting of insurance requirements in all written agreements, development of best practices in loss prevention, loss control and safety at the development projects as well as our stabilized properties. She coordinates the purchase of all types of insurance, oversees the claims handling process and negotiates settlements with insurance carriers on corporate liability issues. Mrs. Shapiro has been employed by Acadia since 2007 and has over 19 years experience in the insurance industry. She holds a Bachelor in Business Administration Degree with a major is Risk Management/Insurance from Georgia State University. Beginning her career in 1990, she held senior underwriting positions with both Executive Risk Management Associates and Chubb Group of Insurance Companies as well as being a financial products insurance broker with Marsh & McLennan, Inc.

Karen Yamrus
Asst. Vice President, Senior Paralegal
Ms. Yamrus has been a member of the Acadia legal team since its inception in 1998 and has over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. She concentrates her efforts in the commercial real estate area in negotiating, drafting and documenting retail lease agreements and related legal contracts. Prior to joining Acadia, Ms. Yamrus worked for Mark Centers Trust as Senior Paralegal from 1987 to 1998. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree and Legal Assistant Certification from King's College, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Ms. Yamrus maintains membership in the International Council of Shopping Centers and is also licensed as a Real Estate Sales person by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.