Our Team
Leadership
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JM Schapiro
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Committee Member
JM Schapiro
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Committee MemberJM joined CRC in 1991 and was responsible for financing, leasing, and development of all property types. From 1995 to 1998, he was the Vice President of Real Estate for Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. JM returned to CRC in 1998 as the CEO. He heads the executive management team and oversees long term and strategic planning for the company. JM has a B.A. from Bucknell University and an M.S. in Real Estate from Johns Hopkins University. JM was named a regional winner in 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
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David Donato
Chief Operating Officer
Executive Committee Member
David Donato
Chief Operating Officer
Executive Committee MemberServing as Chief Operating Officer of CRC, David’s ability to adapt to trends and exceed expectations has allowed him to thrive in this highly competitive industry. With a demonstrable history of success in directing capital improvement, property leasing, and portfolio management initiatives, he is poised to continue to add value to CRC. But his greatest success has been his ability to build talented teams, design process improvements, and drive results for investors. Some of David’s key accomplishments include active participation in the equity raise of multiple funds, managing the real estate portfolio through the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid downturn, modernizing the management of the multifamily division via an emphasis on metrics, developing strong shopping center tenant relationships, and building an engaged team of professionals that consistently exceeds expectations.
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Haley Donato
Senior Vice President, Asset Management & Finance
Executive Committee Member
Haley Donato
Senior Vice President, Asset Management & Finance
Executive Committee MemberHaley currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Asset Management & Finance. In her role, Haley directs the company’s asset management, disposition, and capital markets teams for both multifamily and retail. During her tenure at CRC, Haley has built and grown the teams that cover those core functions and in more recent years Haley has taken on oversight of CRC’s data science and business analytics platform and the firm’s insurance programs. Haley sits on CRC’s Investment Committee and Executive Committee. She is always eager to learn new aspects of the business and to teach and cultivate those on her team.
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Crystal Frey
Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Shared Services
Executive Committee Member
Crystal Frey
Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Shared Services
Executive Committee MemberCrystal’s unique ability to relate to people in all areas within and outside of the organization allows her to make a real impact on culture, engagement and team cohesion. As the SVP of Human Resources and Shared Services, Crystal is responsible for team recruitment, retention, engagement, development and benefits. She also works closely with the IT and Marketing teams to maximize CRC’s brand and technological posture. Her involvement in the Society for Human Resource Management’s Advocacy Team and Executive Network advocating for public policy enables Crystal to keep her finger on the pulse of emerging workplace trends.
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Stephanie Shack
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Executive Committee Member
Stephanie Shack
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Executive Committee MemberStephanie Shack serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for CRC. With a history of success and extensive background in commercial real estate, finance and equity funds, Stephanie joined CRC in 2023. Her legal insight and judgment provide the foundation for her responsibilities coordinating all legal work for CRC. Her inter-personal skills and ability to communicate at all levels are talents she puts to good use in her role as supervisor of CRC’s internal legal department, outside counsel and corporate legal compliance. She brings with her experience gained as senior vice president and general counsel for Enterprise Community Partners, a national non-profit that invests in and advocates for the preservation and production of quality affordable housing. Prior to Enterprise, she was senior vice president and associate general counsel with Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT), a publicly traded real estate investment trust, where she provided expertise and honed her skills in real estate development, acquisitions and dispositions of commercial office properties, among other high-level responsibilities. Earlier in her career, she held positions at DLA Piper and with U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Dougherty.
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Lauren Wayne, CPA
Senior Vice President, Accounting & Investor Reporting
Executive Committee Member
Lauren Wayne, CPA
Senior Vice President, Accounting & Investor Reporting
Executive Committee MemberAs Senior Vice President, Accounting & Investor Reporting, Lauren oversees all management and operations of the accounting department including cash management, financial functions, accounts payable, external reporting, and strategic planning. Additional responsibilities include external investor reporting and distributions, compliance with operating agreements, and audits. Prior to joining CRC, Lauren worked at Sterling Partners and PricewaterhouseCoopers and has extensive experience in accounting and reporting for private equity funds.
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John Luetkemeyer
Co-Chairman, Advisory Board
John Luetkemeyer
Co-Chairman, Advisory Board
Jack currently serves as a Co-Chairman on the Advisory Board for CRC. Jack joined Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) in 1979 after serving as a former Treasurer of the City of Baltimore and commercial banker for Equitable Trust Company. Jack was responsible for the start of CRC’s Commercial Division and the CR Restaurant Division. Jack has served as a Chairman of the Commissioners of Finance of the City of Baltimore. After serving as a Trustee for several local private schools, Jack is currently a Trustee of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. He is a Director and President of Rollins–Luetkemeyer Foundation. Jack is a graduate of Williams College and has an M.B.A. from New York University.
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J. Mark Schapiro
Co-Chairman, Advisory Board
J. Mark Schapiro
Co-Chairman, Advisory Board
As Co-Chairman on the Advisory Board for CRC and one of the pioneers in Baltimore’s urban development, J. Mark Schapiro is the son of Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) founder, Marvin S. Schapiro. Mark’s career with CRC began in 1964. Mark has overseen CRC’s multifamily acquisition and development program and actively managed the theater division before it was sold in 1988. Mark has served on numerous mayoral task forces and committees, as a Trustee for the Baltimore Museum of Art, on the Board of Sinai Hospital, and was President of the Associated Jewish Charities of Baltimore from 1994-1996. Mark is a graduate of Baltimore City College and has a law degree from the University of Baltimore.
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Lawrence Rief
Partner
Lawrence Rief
Partner
Lawrence joined Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) in 1985. He specializes in the creative redevelopment of existing buildings, land development, and new construction. Lawrence has revitalized over 60 buildings ranging in size from 33,000 to 650,000 square feet during his 40-year career in commercial real estate.
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Josh Dinstein
Senior Vice President, Acquisitions
Josh Dinstein
Senior Vice President, Acquisitions
Josh serves as Senior Vice President of the Acquisition Team at CRC and focuses his attention on the growth of the real estate portfolio. Prior to joining CRC, Josh served as Managing Director at Garrison Investment Group, where he oversaw real estate strategy, investments, development, leasing, management and disposition. Earlier he was a Portfolio Manager in the Special Situations Group at Kimco Realty Corporation, where he was responsible for distressed investing.
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Matthew Joiner
Senior Vice President, Acquisitions
Matthew Joiner
Senior Vice President, Acquisitions
Matt Joiner is a Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and leads the firm’s multifamily acquisitions vertical. Based in New York, he has experience in private and public equity real estate investment.
Prior to Joining CRC, Matt was the Senior Director of Investments and Head of Multifamily in the US for CapitaLand Investment, an $100 billion AUM publicly traded investment manager based in Singapore. As the first US based hire, he oversaw the creation of the multifamily asset management platform, along with the acquisition of over $1.5 billion investments comprising 6,000 apartments and 2.5 million square feet of office and industrial properties. Earlier, he worked at Equus Capital Partners across disciplines in acquisitions, asset management, and portfolio management for a diversified portfolio of office, industrial, retail, and multifamily assets.
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Ari Abramson
Vice President, Acquisitions
Ari Abramson
Vice President, Acquisitions
As the Vice President of Acquisitions, Ari leads CRC’s multifamily acquisitions team through the sourcing, evaluating, and closing of acquisitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the US. Currently, Ari is investing on behalf of the Core Multifamily Fund, LP, an open-ended fund, and Fund V, a value-add closed-ended fund. Prior to joining CRC, Ari worked at Alex Brown Realty as an Acquisitions Officer with a focus on joint venture investments throughout the Southeast. In addition, Ari held investment banking and real estate development positions for Stifel Nicolaus, Townsend Capital, and Legg Mason.
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J. Blake Dickinson
Vice President, Anchor and Development Leasing
J. Blake Dickinson
Vice President, Anchor and Development Leasing
As Vice President of Anchor and Development Leasing, Blake drives the pad site strategy across the portfolio, including leasing, occasional development, and disposition. Blake came to Continental in 2008 as a Leasing Associate. He was one of the architects of Continental’s leasing strategy during the recovery from the Global Financial Crisis, and he has become a specialist in pad and anchor leasing. Blake is a member of ICSC and earned his BA in History from Dickinson College and his MBA from Loyola University Maryland.
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Scott Hamlin
Vice President, Multifamily
Scott Hamlin
Vice President, Multifamily
In his role as Vice President of the Multifamily Division, Scott helps drive the creation and implementation of strategic initiatives; this includes overseeing the Multifamily Operations, Lease Administration, Construction, Marketing, Training, and Compliance teams. Scott and these teams have been a critical piece of the continued growth of CRC into new markets. Prior to joining CRC, Scott worked in various on-site and corporate roles for The Bozzuto Group, The Dolben Company, and Harbor Group.
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Kristina O’Keefe
Vice President, Commercial Division
Kristina O’Keefe
Vice President, Commercial Division
Kristina serves as Vice President of the Commercial Division for CRC and oversees all aspects of leasing and property management for the commercial portfolio. She started her career interning for the renowned Rouse Company, then transitioned to retail leasing brokerage in CBRE’s Baltimore office. She came on board with Continental in 2009 as a commercial leasing agent for the Maryland portfolio and has since advanced to become head of the 27-person team, overseeing the day-to-day leasing, assisting with due diligence on new acquisitions, and driving process improvements for the department. She is a member of ICSC and a graduate of Denison University.
