Industry Pros

Houston-based Weingarten Realty Investors recently appointed Alan R. Kofoed as vice president of construction and Tracy Pursell as director of investor relations.

St. Louis-based Walpert Properties recently promoted Gary M. Essman to vice president. Since 1991, Essman has represented an array of retailers for Walpert and has helped the company expand its shopping center portfolio both locally and nationally.

was recently appointed chief operating officer for Chicago-based Novak Construction. Picone formerly served as president and COO of Capitol Construction Group, where his accomplishments included boosting profits and margins to record levels.

Upland Real Estate Group recently hired Jeff Houge and Chad Sturm to its brokerage team. The Minneapolis-based firm specializes in the sale of single-tenant, net-leased investment properties and offers local tenant and landlord representation services. Houge and Sturm have a combined 15 years of experience as commercial real estate brokers.

Federated Department Stores Inc. recently promoted Terry Lundgren to chief operating officer. Lundgren has served as president and chief merchandising officer at the Cincinnati-based chain since 1997. Lundgren will continue to be the company's senior merchandising executive.

Johnson Capital recently promoted Taylor Butcher to finance officer for the Irvine, Calif., office. Butcher joined the full-service real estate advisory firm as a real estate analyst in 1998. Johnson Capital also hired Dina Dolce as a director in its Los Angeles office, where she will be responsible for the origination, financial analysis, underwriting and placement of debt and equity financing. Dolce formerly served as a mortgage banker with Pathfinder Mortgage Corp.

Federal Realty Investment Trust, which recently switched its focus from mixed-use development to neighborhood and community centers, announced that Jeff Berkes is the REIT's new senior vice president of strategic transactions. Ron Cappello is the new senior director of acquisitions.

is the new CEO of Urban Retail Properties Co., the management, leasing and marketing organization jointly owned by Rouse, Simon and Westfield. Glickman previously served as president of leasing for the company.

Edens & Avant promoted its former investment adviser, Terry Brown, to CEO. The company also promoted Jodie McLean, former chief investment officer, to the position of president & CIO. Founder Joe Edens will continue as chairman.

, formerly the senior managing director of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler's Boca Raton, Fla., office, recently moved to the company's new office in Chicago, where he will handle debt and structured finance assignments. Kurt Hoffmann will now manage the Boca Raton office as senior managing director. Holliday Fenoglio Fowler is a leading intermediary of commercial real estate capital.

Houston-based L.J. Melody & Co. recently hired Craig M. Mueller and Scott R. Meseck as loan production officers in its Newport Beach, Calif., office. Mueller and Meseck will focus on equity and debt placement for commercial properties.

Passco Real Estate Enterprises recently hired Sharon Wilhelm, who has more than 15 years of experience in securities and finance, as director of investor services. The Santa Ana, Calif.-based company also hired Michael Failing, an expert in business development, contract negotiations, strategic planning and market analysis, as senior asset manager.

Trammell Crow Co. recently appointed Jane Smalley as marketing director for its corporate services Florida division in Orlando. Smalley is an 11-year veteran of Trammell Crow who has held both regional and national marketing positions with the firm.

Reflecting the growth of its national architectural practice, Cleveland-based Dorsky Hodgson + Partners recently named three new partners: Sandy Silverman, Victor Yue and Regis Korba. Silverman is based in the company's Washington, D.C., office. Yue and Korba work from Dorsky Hodgson's office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.