Our People

Founded in 1980 and currently operating with over 700 team members, we attribute our longevity and success to extraordinary people whose integrity, experience, and knowledge are rivaled only by their genuine passion for providing the best services possible.
We are accredited, skilled, knowledgeable, experienced, and always quick to problem solve or strategize on market trends.

Executive

Patricia Blackburn

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Patricia Blackburn

President, Director and Principal Broker

Ms. Blackburn’s responsibility is to direct the asset and multi-family property management functions, Gates Hudson Services (Gates Hudson’s construction management company), Gates Hudson Community Management (our Association management company), and Gates Hudson Realty. Patricia has 25 years experience in acquisition due diligence, renovation and management of investment properties. She is Gates Hudson’s principal broker licensed in VA, DC and MD. Patricia served as the 1996 President of AOBA, served on the National Advisory Council of BOMA, and was Vice President and Director of multi-family operations for the Mark Winkler Company.

Daniel Schneider

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Daniel Schneider

Director and Executive Vice-President

Mr. Schneider's primary responsibility is to direct the property management and leasing functions for Gates Hudson's commercial portfolio. Mr. Schneider has 25 years of experience in the evaluation, acquisition, renovation and management of investment properties in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. Mr. Schneider has an undergraduate Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Real Estate and Urban Economics, both from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Diane Kaplon

Diane Kaplon - CFO
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Diane Kaplon

Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Kaplon is primarily responsible for the financial management of the company and oversees all accounting operations. Ms. Kaplon has over 25 years experience in accounting, auditing, and financial management, including over 10 years in the real estate industry. Ms. Kaplon was formerly an audit manager for the "Big 4" accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche, focusing on real estate audits and internal control review. Prior to joining the Gates Hudson team, Ms. Kaplon was Senior Director of Investor Accounting for Sunrise Senior Living Management, Inc. with oversight of GAAP and HUD audits, and owner accounting and reporting for over 400 properties and 30 development projects. Ms. Kaplon graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Accounting and has been a resident of Northern Virginia for over 18 years.

Multifamily

Steven R. Larimer

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Steven R. Larimer

Senior Vice President, Director of Operations & Asset Management

Mr. Larimer has 29 years of property management experience, with operations and asset management responsibility for the performance of Gates Hudson's residential portfolio in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. He is also responsible for property level real estate tax review, responding to tax assessments as necessary and overseeing tax appeal issues. Previously Mr. Larimer was Vice President of Residential Property management with full day-to-day responsibility for the Gates Hudson residential portfolio. His prior property management experience includes management of Class A, B, and C properties in three different geographic regions including Iowa, Alabama, and Texas. Mr. Larimer holds a Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), and has also received the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) accreditation through the CCIM Institute, an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. He is a member of the Apartment and Office Building Association and the Property Management Association. Mr. Larimer was an appointed member of the Fairfax County Tenant-Landlord Commission, where he served for five years from 2000 to 2005. He received a B.A. in Communications from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa.

Zulfi Khan

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Zulfi Khan

Vice President

Mr. Khan has been in the industry for over 20 years. Mr. Khan’s career in Property Management began with Gates Hudson in 1995. However, he re-joined Gates Hudson as Regional Manager in August of 2001 having spent the prior 5 years with Pinnacle Realty as Business Manager. As Regional Manager, Mr. Khan oversaw several property types and classes A, B and C in Maryland, Virginia and DC. Mr. Khan is experienced in acquisitions, dispositions, re-positioning, and lease-ups, in both high-rise and garden style communities. He is well versed in all management responsibilities and physical plant maintenance. Mr. Khan is currently responsible for overseeing 31 properties encompassing over 6800 units in the Northern Virginia/DC area. This includes all property management level staffing needs and daily functions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Johnson and Wales University, in Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Commerce (BCOM) Degree in Finance and Accounting. He holds a Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM).

Sheila Jones

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Sheila Jones

Vice President

Sheila Jones, Vice President, has more than 25 years of progressively responsible experience directing as many as 6,000 employees in companies with revenues in excess of $100 million. Sheila has led these communities through start-up, turnaround and growth modes. She has managed class A and B properties and specializes in value-add communities. She is an Accredited Assisted Housing Manager to include HUD Assisted Low Income Housing, Housing Choice Voucher and Low Income Tax Credit. Sheila began her career in Property Management as a leasing consultant in 1985 with Grady Management out of Silver Spring, Maryland. She has spent 15 years as a Regional Property Manager and Area Manager in locations along the Eastern United States from Wilmington, Delaware to Richmond, Virginia. Among her significant previous positions, Sheila serves as a member of AOBA and PMA. As Vice President, Sheila is responsible for all operations related to residential management and oversees approximately 4,000 units in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Sheila has been involved in the development, lease-up and stabilization of underperforming assets in Prince Georges County since 2005. Under her guidance, many innovative processes were put in place to improve communities to include health education, financial planning and partnering with Prince Georges County Leadership Team in developing Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative.

Stu Shaginaw

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Stu Shaginaw

Vice President of Operations

Mr. Shaginaw comes to Gates Hudson with over a decade of experience managing local to regional operations in Virginia and West Virginia. He has overseen several renovation projects, new acquisitions, lease ups, and been vital to many due diligence teams. Prior to Gates Hudson, Mr. Shaginaw worked with Archstone, managing residential communities in the busy northern Virginia market. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in property management, and received a certified apartment manager designated from the National Apartment Association.

David Douglas

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David Douglas

Assistant Vice President

Mr. Douglas has over 11 years of property management experience in Class A, B and C properties in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania. Previously he worked at Apartment Investment Management Company (NYSE: AIV) before joining Gates Hudson. Mr. Douglas obtained his Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS) accreditation from the National Apartment Association (NAA) and graduated from Washington College in 2005 with a B.A. in Business Management.

Jonathan Shymoniak

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Jonathan Shymoniak

Regional Vice President

Mr. Shymoniak offers more than 12 years of experience in property management. He began working in the Washington DC market in 2004, and has held a number of different positions in the industry from Leasing Consultant, Leasing Manager, Bookkeeper, Assistant Property Manager, Property Manager, Regional Manager, and now Regional Vice President for 5 properties in Prince Georges County. Previously, he worked at Apartment Investment Management Company (NYSE: AIV). Mr. Shymoniak attended Northern Virginia Community College and is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) candidate with IREM.

Tiffany Getz

Adam Schwartz

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Adam Schwartz

Director, FP&A – Asset Management

Mr. Schwartz joined Gates Hudson in 2018 and currently serves as the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis within the Asset Management team bringing over 16 years of real estate experience in the areas of commercial management, asset management, and finance. Prior to Gates Hudson, Mr. Schwartz spent six years as an Asset Manager on the Retail teams at CWCapital and BentallGreenOak (f/k/a Bentall Kennedy) in Bethesda, MD working on over $1.5 billion between REO and equity investments with a primary focus on regional anchored malls and grocery anchored shopping centers located within primary U.S. markets. Prior to BentallGreenOak, Adam worked for Unibail Radamco Westfield (f/k/a Westfield) on their Southeast U.S. 11-shopping center portfolio consisting of 10.0 million sf where he was responsible for the development underwriting and monthly financial reporting on the redevelopment of over 200,000 sf of inline and anchor space with construction cost in excess of $400 million. In his current role, Mr. Schwartz is responsible for underwriting investment opportunities, budgeting, forecasting, and enhancing internal and external financial reporting on a growing 15,000 unit portfolio. Adam earned his B.A. at the University of Maryland and an M.S. in Real Estate from the Kogod School of Business at American University and is licensed as a Broker in both the District of Columbia and Maryland.

Commercial

Joseph P. Schechtel

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Joseph P. Schechtel

Senior Vice-President

Mr. Schechtel is responsible for all service lines within Gates Hudson’s commercial division, which include property management, facility management, agency leasing, tenant representation and investment sales. Mr. Schechtel has over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate and joined the Gates Hudson team in 2009. Since then, he and his team have managed a commercial property portfolio of 4 million square feet, produced a leasing transaction volume of over $800 million and assisted clients with either the acquisition or disposition of real estate assets valued at over $1.5 billion. Prior to joining Gates Hudson, Mr. Schechtel was with Cushman & Wakefield for twelve years where he most recently served as Director of Asset Services for its Washington, DC and Baltimore Metropolitan markets. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Virginia Tech and has completed graduate coursework in real estate at the Gund School of Design, Harvard University.

Cheryl Dennis

Alice Kumar

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Alice Kumar

Senior Leasing Agent

Ms. Kumar joined Gates Hudson in 1994. She brings over 20 years of agency and tenant representation leasing experience. As Senior Leasing Agent, she oversees a portfolio of office, retail, and medical properties on behalf of various property owners. She works in close collaboration with her clients, the property management teams, and tenant brokers. Prior to Gates Hudson, she worked in public relations for Mobil Oil Corp. and Environmental Science Engineering (ESE). She is a licensed salesperson in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ms. Kumar a graduate of the George Mason University (Communications).

Services

Michael Barton

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Michael Barton

Senior Vice President of Energy & Sustainability

Mr. Barton has over 26 years of property management experience. Mr. Barton's primary responsibilities include oversight of all sustainability, energy management and utility programs within the Gates Hudson portfolio. Utility management programs include deregulated utility purchasing, energy auditing, utility budgeting and resident billing oversight. Mr. Barton holds a LEED Green Associate credential through the U.S. Green Building Council and is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and a member of the Association of Energy Engineers. Mr. Barton received a Master of Science Degree in Sustainability Management from American University and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Communications and Psychology from James Madison University.

Education & Training

Nevine Lowe

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Nevine Lowe

Vice President of Education & Training

Ms. Lowe has over 30 years of experience in the multi-family industry. She has established and implemented a training program that focuses on providing Gates Hudson employees with tools that will foster and enrich their ongoing professional development, while enhancing their value to Gates Hudson’s clients. Prior to that she was intimately involved in all aspects of multi-family housing, and was responsible for overseeing and leading teams as a Property Manager, Regional Manager, and Director. A graduate from Virginia Tech University, Ms. Lowe is a member and active participant on the VA Tech Property Management Advisory Board.

Theo Rodich

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Theo Rodich

Director of Training & Compliance

Ms. Rodich now uses her over 30 years of property management experience to train residential site staff on all software systems and to write and ensure compliance with policies and procedures. Before moving to the training and education team Ms. Rodich managed A, B and C class properties both on-site and as a regional manager. Ms. Rodich holds the Tax Credit Compliance certification (TaCCs®) and is a certified Mixed Finance Trainer for LIHTC properties.

Julia Galtarossa

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Julia Galtarossa

Revenue Manager & Systems Analyst

With 15 years experience in property management, Ms. Galtarossa provides analytical support in pricing decisions for Gates Hudson’s portfolio of quality apartment communities located in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. As Revenue Management Analyst she provides research, analysis, and pricing recommendations to property managers and portfolio executives. As member of Education and Training Department of Gates Hudson, Ms. Galtarossa assists in training and provides technical support for Yardi Systems products - Voyager, RENTCafe, and PopCard for residential corporate and on-site staff. Prior to joining Gates Hudson in 2013, Ms. Galtarossa was an Assistant Director of Residential Portfolio at A.J. Dwoskin & Associates, Inc. Ms. Galtarossa holds a Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and is affiliate of the National Association of Realtors.

Marketing

Matt Cabaniss

Tyler Lucas

Sierra Lugo

Andrew McLarty

Chrystal Ward

Information Technology

Howard J. Murphy

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Howard J. Murphy

Vice President of Information Technologies

Mr. Murphy's primary responsibilities include managing all aspects of the company's information management systems. With 8 years experience as a regional property manager, Mr. Murphy brings a unique experience to the Gates Hudson team. His understanding of the core business is critical when implementing technologies for our clients. During his tenure at Gates Hudson, Mr. Murphy served as Vice President for MeterCOM and 21 RealCOM, providing management and technical expertise to both companies. Mr. Murphy has 33 years in the property management industry with the last 25 years in the Gates Hudson family. Mr. Murphy holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.

Cyndi Shukla

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Cyndi Shukla

Software Applications Manager

Ms. Shukla is a 22 year property management and technology veteran responsible for the mission-critical information systems on which our company and clients depend. Most recently she led migration efforts from legacy platforms to Yardi 6 and subsequently 7S. She also educates team members on new capabilities & procedures and maintains security. Ms. Shukla was a founding member of the Jenark User Group Board and served as President for 3 terms. Ms. Shukla received a B.S. in Business Administration specializing in Marketing and Management from Virginia Tech.

Jack Siah

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Jack Siah

Network Engineer

Mr. Siah joined Gates Hudson in 2006. He brings over 10 years of experience in IT operations. As Network Engineer, he has an immaculate track record in handling infrastructure projects for the entire Gates Hudson portfolio. Responsibilities include oversight of all computer network, licensing, disaster recovery, physical and virtual infrastructure, database backup, and maximum uptime assurance for over 100+ networks and multiple WAN network environments. Mr. Siah is both Cisco Meraki and CompTIA certified.

Accounting

Raluca Dumitrescu

Adam Hoffer