Roelof van Dijk is the senior director, research and analytics for Canada, at Colliers International. (Courtesy Colliers)

Colliers has brought on Roelof van Dijk as senior director, research and analytics for Canada. van Dijk has 15 years of experience covering the Canadian commercial real estate market, most recently as director of market analytics and market economist at CoStar Canada.

He also worked as a project manager and urban planning consultant for residential developers in the Greater Toronto Area.

Van Dijk will lead the strategy and operation of Colliers Canada Research, focused on developing a national research team to leverage Colliers’ market intelligence to produce insights on local and national market and industry trends.

“I’m thrilled to have Roelof on board, heading our national research capability,” said Lex Perry, VP of marketing, communications and research with Colliers Canada, in a release.

“His expertise, profile and success in building high-performance teams will further advance both our market intelligence offering and position as an industry thought leader.”

Firm Capital Apartment REIT’s new CEO

Firm Capital Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust (FCA.U-X) is promoting Sandy Poklar to president and chief executive officer, and has appointed Mark Goldreich to Poklar’s former position as chief financial officer.

The moves come as president and chief executive officer Eli Dadouch steps aside from both of those positions, though he will remain vice chairman of the REIT’s board. Dadouch has a more-than 30-year history with the REIT’s parent company Firm Capital, where he remains president and CEO.

The REIT was also rebranded just a month ago, changing its name from the former Firm Capital American Realty Partners Trust.

Poklar has been the chief financial officer of the trust since 2016, and as the trust has gone through its transformation from its predecessor entity.

Goldreich has been the VP finance and controller of the trust since 2019, and has been with the Trust since 2016. Goldreich is a CPA.

Firm Capital Apartment REIT is a U.S.-focused trust focused on multiresidential income-producing properties, with interests in 2,308 apartments in Florida, Connecticut, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Maryland.

Colonnade BridgePort adds two in GTA

Colonnade BridgePort continued its GTA expansion with two prominent Toronto-based industry hires: Colin Ross, as director, leasing GTA; and Chris Coleman, as director of asset management.

With more than 25 years in all areas of commercial real estate, Ross has experience in both private and public companies — including as director of leasing for Brookfield Properties and president of DTZ Canada. His skills include marketing and leasing properties, navigating complex lease negotiations, handling operations and managing high-profile accounts.

Ross was also owner and operator of Mohr Partners, a boutique real estate brokerage firm in the GTA.

Coleman has more than 20 years of experience in investment and asset management, property acquisition, development, financing, and property management — including retail, office, mixed use, and industrial.

Prior to joining Colonnade BridgePort, Coleman held a number of high-profile roles, including as senior vice-president, investments and asset management at LaSalle Investment Management, and as vice-president, investments, portfolio management at SmartCentres REIT.

Artis makes changes to board

Artis REIT has announced the resignation of Victor Thielmann from its board of trustees. Following a review of the board, Artis says in a release Thielmann, who had been sitting as an independent member, is actually not independent.

Lauren Zucker, Bruce Jack and Ben Rodney will continue as independent trustees on the audit committee, of which Thielmann had been a member. Thielmann’s vacancy on the board has not yet been filled.

Wayne Townsend has also stepped down as a member of the governance and compensation committee, replaced by Ben Rodney. In turn, Rodney stepped down from the investment committee and was replaced by Zucker.

Taylor takes position at CMLS

CMLS Financial has appointed Norm Taylor vice-president and managing director, real estate finance, B.C. region. He’ll focus on growing the commercial lending and brokerage business in Western Canada and will be based in Vancouver.

Taylor brings over 25 years of sales, leasing and executive experience within the commercial real estate industry, including most recently as an executive vice-president and managing director responsible for the B.C. region at an international real estate advisory firm.

Gardiner moves to VersaBank

VersaBank has appointed veteran real estate finance executive, Jim Gardiner, as its new product champion, Instant Mortgage, to lead its new service line. Gardiner brings more than 30 years of real estate lending experience to VersaBank’s Instant Mortgage business.

Instant Mortgage is a high-volume application for real estate developers and brokers.

Prior to joining VersaBank, Gardiner was regional vice-president – commercial services for Southwestern Ontario at Meridian Credit Union.

Before joining Meridian, he was commercial lending director at Central 1 Credit Union, regional manager – real estate at Pacific & Western Bank and held multiple positions at TD Bank Group.

Ringham joins AY Vancouver as a principal

Devin Ringham is a principal specializing in office occupier solutions and agency leasing at Avison Young in Vancouver. (Courtesy Avison Young)

Devin Ringham has joined Avison Young as a principal specializing in office occupier solutions and agency leasing in Vancouver.

Ringham joins Avison Young after nearly a decade at Colliers International where he was an associate vice-president focusing on office sales and leasing.

Ringham also serves as a NAIOP board member and the committee chair for NAIOP’s Developing Leaders program.

“Devin brings impeccable market knowledge, collaborative spirit and professionalism that is completely aligned to the strong and accomplished office leasing team here in Vancouver,” said Michael Keenan, principal and managing director of Avison Young’s Vancouver office, in a release. “He’s a bright young star in the Metro Vancouver marketplace.”

Caraco’s Blommestyn heads KHBA

Continuing a family tradition, CaraCo Group of Companies‘ Matt Blommestyn has been elected president of the Kingston Home Builders Association (KHBA), joining his late grandfather Cornell Blommestyn and father Robert Blommestyn and longtime development manager at CaraCo Ken Dantzer, who have headed the organization in years past.

Case Blommestyn, who founded CJM Blommestyn Construction in 1959, was a founding member of KHBA and was president in 1963-’64;  current CaraCo president Rob Blommestyn served as KHBA’s president for two terms in 1993-’94 and 2001-’02.

As CaraCo’s residential development manager, Matt Blommestyn has served the KHBA in various capacities, most recently as first vice-president and chair of the builder/technical committee.

After joining CaraCo as a summer student in 2004, Matt became a site supervisor in 2008 and transitioned to head office as a project manager in 2012. A bachelor of business administration graduate of Laurentian University through St. Lawrence College, he is married with one child.

Comings, goings at King George

King George Financial Corporation announced the resignation of Robert Ng as a director and the appointment of Michael Musa to the board effective Oct. 15.

Musa is a well-known businessman who has been active in Malaysia for the past 50 years. He has acted in advisory and consultancy capacities in major companies in Malaysia such as MBF Finance Berhad and United Malayan Land Berhad amongst others.

KGFC is a Canadian-based company engaged in commercial and residential real estate development and investment as well as small to medium investment in real estate and hotel-related marketable securities.