Movers & Shakers: Elliman taps managing broker for Coconut Grove, Brickell offices…and more

Martha Pomares joined Douglas Elliman as managing broker of the firm’s Coconut Grove and Brickell offices. She was previously operations manager at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty in Coral Gables.

Pomares will oversee all office operations, including sales training, recruiting and retention strategies at Elliman’s Grove and Brickell offices. She has more than 27 years of experience and has been recognized as a top 2 percent producer in the country.

Julie Abolafia joined Franklin Street’s South Florida as the director of multifamily investment sales. Abolafia has more than eight years of commercial real estate experience, including arranging the sale of more than 25 apartment communities in South Florida.

Franklin Street also hired Tom Farmer as director of agency leasing. He was previously a senior associate for CBRE’s brokerage services division, where Farmer provided strategic planning, landlord and tenant representation, and acquisition and disposition services. He will work closely with Lisa Jesmer, who left CBRE in October to join Franklin Street.

Coconut Grove-based Grass River Property named Alex Schreer as the company’s first director of marketing. Scheer will oversee marketing and branding for Grass River’s portfolio, including the Shops at Sunset Place and CocoWalk. He has worked with the Related Group, Starwood Resorts, Terra and Peacock Properties.

NAI/Merin Hunter Codman promoted Carey Kingree to vice president of property management and Richard Havens to vice president of construction management. Kingree, who now oversees NAI/Merin’s 5 million square foot portfolio, joined the firm in 2005 as senior property manager. Havens, previously director of engineering and property management, is now responsible for general contracting and construction management operations.

Cary Cohen joined Blanca Commercial Real Estate as executive vice president. Cohen will oversee the company’s investment sales practice group. He previously led the Florida operations for Flagler Real Estate Services’ asset solutions group.

Quadrum Global hired Carolina Eguiguren as an interior designer and project manager for the developer and investment firm. Eguiguren will focus on project management for Quadrum Senior Living, the company’s new senior living division. She was previously with Sixty Hotels, which operates the newly redeveloped Nautilus Hotel in South Beach.

Riviera Point Development Group made two executive hires: Javier Manrique is now vice president of business development and Jesús Thielen is a marketing manager. The company is developing EB-5 funded office buildings in South Florida. Manrique formerly led the Merrill Lynch International Private Client Group operations in Venezuela and Brazil, while Thielen has more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience.

Colliers International South Florida added Gregory Laskody, a senior vice president, and Maximo Cortese, a senior associate, to its capital markets group. Both will focus on investment sales and capital procurement in Palm Beach County. Laskody has worked with Grubb & Ellis, Wells Fargo/Wachovia and Nomura Asset Capital. Cortese, meanwhile, has been an associate project manager for a homebuilder, and an assistant trader and analyst with a hedge fund.

Denise M. Erickson is now a Realtor associate at Avatar Real Estate Services. Erickson is a personal trainer and fitness instructor. Avatar also hired Cristina Lujan and Caroline Glick as Realtor associates in its South Miami office.

Rivergate KW Residential hired Joya Pavesi as vice president of marketing and strategy. Pavesi joined the multifamily property management company after more than 10 years of multifamily marketing positions. She was previously senior marketing manager for Greystar, as well as regional marketing director at Camden Property Trust.

DND Associates, a ONE Sotheby’s International Realty team, brought Jill Johns in as a global real estate portfolio advisor.

Louis P. Archambault joined Arnstein & Lehr’s real estate practice group in the firm’s Miami office. Archambault works with buyers, sellers and lenders in all aspects of real estate.

High Street Retail USA hired Marcelle Taha, design specialist, to lead the company’s in-house design and digital operations. Taha will spearhead the design of collateral marketing material for High Street Retail, as well as the company’s website, e-newsletters and social media accounts.