Our Management Team

As President and CEO for BRG Realty Group, Don is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the Operations Team, Services Division, HR, and New Business Development. Don has been in the multifamily business for 20+ years, and has successfully led numerous lease ups, acquisitions, and repositioning of assets over his tenure. Don is a committed leader to our industry and participates in the apartment association at all levels. He has served in an executive position at the local, state, and national levels. Along with his commitment, Don is extremely passionate about the success of each association. In 2022 Don will serve as Chairman of the National Apartment Association.

Jeffrey P. March is the Executive Chairman and a founding member of BRG Realty Group, LLC which owns and manages about 8,500 apartment homes in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jeff graduated from Duke University in 1984. As Executive Chairman, Jeff’s primary responsibility and focus is on supporting BRG’s current President and CEO, on working with the Board of Advisors and management team on business strategy, and the continued development of culture as a strategic business imperative. BRG’s philanthropic efforts are also important to Jeff, and they are complementary to the Company’s mission, particularly “… And We Care!” Jeff has been actively involved in the apartment industry as he has held leadership positions in the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association (Past President), its 501 C-3 Apartment Association Outreach Board (Past President), as well as the Ohio and National Apartment Associations (Immediate Past Chair of NAA’s Legislative Committee). Jeff and his wife, Jeanette, also founded the John P. March Educational Foundation at Cincinnati Country Day School (CCDS) to provide financial assistance to deserving students. He remains actively involved as a volunteer with CCDS, the Board of Best Point, the Commonwealth Club of Cincinnati, and as a Trustee of the Thomas J. Emery Foundation Board.

As Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of BRG, Bruce Hellman has extraordinary experience in every aspect of apartment operations. His 35 plus years of site management, portfolio management and business management have allowed him to develop insights to delivering trend-setting services to BRG residents and shareholders. Prior to BRG, Bruce was President of Metro Prop Realty, Inc. for eleven years. He won the distinguished alumni award for the Forest Hills Foundation in 2020. Bruce was an active member of the Fair Housing Mediation Board for many years and is currently involved with the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association. He has spent his entire career in apartment property management and is also a lifelong resident of Greater Cincinnati.

J. Cass Hopkins is the Vice President of Operations and has almost 30 years’ experience in the apartment industry. He has spent his entire working career in the apartment business and has a diverse background in property management. Cass has been a partner of BRG Realty Group since 2005 and a cofounder of Crown Management. As the Vice President of Operations, Cass assists with the day-to-day operations of over 45 apartment communities and is responsible for the performance of them. An active member of the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association, he is a certified Apartment Manager, certified National Leasing Apartment Leasing Professional and certified instructor to lead classes for CAM and NALP. His community activities include serving on various boards, including Cincinnati Country Day School. Cass was born and raised in Cincinnati and received his psychology degree from Duke University.

Bob Kohlman has over 30 years of experience in every aspect of property management. Starting his career working on-site and has held many different positions in property operations, land acquisition and development, new construction and executive level management as VP of Operations. Bob is an active member of both the National Apartment Association and the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association (GCNKAA). He serves on committees and facilitates the NAA Certified Apartment Manager course for GCNKAA. Bob Studied Business Management and Marketing at Northern Kentucky University, Computer Science at Murray State University and Agronomy at Cincinnati State University.

Robby Croswell has decades of experience in commercial, multi family, and single family real estate. He has served numerous roles at BRG, including spearheading the single family division, management and oversight of our commercial properties, profit and loss responsibility as an Area Manager of multiple apartment assets, and the execution of several special projects. Robby’s primary focus is business development, new acquisitions, dispositions, and sourcing and evaluating new business opportunities. He also holds a real estate license in the State of Ohio. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Robby obtained his master’s degree in business from University of Cincinnati and graduated from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Robby's community activities include volunteering and fundraising with a focus on the City Link Center and Best Point (Formerly The Children's Home of Cincinnati).

Andrew R. Giannella, a lifelong Greater Cincinnati resident, is a well respected and experienced attorney and real estate investor with over 25 years experience in real estate, business transactions and finance. Before joining BRG, he was an associate and partner at Ulmer & Berne, LLP and is currently of counsel with Strauss & Troy. In his role at BRG, Andy sources and evaluates business opportunities, works on acquisitions, dispositions, and generally oversees BRG’s legal affairs. Andy has received recognition from his peers being elected to Woodward and White’s Best Lawyers in America in Real Estate law each year since 2006 (an honor only held by one percent of lawyers nationally). Andy previously served (by appointment of the Ohio Supreme Court) on the Ohio Real Property Specialization Board, which developed standards and testing for Ohio lawyers to become certified specialists in commenced real estate law. Andy is licensed to practice in both Ohio and Kentucky, and obtained his juris doctorate from the University of Cincinnati and his bachelor of arts in history from Colgate University. Andy‘s community activities include various children’s charities including serving on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2007.

As Chief Financial Officer and a Partner at BRG Realty Group, LLC, Alex leads the finance and accounting functions for BRG which includes capital sourcing, financial reporting & analysis, tax, risk management, investor & lender relations, cash management, and business systems. Alex is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati and has more than twenty years of finance, accounting, risk management, and business development experience. Alex joined BRG in 2018. Previously, he was a Vice President in PNC’s corporate banking group with responsibilities that included serving the lending, capital markets, and financial services needs of over 30 privately held businesses in Greater Cincinnati with loan commitments exceeding $500mm. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and a MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH.

Mike Markus brings over 20 years of leadership experience to BRG. Prior to joining our team, Mike served 8 years of active service in the United States Marine Corps and joined the multi-family housing industry in 2009 as a partner with another local management company. As Director of Maintenance, Mike is responsible for maintenance career paths, maintenance operations, capital planning and broad energy initiatives. Mike holds his CAM and CAMT designations through NAA and serves a trained faculty member for NAAEI. In 2014 Mike was awarded the NAA Paragon Award as CAMT of the year and in 2020 he was again recognized by NAAEI with the Excellence Award as the ACE Industry Educator of the Year. He has previously served on the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association Board of Directors as well as the Ohio Apartment Association Board of Trustees. Currently Mike serves on the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association on the Education and Legislative Committees.

Jennifer Illanz has over fifteen years property management experience with expertise in training and marketing. Prior to joining BRG, she held marketing director and property manager positions with another professional management company in the Cincinnati and Chicagoland area. Her background includes all aspects of overseeing Class A properties involving as many as 500 units in 10 buildings and new hire training. Her experience encompasses the development and implementation of policies and procedures, manages and creates marketing programs addressing marketing components from traditional print to social media as well as redesigning and overseeing the company’s and properties websites. She also guides the marketing programs to ensure all materials properly reflect the organization’s brand and philosophy. Jennifer is currently serving on the GDAA Board of Directors as President. She currently serves on the Event, Education and Legislative committees in Dayton. She is an active member of the Cincinnati Apartment Association and serves on the Holiday Cheers, committee as well. Jennifer has an associate’s degree in interior design from Antonelli College, and uses that knowledge when designing and updating offices, clubhouses, and models to current modern esthetic.

Kelley Holcomb serves as the Director of Training at BRG Apartments. Kelley has over 19 years’ experience in the multifamily industry, including an onsite understanding of the daily operations of managing a community. Using her experience and knowledge, she is able to determine the individual training needs for BRG’s newest team members along with evaluating and implementing continued training and development of current employees that coincide with our policies and procedures. While utilizing her extensive background in customer service and sales, she presents our teams with new sales processes while developing, scheduling and preparing personalized training programs. Kelley is an active member of the National Apartment Association where she received her CALP designation (Certified Apartment Leasing Professional). She often seeks out other avenues for continued professional growth and is currently working on her CAM designation (Certified Apartment Manager) and Advanced Facilitator Training. She mostly recently took part in a Cincinnati based leadership program hosted by The Goering Center, Leadership Development Institute. An active contributor to both the local apartment associations, Kelley co-chairs the Education Committee in Dayton. A long-time resident of Cincinnati, Kelley studied Communications at Northern Kentucky University.

Dustin Dailey has more than 9 years of experience in property management. Dustin joined the BRG Management Team as a Portfolio Manager late in 2014 after many years working onsite at three different BRG communities as a Community Manager. Prior to his most recent promotion, Dustin was the Senior Community Manager for multiple assets in the Northern Kentucky Portfolio. Dustin was a recipient of the Presidential Award at BRG in 2010. He is an active member of the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association. Prior to joining BRG, Dustin was a Regional Supervisor overseeing 15 locations of self storage facilities in Northern Kentucky, Southeast Indiana and the Greater Cincinnati area. He attended Valdosta State University and studied Business Administration.

Amanda O’Connor has been with BRG since 2007; starting as a leasing consultant and most recently accepting the position as Portfolio Manager. Prior to her promotion, she was an Area Manager on the east side of Cincinnati overseeing six communities. Amanda was a recipient of the Presidential Award at BRG in 2014. She is an active member of the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association. Amanda believes in helping and improving her community and is always working on community projects. She is from Cincinnati and received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilmington University and Master of Business Administration from Wright State University.

Kendra Miller started her career in property management in 2015 with BRG. Kendra started as a Leasing Consultant at the Residences at Liberty Crossing, was promoted to Community Manager and then promoted to Senior Community Manager at Eagle Crest Apartments. Most recently, she was promoted to from Area Manager for our Columbus Market to Portfolio Manager for our Columbus and Dayton Market. Kendra is a 2011 graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. Her customer service experience in her previous field has easily carried over into the multi-family industry. In 2019, Kendra was the recipient of The Ed Pickett Award at BRG.

Nichole E. Wiley has been in the apartment industry for over 25 years. Although, most of her career was spent in Cincinnati she also had the opportunity to work in the Central Florida Market. Nichole began her career with BRG Realty Group in October 2009 as a leasing consultant. In 2012 she was promoted to Community Manager and effectively managed two properties through a successful sale. In 2015 she was promoted to Senior Community Manager and as of recent was promoted to Portfolio Manager. During this time she also obtained her CAPS designation which she still holds today. Nichole was selected for the 2022 Diversity Leadership Program with the National Apartment Association and is currently the Co-Chair for the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. Over the years, Nichole has assured that her teams receive and achieve all the educational experience the industry can offer to assist them in their career paths. She is responsible for hiring, training and mentoring of new employees, and enjoys helping others achieve their career goals.

As BRG’s controller, Stephanie brings a fresh perspective to the accounting team. She has spent the first 25 years of her accounting career in public accounting with a strong focus on the real estate industry. Stephanie’s primary role at BRG will be assisting her team in all areas of accounting. With her vast history and knowledge of income tax, she is able to provide an in house tax perspective with regards to acquisitions, dispositions as well as other complex transactions. She is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Jessica Stevens joins BRG with over 18 years of experience in the local multifamily industry. Prior to joining BRG, Jessica worked with several national property management companies in which she oversaw newly acquired communities in the Ohio Market and assisted them with their value-add and lease-up efforts. She has a strong knowledge of large/multi-site management, learning & development, marketing and new product implementation. Jessica has been proud to call Cincinnati home for the past 30 years.

Sheilah Johnson brings nearly 35 years of intimate knowledge of the Berkshire Realty Group grounded in experience in every aspect of managing BRG’s operations. As the Vice President of Administration, Sheilah directs the marketing and human resources activities, guiding the development of our staff and portfolio managers. She brings to bear her knowledge of real estate, accounting, taxes, and web design in driving efficiency and designing systems to benefit both employees and tenants. Sheilah, a one-time licensed realtor, holds an associate’s degree in accounting from Miami University. A life-long Buckeye, Sheilah makes her home in Cincinnati, Ohio.

David Marshall is the Director of Construction Services for BRG Realty Group and President of Crown Remodeling LLC. His BRG duties include Project Management and oversees any New Development / Construction / Unit Rehabs and Capital Improvement projects. David has over 35 years’ experience in the construction and remodeling business. As the founder of Crown Remodeling LLC, he oversees every aspect of the firm’s initiatives from project management to contract administration to design and estimation. His background includes commercial, residential, multi-family and insurance restoration. Crown Remodeling LLC is a BRG Group partner firm and serves as BRG’s explicit contractor of choice. David has led multi-million dollar endeavors, routinely completing projects within budget, on schedule and delivers them with additional savings by design phase value engineering. He has managed projects ranging from $3.5M to $24M for multi-family facilities and condominiums involving anywhere from 150 to nearly 900 units. David has a certificate in Xactimate Estimating, is a Certified Industry Lead Renovator and has studied at both the Ohio State University and Ohio Wesleyan University. He is a registered contractor with the Cities of Cincinnati and Columbus and is a member of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Apartment Association.

Dennis Laake, with over 32 years in the accounting and financial field is unique in that it extends to include expertise in insurance, investment brokerage and property management. His background includes serving as president of Williamsburg of Cincinnati Management Company and Northland Financial Management Co., as well as CFO and other management positions at Crown Management Corporation and Grant Thornton. Dennis also gained business expertise as the owner of a shopping center. As BRG’s CFO, he led the organization in ensuring its financial endeavours were grounded in generally accepted accounting practices and designed to maintain a sound fiscally sustainable future. Further, he ensured the firm’s monetary protocols were carefully crafted to support BRG’s “...and we care” philosophy. As he approaches retirement, he has taken on a consultant type role and works closely with the Director of Finance and the Controller. As a dedicated community volunteer in Greater Northern Kentucky, he served on the City of Villa Hills Ethics Committee. Dennis is a certified public accountant and was previously a licensed investment broker and insurance professional. A Cincinnatian from the cradle, Dennis earned his bachelor’s in chemical engineering and his master’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Cincinnati.