Richard L. Kramer is an experienced investor and financial advisor, closely involved with the acquisition, financing and ownership of many private companies.
Mr. Kramer is Chairman of the Board of Republic Holdings Corporation, a private holding company whose primary focus is the ownership, control and management of investment, real estate and venture capital companies. He has more than 30 years of experience in the acquisition, development and management of over $4 billion in real estate projects throughout the country, as well as the strategic management and ownership of various investment companies.
Mr. Kramer is the founder, Chairman of the Board and principal owner of Republic Land Development LLC, Republic Properties Corporation and Republic Urban Properties LLC. Republic Properties Corporation represented one of the mid-Atlantic’s largest commercial developers, which gave rise to the public offering of The Republic Property Trust (NYSE:RPB) in December, 2005, for which he is Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
With his co-principals, Mr. Kramer has developed millions of square feet of real estate, representing an investment of over $4 billion. These projects include:
- A completed 500,000 square foot, $125 million office building, principally occupied by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
- The 600,000 square foot, $200 million headquarters for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), part of the 3 million square foot, $1 billion Portals Project that also includes the world-class, five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Through Republic Properties Corporation and its affiliates, Mr. Kramer is one of the largest owners of prime development land in the District of Columbia, including over 2 million square feet of premier space to be developed as commercial projects, and he is also a major landlord to the United States government. Republic is also completing construction on approximately one million square feet (representing an investment of over $400 million) of Class A office buildings at their Portals Project and at Republic Square. In addition to the Portals and Republic Square, Mr. Kramer has been involved in the development or re-development of a wide range of commercial properties in greater Washington, DC, with an aggregate market value in excess of $1 billion, including Georgetown Park, an historic Victorian shopping mall with 128 residential units; Washington Harbour, a 441,000 square foot mixed-use development including office space, retail shops and restaurants, and 36 luxury condominiums located on the Potomac River in Georgetown; the United States Postal Service General Mail Facility, a 660,000 square foot postal facility; Market Square, a 686,000 square foot office and retail space mixed-use development that includes 220 of the most sought after condominium residences in Washington, DC.
Under Mr. Kramer’s leadership, Republic acquired extensive experience in public/private joint ventures in the hundreds of millions of dollars with local, regional and Federal governments. Republic also formed an investment fund worth hundreds of millions of dollars with Kleinwort Benson/Dresdner Bank to acquire investment grade U.S. real estate.
Mr. Kramer was co-founder and principal owner of Western Development Corporation, which developed over 17 million square feet of mixed-use, office, regional mall and shopping center developments. Western Development Corporation, through its various corporate entities and partnerships, was the predecessor company to the Mills Corporation, one of the most active and largest mall developers in the world. Mr. Kramer was Vice Chairman of those companies until their public offering in 1994.
Mr. Kramer has served on the New York Administrative Committee for Fleet Bank (Bank of America), as a Director in Young Audiences of America, Council Member of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Member of the Kennedy Center, and was formerly on the Board of The Institute of Classical Architecture, among many other charitable, civic, cultural and social organizations, such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, in addition to various food program organizations around the country and in the New York Metropolitan area. Mr. Kramer and his family were proud sponsors of the American Ballet Theatre at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, as part of the 2004-2005 performance season as well as the 2006 and 2007 Spring Gala at Lincoln Center in New York.
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David L. Peter serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Republic Land Development LLC and Republic Urban Properties LLC. Republic Land is pursuing a number of major planned community and urban mixed-use Developments and Republic Urban is pursuing a number of condominium developments in various U.S. markets. He is also Executive Vice President of Republic Properties Corporation, which is pursuing major mixed-use and office developments in Washington, DC.
Mr. Peter has over 20 years of financial, transactional, legal and general management experience in structuring and managing real estate and hospitality ventures. In addition to managing the Land Development division at the predecessor Republic Properties Corporation, he served as Republic’s principal financial manager for 15 years, including holding the position of Chief Financial Officer. Through his varied real estate experience, he has acquired experience in the development and operation of all major segments of the real estate industry.
Prior to joining Republic in 1988, Mr. Peter was Controller of Hunter Properties, a residential, office and warehouse developer. At Hunter, Mr. Peter was responsible for all financial planning, budgeting and accounting.
A native Washingtonian, Mr. Peter holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Economics from George Washington University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the George Mason University School of Law. He is admitted to the Virginia State Bar and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Urban Land Institute.
Mr. Peter was active in the District of Columbia Building and Industry Association, serving on the Community Service Committee. He currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Virginia office of Best Buddies International and for the Gelman Library System at George Washington University. He has also provided pro bono assistance for the redevelopment of the Anthony Bowen Landmark YMCA building, now known as the Thurgood Marshall Center, transforming the facility into an office and community building for nonprofit community-based organizations.
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M. Christine Cooke, Chief Financial Officer
M. Christine Cooke (Chris) is the Chief Financial Officer of Republic Land Development and Republic Urban Properties. She has more than 25 years of experience in financial accounting for the real estate industry in both commercial and residential development. She is responsible for risk management, accounting, loan maintenance, information systems and communications for all new real estate projects for the Company.
Prior to joining Republic in 2006, Ms. Cooke was Corporate Controller for Reston, Virginia-based Waterford Development LLC in partnership with Bouwfonds Property Finance of The Netherlands. In this position she oversaw numerous separate partnership and project entities. Ms. Cooke was responsible for all accounting – from the pro-forma stage to monthly draws – including cash management, budgets, quarterly Board reports and tax planning. Waterford’s projects were mixed-use condominiums, residential planned unit developments and land development.
From 1992 to 1995, Ms. Cooke also served as Corporate Controller for Madison Homes based in McLean, Virginia. Madison is a diversified holding company for land development – custom and PUD single family homes as well as condominiums. She maintained real estate limited partnerships, C and S corporations, joint ventures, family trusts and limited liability corporations. She held full accounting responsibility for 40 entities. She has also been corporate controller for Owens & Company and Radford & Associates, both located in Roanoke, Virginia.
Ms. Cooke attended University of California at Los Angeles. She is a member of The USS Yorktown (CVS-10) Association, Treasurer for the Waterford House Unit Owners Association and a member of Charter 100. She maintains her state-of-the-art knowledge of accounting, information systems and technology through continuous courses dedicated to her industry.
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James H. Evans serves as Director of Land Development for Republic Land Development LLC. Mr. Evans is primarily responsible for the acquisition, project management, development and disposition of land holdings within the operations of Republic Land Development LLC, including analysis of opportunities, processing of entitlements and approvals, management of financing, development and field work, and the marketing, sale or other disposition of properties in Republic Land's portfolio. Mr. Evans has over 25 years of experience in these areas, primarily in the mid-Atlantic region and Florida, including all phases of residential, commercial and mixed-use projects.
Prior to joining Republic in July, 2003, Mr. Evans was Vice President of Chevy Chase Bank and affiliated companies for 19 years. In this role, Mr. Evans managed a wide variety of real estate investments and projects as well as the development and disposition of the Bank's REO portfolio. These projects included several major mixed-use planned communities in suburban Virginia and Maryland, including Ashburn Village, Cascades, Kentlands and a significant number of residential subdivisions, commercial sites and raw land parcels.
Prior to his tenure at Chevy Chase Bank, Mr. Evans was a real estate project manager for the Mason Hirst Companies, a family-owned investment and development firm in Northern Virginia. A native New Yorker, Mr. Evans earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ithaca College, and holds a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University.
Mr. Evans is affiliated with a variety of real estate and homebuilding associations, and is active in civic and charitable endeavors.
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Stacy C. Hornstein is Director of Development with Republic Land Development and Republic Urban Properties. He has more than 30 years of commercial and mixed-use development experience with particular emphasis on the pre-development phase of the industry.
Mr. Hornstein was a Senior Vice President of Western Development Corporation and a Partner with Mr. Richard Kramer before rejoining Republic Properties in 1999. Mr. Hornstein currently oversees several development opportunities at Republic, with specific responsibility for the Carolina Park development in Charleston, South Carolina, and several of Republic’s condominium development efforts in Washington, DC, and in Florida.
At Western Development, Mr. Hornstein developed numerous mixed-use office projects in the Washington, DC, market and helped bring to fruition a “ value-oriented” regional mall concept, known as the “ Mills” program.
After Western, Mr. Hornstein joined the Cafritz Group, where he directed the development of Smoketown Stations in Prince William County, Virginia, a 500,000 square foot retail strip center, as well as a major expansion and renovation of The Mall at Johnson City in Tennessee.
Mr. Hornstein's strength lies within the structuring of acquisitions, the zoning and permit process, and his ability to successfully negotiate major tenant leases. Prior to his work in the private sector, Mr. Hornstein served as Assistant County Manager for Metropolitan Dade County, Florida.
Born in Miami, Florida, Mr. Hornstein earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Politics and Public Affairs from the University of Miami, and holds a Master of Science in Management from Florida International University.
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Walter A. Music is a Director of Development for Republic Land Development LLC. Mr. Music is primarily responsible for acquisition, entitlement, development, marketing and disposition of suburban master planned communities throughout Republic’s areas of operation. Mr. Music has over twenty-six years of extensive education and progressive work experience with full profit and loss responsibilities in all areas of real estate.
Prior to joining Republic Land Development, Mr. Music was with Beazer Homes, a national homebuilder, as a Senior Land Acquisition Manager responsible for opening new market areas for the Virginia Division. His responsibility included identifying potential land opportunities, orchestrating the feasibility studies and managing the entitlements.
Mr. Music spent the majority of his successful career with Toll Brothers, Inc., a national homebuilder that is traded on the NYSE. While with Toll Brothers, not only did Mr. Music manage acquisitions and entitlements, he was also responsible for the entire homebuilding operation in his division. The homebuilding operation included product development, marketing and sales as well as construction and customer service. Mr. Music also introduced Toll Brothers to heavily amenitized master planned communities. This gave Toll Brothers the confidence to open master planned communities throughout the U.S.
Mr. Music is trained as a civil engineer and practiced that discipline early in his career. He graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and from Pennsylvania State University with a master’s degree in Construction Management. Back to top
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