SINCE 1982
Over the past 35 years our company has succeeded in delivering innovative projects while accomplishing strong economic returns and a positive social impact. The foundation of each venture we pursue begins by applying the organization’s core principles.
AFFILIATED DEVELOPMENT
With an emphasis on multifamily mixed-use development in urban markets across the United States, Affiliated Development strives to create dynamic environments that promote vitality within a city’s urban core.
Our team has a track record of partnering with government agencies, community organizations and nonprofits, and extensive experience in private and public finance. Nearly all projects the company pursues involve a public-private partnership, something that has become the cornerstone of our organization.
OUR TEAM
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
JEFF BURNS
Jeff Burns is the Co-Founder and CEO of Affiliated. Mr. Burns has more than 13 years of experience in the acquisition, development, and finance of all property types in markets across the United States. With an extensive background and longstanding relationships, Mr. Burns has a proven track record to see real estate opportunities from conception through reality.Mr. Burns has been involved in the development of over 2 million square feet of real estate with a combined cost of roughly $500 million. Included in that is approximately 1,200 residential apartment units that will serve a wide variation of tenants from luxury market-rate occupants to low-income housing residents. Of these projects, nearly all incorporate public-private partnerships and various public financing resources such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Tax Exempt Bonds, Special Assessment Financing, HUD Financing and local government housing grants.
Mr. Burns got his start in the real estate industry as a commercial lender with the role of project origination for BB Syndication Services, Inc., a national syndicate lender out of Wisconsin. Mr. Burns originated and funded construction loans for developments across the country ranging in size from $11 million to $200 million in total cost.
In 2006, Mr. Burns shifted his primary focus to development. Mr. Burns partnered with Rick Barrett and Tan Lo of Milwaukee, WI to develop The Moderne; a 30-story high-rise residential tower in Milwaukee’s downtown. The project is comprised of 203 market rate apartments, 14 condominiums and a 7,500-square foot restaurant. Mr. Burns and his partners managed to close on the financing of the $65 million project during the height of the US financial crisis and the project was completed in 2012 on time and on budget, is fully leased and won the Business Journal’s 2012 “Project of the Year” Award.
Mr. Burns is a resident of the City of Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Burns is a member of the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Council board of Governors, and is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Burns is a graduate of the University of Missouri Business School.
CO-FOUNDER & CIO
NICHOLAS ROJO
Nick Rojo is Co-Founder and CIO of affiliated. Mr. Rojo has more than 11 years of experience in the acquisition, finance, management, rehabilitation and development of residential and commercial real estate. Prior to Co-founding Affiliated Mr. Rojo was president of Mako Capital, a fund he established to acquire, rehabilitate and manage single and multi-family properties.Prior to Mako Capital, Mr. Rojo was head of acquisitions for a family office acquiring residential and commercial property throughout the state of Florida. Mr. Rojo’s main responsibilities at Affiliated include diligence, valuation, underwriting and monitoring asset performance.
Mr. Rojo got his start in the real estate industry in 2006 as an Investment Banker in the Investment Banking Group at Wachovia Securities focusing primarily on providing capital raising and advisory services to public and private homebuilders and developers. At Wachovia Mr. Rojo was involved in all aspects of the business, from offering traditional investment banking products; high grade and high yield debt, common and preferred equity, private placements and M&A, to offering real estate asset specific transactions; such as project finance and facilitating bulk land sales. Mr. Rojo was afforded the unique benefit of structuring financings at the peak of the market cycle and then working with clients to restructure during the recession. Mr. Rojo left Wachovia to return to South Florida in 2010 in order to opportunistically acquire property at the height of the recession.
Mr. Rojo is a resident of West Palm Beach, FL and sits on the Broward County Sheriff’s advisory council and is a board member of Student Aces, an organization that provides leadership training, coaching, mentoring and scholarships to local high school student athletes. Mr. Rojo graduated cum laude with a B.S.B.A. in Finance and New and Small Business Management from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and was a four-year letterman on the Georgetown Hoya football team where he was an Academic All American.
GENERAL COUNCIL
Joseph Costello
Joe Costello serves as general council for Affiliated Development and oversees various company engagements. Joe is a Florida licensed attorney and has practiced in the real estate field for over ten years.Joe also serves as an Affiliate Brach Partner with Hyperion Title, a full service residential and commercial title company based on the West Coast of Florida. A former collegiate baseball player, Joe has substantial and diverse experience in both the small firm and large firm setting, and has represented individuals and entities throughout the State of Florida and at all levels of net worth and notoriety, including substantial work with professional athletes, entertainers, business owners, and talent agents. Joe has also been a featured guest speaker at various sports law-focused symposia and he is an active supporter of many local and national charitable organizations, including the Broward County Humane Society and his recent recognition as one of Fort Lauderdale’s top young professionals by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Fort Lauderdale’s Gold Coast Magazine.
PROJECT ANALYST
MICAYLA ONISKEY
Micayla serves as project analyst at Affiliated, where her responsibilities range from analyzing and underwriting new opportunities to managing project teams and carrying out tasks related to valuation.Prior to joining the firm, Micayla gained experience in the financial services industry at Boston-based private equity software firm Bison. At Bison, Micayla worked to analyze in-house data and industry-level trends to create benchmarking and investing reports for GP and LP clients. Additionally, she conducted research to augment the firm’s internal databases, and contributed to the creation and subsequent improvement of original benchmarks comparing the performance of public and private markets.
Previously, she also worked at quantitative investment firm Acadian Asset Management, where she focused on testing the validity of various factors in predicting future stock returns.
Micayla got her start in the real estate industry in 2017 at Miami-based private equity firm Transcendent Investment Management, where she specialized in investor relations. This provided her the opportunity to determine fundraising strategy and execution, develop systems to quantify investor acquisition and retention, and produce customized materials for investors and prospects.
Micayla is a new resident of the City of Fort Lauderdale, and sits on the board of the Flagler Village Civic Association. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Linguistics.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
MICHELLE RICE
Michelle Rice joined the Affiliated Development team as Executive Assistant / Office Coordinator after spending more than a decade in that capacity in her previous position.Behind the scenes, she deals with the day-to-day office organization, bookkeeping, HR, and research tasks so the Development Team can focus on what they do best.
On the front lines, she uses her years of well-honed customer service skills to provide guests a respectful and functional environment they can enter knowing information will be available and meetings will on schedule.
Michelle, her husband, and her three daughters relocated to the Fort Lauderdale area recently from Madison, WI. While in Madison, Michelle worked for twelve years as an Executive Assistant for the CEO and President of The QTI Group at their corporate office downtown. QTI is one of largest full service Human Resources companies in Wisconsin with multiple offices throughout the state and clients located, and professional/executive placements made, nationwide. Serving in many capacities, she managed the professional lives of the Executive Management Team, liaised with PEO, HR, Consulting and Professional placement teams, edited and created website content, and oversaw the administrative front desk staff with day-to-day clerical and HR functions related to QualiTemps, Inc., QTI’s administrative and industrial staffing company.
Prior to QTI, Michelle left a career in Personal and Commercial Lines Insurance in Rhinelander, WI to become an entrepreneur in the coffee industry there owning and operating The Pony Espresso, a popular and unique mobile coffee shop. This concept allowed for customers to have beverages delivered directly to them at work or at home – no going outside in that Wisconsin winter! It allowed Michelle the opportunity to refine some valuable business, negotiating and creativity skills. She eventually sold this successful business to spend time with her growing family.
Michelle has always enjoyed being actively involved in community organizations such as The United Way of Dane County, JDRF and Walk for the Cure, American Heart Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, and Kinship of the North to name a few. She is looking forward to continuing her work with Non-Profits in South Florida.
STRATEGIES
Affiliated Development diversifies its portfolio by focusing on three multifamily sectors: 1) Luxury Market Rate Housing, 2) Workforce Housing, 3) Affordable Housing. Each new opportunity begins with determining the best use for the site by identifying the public need and applying results of market analysis. Much of what the Company takes on follows mission-based intent with the ultimate goal of creating, fostering, and preserving housing for individuals and families of all income levels in cost-burdened communities. Affiliated Development invests resources to improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of the housing stock for the area’s residents.
PRESS
Affiliated Development’s projects have been featured in the following publications.
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