Meet Our Team

Mike Goman

Principal, Advisory & Development Services

With more than 40 years in the real-estate industry, Mike advises municipalities, tenants, corporations, institutional investors and high-net worth individuals regarding commercial real-estate investment, acquisition and development. Mike also serves as President of Accubranch, LLC, a provider of real-estate market research, strategic network planning and branch program implementation service to regional and community banks. He is a licensed real estate broker in five states, Certified Leasing Specialist and Certified Retail Property Executive by the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mike was named 2021 Realtor of the Year by the Greater Hartford Association of Realtors.

Tom York

Principal, Transactional & Advisory Service

Well-known as one of the Greater Hartford region’s top brokers, Tom is a trusted commercial real estate advisor with specific expertise on customized financial-modeling analytics. Tom provides expert guidance on a variety of real estate issues and ensures that his clients, ranging from small entrepreneurial property owners and tenants to Fortune 100 companies, receive superior service focused on strategic planning, acquisition, disposition and agency leasing. Prior to jointly forming Goman+York in 2011, Tom spent 15 years at CB Richard Ellis.

Rob Montesi

Senior Vice President, Transactional Services

Rob entered the real estate industry in 2002, beginning with multi-family ownership and management. Prior to joining Goman+York in 2016, Rob spent five years as VP with another Connecticut commercial brokerage. He is responsible for leading and directing our tenant representation as well as working on behalf of a wide variety of clients in all aspects of sales, leasing and acquisition of commercial property throughout Connecticut.

Rob’s extensive sales/advisory background provides him with a unique skill set wherein he blends consultative client service, business marketing and sales with core real estate knowledge. Rob is results driven with a proven expertise in helping to focus transactional activities and advisory services on behalf of Goman+York clients

Selected Highlights

• • Complex and multi-faceted sales including a 14-acre, town-owned former school site for a $50+ Million redevelopment project; Seller and Buyer representation for Industrial/Flex buildings of 100,000 and 200,000sf; a 40,000sf neighborhood retail shopping center; and an $8 million Class A downtown city tower with 130,000sf of mixed-use office/retail space.
  • Tenant-representation in Class A&B; office, medical, industrial and R&D;
  • Agency lease representation from single-tenant properties to a several-hundred thousand square foot office/retail/industrial portfolio. Represented a Fortune 500 company, a large REIT, and one of the region’s largest private equity firms in Class A office, Class A medical, and industrial leasing, respectively.

Affiliations

• • Member Associate, Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS®
  • National Association of REALTORS®

Personal

Rob is married and resides in Simsbury, Connecticut with his wife, three children, and several huggable and unhuggable pets. He enjoys playing guitar, running, cycling, alpine skiing, golf, fishing and backpacking; and has been an active volunteer for many years in youth soccer, baseball and scouting.

David Dumeer

Senior Vice President, Transactional Services

David Dumeer is a seasoned veteran of the real estate industry with over 30 year of experience specializing in the retail industry. Dave provides insight into all facets of site and market evaluation, store design and store development strategies to premier tenants nationwide. Having years of industry experience and a national network of representatives, Dumeer specializes in tenant representation and has the ability to provide national real estate vision and local market knowledge to clients throughout the country. Currently his focus is on delivering results for a variety of high fashion retailers, theaters, outdoor sports/appeal retailers and restaurants. Some of his retail clients have included The Orvis Company, Barbour, J. McLaughlin, Ben & Jerry’s, Maggie McFly’s, CMX/Cinebistro and Central Rock Gym.

Previously, Dave served as VP, Director of Development, Acquisitions and Leasing for Developers Realty Corp. His responsibilities included leasing a large portfolio of shopping centers, divestiture of properties, managing relationships with REIT partnerships and the development of over 5 million SF of retail property in 11 states including a lifestyle center, a Big Box development and freestanding restaurants and pharmacies.

With over 30 years of experience in retail development and tenant representation, Dave has gained the experience and understanding of how to make deals work for both landlord and tenant.

Andy DiFatta

Senior Vice President, Development Services

C. Anthony DiFatta, Jr. (Andy) has been in the real estate profession since 1974. He has been fortunate to have gained extensive experience in sales, leasing, financial analysis, construction and property management. This experience has enabled him to evolve into a well rounded real estate developer. Over the years, Andy has played a key role in developing office, industrial, and residential communities. Most of his experience was accumulated with medium to large scale companies.

Andy joined AccuBranch in September 2015 as a senior vice president. Accubranch provides strategic site solutions for commercial banks and credit unions. This position ties back to Andy’s first full time job out of college in 1969 with Maryland National Bank. During his 5 years with the bank, Andy advanced from the Branch Administrative training program to the Manager, Personal Trust Operations, where he was responsible for over $1 billion in Trust Department assets.

Prior to joining AccuBranch, Andy was president of Ensign-Bickford Realty Corporation (EBR) from October 2008 until August 2015. In this position he directed the development activities on approximately 1,200 acres of land across the country. This included maximizing the real estate values through careful analysis and master planning, and then coordinating the disposition of the residential and commercial real estate portfolios within EBR. He also managed the acquisition and disposition of real estate assets in the four (4) major business units within Ensign-Bickford Industries’ (EBI’s) domestic portfolios. During his tenure he also oversaw the design, sales, construction and management of a planned residential community that ultimately contained 106 freestanding homes.

Education

Andy has an MBA with an emphasis in finance. He was the President of the East Hartford Chamber of Commerce from 1994 to 1996, and he was also Chairman of the East of the River Chambers of Commerce Association (ERCCA) in 1996 and 1997.

Personal

Andy has been on the Goodwin University Board of Trustees since 2008. He currently serves as the chairman of the Building Committee.

Denise Robidoux

EVP/COO

As a diversified professional, Denise joins us with a strong skill set in commercial retail real estate management, operations & marketing, retail store management, nonprofit development, sponsorships, cause-related marketing, and community engagement, along with small business ownership. Her ability to look at the big picture from many aspects – both landlord and tenant – brings a multi-level, creative and informative view to our projects. Most recently, she was general manager for The Shoppes at Farmington Valley in Canton, CT, prior to that she was a development manager for the national nonprofit Boundless Playgrounds. Denise has owned a small business in Enfield, CT for over 30 years.

Affiliations

Denise currently serves as the Connecticut State Director for the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and has served as Operations, and Public Relations & Community Service State Chair. Denise is active with ICSC Planning Committees for the New England Retail Connection in Hartford, CT and the New England Conference and Deal Making in Boston, MA. Most recently, Denise chaired the Women in Real Estate Education session. She is a past member of the Board of Directors for the ARC of Greater Enfield, CT.

Personal

I have been a Somers resident for over 20 years, I have been married to my husband Ray for 39+ years, we have two adult children – Stephanie works with her dad and Raymond is a pilot for Jet Blue. Raymond, his wife Jillian and our granddaughter, Lily, and Stephanie also reside in Somers, along with our 2 rescued grand-dogs, Henry and Trooper.

Howard Etheridge

Managing Director, Texas

Howard Etheridge is a key member of the Goman+York Team. A seasoned professional with broad executive experience, he has a background in successfully growing revenues in numerous target markets, and expanding product and service offerings for clients in a wide range of industries. His accomplishments have been due in part to his excellent communication and organizational skills.

Howard’s strategic planning expertise has made him a transformational leader who can assist other executives in navigating their organizational goals and objectives through challenging markets. His in-depth understanding of integrated sales and operations helps improve clients’ commercial performance.

Howard’s background includes executive leadership positions in finance, sales operations, customer relations, marketing, plant management, systems engineering, direct sales, and production. His personal career evolved from plant worker, to assistant plant manager, to plant manager, cost estimator, sales representative, President and COO, and eventually Chairman and CEO.

Personal

Howard resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife and son.

Dave Driver

Senior Vice President, Business Development & Corporate Relations

David is a veteran economic development professional with marketing and program development experience in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. He has run a university-related business incubator and a unique public venture capital organization, developed state-level urban redevelopment incentives and tourism promotion campaigns, and directed business recruitment marketing efforts on both the state and regional levels. David headed marketing for the Connecticut Department of Economic Development for 15 years and later founded and directed Connecticut Innovations, the state’s risk capital agency. He recently led business attraction efforts for Northeast Utilities where he coordinated a business recruitment initiative for the six New England states. He served as president of Science Park at Yale and vice president at the Connecticut Economic Resource Center.

Affiliations

David is a board member and former chairman of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, a trustee of the Eastern States Exposition, part of the Corporate Advisory Committee of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts and on the board of the Northeastern Economic Developers Association.

Selected Achievements

• • Sparked Connecticut’s entry into technology-based economic development and venture capital with the founding and management of Connecticut Innovations.
  • Managed redevelopment and business incubation at Science Park at Yale, an 80-acre formerly abandoned industrial area housing 50 companies and some 900 employees.
  • Developed and executed promotion, public relations and advertising campaigns to draw businesses, tourists and film-makers to Connecticut.
  • Led business recruitment representatives of the six New England states in a common marketing collaborative throughout the U.S. and in Europe.

Personal

David is a former journalist and business editor of The Hartford Times. He enjoys international and domestic travel. David coordinates a Food Share program at his church and lives in Meriden.

Doug Fisher

Managing Director, Economic & Business Development

Doug offers broad experience in organizational leadership, economic development, communications, grants administration, and coalition building from senior positions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. He has formulated strategies and executed complex outreach efforts for state legislative leadership, three statewide nonprofit organizations; a multi-state investor-owned public utility; and other high-profile economic development and public policy groups.

Leadership Roles

• • Advisor to the Connecticut Institute for the 21st Century. On the boards of the Connecticut Capitol Region Council of Governments Foundation and the Connecticut Partnership for Balanced Growth.
  • Former executive director of New England’s Knowledge Corridor; director of Discover New England for Business; member of the MetroHartford Alliance Leadership Investor Committee; and on the boards of the New England Defense Technology Initiative; New England Creative Economy Initiative; New England Economic Partnership; Utility Economic Development Association; Connecticut Economic Resource Center Inc.; and Connecticut Economic Developers Association.
  • Past president, Connecticut Economic Development Association

Selected Achievements

• • Managed up to 20 staff and annual budgets exceeding $4.0 million.
  • Led three nonprofits as executive director: New England’s Knowledge Corridor; Connecticut Humanities Council Inc.; and the Connecticut Safety Council.
  • Convened and led several interstate economic development marketing initiatives, including: “The Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership;” and “Discover New England for Business,” which leveraged the staff and financial resources of six states to promote the region’s brand nationally and globally.
  • Served as director of Economic and Business Development for Northeast Utilities.
  • Managed conference planning and media relations for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the state’s largest business organization.
  • Handled public relations for legislative leaders at the Connecticut General Assembly, including testimony, speechwriting, and spokesman duties. Press secretary to campaigns for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House.
  • Appointed by governor to lead the Commission for the Economic Diversification of Southeastern Connecticut.

Education

• • Master of Public Administration, Harvard University
  • Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, University of Connecticut
  • Associate of Applied Science, Photography, Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Executive training seminars in strategic planning, negotiation, and public-private partnerships, Northwestern University
  • Graduate: Dale Carnegie Course: Effective Communications & Human Relations

Personal

Doug enjoys travel and has visited all 50 U.S. states. He resides in Bolton, Conn. with his wife, three children, and Stuart, a very lazy goldendoodle. Doug enjoys sports of all kinds and has been a youth coach for baseball, softball, basketball and soccer. He still plays an increasingly bad brand of co-ed softball.

Nancy Nesbitt

Senior Vice President, Managing Director

Nancy managed corporate/commercial real estate development for over 15 years, working for both major retailers, as well as various developers, in CT, MA, ME, NH, and CA. Retailers represented included McDonald’s Restaurants, Shaw’s Supermarkets, Safeway Supermarkets, and A&P;/Waldbaum’s Supermarket chain.

While at the MetroHartford Alliance, Nancy managed various economic development projects, with a focus on municipal support, and attracting and retaining a talented workforce for the Greater Hartford Region. She was also the first Director of Economic Development for a mid-size community in the Hartford region and was credited for its double-digit grand list growth.

She later spent several years growing and managing the commercial banking relationships with not-for-profits, municipal and government entities, and colleges/universities and private schools for Webster Bank. Also, she was an adjunct professor, teaching various marketing courses at Central Connecticut State University.

Education

MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BGS from the University of Connecticut. She is also in the process of obtaining a Commercial Real Estate Development & Management Certificate from Cornell University.

Personal

Nancy has been very involved with the community, serving on several boards, and resides in Glastonbury.

Cynthia Stewart

Senior Vice President, Managing Director

Cindy specializes in building bridges between the public and private sectors to create opportunities and navigate the government regulatory process ensuring connections, communication, and collaborations leading to successful retail development.

Most recently was employed by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) as Vice President, Community Development, prior to that she held positions of Manager of State Government Relations and Director of Community Relations. Her career with ICSC spanned 21 years, while there she led a team that created programs and initiatives focused on emerging issues, real estate challenges, and overcoming obstacles to retail development.

She facilitated numerous task forces and initiatives comprised of diverse national, state and local volunteer groups representing business, development, elected officials, and economic development professionals. These efforts led to the publication of research, reports, best practices and recommendations and guides for attracting and retaining business.

Before her career at ICSC, she worked in state and local government as a state senate chief of staff and city clerk.

Education

She holds a BAAS in Public Administration from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX and is a 2019 graduate of the John Hopkins Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Personal

Cindy resides in Greer, South Carolina.

Don Poland

Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Planning & Strategy

Dr. Poland is a geographer, planner, and community strategist whose work focuses on assisting communities compete for wealth and investment through strategic market, land use, and planning interventions that build community confidence, foster pride in place, create governance capacity, and grow market demand. With over twenty years’ experience in the public, private, non-profit, and academic sectors, he offers a unique approach to addressing the social, economic, spatial, governance, and policy challenges of creating and maintaining healthy, vibrant, and prosperous communities.

Dr. Poland’s consultancy, while covering a wide range of planning activities and providing extensive services, focuses mostly on smaller cities and weak-market communities that struggle to compete for wealth, investment, vibrancy, and prosperity. Dr. Poland specializes in creating strategic and scaled interventions designed to (re)position communities to compete for wealth and investment. His consultancy work and clients have included post-Katrina planning, land use, and redevelopment strategies for St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, an economic investment strategy for the City of Oswego, New York, the preparation of a HUD NSP-2 application for Venango County, Pennsylvania, and the creation of an innovative zoning approach to implement the comprehensive plan in Canton, Ohio.

Dr. Poland is accepted as an expert witness in the areas of land use planning, neighborhood redevelopment, and community development in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana—the cases involved zoning and disparate impacts. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a Certified Zoning Enforcement Official, Past-President of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association, and a fellow with the Connecticut Policy Institute.

Internationally trained, Dr. Poland earned his PhD from University College London (UCL), Department of Geography, Cities and Urbanization program. His doctoral research focused on urban ecology, ecological resilience, and how ecological metaphors and theory can help us understand urban environments as complex adaptive systems.

Dr. Poland is Visiting Lecturer in Public Policy, Graduate Studies Program at Trinity College, Hartford, CT. He also lectures in geography and urban planning at the University of Connecticut and Central Connecticut State University. His research interests include the remaking of (sub)urban space, urban and suburban histories, urban ecology, complexity theory, and creativity and innovation.

Personal

He was awarded the Connecticut Homebuilders 2003 Outstanding Land Use Official Award and is a 2004 alumnus of the Hartford Business Journal’s Forty Under Forty award. Don enjoys European travel, is a licensed private pilot, resides in Hartford, Connecticut and spends his down time at his second home in Millinocket, Maine.

Dusty McMahan

Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Planning & Design

With 20-plus years directing complex, high-profile projects and design teams, Dusty integrates the roles of designer and planner to visually communicate proposals. Informed by his development and construction expertise and understanding of financial capitalization, his “design solutions” are not just imagery but documentation of economically viable and sustainable solutions to the highest and best repositioning of real estate assets. Dusty leverages these skills with an ability to manage public relations and achieve community consensus. His planning experience ranges from urban infill and reclamation projects to luxury resorts.

Affiliations

Dusty is active with the International Council of Shopping Centers and is a charter member of its Next Generation Advisory Board. He is a recurring jury panelist for the Boston Architectural College Graduate Design Program, a participant with the Congress for New Urbanism, the Community Association Institute, the American Society of Landscape Architects, American Institute of Architects, and several community boards and commissions.

Selected Achievements

• • Oversaw conceptual design of the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, provided planning services for the Howard Hughes Corporate campuses in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and designed and directed the site redevelopment of the original MGM studio sound stages to a working film lot.
  • Planned and oversaw redevelopment of intensive-use projects (without interrupting operations), including the WAFI Mall in Dubai, hospitals in Connecticut, and resorts in the U.S., Europe, Middle and Far East.
  • Programmed and master planned two of ITT Sheraton’s international destination resorts.
  • Managed entitlement, design and construction of more than 500,000 sq. ft. of U.S. retail real estate.
  • Master planned multi-phase expansion of WAFI City, including the addition of the Raffle’s Hotel in Dubai.

Personal

Dusty studied Architecture at Oklahoma State and holds a degree in Landscape Architecture and Planning from Washington State University. He has volunteered with the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Habitat for Humanity and the Ocean Technology Foundation. A vocalist and musician, he is currently restoring a historic property surrounded by the Nathan Hale State Forest in Coventry, Conn.

Dave Correia

Director of Research & Analytics

An alumnus of the University of Connecticut’s Actuarial Science program, Dave brings a quantitative approach to economic development. He provides Goman+York with expertise in data-supported market analysis, detailed financial projections, and in-depth knowledge of public and private funding sources. Relevant work experience includes Redevelopment Feasibility for the historic Hendey Mill in Torrington CT and TOD Feasibility for communities along the new Hartford Commuter Rail. Dave is also affiliated with Accubranch LLC., a data-driven location analytics service for the community banking system in New England, where he serves as Lead Data Analyst.

Personal

Dave is an expert hiker and enjoys the outdoors with his dog Charlie in tow. He has hiked all over the U.S. and in particular, California and his native Connecticut. Dave enjoys the challenge of tinkering with electronics and is an accomplished theater actor.

Alyssa Fleming

Research & Data Analyst

As a Research Analyst for Goman+York, Alyssa brings a critical perspective of financial analysis to our team. Her experience in commercial property analysis and financial planning, enables Alyssa to carefully realize an institutions’ risk and reward relationship. She applies that critical thinking to Goman+York’s data analysis and expansion strategies for our development, municipal and educational clients. 

A graduate of the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business, Alyssa majored in Economics and Finance, with a minor in Actuarial Sciences. Alyssa is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 1 Candidate.

Janet Goman

Business Manager

Janet has years of experience in the shopping center industry in both the U.S. and Canada including her role as Director of Operations and Director of Mall Services. She has a proven track record in asset profitability which involves long and short term leasing, tenant coordination, energy management, lease administration and the development of training programs for asset managers. Early in her career, Janet was identified as a key leader in corporate motivational programs and successfully implemented the “In Search of Excellence” program to all division employees. Creating and leading a nationwide ancillary revenue generating program including short term vacancy lease up, pop-up tenants, lottery and vending machine income, mall shows, flea markets, farmers markets and cart marketing was integral to the overall performance of each asset in Janet’s portfolio. Janet holds an MPA from Queen’s University and is currently a licensed Real Estate Salesperson in CT.

Personal

The mother of three terrific young men, Janet loves to visit her sons. Her hobbies include needlepointing, gemology and being on a boat with her husband.

William “Bill” S. Voelker, AICP

Director of Planning & Strategy

Bill brings over 30 years of municipal planning experience to the Goman+York team. Most recently he served as Town Planner and Development Coordinator to the Town of Cheshire, CT overseeing a five member staff. His expertise provides Goman+York projects and clients with in-depth knowledge of the planning process focusing on public and private development, and the administration of policy and regulations.

Selected Achievements

• • Distinguished Service Award, Connecticut Capitol Region Growth Council, for contributing to state planning and economic development efforts in the passage of Public Act 01-47
  • Special Chapter Award, Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association for efforts in establishing legislation enabling mediation of land use disputes
  • Managed the process for updates to the Plan of Conservation and Development for the Towns of Cheshire, Simsbury, and Berlin
  • Authored “Advocating for the Disabled in Planning” in Connecticut Planning Newsletter – Winter 2018 issue
  • Featured speaker at 2021 Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute Western Places/Western Spaces Annual Conference (Virtual), “Count Us In: Inclusive Planning and Design for Health, Mobility, and Equity”
  • Initiated and supported Public Act 01-47, “An Act Concerning Mediation of Appeals of Planning and Zoning Commissions” through adoption

Education

Master of Community Planning and Development, University of Rhode Island

Continuing Education:

• • Harvard Graduate School of Design: Real Estate Development and Financial Analysis
  • Harvard Graduate School of Design: Urban Real Estate Planning Principles for American Towns, Cities, and Commercial Centers
  • Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Mediating Land Use Disputes Workshop
  • Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Advanced Course on Mediating Land Use Disputes

Personal

Bill enjoys reading, traveling, a good wine and the beach. He and his wife, Melinda live in Plantsville and have 2 grown children.

Brad Senft, MSRE

Senior Vice President & Managing Director

As a former business owner and successful professional with a proven track record in business development, financial management, leadership and team management, Brad brings his asset management and real estate development expertise to Goman+York. Prior to joining Goman+York, Brad created, operated, and sold a successful business in Colorado. His entrepreneurial spirit along with his real estate development and asset management focused expertise complement the public and private sectors served by Goman+York.

Selected Achievements

• • Focus on Real Estate Market, Financial, and Feasibility Analysis 
  • Developed and implemented programs to reduce waste, improve lead times, and reduce materials costs for real estate development projects 
  • Created and implemented business development and shareholder relationship management strategies 
  • Specialized in data collection and interpretation to increase productivity and accuracy. 
  • Streamlined business operations to increase profit margins 
  • Established staff recruitment, development, and management processes resulting in cost savings and efficiencies in the workplace 
  • Certifications in Procore, Bluebeam and Google Data Analytics 
  • CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 3.0 Finalist 2021

Education

• • Daniels College of Business, University of Denver with a Master of Science, Real Estate in the Built Environment – Dual Concentration in Real Estate Development and Asset Management 
  • Ohio University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science  

Personal

Brad and his wife, Shannon, and their 3 sons relocated from Colorado to New England to enjoy more time with family. He enjoys most of his free time outdoors with his family skiing, mountain biking, or participating in his son’s various sports activities. 

Lars Olson

Research & Data Analyst

As a Research Analyst for Goman+York, Lars brings a fresh perspective of financial analysis to our team. His experience in portfolio management and financial modeling including geospatial analysis, financial feasibility analysis, demographic and socioeconomic analytics and location analysis. He applies his critical thinking to Goman+York’s analysis and creation of strategies for private developers and municipal clients.

A graduate of the University of Rhode Island finance program, he holds a Bloomberg Certification. Lars is a licensed Connecticut Real Estate Salesperson.