The Board of Directors

John L. Renne, Ph.D., AICP, Managing Director

John is an international Transit Oriented Development (TOD) expert. He is the author/editor of Transit-Oriented Development: Making It Happen (forthcoming Ashgate publishers 2009), the first international book on Transit Oriented Development. John is an Assistant Professor in the School of Urban Planning and Regional Studies at the University of New Orleans where he also serves as the Associate Director for a transportation research center. John has advised the State of New Jersey, the State of Western Australia (Perth), and the State of New South Wales (Sydney) on TOD planning and policy. John worked as an Associate Director with the EG Property Group in Perth, Western Australia, a fund specializing in TOD in Australia. He received his Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University focusing on TOD and he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). John completed the core curriculum of a Certificate in Real Estate Finance and Investment from New York University. He worked as a planner at Charlier & Associates, located in Boulder, Colorado from 1997 - 2000. He graduated as valedictorian with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado at Denver and has a Bachelor in Environmental Design with Honors in urban planning from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has published multiple articles on TOD and related topics which have appeared in journals such as, Transportation Quarterly, Transportation, Journal of Urban Health, Journal of Public Transportation, World Transport Policy & Practice, and Urban Design International.

Eric Greschner, J.D., Director

Eric is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Regatta Research & Money Management which was named to the Top 400 Wealth Manager Superstars in the country for the past two years by Bloomberg magazine. Prior to launching Regatta Research, Eric worked on Wall Street as an institutional research analyst and market strategist for a leading firm. Eric provided analysis to clients such as Oppenheimer, T. Rowe Price, Fidelity Investments, institutional pension funds, and hedge funds, etc. He also played an integral advisory role to portfolio managers of renowned organizations, such as Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, and 1838 Investment Advisors on stock market strategy and individual stock selections. Eric has developed and tested stock market trading models, including models for several hedge funds, including Fidelity Investments. He has taught courses at Tulane University College, been a commentator for several radio stations, including WWL and WGSO 990 AM and has been quoted in national and local financial publications such as Money Magazine, Wall Street Transcripts, Times-Picayune, etc. Eric is a member of the International Association of Financial Planners and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Financial Planning Association of New Orleans. Eric is also on the Board of Trustees for the Houston Grand Opera.

Kara Mattini Renne, Director

Kara is an economic development and community planner at the Regional Planning Commission - the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Greater New Orleans area. The RPC focuses on transportation and economic development issues confronting the region. In her role at the RPC Kara works on a variety of smart growth initiatives and economic development strategies. Kara is an active member of the New Orleans Metro American Planning Association. Kara holds a Research Masters by Training from the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University. Her interdisciplinary studies focused on a mixture of governance policies, processes, and tools utilized in creating holistic, vibrant communities. Kara's thesis focused on corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investing. During her tenure in Western Australia, Kara worked with Murdoch University and the State Government of Western Australia on community engagements. Ms. Renne possesses both a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.

Paul R. Richard, Jr., CPA, Director

Paul is President of RDG Properties, LLC, a commercial real-estate development company. He is also a licensed CPA in the State of Louisiana and a member of the Louisiana CPA society with 17 years experience. Mr. Richard worked in public accounting servicing several commercial/residential development/management real estate companies. He is also experienced in tax and accounting matters of REIT's, Family limited partnerships, LLC's and real estate holding companies. Paul received his BA in business administration/Pre-law and his BA in Accounting from LSU. After departing public accounting, Paul joined Platform Crane Services, Inc. as controller. He quickly became VP/CFO and a member of the board of directors. During his tenure, he jointly grew PCS from 2 million in sales annually to 30 million. As President of RDG Properties, Mr. Richard actively manages multi-million commercial real-estate developments through all phases. He also has experience in construction and design.

Peter Rodrigues, Director

Pete is the executive project manager at Roger & Sons Concrete, Inc., a leading concrete company in the New York region. Pete has over six years experience in construction management and has successfully managed over $500 million of commercial and public works construction projects. Pete and his firm are currently working on the construction for Four World Trade Center. In addition to his work in the New York region, Pete has managed construction and engineering projects in Puerto Rico, Colorado and California. At these locations, he managed the construction of a new Hyatt Hotel, a 1.5 million sq. ft. luxury mall, and a new genetics research & development laboratory for Genentech. He has completed over 3 million square feet of high rise construction in the last 2 years. Working around the country has given Mr. Rodrigues great insight into the subtleties of each regional construction market. Mr. Rodrigues' educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering and a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering and Construction Management with emphasis in Real Estate Development. He obtained both degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Mr. Rodrigues' Master's thesis was entitled "Real Estate Development Opportunities in the A/E/C Industry" which analyzed low risk development markets that large construction companies could operate in as both the developer and builder.

Darin Short, Director

Darin received a Bachelors of Science in Marine Transportation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and a Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University. Since 1994, Darin has been a self-employed River Pilot and Captain, responsible for piloting unlimited size ocean vessels on the Mississippi River between New Orleans, Louisiana and the mouth of the Mississippi River.