Global Expertise
The team of professionals at Downtown Properties brings a unique depth and breadth of experience from across the real estate spectrum, with the foundation of its strengths in fund management, acquisitions, development, asset management and property management.
Managing Principal
Guiding the company’s vision, goals and management, Goodwin Gaw is the Founder and Managing Principal of Downtown Properties. He also serves as the Managing Principal of Gaw Capital Partners and the Vice Chairman of Pioneer Global Group.
With a previous post as the Chairman of Global Gateway, he has over 16 years of top-level real estate investment and management experience throughout the United States and Asia.
The foundation of Goodwin’s career includes studies at the University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, complemented by a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a Master of Science in Construction Management from Stanford University.
MARK MESSANA
President of Asset and Property Management
Mark Messana is President of Downtown Properties Asset and Property Management. Mark brings more than 30 years of commercial real estate experience creating value through developing, growing, leasing and operating successful real estate assets. Mark’s background includes specific expertise within the digital infrastructure space where he developed projects and companies that leverage the convergence of commercial real estate and network infrastructure.
Prior to joining Downtown Properties, Mark held senior management positions with Crown Castle International, Wilcon, and IX2 Networks where he was responsible for overseeing the data center real estate and infrastructure services of these entities. Mark was an early pioneer of the shared infrastructure and “meet-me room” business models while re-developing the downtown Los Angeles One Wilshire Building and other commercial high rises into “telecom hotels”.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Claremont Mckenna College and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
SHARON SLATER
Senior Vice President of Asset Management
As Senior Vice President of Asset Management, Sharon manages the operation and leasing of the San Francisco portfolio of Downtown Properties and select third party clients, and provides support to the acquisitions team in the region.
Prior to joining Downtown Properties, Sharon held positions as Director of Real Estate for Northern California for PMI, a privately held real estate firm based in Beverly Hills, California, and as Vice President for The Lurie Company, responsible for leasing and management of 1.2 million square feet of office and industrial properties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sharon received a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences from the University of California, Irvine.
CING CHANG
Vice President of Property Management – Los Angeles
Cing oversees the property management services for the Los Angeles portfolio. She is responsible for supervising the property management team in strategic budgeting, maintaining lower operating expenses, managing projects within a specified timeline and budget, and maintaining long term relationships with tenants. Prior to taking on the supervisory role, she directly managed three of the properties within the portfolio.
Prior to joining Downtown Properties, Cing was the portfolio manager at Charles Dunn Real Estate Services, Inc. where she was responsible for managing properties for third party commercial, residential, and public sector accounts. She supervised the on-site property management team responsible for managing all property issues related to the development phase of new public school facilities on the Los Angeles Unified School District account.
Cing received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of California, Irvine.
S. DEMARCO CARTER
Vice President of Property Management – San Francisco
DeMarco oversees property management services for the San Francisco portfolio and is responsible for guiding property management teams to achieve budgeted financial results, improve operating performance, and promote tenant satisfaction.
Prior to joining Downtown Properties, DeMarco was Director of Investments and Asset Management at Viewpoint Real Estate Investment Company, where he was responsible for all aspects of real estate acquisition, asset management, and disposition for company owned assets and third-party contracts.
Before Viewpoint, DeMarco was an associate asset manager with TDA Investment Group, an investment advisor that manages commercial real estate investments for pension funds, and was responsible for a 500,000 square foot investment portfolio of 13 properties and administration of commercial real estate and development loans. He began his commercial real estate career in property management and real estate office administration with the Swig Company, a privately-owned real estate operator based in San Francisco.
DeMarco received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Portland State University, Oregon’s urban research university. He is a licensed real estate broker and member of the CCIM Institute and IREM.
COLLEEN JIMENEZ
Asset Manager
Colleen is the Asset Manager for the Hotel Division of Downtown Properties. She oversees all of the California-located hotels in our portfolio, working as a liaison between our management companies and lenders. Coleen brings over 28 years of hospitality industry experience to her role, including positions as the Financial Controller at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, Corporate Analyst for the L’Ermitage Hotel Group and Food and Beverage Controller for Sheraton LAX. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.
KIMBERLY TRAN
Financial Controller
Kimberly Tran is our Financial Controller. She brings over 18 years of experience in commercial real estate accounting in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting from California State University of Los Angeles.