Movers & Shakers: NAI/Merin Hunter Codman Hires COO

Back to work after the holidays, South Florida real estate players rushed to make the first personnel moves of the new year.

Commercial real estate firm NAI/Merin Hunter Codman, headquartered in West Palm Beach, brought in Matthew Brown as COO, according to a press release. In his new role, Brown will oversee the growth of NAI/Merin’s brokerage and property management divisions, as well as acquisitions, the release says.

Prior to NAI/Merin, Brown spent 10 months as the chief investment officer of New York City-based Dabby Investments. He spent nearly six years as the managing director of investment sales at Colliers International before Dabby.

Also in West Palm Beach, real estate investment firm Shoreham Capital announced it hired Bill Wenner as vice president of development. Wenner was previously a vice president at Venke US, where he oversaw a billion-dollar project portfolio in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, according to a press release.

Shoreham Capital launched last year, led by Doug Faron, Steve Figari and Nick Zoumas.

Boutique retail real estate brokerage Katz & Associates promoted two people in its Boca Raton office. Leandro Pereira and Michael Betancourt now hold director titles. They focus on tenant and landlord representation, the firm announced in a press release.

Jaime Sturgis’ Native Realty in Fort Lauderdale added two new hires to its team, according to an announcement from the firm. Native brought in Caren Davila as a senior property manager and Donald VanBeach as an associate. VanBeach joins the firm from his role as a regional property director at Altman Companies.

Davila will oversee a portfolio of commercial properties across Native’s South Florida portfolio, according to the release.

The move comes shortly after Native brought in Adriana Lilly to its brokerage division in November.

On the residential brokerage side, Brown Harris Stevens recently added eight agents to its Miami area offices. Joining the Coconut Grove and South Miami offices are Ana M. Morales, Kiana Kaye Wallon, Lillian Larrea, Massiel Duran and Roberto Suarez, Jr.

Working out of its Sunset Harbour and South of Fifth offices are Fatima Hendges, Laura Botero and Mor Ezer.