Lawrence R. Gottesdiener

Founder & Chairman

Lawrence serves as Chairman charting the long-term strategic direction for Northland. In 1991 he founded Essex Partners during the Savings and Loan Crisis to acquire real estate opportunistically at depressed valuations.  After six years of building out a national multifamily investment and operations platform, Mr. Gottesdiener conceived and executed a $1 billion reverse merger with Northland, a Boston-based, diversified real estate investment and development company.  Under his leadership and strategic direction, Northland has grown assets under management to $8 billion, successfully navigated multiple cycles and Black Swan events, including the dotcom bubble, September 11^th, and the Great Recession, and produced market leading returns in excess of 20% annually over a 30-year duration.   In 2021, Lawrence acquired the Atlanta Dream, a professional basketball team playing in the WNBA.  He is the managing partner of the Dream and serves on the WNBA Board of Governors.   Lawrence holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from the Boston University School of Law where he was Editor of the Law Review and a G. Joseph Tauro Distinguished Scholar.

Suzanne Abair

President & Chief Operating Officer

Suzanne serves as President and Chief Operating Officer for Northland, overseeing the day-to-day management of all aspects of Northland's operations and leading certain strategic initiatives. During her tenure as COO, Suzanne has focused on best practices, diversity and inclusion, technology initiatives, operating efficiencies, and creating a more employee-focused company culture.  Suzanne joined the company in 2004 and served as Northland's General Counsel for twelve years before becoming COO in 2016, and President in 2021.  In her role as General Counsel, Suzanne had oversight of all company legal matters, including all real estate transactions, financings, fund formation, investor matters, compliance, and litigation.  Before joining Northland in 2004, Suzanne was a partner at the law firm of Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC, in Boston, MA. Previously, she was an associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP in New York City.

Suzanne holds a BS from Ithaca College, magna cum laude, and a Juris Doctor from SUNY Buffalo School of Law, summa cum laude.  She serves on the National Advisory Board of Dream Big!, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower girls and young women through sports and physical activities and she also serves on the Syracuse University Boston Regional Council.  From 2017 through 2024, Suzanne served on the Board and as a member of the Finance Committee and Executive Committee of YW Boston, a non-profit organization whose mission is eliminating racism and empowering women. In 2020, Suzanne was named a “Women Who Mean Business” honoree by the Boston Business Journal, and in 2024 she was named the “Multifamily Executive of the Year” by Multifamily Executive Magazine.

Matthew Gottesdiener

Chief Executive Officer

Matthew serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Northland, overseeing the firm’s investment and development activity, operating business and portfolio strategy. Under his leadership, Northland has grown from $4 billion to $8 billion in assets under management, and expanded from a garden-style suburban housing approach to one of the highest-quality diversified portfolios of multifamily and mixed-use assets in the country. Since 2015, Matthew has been responsible for the acquisition of 14,820 units, the disposition of 11,095 units, and the financing of 37,761 units, totaling more than $8.5 billion in transactions. Before joining Northland, Matthew worked at Goldman Sachs as an investment professional across a variety of roles, including managing the Corporate Derivatives trading book, executing, and hedging over $40 billion in transactions with more than twenty Fortune 100 companies.

Matthew holds a BA from Yale University, magna cum laude, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, where he serves on ULI's Multi-Family Product Council, and is a Board Member of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC). Matthew also serves as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer at HomeStart, a not-for-profit that provides a comprehensive system of housing search, support, and stabilization services to the homeless and indigent in the Greater Boston area. 

Beth Kinsley

General Counsel

Beth oversees all of the firm's legal matters, including real estate fund formation, transaction structuring, acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and developments. She has more than 25 years of transaction experience and has represented a variety of real estate operators in areas related to acquisitions, dispositions, and financing as well as institutional lenders, investors, and borrowers in connection with construction, permanent and mezzanine loan, and equity joint venture transactions.

Before joining Northland, Beth served as Senior Counsel in the Real Estate Department at Goodwin Procter LLP. Before working at Goodwin Procter, Beth was an associate at Mintz Levin and Palmer & Dodge in Boston.

Beth received her J.D., cum laude, from The Dickinson School of Law and a B.A., cum laude, from Colby College. 

Peter M. Standish, Jr.

Senior Vice President, Development

Peter directs Northland's development projects and initiatives. Since joining the company in 1993, Peter has been responsible for the acquisition and development of over nine million square feet of commercial and multifamily properties valued at over $1 billion. Most recently, Peter completed the development of the Merc at Moody and Main, a 269-unit, transit-oriented mixed-use development in Waltham, Massachusetts. Peter is currently overseeing a recently permitted 1.1 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Newton, Massachusetts, and is responsible for all aspects of the firm's $3 billion development portfolio. 

Before joining Northland, Peter was a Real Estate Portfolio Manager for Whittier Partners in Boston, after beginning his career as a commercial real estate broker in the suburban Boston market.

Peter holds a BA from Hobart College and an MBA from Babson College. He holds the CCIM designation and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP). He also serves as a board member of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District Corporation.

David Scharfenberg

Senior Vice President, Multifamily

David Scharfenberg serves as the Senior Vice President, Multifamily, overseeing the strategic direction and development of our multifamily property management operations. In his role, David leads all of Northland’s operating strategies and property management of its 26,000-unit apartment portfolio across sixteen states. As Senior Vice President, he oversees all aspects of the company’s multifamily property management operations, driving short- and long-term strategies to expand the portfolio and enhance current operations. David provides leadership to over 500 employees, ensuring the best standards for operational, financial, and service excellence across corporate, regional, and community teams.

Prior to joining Northland, David held the position of Senior Vice President of Operations at Waterton, where he played a key role in managing and repositioning a $10+ billion portfolio. His responsibilities included overseeing the acquisition of more than 40 communities and the disposition of 22 properties. Before his time at Waterton, David was a regional director for Holiday Retirement where he managed the operations and sales for senior living communities throughout the state of Washington. He also spent nine years with Oakwood Worldwide where he had oversight of corporate housing communities in major U.S. markets. David’s career started with the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas where he served in various managerial roles.

David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and is a licensed broker in New York State. He is President of Ridgewood Crew Foundation, a rowing club that introduces high school students to the traditions, sportsmanship, and camaraderie of the sport of rowing.

Richard Pearl

Chief Financial Officer

Richard oversees all of Northland's finance, accounting, tax, reporting, and treasury functions. He has significant experience in financial management, audit, treasury, and corporate accounting.

Richard brings over 20 years of financial experience and leadership to this position. Before joining Northland, Richard served as Vice President, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer at Sonesta International Hotels, where he led all the financial, accounting, reporting, and risk management for more than 65 hotels in nine countries around the world. Before Sonesta, Richard served as both an Internal Audit Manager and Controller at Reit Management & Research, LLC, which managed one of the largest portfolios of publicly owned real estate in the US, encompassing over 1,500 properties.

Richard received his BS in Finance from Siena College and his Masters in Finance from Boston College. 

Michael DiBenedetto

Chief Information Officer

Mike oversees all of Northland's IT strategy, services, and operations to ensure alignment with business objectives, efficiency in operations, and to drive innovation forward for both employees and residents.

Before joining Northland, Mike had over 15 years of progressive IT experience and most recently served as the Director of Global IT for Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC. While there, he was responsible for the direction and strategy of technology and developed strong delivery capabilities around applications, infrastructure, and end-user services within a global organization. Mike is a graduate of Bentley University, where he studied Computer Information Systems.

Mike lives in Westwood, MA, with his wife, Danielle, and their two children.

Devin Evangelinos

Vice President,
Asset Management and Capital Projects

With over 15 years of multifamily and commercial investment management experience, Devin directs Northland's asset management department and is responsible for the asset management of Northland's multifamily portfolio.

Devin's experience includes asset management, portfolio management, acquisitions, and financing for multifamily properties throughout the United States. Before joining Northland, he was an Assistant Vice President and Portfolio Manager for Boston Capital, where he managed over $1.6 billion of multifamily assets on behalf of institutional investors. Previously, as a Senior Analyst for GID Investment Advisers, Devin was involved in all aspects of the investment cycle for flex industrial, multifamily, and commercial office properties.

Devin holds a BA from Boston College and completed his MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School (UNC-Chapel Hill). 

Gina Montanaro

Vice President,
Operations

Gina currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With more than 30 years of property management experience, Gina directs and supports 13 regional managers, 75+ communities, and over 500 employees. She serves as a liaison to support and guide operational excellence on all multifamily assets. Gina manages day-to-day operations at the multifamily sites, including the training, marketing, and revenue departments. She develops strategies for individual properties, including maximizing rental rates and ancillary revenue. Gina is responsible for the assessment and identification of the multifamily business's training and development needs, primarily at the managerial level.

Before joining Northland, Gina began her career in multifamily business in 1990, serving as an Operations Trainer and Community Manager at Flatley Company in Massachusetts. In 2002 Gina joined AIMCO as a Regional Property Manager, and soon after was promoted to Director of Operations in the Northeast region.

Pauline Lucido

Vice President,
Investor Relations

As Vice President | Investor Relations, Pauline is responsible for overseeing all investor-related initiatives and activities, including fundraising, reporting, portfolio strategy and investor communication. Before becoming Vice President, Pauline was Director | Investor Relations and was responsible for spearheading vital investor relations initiatives, including the implementation of an industry leading investor management system and portal. Prior to that, she was Director of Finance, responsible for all financial aspects of Northland's capital activities, including lender relationships, refinancing, portfolio and investor reporting, and financial projections. Between 2011 and 2017, she oversaw over $2.8 billion of refinancing transactions. 

Pauline joined Northland in 2005 and has held a number of positions in the Accounting/Finance group Prior to Northland she worked at The Bollard Group, an accounting firm serving high net worth clients. 

Pauline holds a BS in Business Administration, Finance and Management Information Systems from Northeastern University, cum laude, an MS in Accounting from Suffolk University – Sawyer School of Management, magna cum laude, and a Certificate of Real Estate Finance from Boston University. 

Jay Babbitt

Vice President,
Human Resources

Jay leads the HR team, which supports over 600 employees in more than 80 locations around the country. His responsibilities include oversight and strategic direction of all aspects of the human resources function, along with the review and benchmarking of best practices as it applies to recruitment and retention, talent development, compensation and benefits, and rewards and recognition.

Before joining Northland, Jay worked for InterContinental Hotels Group, based at the InterContinental Boston, where he served as Director of Human Resources and was responsible for the successful opening of the 4-diamond award-winning luxury hotel. He has also worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and The Flatley Company in various HR roles. 

Jay earned his bachelor's degree from the University at Buffalo and has also taken graduate courses through Cornell University and Boston College. Jay enjoys mentoring others by guest lecturing at Boston University, being a Regional Chapter Leader for the University at Buffalo alumni, and serving on the Employer Advisory Committee through Operation ABLE. Jay is recognized as a Certified Facilitator of leadership development through Development Dimensions International. He has been recognized by the HR Certification Institute and is currently certified as a Senior HR Professional. 

Rita Tyszka

Vice President,
Commercial

Rita currently serves as Vice President of Commercial at Northland. Rita has been with Northland in the commercial department for over 20 years. She directs all facets of commercial and retail asset management, including leasing, property management, financial analysis, and capital project management.

Before joining Northland, Rita was a commercial operations manager with The Nelson Companies. Rita is a member of the Building Owners & Managers Association, the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), and the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce. She has held a Real Property Administrator designation from the Building Owners and Managers Institute International since 2007.

Rita coaches for Walpole Youth Soccer Association and is a troop leader for Girl Scouts of America. 

Mike Campbell

Vice President,
Investments

As the head of Investments at Northland, Mike oversees the Acquisitions and Portfolio Management teams responsible for sourcing investment opportunities across the United States and setting enterprise strategy. Since joining the Investments team, Mike has been involved in over $5.9B of total transactions. This includes the acquisition of 12,000 units, disposition of 9,700 units, and the refinancing of over 16,000 units.

Mike began his career with John Hancock Real Estate Finance Group. Prior to joining Northland in 2011, he worked on the disposition of Anglo Irish Bank’s United States mortgage portfolio. Mike holds a BS in Business Administration from Northeastern University, magna cum laude, and is a chartered member of the CAIA Association.

Adam Coffin

Vice President,
Assistant General Counsel

Adam co-leads the national development platform for Northland and oversees sourcing, capitalization, and execution of development projects around the country. He is also responsible for Northland's legal transactions and has been involved in over $6 billion of acquisitions, dispositions, and financings since joining in 2016.

Before Northland, Adam was an attorney with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo P.C. in Boston, MA.

Adam holds a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Trinity College. 

Kent Gonzales

Vice President,
Development

Kent manages Northland's large scale and complex mixed-use development projects. He has over 30 years of diverse real estate development experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors and has directly managed over $1 billion of development. Before joining Northland, Kent managed the planning, development, and construction of multiple projects throughout New England and Colorado. 

Kent holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a Master of Architecture, Urban Design from the University of Colorado at Denver, and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an Associate Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD), a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C), a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), and the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU).

Kent is active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors and the Real Estate Subcommittee of the Charles River Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Passive House Massachusetts. Kent has been named twice (2020 and 2023) to the list of the Charles River MetroWest “50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color.”  He has also served on the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Community Preservation Committee in the Town of Carlisle, MA. 

Mike Medeiros

Vice President, Construction

With over 40 years of experience building a vast portfolio of public and private projects, Mike leads the pre-construction and construction effort of the national development platform. While at Northland Mike has directed the production of The Merc, Altitude at Vizcaya and SoRoc South.  Mike is a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and a member of the Passive House Institute (PHI), the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Santo Dettore

Vice President, Development

Santo co-leads Northland's national development platform, where he is responsible for the sourcing, capitalization, and execution of a $1 billion portfolio of residential development projects, including garden, mid-rise, and high-rise properties across 13 markets nationwide.

Prior to joining Northland in 2017, Santo served as an analyst at Hobbs Brook Real Estate, a commercial real estate developer of built-to-suit large-scale office assets in the Boston suburbs, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas. Santo began his career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and holds a B.A. in Economics and English from Bates College in Lewiston, ME.

Mayukh Chatterjee

Vice President,
Multifamily Operations and Analytics

As Vice President of Multifamily Operations and Analytics, Mayukh is responsible for developing revenue management strategies to aid in the execution of the company’s strategic plan for driving performance goals and metrics.

Mayukh holds a Bachelor's degree from Delhi University and an MBA from Johnson & Wales University. He has over 20 years of experience in revenue management, e-commerce, internet marketing, and branding in the hospitality industry throughout the United States. Prior to joining Northland, Mayukh held the position of Market Director of Revenue Management for a portfolio in the Pacific Northwest area.

Originally from Kolkata, India, Mayukh came to the U.S. to continue his education. He enjoys watching English Premier League, follows Liverpool Football Club, and is passionate about traveling.