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Northland Investment Corporation leadership team

Leadership Team

Northland’s executive team leads with an entrepreneurial mindset,
grounded by deep experience and unwavering passion.

  • Lawrence R. Gottesdiener

    Chairman & CEO
  • Suzanne Abair — Northland COO

    Suzanne Abair

    Chief Operating Officer
  • Matthew Gottesdiener — Northland CIO

    Matthew Gottesdiener

    Chief Investment Officer
  • Beth H. Kinsley Esq. — Northland General Counsel

    Beth Kinsley

    General Counsel
  • Peter M. Standish Jr. — Northland Sr. VP of Development and Commercial

    Peter M. Standish, Jr.

    Senior Vice President, Development
  • Richard Pearl — Northland CFO

    Richard Pearl

    Chief Financial Officer
  • William M. Thompson — Northland Sr. VP of Multifamily and Asset Management

    William M. Thompson

    Senior Vice President,
    Multifamily & Asset Management
  • Michael DeBenedetto CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

    Michael DiBenedetto

    Chief Information Officer
  • Gina Montanaro — Northland VP of Multifamily

    Gina Montanaro

    Vice President,
    Multifamily
  • Devin Evangelinos — Northland VP of Asset Management

    Devin Evangelinos

    Vice President,
    Asset Management
  • Pauline Lucido — Northland Director of Finance

    Pauline Lucido

    Director,
    Investor Relations
  • Adam Coffin — Northland Assistant General Counsel

    Adam Coffin

    Assistant General Counsel
  • Kent Gonzales — Northland VP of Development

    Kent Gonzales

    Vice President,
    Development
  • Rita Tyszka — Northland of Commercial

    Rita Tyszka

    Vice President,
    Commercial
  • Jay Babbit — Northland Director of Human Resources

    Jay Babbitt

    Director,
    Human Resources
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    Lawrence R. Gottesdiener
    Chairman & CEO

    As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Larry Gottesdiener spearheads Northland's strategic vision and investment strategy. Since 1991, his entrepreneurial spirit has been the guiding force behind the company's successful expansion from a start-up residential, multifamily owner and operator to a fully-integrated, diversified real estate investment and operating company. Over a 30-year career, Larry has been responsible for more than $10 billion of real estate acquisitions, developments, and capital market transactions. His proven ability to maximize value in real estate and his acumen in navigating market cycles have been critical to Northland's success. Larry has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law, where he was editor of the Law Review and a G. Joseph Tauro Distinguished Scholar.

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    Suzanne Abair — Northland COO
    Suzanne Abair
    Chief Operating Officer

    Suzanne serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Northland, overseeing the day-to-day management of all aspects of Northland's operations and playing a leading role in setting and monitoring the company's vision and strategy. 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. While General Counsel, Suzanne had oversight of all company legal matters, including all real estate transactions, financings, fund formation, investor matters, compliance, and litigation.

    Suzanne was a Partner at Mintz Levin, where she represented Northland in private practice for seven years before joining Northland as General Counsel in 2004. Before that, Suzanne was an Associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.

    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 Board and as a member of the Executive and Finance Committees of YW Boston, an organization whose mission is eliminating racism and empowering women. Suzanne is active in youth sports in Lexington, MA, where she lives with her spouse, Kat, and their two children.

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    Matthew Gottesdiener — Northland CIO
    Matthew Gottesdiener
    Chief Investment Officer

    Matthew serves as the Chief Investment Officer for Northland, directing all aspects of Northland's investment activity, including acquisitions, dispositions, and financings, and plays a leading role in setting and monitoring the company's vision and strategy. In his role as CIO, Matthew also oversees fund-level risk management and pursues new business development, including capital formation and strategic partnerships. Since joining Northland, Matthew has been responsible for the acquisition of 7,400 units, the disposition of 5,250 units, and the financing of over 65 properties, totaling more than $3.3 billion in capital events.

    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. Matthew lives in Newton with his spouse, Rebecca, and their two children.

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    Beth H. Kinsley Esq. — Northland General Counsel
    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 twenty 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 JD, cum laude, from The Dickinson School of Law and a BA, cum laude, from Colby College. Beth is active in youth sports in her community of Scituate, MA, where she lives with her husband, John, and their three children.

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    Peter M. Standish Jr. — Northland Sr. VP of Development and Commercial
    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. Peter and his wife Anne live in Concord, MA, and have three adult children living in New York City.

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    Richard Pearl — Northland CFO
    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. He lives in Stoughton with his wife and three children.

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    William M. Thompson — Northland Sr. VP of Multifamily and Asset Management
    William M. Thompson
    Senior Vice President,
    Multifamily & Asset Management

    Bill leads Northland's multifamily operations and asset management departments and develops long-term strategies for individual properties, including capital improvement programs and other value-enhancing initiatives. He works closely with property management to maximize rental and ancillary revenue and to facilitate a cost-conscious environment, including oversight of real estate taxes and insurance.

    Before joining Northland, Bill served as Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations at Tarragon Corporation, another multifamily owner/operator. Other past positions include Chief Financial Officer of Accord Properties Associates, one of the largest property management firms in Connecticut, and Controller and Chief Financial Officer of Cheshire Management Corporation, which acted as a general partner in over $300 million of residential and commercial property holdings throughout the United States. Bill began his career in 1981 as a Certified Public Accountant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

    Bill graduated magna cum laude from the School of Business at the University of Connecticut and obtained his CPA certification in 1982. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Bill lives in Wakefield, RI, with his spouse, Linda. They have three grown children, who also make the northeast their home.

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    Michael DeBenedetto CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
    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.

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    Gina Montanaro — Northland VP of Multifamily
    Gina Montanaro
    Vice President,
    Multifamily

    Gina currently serves as Vice President of Multifamily. With more than 30 years of property management experience, Gina directs and supports 11 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.

    Gina resides in Warwick, RI with her husband Michael.

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    Devin Evangelinos — Northland VP of Asset Management
    Devin Evangelinos
    Vice President,
    Asset Management

    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). Devin lives in Newton, MA, with his wife, Carrie, and their three children.

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    Pauline Lucido — Northland Director of Finance
    Pauline Lucido
    Director,
    Investor Relations

    As Director of Investor Relations, Pauline is responsible for overseeing all investor-related initiatives and activities, including investor reporting and communication. Before becoming Director of Investor Relations, Pauline was Director of Finance and was 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. Previously, 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. Pauline lives in Hopedale, MA, with her spouse Jim, and their two children.

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    Adam Coffin — Northland Assistant General Counsel
    Adam Coffin
    Assistant General Counsel

    Adam is responsible for Northland's legal matters, with a focus on real estate acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and development.

    Before joining Northland, Adam was an attorney with Mintz Levin. Earlier in his career, he worked for the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Governor of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts legislature.  

    Adam holds a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center and a BA from Trinity College. He lives in Winchester with his wife and their two children.

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    Kent Gonzales — Northland VP of Development
    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 Denver, and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design + Construction, an associate member of the AIA, and a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP).

    Kent is active in the community, serving on the N-Squared Subcommittee and the Real Estate Subcommittee of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Community Preservation Committee in the Town of Carlisle.  

    Kent lives in Arlington with his wife, Carole. They have two adult children.

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    Rita Tyszka — Northland of Commercial
    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. She lives in Walpole, MA, with her spouse, Rob, and their two children.

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    Jay Babbit — Northland Director of Human Resources
    Jay Babbitt
    Director,
    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 of 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. Jay resides in Framingham with his wife, Lorraine, and their two sons.