2008-05-18 19:01:47 -

- The International Council of Shopping Centers Foundation is pleased to announce that 12 shopping center industry professionals have each been awarded the John T. Riordan Professional Education Scholarship. The recipients of this year's scholarships are: Chad Lundeen, project manager of development, Vornado Realty Trust, Boston, Mass.; Natacha Menard, operations manager, Econo-Malls Management Corporation, Westmount, Quebec, Canada; Michele Dugan, broker

associate, Mid-America Real Estate Corp., Milwaukee, Wis.; Shane Stephens, project manager, Evergreen Development Co., Phoenix, Ariz.; Larisa Ortiz, program director, Local Initiative Support Corp., New York, N. Y.; Quick Mack, Jr., realty manager, Wal-Mart Realty, Bentonville, Ark.; Danaria Farris, marketing manager, ServiceStar Development Company LLC, Greenwood Village, Colo.; Christopher Sloat, development associate, General Growth Properties, Inc., Chicago, Ill.; Matt Reese, real estate development manager, AutoZone, Inc., Memphis, Tenn.; Tara Lubrano, general manager, Richards Clearview, LLC, Metairie, La.; Abigail Joan R. Cosico, director, Robinson's Land Corporation, Quezon City, Philippines; and Heidi Garcia, real estate coordinator, Multicine Las Trinitariag, Caracas, Venezuela. The scholarships were presented on May 18, 2008 during the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. (ICSC) RECon Convention. (Editor's note: Biographical information for each of the recipients can be found on page two)

The scholarship provides funding for each recipient to attend one of the ICSC's John T. Riordan Schools for Professional Development. Each scholarship covers tuition and all accompanying textbooks and workbooks necessary for the classes, as well as airfare, hotel stay and program meals. The scholarship honors ICSC's Past President John Riordan and his legacy and commitment to the cause of education and professional development in the shopping center industry. Mr. Riordan joined ICSC in 1982, was promoted to President & CEO in 1986 and retired from ICSC in 2001.

To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates needed to be currently employed by a member company in good standing, actively employed in the shopping center industry for a minimum of one year or a recent graduate of a college/university with coursework emphasis in real estate.

Established in 1988, the ICSC Foundation is the non-profit public charity of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. (ICSC). As the grant-making arm of ICSC, the Foundation serves as a conduit for philanthropic giving by ICSC members. Embodying the belief that "Shopping Centers Make a Difference," the ICSC Foundation promotes and supports humanitarian efforts, undergraduate and graduate-level college and university students, retail real estate practitioners, and occasional disaster relief for the shopping center industry.

Founded in 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers is the premiere global trade association for the shopping center industry. Its more than 76,000 members in 92 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers, and brokers, as well as academic and public officials.

2008 John T. Riordan Educational Scholarship Winners

Chad Lundeen is the project manager of development for Vornado Realty Trust in Boston, Mass., where he manages over three million sq. ft. of mixed-use buildings currently under development. A graduate of Mississippi State University, Chad has designed over 2.5 million sq. ft. of lifestyle, mixed-use, and mall projects. An ICSC member since 2005, he is also active in his community, volunteering for United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and is the Columbines Cliff Neighborhood Association Director for the Town of Milton.

Natacha Menard is the operations manager for Econo-Malls Management Corporation based in Westmount, Quebec. As operations manager Natacha currently oversees the property management for a portfolio of shopping centers totaling approximately two million square feet. Natacha obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University in Montreal in 1997. She began working for Econo-Malls Management Corporation in 2002 and was promoted to operations manager in 2005.

Michele Dugan is a broker associate at Mid-America Real Estate Corp. in Milwaukee, Wis. In this position she is responsible for handling a portfolio of 15-20 commercial retail properties for the Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin markets. She holds a Certificate in Real Estate from the University of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was awarded the 2007 Retail Deal of the Year award by the Commercial Association of Realtors.

Shane Stephens is a project manager for Evergreen Development Company in Phoenix, Ariz. In this role Shane is responsible for creating the vision for proposed shopping center site plans, identifying tenant mixes, assisting with developing market rental rates, managing outside brokers, facilitating in-house brokerage of sites, and managing tenants through lease negotiations. He graduated summa cum laude from Oklahoma State University in 2002 and in 2003 obtained an M.S. in Economic Management and Policy from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Larisa Ortiz is the program director for the Local Initiative Support Corporation in New York, N. Y. In this position Larisa develops and manages all programming and operations for LISC's national commercial technical assistance unit. A graduate of Wesleyan University, Larisa is an active volunteer, sitting on the board of directors for the Berkeley Cooperative, LLC, Renaissance Charter School, and The Jackson Heights Community Journal. She is also a founding member of the Jackson Heights International Film and Food Festival.

Quick Mack, Jr. is a realty manager for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Bentonville, Ark. As realty manager Quick is responsible for managing Wal-Mart's portfolio of offices, stores, clubs and distribution centers in two states, consisting of approximately 31 million sq. ft. of retail/office space. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and in 2006 received his New York State real estate broker's license. An ICSC member since 2006, Quick is active in several professional and volunteer organizations such as the Urban Land Institute and Sister-to-Sister.

Danaria Farris is the marketing manager for ServiceStar Development Company LLC in Greenwood Village, Colo. Danaria established an in-house marketing department from the ground up when she joined the ServiceStar team in 2005. As marketing manager she is responsible for managing strategy, development and execution of all facets of marketing communications, including market analysis, budgeting, branding, collateral, public relations, events, broker sales tools, project branding and marketing, advertising, RFP responses, investor communications, trade show exhibits and agency/vendor relations. Danaria holds dual degrees in advertising and broadcasting from the University of Nebraska and sits on ICSC's Rocky Mountain Region Program Planning Committee.

Christopher Sloat is a development associate for General Growth Properties, Inc., in Chicago, Ill. He majored in finance at Northern Illinois University, where he was on the Deans List and very active with the campus Activities Board. Christopher began working with General Growth Properties in August 2004 as a senior financial analyst. In his current position Christopher is responsible for the scope and programming of real estate development projects. He also coordinates with project teams and government entities as well as all in-house resources such as asset management, finance, accounting and development.

Matt Reese is a real estate development manager with AutoZone, Inc., in Memphis, Tenn. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with Bachelors of Business Administration in May 2005 and a Masters of Business Administration in May 2006 from The University of Mississippi. Matt is currently managing a portfolio of over 20 projects in various states of development. He is also responsible for site selection and store development across 12 states in New England and the Upper Midwest.

Tara Lubrano is the general manager of Clearview Mall, operated by Richards Clearview, LLC, in Metairie, La. As general manager Tara is responsible for supervising the marketing, leasing, finance, accounting, project and personnel management, as well as negotiating, finalizing, and enforcing all lease agreements for both short and long-term tenants. Tara has a Bachelors of Liberal Arts from the University of New Orleans and is fluent in both English and French.

Abigail Joan R. Cosico is the director of property acquisitions for Robinson's Land Corporation in Quezon City, Philippines. In this position Abigail spearheads the aggressive property acquisition and land banking activities of Robinsons Land Corporation Commercial Centers Division. Joan holds a Masters in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management and a Bachelors of Science in Management from Ateneo de Manila University. An active ICSC member, she is also the managing director of the Children's Library, a free-access; multi-media resource center for children ages 6-12.

Heidi F. Garcia Villegas is the manager of the real estate department for Multicine Las Trinitariag in Caracas, Venezuela. In this position she heads all leasing activity for the movie retail locations in 23 shopping centers and negotiates new leases and renewals in a long-term strategy of the respective asset. She has a Masters in Real Estate and Facilities Management from Centro Superior de Arquitectura (CSA) in Madrid, Spain, as well as a degree in Architecture from Jose Maria Vargas University in Caracas, Venezuela.

International Council of Shopping Centers
Malachy Kavanagh, 646-728-3495
or
Erin Hershkowitz, 646-728-3497