Stark team members celebrate winning four Commercial Development Awards through Smart Business Magazine. In addition, Bob provided updates on the current state of the industry during the panel discussion.
Ezra Stark
Chief Executive Officer
Crain’s Cleveland Businesses “40 under 40”
Ezra Stark leads the company as the Chief Executive Officer and serves as the principal decision-maker for the company managing the direction of all future endeavors. Ezra has grown the company’s footprint to nine million square feet of Class A properties spanning over seven states with a current value of over $2 billion. He has held several leadership roles in Leasing, Development, Asset Management and served as Chief Operating Officer until May of 2022.
Ezra’s career at Stark Enterprises began in 2006 after graduating from Brandeis University and receiving his master’s in real estate finance from New York University.
Ezra is a member and partner of the International Council of Shopping Centers and was recognized as one of Crain’s Cleveland Businesses’ “40 under 40” for his accomplishments within the commercial real estate industry. He is a donor and supporter of Fuch’s Mizrahi School in Beachwood, Ohio where he currently resides with his wife Rachel and their five children.
Stacie Schmidt
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
2023 West Shore Chamber of Commerce Bright Star Award Winner
Stacie Schmidt, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, spearheads all marketing efforts, activating the corporate and property brands within the marketplace through engaging events, local advertising campaigns, public relations outreach, creative promotions and digital initiatives. In this role, she leads all media relations outreach and response, evaluates and negotiates sponsorship and partnership opportunities and acts as project manager for all corporate and property related marketing requests.
Stacie is from Canton, Ohio and received her BA in Marketing & Management at Kent State University. She currently lives in Lakewood, Ohio with her daughter.
Lidia Richani
Executive Vice President of Leasing
2024 Crain’s Cleveland Business Notable Real Estate Leaders
Lidia Saluan Richani currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Leasing. Her role includes leading the commercial leasing efforts at all of the company’s commercial portfolio properties spanning eight states including lifestyle centers, strip centers, downtown real estate, and more.
Winner of the 2021, 2022 & 2024 CoStar Power Broker Awards, she is an accomplished industry professional with over 30 years of commercial leasing experience and holds key expertise in identifying tenant prospects and managing LOI, sale and lease negotiations. Throughout her tenured career, Lidia has leased shopping center and outparcel space to national, regional and local tenants of all sizes.
Lidia is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson in the State of Ohio and is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. She has been involved in several philanthropic organizations including holding the office of the Treasurer of Holy Spirit University Foundation, and an Ambassador of the American Cancer Society RearcHERS of Northern Ohio.
Lidia is an alumnus of John Carroll University graduating with a BS in Psychology and a concentration in Business Management, and of Notre Dame College where she received her Paralegal certificate.
Lidia is a Cleveland native and in her free time loves to cook, discover new restaurants, travel, read, and spend time with her husband and three children, daughter in law, and her two grandsons.
Steve Coven
General Counsel
2023 Crain’s Cleveland Business Notable Leader in Commercial Real Estate
As General Counsel, Steve Coven leads the in-house team of real estate attorneys, paralegals and lease administrators, overseeing all legal aspects of Stark Enterprises, including new development, acquisition opportunities, servicing existing assets within the company’s portfolio, and alternative investments.
Steve has been an invaluable member of our team since 2009, making substantial contributions in various capacities. His journey began in the legal department where he laid a strong foundation here at Stark Enterprises. He then transitioned into the Development department and most recently led our Asset Management division.
Steve grew up in Cleveland and received his bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University before attending Case Western Reserve University for his J.D. He currently lives in Akron, Ohio with his wife and children.
Brian Midlik
Chief Operating Officer
2022 Crain’s Cleveland Business Notable Leader in Finance
Brian Midlik serves as Chief Operating Officer and his responsibilities include strategic leadership in selecting new investments, sourcing new initiatives, managing current investments within property portfolios, asset management and assisting with investor relations.
Since graduating with both a bachelor’s degree in Finance and an MBA from Cleveland State University, Brian has spent his entire career with Stark Enterprises implementing key roles within the Finance department, including Vice President of Finance and Chief Investment Officer.
Brian currently lives in Brecksville with his wife & 3 children.
Britanie Barnes
Controller
As Controller, Britanie oversees fixed asset accounting, entity administration, and management of the initial accounting for acquisitions. Additionally, she assists the CFO with property and casualty insurance program and quarterly distributions. She also manages all accounting associated with our construction and development departments.
Britanie graduated from Baldwin Wallace College with a B.A in Accounting and has a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Cleveland State University. She has over 10 years of experience in property management, construction, and real estate development accounting.
Robert Stark
President & Chairman
Bob Stark founded Stark Enterprises in 1978 while completing his J.D. at Case Western Reserve University. From there, he grew the company from one small property in Mayfield Heights to one of the most reputable real estate development companies in the Midwest. Bob is renowned for championing the concepts of mixed-use and vertical integration in his projects in order to further his mission of creating great experiences for people in the surrounding communities. In his time at the helm, Bob delivered some of Greater Cleveland’s most iconic developments, including the nationally recognized, award-winning shopping and lifestyle centers, Crocker Park and Eton Chagrin Boulevard, as well as The Beacon, a 29-story residential high-rise building in Downtown Cleveland.
Bob recently stepped down as CEO and now serves in an advisory capacity as President & Chairman. He currently resides in Beachwood, where he finds joy spending time with his wife Marla, his children, and his grandchildren.
Marty Whims
Chief Financial Officer
Marty Whims serves as Chief Financial Officer. His role leads the finance department in all organizational financial and tax reporting, financial analysis, treasury, estate planning, employee benefits, risk management and financing functions.
He began his career at Stark Enterprises in 2003 as a property accountant after graduating from U of A with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Marty’s commitment to the financial success of Stark Enterprises helped him rise through the ranks, as he worked his way to previous positions of assistant controller and controller.
He lives in Cuyahoga Falls with his wife and 3 children where he enjoys kids sporting events, annual beach vacations and being commissioner of the Stark Fantasy League.
Nico Bolzan
Executive Managing Director, Stark Capital Group
Nico Bolzan, Executive Managing Director, is leading efforts to increase both equity and debt through a variety of private and institutional capital sources on a national level to help fuel the growth expansion of Stark Enterprises. He is credited with creating several billion dollars in entity level value in the multi-family, student housing, retail and hospitality industries.
With 25+ years of senior leadership in business development, capital markets, asset management and structured finance for real property markets across a national platform.
Nico completed his Executive education at Harvard Business School and is a BBA graduate of the University of Toledo.
He currently lives in Westlake with his wife and three children.
Krista Schill
Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations
Krista Schill is Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and oversees operations for Stark Enterprises’ 30+ commercial properties, with tasks including budgeting, staffing, project management, contracting, mass purchasing, operating procedures, and more. Krista has been with Stark Enterprises since 2007, where she has built her career from the Grounds Department at Crocker Park to serving various department roles before being promoted to her current leadership position.
Krista graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Horticulture from The Ohio State University, and has expansive knowledge and expertise in the horticulture industry.
Krista’s most prized role is being a mom! She has one son and enjoys watching him wrestle and golf in high school. In her free time, Krista loves running and being outdoors in nature.
Jon Kinne
Vice President, Arbor Construction
Jon Kinne leads as Vice President of Stark Enterprises construction arm, Arbor Construction. He directs all projects and developments throughout the portfolio. Spanning over ten states and ranging from residential to commercial, Jon oversees all the pre, post and current construction and project management.
Jon has over 30 years of construction experience in building and preserving over a billion dollars in assets ranging from commercial to office and residential multi-family, Jon brings a wealth of knowledge to the Arbor team.
Jay Jesensky
Vice President of Development
Jay Jesensky serves as Vice President of Development leading the department in overseeing all new development, entitlements and tenant construction projects, budget development, consultant management and leading the overall team from project inception to completion.
Since joining the Stark team in 2014, Jay has been an integral part in the implementation and growth of development and tenant coordination projects spanning, over all properties under the portfolio.
Jay has an extensive background in architecture and commercial/residential development, holding key roles in business management, design/construction coordination, project development and budget control. He graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and currently lives in Bay Village, Ohio and is a part of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Sean Flanigan
Vice President of Security and Loss Prevention
Sean Flanigan holds the role of Vice President of Security and Loss Prevention, where he leads a team of in-house security and safety managers, as well as numerous security personnel at the company’s diversified mix of commercial and residential properties. Sean joined the Stark Enterprises’ team in 2018 as Director of Security and Loss Prevention, taking responsibility for all safety and security functions across the portfolio.
Prior to joining Stark Enterprises, Sean had a 25-year career in law enforcement, cumulating as a Captain with the Cleveland Metroparks. In addition, Sean has served in a leadership capacity on the board of the Polaris Police Academy, Ohio Narcotics Officers, as well as numerous other law enforcement and safety organizations. Sean’s strengths in the field include surveillance equipment and CCTV, access control, and proactive security planning. Additionally, Sean brings with him numerous professional relationships with leaders in the public safety community around Ohio and beyond.
Sean and his wife reside in Strongsville. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, traveling, cooking, home improvement projects, and reading about history.
Nicole Longhitano
Controller
Nicole Longhitano serves as the Controller at Stark Enterprises, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to her role. Holding a BA in Accountancy from John Carroll University, she began her journey with Stark in 2007 as a Property Accountant, leveraging six years of prior experience in property management. Throughout her tenure, Nicole demonstrated exceptional leadership, progressing through various portfolios to eventually attain the position of Controller in 2022.
Outside of her professional commitments, Nicole finds joy in residing in Willoughby with her partner Shaun, enjoying leisure activities such as shopping and her passion for motor sports, notably Formula 1.
Travis Gensley
Vice President of Finance
Travis Gensley is Vice President of Finance, leading the finance department and in-house financial analyst team. His role is responsible for overseeing placement of all debt capital, acquisitions, dispositions, financial analysis and modeling, and market analysis and research. He also assists with asset management.
Travis has been with Stark since 2013, joining as a financial analyst after receiving his bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Akron.
Travis currently lives in Akron with his wife. He enjoys live music, hiking camping, traveling and Cleveland sports.
Jacob Stark
Executive Vice President of Asset Management and Operations
After dedicating three years to the Leasing team at Stark, Jacob recently assumed the role of Executive Vice President of Asset Management and Operations. In this position, Jacob oversees the success of several vital departments, including Commercial Operations, Residential Operations, Security, Marketing, and Tenant Coordination.
Jacob graduated from UCLA Law School in 2010 with a concentration in Business Law. Prior to Stark Enterprises, he worked as a writer/producer in Hollywood, as well as a litigation attorney in Beverly Hills.
He currently resides in Beachwood, OH with his four children and wife, Nira. In his free time, he enjoys reading, BBQ, and comedy writing.
Kassie Agozzino
Vice President of Residential Operations
Kassie Agozzino serves as Vice President of Stark Living, Stark Enterprises’ multifamily division. Kassie oversees all aspects of residential operations with a focus on facilitating daily operations, departmental growth and development, revenue strategies and marketing initiatives. She leads a team of industry professionals who curate the Stark Living experience across our portfolio of communities. With the expansion of our portfolio in mind, Kassie collaborates with our development and construction teams coordinating operational objectives through each stage of development. Kassie’s experience provides our organization with industry expertise to optimize the financial and operational success of the Stark Living portfolio.
Kassie has been a dedicated member of our organization since 2015. Before stepping into her current role, she has held numerous roles across each level of the department during her tenure.
Kassie is native to the westside of Cleveland where she currently lives. She is a dedicated wife and mother of two and enjoys spending her free time with her family. Outside of work and family, Kassie has a passion for interior design and renovations to which she is always seeking out the next project.
Keith Fitz
Vice President of Tenant Coordination
Keith Fitz as the Vice President of Tenant Coordination leads a team of TC Project Managers who serve a significant role in serving Stark Enterprises in creating value by assisting Leasing in preparing floor plans, estimates, lease exhibit, schedules and construction management services for all leasing efforts in the Stark Commercial Portfolio.
Keith has an extensive commercial construction background in Shopping Center Development, Project Management and Tenant Coordination. Prior to joining Stark Enterprises, Keith spent over 19 years with a National REIT, where he served in many key roles in Development, Project Management, Tenant Coordination and Leasing Departments.
Keith grew up in Cleveland and currently lives in Hudson with his wife and two sons.