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Meet the Dedicated Minds

Behind Our Success

From investment pioneers to financial experts, get to know our team!

Founders

CRAIG SHEFTELL

Principal

CRAIG has been responsible for billions of dollars of LIHTC equity investments, in addition to other tax credits, since 1987. Craig has also advised various state agencies, Fortune 500 companies, banks and insurance companies in regard to structuring their tax incentive programs or investments and has helped finance investments that include state and federal subsidies in the areas of alternative energy, historic preservation and the entertainment industry. Accordingly, Craig has built one of the most successful tax equity practices in the country and is recognized as an expert in the industry. Craig graduated from University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and holds Series 7, 79 and 63 securities licenses with Fallbrook Capital Securities, our broker/dealer affiliate.

JOSH LEDERER

Chief Revenue Officer, Senior Managing Director - Tax Credit Group

JOSH has structured and monetized over one billion dollars of state and federal tax credit investments over the last twenty years. He has an extensive in-depth understanding of allocable, assignable and transferable tax credit programs and provides clients with an efficient and straight-forward tax credit investment process. His experience in underwriting, structuring and transacting tax credit investments has made him an industry leader. He has helped numerous clients, including dozens of Fortune 500 companies, save over one hundred million dollars through tax-based investments. Josh graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Economics and holds Series 7, 24, 79, 63 and 99 securities licenses and is a Principal and the President of Fallbrook Capital Securities, our broker/dealer affiliate.

BRANDT BLANKEN

Principal

BRANDT has been in the tax credit business since 1992. Over that time, he has developed extensive knowledge regarding the financial, operational, accounting, tax, and legal aspects of affordable housing and other tax incentive investments and has developed a long list of industry and institutional contacts. Brandt graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.

Leads

CHRISTIAN ALBACARYS

Senior Managing Director - Capital Markets Group

CHRISTIAN is a tenured tax credit specialist with over a decade of experience. He has been instrumental in financing over $1 billion in multifamily housing and securing more than $150 million for predevelopment for affordable housing projects across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Saipan. He is skilled at sourcing, structuring, and executing debt and equity financing solutions for multifamily affordable and market-rate housing developers. In 2015, Christian led the establishment of Fallbrook Loan Fund to address the growing demand by borrowers for lower-cost capital. He is a passionate advocate for affordable housing and is committed to using his expertise to help developers create and preserve affordable housing opportunities. Christian graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.

JUSTIN GORDON

Senior Managing Director - Tax Credit Group

JUSTIN has over 20 years of professional financial experience. Since joining Fallbrook, Justin has helped structure, finance and monetize over $1 billion of state and federal tax credit investments in more than 25 states, and closed over 1,500 transactions. He works closely with many Fortune 500 companies to help provide them with substantial savings through tax-based investments. Justin received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida, and earned his Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University. Justin holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses with Fallbrook Capital Securities, our broker/dealer affiliate.

WILL FRENCH

Senior Managing Director - Film & Television Finance

WILL joined Fallbrook in 2021 to lead the film finance division, which specializes in representing North American banks engaged in U.S. tax incentive lending, managing tax credit administration, production accounting and audit processes for studio and independent clients, and serving as a direct tax incentive lender where not competitive with Fallbrook’s banking clients. Will began his career as a corporate lawyer representing banks in middle-market commercial lending transactions. When Louisiana enacted the first domestic film tax credit program in the early 2000s, he helped create a tax credit monetization structure and oversaw a variety of legislative fixes. Will expanded his monetization services into more than 20 states and became the first specialized tax credit lender for the U.S. film industry in 2005. To date, Will has provided tax credit funding to more than 200 film and television projects with combined budgets in excess of $2,000,000,000. Prior to joining Fallbrook, Will created the state tax credit division of Enhanced Capital, managed an independent film investment fund for Cloudlight Entertainment, and was an early partner in The Forest Road Company, which purchased industry-leader Three Point Capital.

Our People

ALEXIS KYLE MARINAS

Senior Analyst - Capital Markets Group

ALEXIS plays an integral role in determining the most optimal deal structures for Fallbrook’s clients. Alexis leads Fallbrook’s team of analysts and is responsible for transaction analysis, research, deal structuring, and underwriting functions. He also prepares credit packages and works closely with Fallbrook’s asset management team to ensure effective and accurate reporting of Fallbrook’s loans. Prior to joining Fallbrook, Alexis worked as a senior associate at Ernst & Young, providing external audit and analytics services to publicly listed multinational companies in the Asia Pacific, United States, and Denmark. He graduated from Saint Louis University in the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Business Management. Alexis is also a licensed CPA.

Amy Diaz

State Tax Credit Associate

AMY has been in the finance industry for over 20 years. Her area of expertise has been with real estate lending. With her keen eye for detail, she quickly rose up in operations. She has been the go-to person for teams specializing in quality control, processing, underwriting and auditing for many of the top banking firms. With her background she brings a unique set of skills and a breath of fresh air to Fallbrook Finance.

ANDREW ZAGHI

Transaction Associate- Renewable Energy

ANDREW joined Fallbrook in 2023. He supports the federal energy tax credit team. Prior to joining Fallbrook, Andrew worked in the Senate for the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, sell-side mergers & acquisitions in the entertainment industry, and ran a family office. Andrew graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and his Masters in Business Administration from George Washington University.

BOBBIE JO WINTLE

Vice President - Property Operations

BOBBIE JO is an accomplished and seasoned professional who offers a combination of unique skills and competencies that have been developed through a lengthy and rewarding career with over 30 years of multi-family and commercial property management experience. Bobbie Jo has held titles of Property Manager, Regional Manager, and Regional Manager of Maintenance and has overseen mentorship programs that have helped develop and grow industry leaders. Bobbie Jo has managed a variety of assets from Market Rate to LIHTC, HUD, Public Housing, and Student Housing, consisting of a portfolio of 2,200 units across multiple states and cities. She has experience in new construction, renovations, and repositioning troubled assets. Bobbie Jo holds certifications for LIHTC and HUD programs. She has earned her CAM through the National Apartment Association of Kansas.

Brian Gallop

Director - Tax Credit Group

BRIAN is responsible for the sourcing, acquisition, and placement of state and federal tax credit equity investments for Fallbrook’s Tax Credit Group and assisting in construction/permanent debt placement for Fallbrook’s Capital Markets Group. Brian specializes in facilitating the sale of transferrable state tax credits for projects in various industries, including but not limited to historic tax credits, film tax credits, brownfield tax credits, low-income housing tax credits, and many more. Any state/program that issues transferrable tax credits falls under Brian’s scope. Brian manages every step of each deal from initial contact through closing, and his exceptional work ethic and customer service have propelled him to be a rising star within Fallbrook. Brian graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy. When not sourcing deals, he enjoys spending time on the golf course and playing soccer in his weekly Sunday league.

Christopher Renda

Transaction Associate - Capital Markets Group

CHRISTOPHER focuses on tax credit equity and debt for affordable housing. With a background as a New Jersey real estate agent and debt consultant, he’s recently added a data analytics certification from NYU to his toolkit. Chris is passionate about tax credits, market trends, building automated tools, and thinking about the future of AI. Outside of affordable housing, Christopher was a certified motorcycle safety instructor and has a love for cooking, reading, rare bourbons, vintage sports cars, comedy, and – strangely enough – fountain pens. Having recently moved to Orlando, he’s navigating between Orlando Magic games, visiting the House of Mouse, and other adventures with his wife and two kids. Chris is easy to talk to and a valued member of our team. His focus in 2024 and beyond is to team up with more developers and investors to create more quality affordable housing in America.

DEREK GARCIA

Asset Manager - Proprietary Investments

DEREK joined Fallbrook in January 2023. Derek is an Asset Manager at Fallbrook Multifamily Investments, reporting on proprietary investments. Additionally, he is the portfolio manager for the Fallbrook Mortgage Fund. In his roles, Derek uses his analytical skills to assess the ongoing performance of the assets and reports to both internal and external investors. Derek graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.

Ethan Friedman

Managing Director - Renewable Energy

ETHAN has over 20 years of experience in renewable energy, finance, and sustainable development. Ethan has developed over 500 MV of utility-scale solar projects while launching solar and EV charger initiatives for affordable housing. Over the span of his career, Ethan has led renewable energy groups providing finance solutions for solar developers, structured carbon sequestration transactions, and led over $5 billion in underwriting and structuring for corporate finance. Ethan has also led the charge in structured debt and equity with over 80MWs of wind transactions. Ethan has been a valued asset to the Fallbrook team since 2018 and continues to be so. Ethan’s extensive experience and proven success make him a valuable asset to Fallbrook Financial Services Company. He is a passionate advocate for clean energy solutions and plays a crucial role in driving our company’s commitment to sustainable development.

GIL MIZRAHI

General Counsel

GIL is engaged in all aspects of Fallbrook’s operations and provides a detailed approach to transaction structure with an emphasis on the implementation of client goals and strategies. Since joining Fallbrook in 2013, Gil has assisted in the structuring and closing of tax-based investments, real estate investments, and debt financing. Gil focuses on the protection of Fallbrook’s clients by identifying and assessing potential liabilities and crafting creative solutions without compromising client objectives. Throughout his career, Gil has counseled a wide array of clients ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to small businesses and individuals. Gil is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz and Southwestern Law School and was admitted to the State Bar of California.

JEFF JERDIN

Managing Director - Tax Credit Group

JEFF is responsible for the acquisition and placement of tax credit equity and for facilitating the sale of transferrable state tax credits for projects in a variety of industries, including: low-income housing, historic preservation, renewable energy, environmental remediation, and film production. Prior to joining Fallbrook, he spent over 15 years providing tax credit consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, with much of that time in leadership roles at Big 4 CPA firms. Jeff graduated from Fresno State with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. Jeff is a California licensed CPA and holds Series 7 and 66 securities licenses with Fallbrook Capital Securities, our broker/dealer affiliate.

JUSTIN MOORE

Director - Funds Management

JUSTIN has been active in the real estate field for over 15 years. Justin has been responsible for the financial oversight of commercial, energy producing and residential assets. His wide breadth of experience in the real estate field covers working in property management, asset management, fund management and also investment management. He has overseen portfolios in excess of $1 Billion of both low-income housing tax credit assets and energy tax credit assets. Justin has also been active in the field of certificated state tax credits. Over the course of his career, he has had experience with real estate acquisition, development and disposition. Justin graduated from The George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Northeastern University School of Business with a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Finance.

KARLA BOGANIM

Senior Account Manager

KARLA is a seasoned Account Manager and Full-Charge Bookkeeper with over 15 years of experience in customer relations, finance, management, and marketing. She has been with Fallbrook since 2019 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Lima. Karla is certified in Microsoft Office. She is also trilingual in English, Spanish, and Hebrew.

Louis Dranbauer

Sales Associate - Renewable Energy

LOUIS is a seasoned finance professional with over 7 years of experience, garnering expertise across various financial sectors, from real estate to corporate finance. Louis played a pivotal role in sourcing, structuring, and financing energy tax credits, and has become a go-to expert in delivering tailored financial solutions. His impressive track record includes successful collaborations on projects with major Fortune 500 companies, showcasing a strategic approach that optimizes returns and highlights his reliability as an innovative financial specialist. Louis earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and further honed his skills by obtaining an MBA with a concentration in finance from Pepperdine University.

MATT SHERWOOD

Associate - Film & Television Finance

MATT began his film industry career in 2006 at Lionsgate, performing profit participation audits. He later joined Oscilloscope Laboratories where he served as Finance and Accounting Manager, before going back to school, earning his MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019. Matt then worked in tax incentive auditing with R.C. Baral & Company until 2023, when he joined the Fallbrook team as Film & Television Finance Associate.

ROSE H. EATON

Chief Credit Officer, Managing Director - Funds Management

ROSE has over 28 years of experience and has been responsible for due diligence, development, acquisition, credit analysis, management, workout, and disposition of more than $2 billion of assets for not-for-profit, public, and private companies. Rose is the Chief Credit Officer for Fallbrook Financial Services Company, which includes Fallbrook Capital Markets, Fallbrook Loan Fund and Fallbrook Multifamily Investments. She began her career in real estate focusing on commercial real estate lending and asset management. Throughout the last 23 years, Rose’s career has focused on affordable housing, both state and federal low-income housing tax credits and historic tax credits. She has developed investment, asset management, loan servicing, credit risk and disposition protocols for several firms. During her time in private law practice she represented both purchasers and sellers through all facets of real estate acquisition, financing, development, and disposition. Rose graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Gonzaga University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate.

SAMANTHA SHEFTELL

Director - Business Development

SAMANTHA is a highly skilled and experienced sales and marketing professional with over ten years of experience and a proven track record of success. Samantha has demonstrated her ability to develop and execute successful sales and full-funnel marketing strategies for both Fortune 500 Companies and Start-Ups alike. Samantha has a keen insight into her clients’ and partners’ needs and expectations and brings with her a strong background in partnership relations, marketing and business strategy, and project/product management. Samantha specializes in the tech, entertainment, and financial space. Samantha holds a Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. She is a valuable asset to any team and will help you achieve your business goals.

Todd Friedman

Director – Renewable Energy

TODD is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of experience in the C-Suite. With a proven track record of success in developing and financing innovative and cost-effective renewable energy solutions, Todd has developed and financed more than $400 Million of distributed generation and 1.5 GW of utility projects across 11 states. He has also structured and closed more than $6.5 billion in Structured Finance transactions. In addition to his technical expertise, Todd is also a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Solar Fight Night, the largest renewable energy non-profit fundraiser in the world. Outside of work, Todd is an accomplished chef and skier. A passionate and driven leader, Todd is committed to working with clients to achieve their renewable energy goals and is a strong advocate for renewable energy and sustainability.

WENDY ELLEN

Vice President & Controller

WENDY is the Controller and head of administration at Fallbrook. She brings 30 years of financial operations, insurance, investment and management experience and has worked with Fallbrook for nearly 20 of them. Wendy has overall responsibility for financial reporting, system and internal controls, audit and tax preparation and benefits as well as Administration. Wendy holds Series 7, 24, 63 and 99 securities licenses and is Chief Compliance Officer of Fallbrook Capital Securities Corporation, our broker/dealer affiliate and a Notary Public.