John W. Koza Leadership Program

PREA is pleased to announce the 2013 recipients of the John W. Koza Leadership Fellows Program.

Purpose of the John W. Koza Leadership Program

Named in recognition of former chairman John Koza, a respected industry leader and exponent of investor education, the Leadership Fellows Program is designed to promote engagement in PREA among up-and-coming leaders in the institutional investor community. The objective is to familiarize investors with the organization early in their investment careers to ensure that they are fully aware of the educational resources available to them. The program will also be a source of the association's next generation of institutional leadership.

Eligibility

Participation in the Leadership Fellows Program will be limited to representatives of member firms that fall within the "Investor" category.  Additionally, candidates for selection as future industry leaders must have an interest in becoming a more active participant in PREA and its investor initiatives.  There are no age limits or work experience requirements to be considered for the John W. Koza Leadership Fellow designation.

Nomination and Selection

Senior representatives at investor member firms are invited to nominate eligible individuals who work within their organizations. Nominators should submit letters of recommendation in support of their candidate, a copy of the candidate's resume, and a one-page statement of interest from the nominee indicating his or her interest in participation and desire to engage in the organization through affinity group or standing committee membership. The Institutional Investor Executive Committee will select new Fellows each year from among the nominees, with an eye to maintaining balance by investor category.

Benefits

Fellows will receive a conference fee waiver and travel expense stipend of up to $2,000 per event (subject to the gift policy of the representative’s firm) to attend the Spring Conference, the Annual Investor Conference and the PREA Institute. Each leadership fellow will participate for a two-year period and is required to attend the PREA events during their Fellowship period.

Engagement

At the beginning of the two-year scholarship period, Fellows will be asked to contribute their time and skills to the association through participation in one of PREA's standing committees, affinity groups and/or select projects as determined by the PREA Institutional Investor Executive Committee. Experience within the leadership structure will give Fellows the opportunity to maximize the benefits of membership for their own firms as well as benefit the association at large. Additionally, their participation in PREA's educational forums will give them opportunities to expand upon their knowledge of industry trends and developments.

2013 John W. Koza Leadership Fellows

	Josh Kawaii-Bogue, California State Teachers' Retirement System Kawaii-Bogue joined CalSTRS in 2008 and serves as an Investment Officer in the Real Estate Unit. In this role, he helps oversee the residential portfolio, which includes apartments, single-family housing, and land. Additionally, he is responsible for developing the international investment strategy and providing portfolio performance analytics and strategic planning. Kawaii-Bogue received a BS in finance and an MBA in finance and urban land development from California State University, Sacramento.
	Lerryn McCullough, California Public Employees' Retirement System McCullough joined CalPERS in October 2007 as an Investment Officer within the Global Real Estate Unit. Her responsibilities include real estate portfolio acquisitions and dispositions; reviewing, underwriting, and conducting due diligence for new investment opportunities; and negotiating new partnership/operating agreements with external managers. Prior to CalPERS, McCullough worked as an Appraiser for the State of California, Department of Water Resources. McCullough received her BA in economics from California State University, Sacramento, and her MS in finance with a concentration in investment management from Golden Gate University, San Francisco.
	Jennifer Wenzel, Teacher Retirement System of Texas Wenzel joined TRS in 2009 and is an Investment Manager in the Real Assets group. She is responsible for evaluating potential co-investment opportunities alongside TRS general partners as part of the TRS Principal Investments platform. Prior to joining TRS, Wenzel worked at Cherokee Investment Partners and also spent three years at Crow Holdings in Dallas. She received a BBA in finance from the University of Texas at Austin. Wenzel is a past chair of the ULI Austin Young Leaders group and is also a member of the Associate Council for the University of Texas at the Austin McCombs School of Business Real Estate Finance & Investment Center.

2012 John W. Koza Leadership Fellow

Daniel Larsen, Utah Retirement Systems Larsen joined Utah Retirement Systems in 2009 and serves as a Real Estate Investment Analyst. In addition to performing asset management, he oversees the finance & accounting, information systems, research, and risk management functions of the real estate portfolio. Prior to Utah Retirement Systems, Larsen was a business analyst at Select Portfolio Servicing Inc. (wholly owned by Credit Suisse Group) and a director of property management at a high-end residential developer. Larsen received a BS in business administration with a concentration in finance from Westminster College and an MBA from the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business.

2011 John W. Koza Leadership Fellows

	Diego Carrillo, California Public Employees Retirement System Carrillo joined the CalPERS Real Estate Unit in 2007 as an Investment Officer for urban investment programs and policy. He oversees investment strategies focused on urban investing in housing, office, and hospitality and assists with policy and program development for environmental, emerging manager, and responsible contractor initiatives. Prior to CalPERS, Carrillo oversaw the development and implementation of a strategic plan to increase enrollment and revenue for the nationally recognized St. HOPE Public Schools. He also worked in the executive office of California State Treasurer Phil Angelides. Carrillo received a BS in business administration with concentrations in finance, and real estate and land use from California State University, Sacramento.
	Mukund Joshi, UTIMCO Joshi serves as a Senior Analyst for the Real Estate group, where he helps oversee the endowment’s real estate portfolio across all investment styles, public markets, hedge funds, and private markets. Prior to joining UTIMCO, Joshi worked as an electrical engineer at Freescale Semiconductor. He also worked as an ASIC designer at Compaq Computers (which later became Hewlett-Packard). Joshi received an MBA from the University of Texas in 2009, an MS in Computer and Systems Engineering in 2001 from the University of Houston, and a BE in Mechanical Engineering in 1998 from Kuvempu University in India. Joshi is a member of the CFA Institute and PREA.
	Gabriel Sasson, GM Asset Management Sasson serves as an Investment Analyst for the Real Estate & Alternative Investment group. In this role, he provides investment analysis and mangement support covering a broad spectrum of real estate equity, real estate debt, and other alternative investments within the General Motors pension funds. Prior to joining GM Asset Management in 2006, Sasson was a Senior Associate at The Schonbraun McCann Group, LLP, a national real estate consulting and accounting firm. Sasson holds a BS from Rutgers University and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.

2010 John W. Koza Leadership Fellows

	Clemenz Fraessdorf, ATP Real Estate Fraessdorf is an Investment Associate with ATP Real Estate. As a member of the investment team, Fraessdorf is responsible for identifying new investment opportunities and monitoring existing investments. In this role, he is also focused on ATP Real Estate's internal reporting and on sustainable real estate investing. Prior to joining ATP Real Estate in 2007, he worked as a Business Analyst for Novell Inc. in Germany. Clemenz holds a master's degree in Applied Finance & Economics from Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.
	Ashley Baum (Strange), Teacher Retirement System of Texas Baum joined the Investment Division of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas in October 2007. Baum works in External Private Markets, focusing on real asset investments (real estate, timber, infrastructure, agriculture, etc.). As a Senior Associate, she works with the Private Markets' directors and portfolio managers in managing and investing the real asset portfolios. Prior to joining Texas Teachers, Baum worked as a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Previously, she was nominated by the University of Texas Department of Accounting and selected as a Postgraduate Technical Assistant at the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Baum has a BBA in Business Honors and Accounting and an MPA from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a CFA charterholder and holds her CPA license in Texas.