St. Jude Spirit of Hope

Ron oversees the investment sales team, and is responsible for revenue, business development, and talent management. He joined Besen Partners in 2003 as an Investment Sales Associate. In 2008, Ron added the role of Chief Marketing Officer and was also charged with working with the sales team to grow the number of exclusive assignments. In 2016, he was appointed Chief Sales Officer to fully focus on growing revenue and leading the sales team.

As a broker, Ron has sold multifamily, mixed use and development properties throughout various neighborhoods of Manhattan, Brooklyn and The Bronx. Prior to entering commercial real estate, Ron spent a decade as an account management professional in the advertising business. His last role in the industry was Vice President/Group Account Director at D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B). Ron is an active member of the New York real estate community in a number of leadership roles. He is a member of the Real Estate Executives division of UJA (REX), Israel Bonds Real Estate Builders & Allied Industries division, and a former Chairman of the Young Mortgage Bankers Association (YMBA).

In addition to participation on the St. Jude Spirit of Hope Committee, Ron is a supporter of charitable causes including Food Bank of New York, Feed The Children, UNICEF and Covenant House. He graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta, and also holds an MBA in Marketing/International Business from Fordham University Graduate School of Business.

Andrew Lofredo is the founder and CEO of CRE Vertical Advisors, which provides comprehensive commercial real estate asset management and advisory services to family offices and private investors. As a born and raised New Yorker with nearly three decades of real estate experience, Andrew is proud to be part of this event and the New York Real Estate Community that has so generously supported the lifesaving mission of St Jude. Outside of work, Andrew will be in one of three places, with his family, in his garage gym, or at the park with his mutts.

Alex Lapidus has nearly 10 years of experience in real estate finance, joining Cushman & Wakefield’s Equity, Debt & Structured Finance team in 2013. Alex has always been passionate about giving back to her community – from charity lemonade stands as a young kid to team captain for The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in college.

In addition to her commitment to St. Jude, she currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Junior Board of Spark Youth, a charitable organization that funds and supports emerging programs for New York City’s underprivileged youth. Alex also serves on the Advisory Council of Lehigh University’s Goodman Center for Real Estate and has served numerous years as team captain for Cycle for Survival, on behalf of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Alex is a huge fan of music, all things food, and most importantly her four-legged son Jackson (oh and her husband Evan, too).

Bryan Wachtel serves as an Account Executive of Strategic Accounts for Milrose Consultants, a national leader in the field of building code consulting and municipal permitting. While managing the portfolio of the firm’s national accounts, he is the key point of contact for projects and enjoys pushing for the ultimate client experience. Prior to St. Jude’s, Bryan has dedicated time to other charitable organizations such as Special Olympics, March of Dimes, JDRF, and St. Francis Food Pantries.

Outside the office, he finds a few extra hours to coach baseball locally on Long Island and plays a few rounds of golf throughout the year. Additionally, if you ever need a new pizza spot, he enjoys keeping a running list of his favorite restaurants throughout the city.

Paula Turkowitz is an optimistic and enthusiastic sales professional with over 25 years of experience in sales. She is skilled at developing the right action plan for each of her client's unique needs and committed to helping them choose the best products. Throughout her career, Paula has earned the trust of several national companies and maintained strong client relationships that generate repeat business. She attributes her success to her ability to listen to customers and put their needs first. Outside of work, Paula enjoys spending time with her family and traveling to her hometown of Medellin, Colombia.

Josh is a 40-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry. He is a graduate of Ithaca College. He's worked at Lansco, George Comfort & Sons, Loeb Partners Realty, Cushman & Wakefield, and Avison Young (Senior Director ). Josh is also a supporter of Hudson River Community Sailing and St. Jude.

Robert Braverman is a Principal and Managing Partner at Braverman Greenspun, a boutique law firm and industry leader representing New York City co-ops and condominiums. Since becoming the firm’s managing partner in 1995, the firm has grown from a father-son practice, started by Rob’s father, Ed, to a firm of over 20 talented and energetic attorneys with a culture that promotes the highest standards of teamwork, collaboration, and an extraordinary level of responsiveness to clients. Rob is an author and frequent speaker on issues involving cooperative and condominium law and is regularly quoted in both cooperative and condominium trade publications and the mainstream press.

In addition to being a four-year member of the St. Jude Spirit of Hope Planning Committee, Rob is also an Honorary Board member of STRIDE Adaptive Sports. This nonprofit organization provides over 8,000 adaptive sport and recreation lessons each year to individuals with disabilities, focusing on youth and Wounded Warriors. Rob is an avid skier and sailor.

Sandra Betterson is committed and passionate about her efforts to engage with and enhance the lives of others. The values ingrained in her she credits to her parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents growing up first in the Low Country of South Carolina and then the High Hills of The Bronx, New York. Her years of experience in Human Resources and as General Manager with a multi-million dollar portfolio; globally diverse accessories company and now in her role as a Risk Manager/Financial Consultant allow her to continue in her quest to make a positive and sustainable impact when engaging with individuals, families, businesses, and the community at large. She is humbled, honored and grateful for the opportunity to be a member of the St. Jude Spirit of Hope Committee.

A Syracuse University Alum (Go Orange!) college basketball is a favorite; raised just a stone’s throw from the “Ballpark in the Bronx,” the NY Yankees are a must and the Fugues of Bach are her touchstone.

Richard specializes in residential and commercial real estate sales & leasing. He is intimately knowledgeable about the New York City landscape and has an extensive awareness of product availabilities. With his pulse on market dynamics and trends he brings tremendous value to his clientele. As one of the committee’s youngest members, Richard hopes to make an enduring impact for the event and in turn St. Jude Hospital. On his days off from work, he enjoys working.

Cassie is originally from St. Louis and has lived in NYC for 7 years. She is a Business Development manager at Highland Associates and is passionate about helping great organizations such as St. Jude through her network and client relationships in the real estate industry. In her free time she enjoys walking her two French Bulldogs with her husband around their neighborhood in Battery Park and watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball games.

Eric Collichio has served as an active member of the telecommunications community for over fifteen years. He has enjoyed the opportunity to lend his expertise on some of the largest construction projects in Manhattan and across the US. Meeting new people and experiencing different cultures and ideas is something Eric thoroughly enjoys. His hobbies include basketball, baseball, writing, and traveling.

Rob helps leading designers achieve their design intent with exciting new architectural materials. He has collaborated on numerous notable and many award-winning projects. Rob has been an active member on the ST. Jude Spirit of Hope Committee since 2020.

Aby (or Abe) is a project superintendent who builds commercial fit-outs throughout Manhattan. Originally from Boston and now residing in SoHo for the past 6 years, you can always find him out and about with friends and colleagues every other night. He fills his time currently receiving a Masters in Real Estate at Fordham University, training for the Boston Marathon, taking spontaneous weekend getaways to the Caribbean islands, sipping specials on the beach, and hanging out with his beloved family between Cape Cod and the Mediterranean Sea.

If you want to spend time with this guy, you will need to call and schedule as he can be a last-minute change-up… just kidding… Anyways, he loves being part of the St Judes Committee, meeting people and serving the community!