Meet the 2021 ACRE Class

Members of the 2021 class of the Associates in Commercial Real Estate program were announced this week.

The program is designed to train people of color for careers in commercial real estate. Program graduates, now numbering 280, can be found working as real estate developers, construction executives, non-profit leaders and elected officials.

Program manager LISC Milwaukee announced the 24 candidates for the 2020-2021 program were selected from a field of 85 applicants.

The 24-week program will move to a virtual format as a result of the pandemic.

“This year we are excited to expand the network and impact of ACRE with a pilot effort to include participation from Madison and a  renewed focus on brokering productive mentorships between ACRE students and established industry partners,” said LISC executive director Theodore Lipscomb, Sr. in a statement. “The original idea behind ACRE, to achieve greater representation by people of color in the commercial real estate industry, remains especially relevant today as we work together to call out and address the numerous health, wealth and opportunity gaps in our community.”

The program includes partnerships with Marquette University, Milwaukee School of Engineering and UW-Milwaukee. It was created in 2005 by then-Marquette professor Mark Eppli.

“One of ACRE’s biggest strengths is the depth of its relationships, and the unparalleled partnership between three top universities – Marquette, MSOE, and UW-Milwaukee”, said Andrew Hunt, director of the Marquette University Center for Real Estate. “We look forward to working with LISC Milwaukee to deliver a high-level educational  experience for our students, rooted both in theory and practical application, and combined with meaningful networking opportunities that will allow them to become leaders in our community.”

Participants in the program often tout the relationships they develop there, and some have even gone into business together. Five 2016 program graduates are developing the Villard Commons apartment building, scheduled for completion later this year.

Typical participants have at least some college training and several years of business experience.

Instructors include Hunt, Anthony Pennington-Cross, Bob Lemke, Carolyn Esswein and Matthew D. Tadisch.

2020-2021 Participants

• Chris Canty
• Ayanna Cooper Vasquez
• Alexandra Don
• Dimitrious Foster
• Rendell Giles
• Jesus Gonzalez
• Maritza Gonzalez
• Terence Goodman
• Tristan Hickman
• Adien Igoni
• Eduardo Jaime
• Austin Johnson
• Natasha Jules
• Amir Law
• Jeff Liggon
• Oby Nwabuzor
• Saran Ouk
• Kahri Phelps
• Eduardo Rivera
• Alejandro Rodriguez
• Afra Smith
• Johnnie Tangle III
• Keith Turner
• Devin Wallace