Executive Leadership

Robert Ambrosi Chairman
Robert Ambrosi
Chairman

Mr. Ambrosi has over 40 years of real estate experience. He began his career as a mortgage analyst at the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York and then a Vice President with Marcil Properties, a Canadian real estate investment banking firm. In 1979, he co-founded The Pivko Group, Inc., an international real estate company with activities in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Mr. Ambrosi has been a frequent guest lecturer on international business at several universities including the graduate schools at Duke University, Columbia University, and Rutgers University. Mr. Ambrosi has a Master’s degree in Finance from Rutgers University, a Senior Certificate in Real Estate from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Gary S. Baumann Chief Executive Officer
Gary S. Baumann
Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Baumann is an attorney admitted to practice law in New Jersey and retired from practice in New York. He practiced law at the nationally recognized firm of Lowenstein Sandler, LLP and the international construction law firm of Peckar and Abramson, P.C. Mr. Baumann has been with the ARCTRUST Group of Companies since 2005 and together with his prior experience has served the real estate development, finance and investment sectors through fund creation, strategic capital planning, transaction structuring, capital raising, entitlement, construction, and project delivery. Mr. Baumann is currently Chairman of ARCTRUST III, Inc., an affiliate-sponsored private non-traded REIT overseeing approximately $300 million in investments focused on ground up development, value-add opportunities and debt financings made through preferred equity investments, joint ventures and participating loan structures.

James Steuterman Chairman Emeritus
James Steuterman
Chairman Emeritus

Mr. Steuterman has over 40 years of real estate experience. Prior to joining the ARCTRUST Group of Companies, Mr. Steuterman was Senior Vice President of Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, where he was responsible for the acquisition, development, and management of real estate projects nationwide. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer as well as an Investment Committee and Board member of New Plan Excel Realty Trust, a $3 billion NYSE-listed REIT. Mr. Steuterman is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and is a designated Certified Shopping Center Manager (CSM). He has been primarily responsible for the capital needs of the ARCTRUST Group of Companies’ sponsored real estate investment trust programs, including ARCTRUST, Inc. and ARCTRUST III, Inc., as well as numerous other sponsored funds and programs, including Capitol Opportunity Zone Fund, LP, numerous DSTs, and its opportunistic joint venture development and private sidecar investments. Mr. Steuterman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Marc Perel Executive Vice President
Marc Perel
Executive Vice President

Mr. Perel has over 30 years of real estate experience. Mr. Perel began his career at Zimmerman & Co., a certified public accounting firm where he became a partner and head of the firm’s real estate department. Mr. Perel has been involved in all aspects of the real estate development and acquisitions business including specific responsibilities for the environmental remediation of properties for which, on behalf of the ARCTRUST Group of Companies, he received the prestigious National Phoenix Award given by the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Perel has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Long Island University and was a Certified Public Accountant.

Joe Morena Executive Vice President
Joe Morena
Executive Vice President

Mr. Morena has been with ARCTRUST since 1997. Prior to joining the ARCTRUST Group of Companies, Mr. Morena was Chief Financial Officer of Tel-Save Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded telecommunication company. Prior to Tel-Save, Mr. Morena was employed at Air & Water Technologies, Inc., and International Nickel, Inc., where he managed various corporate finance functions. Mr. Morena has a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from New York University.

Jason Kessler President and Chief Investment Officer
Jason Kessler
President and Chief Investment Officer

Mr. Kessler joined the ARCTRUST Group of Companies in 2014 and is responsible for leading the Investment Committee and managing and implementing the PAVR and Joint Venture Development Program. Prior to joining the ARCTRUST Group of Companies, Mr. Kessler was the Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for FC Development Group, a commercial real estate development company focused on ground up, redevelopment and brownfield opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic region, where he was responsible for identifying and underwriting development opportunities, working with lenders and financing alternatives, and leading the firm’s diversification into consulting activities. Prior to joining the Real Estate sector, Mr. Kessler worked on Wall Street for Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers. Mr. Kessler attended the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and received a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Michael R. Ambrosi VP of Business Development
Michael R. Ambrosi
VP of Business Development

Mr. Ambrosi is engaged in cultivating new business opportunities and driving initiatives that support the organization’s long-term growth objectives. Mr. Ambrosi works closely with internal teams and external stakeholders to advance the ARCTRUST Group of Companies’ market presence. Mr. Ambrosi previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of ARCTRUST III, Inc. and the ARCTRUST Group of Companies, and since joining the firm in 2004, has contributed to its success through his involvement in various areas including the development, acquisition, and disposition of real estate assets, retail leasing, and the administration of information and business technology. Mr. Ambrosi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Business Administration from Villanova University.

Silvia Fernandes Chief Legal and Operations Officer
Silvia Fernandes
Chief Legal and Operations Officer

Ms. Fernandes joined the ARCTRUST Group of Companies in 2016 and is responsible for the organization’s legal strategy, regulatory compliance, and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the ARCTRUST Group of Companies. Ms. Fernandes is an attorney admitted to practice law in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. Fernandes was an attorney with Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C. prior to joining the ARCTRUST Group of Companies, and has extensive experience in a wide range of corporate and real estate matters, including securities transactions, corporate governance, compliance/administration, commercial real estate, and financing. She is an Executive Board Member of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, currently serving as Chief Operating Officer since 2024, and serving as Chief Diversity Officer from 2022-2024. Ms. Fernandes earned her Masters of Laws (LLM) in Taxation from New York University, her Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey, Summa Cum Laude.
