Team Biographies
The Team
- Chief Executive Officer in Nicaragua: Mr. Michael Cobb, Co-founder
During a successful career in the computer industry, Mr. Cobb decided to leave and pursue more pioneering opportunities in the emerging real estate markets of Central America. He and his business partner formed a company, Exotic Caye International, to provide loans to North Americans purchasing properties in Belize, Honduras and throughout the region.
As the need for capital outstripped the supply, the mortgage company was converted to an international bank under the jurisdiction of Belize. It continues to provide mortgage services, but has expanded its services to encompass the full realm of financial products. Exotic Caye is now a holding company for several other ventures.
Most recently, Exotic Caye expanded its goals and set its sites on Nicaragua. They purchased 3.5 miles of Pacific Beachfront property due west of Managua. Unlike the traditional Central American development models, the Gran Pacifica business unit is building a world-class 250-room resort hotel, 27 holes of golf, and associated amenities before selling the real estate, thereby supercharging returns to investors.
Additionally, Mike Cobb has spoken at numerous international conferences about real estate financing and development. He has acted as a consultant to the Oxford Club and gives counsel to various real estate projects throughout Central America. He, his wife Carol and their daughters, 6-year-old Amanda and 2-year-old Emily make their home in Managua, Nicaragua. He can be reached at mcobb@granpacifica.com
- Martin Roberts, President and Chief Operating Office ECI Development
Mr. Roberts is a dynamic Executive possessing over 35 years experience in the construction and home building business. Major housing experience includes 10 years with Centex Home Corporation as Divisional President and COO of Florida and the East Coast Division. Prior to managing the Centex Divisions, he worked in the Corporate office in Dallas, Texas for the President and Chairman of the Board. His responsibilities were to work with shareholders in the transition from private to public company. He also worked with the land division and completed a $50 million dollar, Title VII application to HUD for the development of 8,000 acres in the city of New Orleans.
As the Divisional President in Florida Roberts directed construction/marketing of two 24-story condominium complexes on Miami Beach and opened two new housing regions in Jacksonville and St. Petersburg, Florida. He increased sales of homes to over 1000 per year and exceeded the company profits projections. As Divisional President for the East Coast, Roberts managed the construction/marketing of two 30-story condominium complexes, 686 units per building, and a 25,000 sq. ft. recreational facility with a major restaurant overlooking the Hudson River and New York City.
Following Centex, Mr. Roberts built retirement communities in Florida for U.S. Homes Corporation as Divisional President of the Retirement Division. There he directed day to day supervision of homebuilding projects in all regions in the division. Additionally, he constructed complete recreational packages, including golf courses, club houses, tennis courts and recreational facilities necessary to service a large scale retirement community of 5,000 homes or more.
Mr. Roberts was hired away from US Homes to become Division President and COO for KB Homes, Southern California Division. He managed a $250 Million per year division with 1,500 annual closings in Los Angeles/San Diego. He later became the Senior Vice President and COO for First City Properties in Beverly Hills, California. There he ran three building divisions, California, Nevada and Arizona, as well as an apartment construction division, a land division which included acquisition, master planning and development. His responsibility included full profit and loss for a $300 million per year company with over 2000 annual closings per year.
For the past 20 years Martin Roberts has been Owner, President and CEO for the Westchester Group, Inc., a privately owned general contracting company specializing in commercial and large custom estate homes in Tampa, Florida. Firm work included design, construction financing, marketing, sales and supervision of all construction. He was the principle liaison with Owners, Interior designers, Architects and Engineers. The Westchester Group built homes from 5,000 sq. ft. to 40,000 sq. ft. including the three largest custom estate homes in the Tampa Bay area.
Roberts provides extensive management experience with strengths in construction, sales, operations and budgeting, with financial knowledge and experience in both training and organizational management. His strong ability to analyze complex situations, design practical solutions and implement workable plans will compliment and enhance the existing ECI Development team. He attended the University of Houston and graduate studies at the University of Texas, and is a third generation builder.
- Chief Financial Officer: Mr. Joel Nagel, Co-founder, Attorney at Law
Mr. Nagel is the project’s legal counsel and Chief Financial Officer. He practices in the area of international tax and estate planning, joint ventures and international finance. As a Fulbright Scholar, he studied at the University of Bonn and at The Hague Academy of International Law. He is a member of the International Law and Practice Division of the ABA and has considerable experience in international business and investments, including: finance and tax planning, corporate formation for banks, insurance companies and mutual funds planning, negotiating and structuring international agency, distribution and joint venture agreements, acquisition and financing of foreign properties, creation of structures in low-tax countries for individuals for asset protection and tax advantage
Mr. Nagel completed his LLM at Georgetown University and has offices in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh. www.nagellaw.com
Mr. Nagel is past president of the Pittsburgh Rotary Club and District Governor of Rotary International District 7300 and has been actively involved in Nicaragua since 1994. He is secretary of the Chamorro Foundation, which promotes democracy and education in Nicaragua, and is past Chairman of the Nicaraguan Development Corporation, the Nicaraguan equivalent of the United Way.
- VP Architecture and Construction: Mr. Raymond Steeb (Former VP Turner Const.)
Raymond H. Steeb, III is founder of Steeb Services, LLC, a program management consulting firm in the construction industry. The firm is based in the Pittsburgh area. Prior to launching his own company in 2002, Mr. Steeb was an executive for two decades, including four years as vice president and general manager, of Turner Construction Company, a $120 million general construction and construction management business. He has been involved in some of the most high-profile building and renovation projects impacting Pittsburgh’s skyline in recent years, including the David Lawrence Convention Center, Alcoa corporate headquarters, O’Reilly Theatre, Mellon Arena and One Mellon Bank Center, as well as Magee Womens Hospital, UPMC Shadyside, Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State University, Medrad Inc. and many others. While with Turner, he helped increase the company’s net profits, reduce overdue receivables, improve regional market share and enhance safety initiatives, as well as develop business, establish strategy for project targets, negotiate contracts and implement long range marketing plans. A registered professional engineer, Mr. Steeb holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh (1990) and a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University (1980).
- VP Financing: Mel Henninger, (Ret. Senior Executive Bayer Corp.)
Mr. Henninger served for over 40 years at Bayer Corporation and held many senior management positions in finance and accounting. The last 10 years he was responsible for all taxes and insurance for the $10B international business unit, and was the senior financial participant on the corporate acquisitions and divestitures team. Mr. Henninger holds a B.A in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.S in Finance and an M.S in Taxes from Duquesne University. Mr. Henninger is also a CPA.
- VP Sales: Kent Payne (Former VP Sales Bridgeport Development)
Kent Payne is the former Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Bridgeport Development, one of the largest homebuilders in Oklahoma. His 35 years in sales and corporate management bring a sales and training philosophy to Gran Pacifica that will take the home and condo contruction to the next level. He was co-founder and past chairman of the Sales and Marketing Council of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association. He and his wife, Denise, are relocating to Gran Pacifica full time to coordinate on-site sales efforts.
- Golf: Mr. Tom Haugen, Architect and designer
Mr. Haugen is a professional landscape architect who has designed over a dozen courses, including Stonebrooke (www.stonebrooke.com) and Pine Island in Minnesota, Siren Glen in Wisconsin (www.sirenglen.com) and Willow Creek in Iowa.
- Costa Rica: Mr. George Kingston, commercial developer, Florida and Costa Rica
Chairman, Grand Caribbean Developers, S.A. – Insight experience in the Costa Rican development market.
- Belize: Michael Brunette, commercial developer California and Belize
Associates and Partners
- Urban Design Associates (UDA), landscape firm (Disney Celebration Community)
UDA is an internationally recognized leader for the creation of successful water front communities and golf resorts. UDA is responsible for orchestrating Disney’s Celebration Community, a new Pinehurst’s community linking golf courses #9 and #10, and has completed projects for the Homestead in Virginia, Dafuskie Island, Georgia, and the Legends of Tennessee.
UDA’s designs are conceived as three-dimensional environments through the use of perspective drawing and modeling techniques in the early stages of conceptual design. The character and quality of building designs and landscape elements become part of the planning process when the most important decisions are made. The design process becomes a kind of “bandwagon” that gains support for the program as it engages people to create the vision.
In the course of UDA’s 39-year history, UDA has completed over 1400 projects for clients which include private development companies, large landholders, public agencies, institutions and community groups. UDA is currently working on projects in 32 cities in 22 States, as well as Europe. UDA’s work is focused on urban projects in of the four categories: Resort Communities, New Towns, Neighborhoods, and Downtowns. UDA provides three types of service: Urban Design, Landscape Design, Architectural Design through Design Development, and Design Guidelines or Pattern Books to communicate the concepts of a plan to those who build it.
UDA has received over 70 awards for its work in urban design and architecture. These have included a Presidential Award for the transformation of a public housing project, two Progressive Architecture Awards for neighborhoods, four National AIA Honor Awards, and several national HUD Awards for Downtown work as well as neighborhood efforts. ODA’s work is published regularly in various journals, and Norton Books has recently published The Urban Design Handbook, by Urban Design Associates.
- Zürcher Arquitectos S.A, Architect (designed Costa Rica Marriotts)
Founded in 1978, Zürcher Arquitectos S.A. now employs more than 50 highly capable and creative architects, engineers, technicians, and staff. Designs are produced utilizing state-of-the-art computer hardware and software, allowing the firm to make clarifications and cost savings throughout the constructive process of the various projects the company undertakes.
Architect Ronald Zürcher convenes and directs periodic meetings with his team of architects to evaluate and monitor all projects, irrespective of the construction stage of the work. By so doing, Zürcher’s concepts and ideas are reinforced and fulfilled thoroughly.
Sample of Zürcher’s work include the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel and Costa Rica Courtyard Marriott (both built by our Construction Management Firm Gálvez & Volio). These are among Zürcher’s best-known tourist projects. The splendid and exquisite designs of these Hotels have strengthened Zürcher’s reputation as a world-class architect. Moreover, Zurcher’s vast knowledge of the quality and strict standards demanded by Marriott Hotel International, coupled with his recognized expertise in Central America’s history and architectural traditions, make him the right choice for the design of the Gran Pacifica Marriott Hotel.
- Llansa Ingenieros, S.A., Engineering and Construction
LLANSA INGENIEROS, S.A., a Nicaraguan Construction Company, began its activities in 1969. Since then it has been in the construction business continuously, performing a wide range of construction projects. It has affiliated companies that it works with in foreign countries.
The incorporation of advanced technology, an advanced organization system and large production capacity, has been the reason for LLANSA's reputation of within schedule performance. They have performed jobs in all fields of construction, including: roads, bridges of advanced technology, industrial complexes, hospitals and health centers, hydro sanitary work, storage tanks, sports centers, hotels, houses, offices, rehabilitation and restoration of buildings, tunnels, dams and hydraulic work.
The company is bonded in an amount that surpasses C$100,000,000.00 (ONE HUNDRED MILLION CORDOBAS).
LLANSA's edge is that it employs a competent group of professionals with the ability to carry out any type of construction work. They are continuously sending technical staff to updated courses in the different aspects of construction. They also possess a large fleet of the heavy equipment necessary to do the job.
- Larry Dewhurst, Las Perlas Condominiums
- Roger Keeling, Hunter Blair homes, JV partner
