Meet the Team
DANA CRAWFORD - USA Member / Urban Neighborhoods, Inc., CEO/Founder
DUS Role: Developer
Award-winning preservationist Dana Crawford initiated a concept of urban renewal that was one of the first of its kind in the United States. She pioneered the redevelopment of Denver’s historic Larimer Square in the mid-1960s, creating a festival shopping area from the neglected and abandoned buildings of Denver’s original main street. Today, Larimer Square serves as a prototype for the revitalization of forgotten main streets and architectural landmarks throughout the country. Dana is one the founders of Historic Denver, the originator of the loft movement in Lower Downtown Denver, and a founder of the Oxford Hotel.
FERD BELZ - USA Member / REGen, LLC., Principal and Co-Founder
DUS Role: Developer
Mr. Belz moved into real estate development through the specialized field of project and development management. As a developer, his projects have included virtually every real estate product type and major mixed-use projects. These included the development of the Tabor Center covering two square blocks in downtown Denver. This $320-million project is still among the largest commercial mixed-use projects in Colorado history. Mr. Belz has performed a broad range of other real estate tasks and roles as a consultant, owners representative and principal investor/developer for more than $1 billion worth of retail, office, hospitality and residential projects throughout the country.
WALTER L. ISENBERG - USA Member / Sage Hospitality, President and Chief Executive Officer
DUS Role: Hotel Development & Operations
Walter Isenberg is co-founder of Sage Hospitality and serves as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Based in Denver, Colorado Sage specializes in the operations, development and capital transactions of hospitality real estate. Sage owns and operates 63 hotels in 26 states ranging from large urban full-service hotels to smaller select service suburban properties. Mr. Isenberg directs all company operations including property management, development and finance.
BRYON WHITE - USA Member / Milender White Construction Co., President & CEO
DUS Role: Design Builder
Bryon co-founded Milender White Construction Co. in 1997 based on five principles that define ConstructAbility™: Build, Innovate, Perform, Connect and Achieve. Since then, Bryon has guided the company to annual revenues approaching $100 million with 150 employees. Milender White has considerable experience in the construction of hotels and historic renovation projects.
CUBIE H. DAWSON, JR. - USA Member / Ashkenazy Acquisitions, Executive Vice President
DUS Role: Design & Leasing
Mr. Dawson is currently responsible for developing the Governmental/public private practice for Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation internationally. Mr. Dawson was a contributing team member responsible for Jones Lang LaSalle’s presence in Chicago’s Union Station, Union Station in Kansas City and Springfield’s Union Station and is a master planning advisor for the TransBay Terminal in San Francisco, Boston’s Artery Project, Fulton Street Transit Center and the Port of Oakland. He was named one of the “On Call” advisors to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site as well as to the City of Newark, NJ, NJ Transit, Empire State Development Corporation for the Farley/Moynihan Station, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and New Haven’s Union Station. Mr. Dawson was also the master planning advisor for Denver Union Station with a particular focus on the retail merchandising plan and proposed governance structure.
JOSEPH D. VOSTREJS - USA Member / Larimer Associates, LLC, Chief Operating Officer
DUS Role: Destination Retail Leasing
Joe Vostrejs has worked in commercial real estate in Denver since 1985, and has been involved in specialized retail projects for more than 20 years. As a partner and C.O.O. of Larimer Associates, Joe oversees the firm’s diverse portfolio of investment, management and development activities, which include multifamily, office and retail properties in 3 western states. Denver projects include historic Larimer Square in downtown Denver, a growing collection of retail and restaurant properties all located in core Denver neighborhoods, and most recently, the redevelopment of historic Hangar 2 in Lowry.
DAVID TRYBA, FAIA / Tryba Architects, Lead Design Principal
DUS Role: Design / Build Team
David Tryba is the Founder of Tryba Architects, designer of Hotel Teatro, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Mercantile Square Lofts, and One Market Square. His firm has a national reputation of projects located in sensitive urban sites that require careful integration of contemporary design with an informed respect for historic context.
JAMES G. JOHNSON, R.A., LEED AP / JG Johnson Architects, Managing Principal
DUS Role: Design / Build Team
Jim Johnson has spent his career designing unique hotels. From San Diego to Pittsburgh and Portland to Chicago, Jim’s firm, JG Johnson Architects, have consistently achieved design excellence through historic preservation. Locally, the firm is best known for Denver’s Hotel Monaco, and they are currently working on preservation of the historic Colorado National Bank building at 17th and Champa Streets into a Marriott Renaissance Hotel.
