Navigating Market Cycles: Building Strength in Uncertain Times

When:

February 5, 2026 at 5:30pm – 8:30pm EST

Location:

Offit Kurman

3rd Floor

590 Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10022

Navigating Market Cycles: Building Strength in Uncertain Times

Join us on February 5th from 5:30 to 8:30 PM for a timely, candid discussion on navigating today’s commercial real estate market.

We’ll explore current market conditions, strategic alignment, and how to stay positioned for opportunity in a shifting landscape. Grounded in real-world transactions and market experience, this conversation is designed to deliver practical insights for dealmakers and the advisors who support them.

Real estate owners have always been entrepreneurial and adaptive, weathering disruptions from the 2008 mortgage crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic. As today’s market and policy outlooks are increasingly shaped by the political climate and municipal leadership, this discussion will focus on strengthening what’s within your control.

Expect thoughtful dialogue, fresh insights, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks.

*Space is limited, and all requests are subject to approval. Registration does not guarantee attendance. Approved registrants will receive a confirmation email.

Register Today!

Meet the Panelists: 

Genessy Jaramillo

BKREA

Faith Miros

Offit Kurman

Alicia Mynarska

Withum

Genessy Jaramillo specializes in land and air rights sales across Manhattan, where she leads BKREA’s air rights business and works directly alongside Chairman & CEO Bob Knakal. In her role, she focuses on advising property owners, developers, and institutions on maximizing value through strategic dispositions, assemblages, and development opportunities. Faith Miros is a strategic legal advisor to commercial real estate owners and investors, partnering with clients to navigate transactions and market cycles with clarity and confidence. She advises clients nationwide on acquisitions, dispositions, financing, leasing, and long-term portfolio strategy, delivering practical, business-focused guidance that balances opportunity and risk. Alicia Mynarska is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over two decades of experience serving clients in the real estate industry at Withum, a nationally ranked advisory and accounting firm. As a strategic partner, Alicia leverages her passion for successful business solutions to coordinate a wide range of specialized services aimed at helping clients achieve their goals and grow exponentially.

Elizabeth Roy

New York Life Investments

Nicolette Sinatra

Fidelity National Title Insurance Company

Janet Stelz

ALC Environmental

Elizabeth Roy is a key member of the real estate team at New York Life Investments focusing on core, bridge and construction lending across all asset types with loans starting at $50 million. She has over 20 years of experience in real estate capital markets spanning CMBS, CRE-CLO bridge lending, and life insurance balance sheets. She has originated over $2 billion of investments. Nicolette Sinatra is an adjunct professor teaching Real Estate Law at the Schack Institute of Real Estate. A practicing attorney with over 25 years of experience, she is currently a Sales Executive for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company. Janet Stelz drives the CRE Due Diligence Division at ALC Environmental. She supports commercial lenders and CRE developers by understanding their risk tolerance, protecting their budget, and addressing environmental hurdles quickly and safely so they can keep projects moving forward.

Meet the Moderator:

Bob Knakal

BKREA

Bob Knakal has been a broker in NYC since 1984. Over that time, he has brokered the sale of over 2,339 buildings having a market value of approximately $22 billion. Bob is a prominent thought leader in the commercial real estate business, frequently writing about the market, lecturing on the market and appearing on podcasts and national television shows on networks like Fox, CNBC and MSNBC. Bob started BKREA, an investment sales and capital markets brokerage firm in New York City which blends best-in-class analog data sets with artificial intelligence technologies to create a new brokerage firm for a new era.

Firm Highlights

  • Events
    MACFO's Inside Successful CEO & CFO Partnerships
    Please join us on September 18 for an event that’s sure to be a home run! ***We will lead off by interviewing our Spotlight Speaker Series guest, Baltimore Orioles CFO, Darline Llamas Llopis.*** After, we will ask ourselves, what separates great companies from good ones? We believe that more often than not, it is the strength of the partnership between the CEO and CFO that matters, so we are bringing you three CEO/CFO leadership teams to learn from. The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore – Andrew Cushnir and Sam Klein Canusa Paper & Packaging – Mike Walter and Vince Salamone EMR – Caroline Kauffman-Kirschnick and Lisa Loeffler Join us for an exclusive executive briefing – three tandem presentations followed by a panel discussion - featuring CEOs and CFOs from different but leading organizations as they share candid insights into building trust, navigating difficult decisions, driving strategic growth, and leading through today's business challenges. You'll hear firsthand how these executive teams navigate conflict, align on priorities, and build high-performing organizations. Whether you're a CFO, controller, finance executive, or an aspiring business leader, you'll leave with practical ideas and fresh perspectives you can apply immediately. Meet Our Speakers: Darline Llamas Llopis • Orioles  Chief Financial Officer Darline Llamas Llopis is in her second season with the Orioles as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Prior to joining the Orioles, Llamas Llopis spent four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the F1 Miami Grand Prix as Vice President of Finance and Retail. In this capacity, she managed the finance, accounting, payroll, account payables, procurement and merchandise operations for the team and race. She also previously served for four years as the Director of Finance and Controller at the Los Angeles Rams. Llamas Llopis started her career in public accounting with Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers as a member of the Commercial Real Estate practice.  Llamas Llopis completed her MBA at UCLA Anderson School of Management and received her Master of Accountancy from the University of Southern California (USC) where she also graduated cum laude with an undergraduate degree in business. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) and is an active CPA. She resides in Baltimore with her husband, Devin, and their son, Santiago. Andrew Cushnir • The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore   President & Chief Executive Officer Andrew Cushnir is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Associated, having started in the role in May 2024. He is the eighth person to serve in this role since The Associated’s founding over 100 years ago. Andrew brings a wealth of experience and a profound dedication to strengthening and enriching the Jewish community. His journey within the Jewish Federation system began as a passionate lay leader and volunteer before he transitioned into serving as a professional. He worked for the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles for twenty years, including in the roles of Chief Planning and Program Officer and Chief Development Officer. During this time, Andrew played a crucial role in reshaping the allocation process and fostering a culture of collaboration and partnership and he also led all annual, project, and emergency fundraising, as well as planned giving efforts. As a member of the Federation’s executive team, he also addressed complex community and organizational issues. Andrew and his wife Sharon Spira-Cushnir, a seasoned nonprofit human services executive, are the proud parents of two children in their early 20s. Sam Klein • The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore  Chief Financial Officer Sam Klein is a seasoned nonprofit finance executive with nearly two decades of experience leading financial strategy, operations, budgeting, and organizational transformation for mission-driven institutions. As Chief Financial Officer of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, he oversees the organization's financial operations, investment stewardship, budgeting processes, risk management, and long-term financial planning, helping advance the Federation's mission of strengthening and supporting Jewish life in Baltimore, Israel, and around the world. Throughout his career, Sam has been recognized for his ability to align financial stewardship with organizational mission, drive process improvements, implement technology solutions, and build high-performing teams. His expertise includes nonprofit finance, strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting, investment oversight, financial reporting, compliance, operational excellence, and organizational growth. Sam earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse University. Mike Walter • Canusa's Paper & Packaging Chief Executive Officer As Chief Executive Officer of Canusa Paper & Packaging (CPP), Mike Walter leads one of the world's leading independent international brokerages of containerboard and packaging papers. Mike recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with Canusa and has overseen a doubling of the business in the past five years. Mike’s first role at Canusa was an intern before moving into a risk management role. Progressive promotions over the years led Mike to serve as Canusa's Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, as well as General Counsel for its affiliate, Canusa Hershman before becoming the CPP CEO on January 1st, 2025. Mike graduated with a B.S. in Commerce & Engineering from Drexel University before earning his J.D. at the University of Baltimore’s School of Law. Vince Salamone • Canusa's Paper & Packaging Chief Financial Officer Vince Salamone serves as Chief Financial Officer of Canusa Paper & Packaging, overseeing the company's global financial strategy and overall operations, risk management, and other shared services. Since joining Canusa in 2018, Vince has advanced from Corporate Controller to CFO. Prior to Canusa, Vince held senior accounting and financial reporting roles at modular space leader Algeco Scotsman and supply chain real estate operator Realterm, bringing extensive expertise in finance and corporate accounting. He began his career with Deloitte, providing assurance services to clients in aerospace and defense, software, and manufacturing throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Vince attended the University of Maryland and Towson University, earning his B.S. in Accounting in 2012 and his CPA license in 2014. Caroline Kauffman-Kirschnick • The Electric Motor Repair Company President Caroline Kauffman is President of EMR, where she leads company strategy, operations, business development, and culture. Having grown up in the family business and worked in nearly every area of the organization—from accounts receivable and human resources to operations and branch leadership—she brings a unique, firsthand understanding of what drives business success. Since becoming President in 2018, Caroline has championed employee engagement, teamwork, and innovative problem-solving while helping guide EMR's continued growth. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from York College of Pennsylvania and is active in several industry and family business organizations. Lisa Loeffler • The Electric Motor Repair Company Chief Financial Officer Lisa Loeffler is a strategic Chief Financial Officer with more than 25 years of executive leadership experience driving growth, financial transformation, and operational excellence across private equity-backed, privately held, and international organizations. She has led finance functions for companies with revenues from $40 million to $600 million, specializing in M&A, FP&A, ERP implementations, financial strategy, and organizational transformation. Known for building high-performing teams and partnering with CEOs and boards, Lisa delivers scalable solutions that strengthen financial performance, improve operational efficiency, and position organizations for sustainable growth and successful transactions. Thank You to Our Sponsors