Keener Investments is a fully integrated real estate investment company located in Houston, TX. Keener Investments specializes in the acquisition and renovation of multifamily assets (apartment communities) which will benefit from our proven value-add strategy.
Keener’s strategy involves targeting properties that offer a strong balance of current cash flow and future appreciation. We seek to increase cash flow and maximize returns by improving physical conditions of the assets, improving management, and deploying cost saving mechanisms. We are currently focusing on the Houston and surrounding areas with plans to expand into other major markets nationally in the near term.
As sponsors, we provide all of the startup capital for every transaction and significant amounts of capital for acquisitions. Keener is committed to investing in every deal we sponsor to ensure our profitability is aligned with our investors.
Managing Director and CEO
Stephen Smith is the founder and CEO of Keener Investments. Mr. Smith is an experienced entrepreneur and has an extensive background in finance. Prior to founding Keener Investments, Mr. Smith co-founded Clean Energy Capital in 2009, a boutique investment bank located in Houston, Texas. At Clean Energy Capital, Mr. Smith has advised clients on high profile projects, with transactions totaling over $17 billion.
Prior to co-founding Clean Energy Capital, he was an investment banker at both Citigroup and Lehman Brothers, where he specialized in energy project finance. Mr. Smith holds advanced degrees in finance and economics, and started his career as a financial economist for the national practice of Ernst & Young. He holds a master’s degree in finance from LSU, a master’s degree in economics from the University of Oregon, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Oregon.
Managing Director and CFO
Jerry Smith is the CFO of Keener Investments and brings a significant background
of implementing accounting systems and streamlining back office processes to the
firm. Prior to joining Keener Investments, Jerry served as Vice President and
Controller of Freeport LNG, a privately held company with over $15 billion in assets.
He joined Freeport LNG from his previous role serving as Vice President and Chief
Accounting Officer of Cheniere Energy, a publicly traded company in the LNG
business.
Mr. Smith began his career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen in 1999, and
post-Enron with KPMG. He holds a master’s degree in accountancy from Abilene
Christian University and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas.
President
Pamela McGlashen is the President of Keener Management with almost 40 years of multifamily management experience, across all asset classes, throughout Houston and other large national markets. Prior to leading Keener Management, Ms. McGlashen served as President of Allied Orion Group, President of Management for Kaplan, and Director of Asset Management for Arel Capital. In these various roles, she oversaw operations of more than 130 multifamily properties in over 10 states overseeing approximately 500 employees including Human Resources and Regulatory Compliance Departments as well as leading new business development, fiscal planning, and budgeting.
Principal
Chris Farmer is the Head of Investor Relations and oversees all facets of investor management as well as strategic reporting for the Asset Management Group. Prior to joining Keener Investments, he served in various roles within Cheniere Energy, most recently Operations Planning Manager tasked with development and reporting of operational business plans as well as Corporate Budget Manager with oversight responsibilities for the corporate budgeting function with primary focus on the company’s multi-billion dollar LNG construction budgets. Mr. Farmer began his career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen and KPMG and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting as well as an MBA from Sam Houston State University.
Principal
Jeff Arthur has been in real estate development and investing for over 17 years. Through his own GP entities and affiliated companies, Jeff has been involved with a multitude of real estate development projects of a wide range and scale both on an individual and institutional level, totaling over $300 million in value. Jeff has successfully done projects in multifamily, office, and hospitality, including the largest ground up office development in Portland, OR over the last 25 years. Prior to beginning his real estate career, Jeff graduated with a BA in finance from the University of Arizona. Jeff began his career in Chicago as a floor options trader and then moved to New York to become a merger-arbitrage trader for the boutique and elite firm Madison Trading.
Acquisitions Associate
Will Wakefield is the Acquisitions Associate responsible for constructing financial models, preparing investor materials, and compiling quarterly updates for all investors. He has over 5 years of commercial real estate experience, most recently working for two global leaders in the industry, CBRE and JLL. Will is heavily involved in all aspects of the deal process, including acquisitions, dispositions, and refinancing’s. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with an undergraduate degree in Economics and from Rice University where he earned his MBA.
Investor Relations
Brooke Wilby Joins Keener as an integral part of the Investor Relations team. Her responsibilities include overseeing communication through cultivating personal relationships with our members and processing necessary investment inquiries. Brooke has over 3 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, with her initial start being at Keener as an Intern while earning her undergraduate degree. Most recently she worked for an industry leader, Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, where she assisted in the underwriting and closing of over $1 billion in multifamily transactions. Brooke earned her bachelor's degree in International Business and Finance from Auburn University.
Executive Assistant
Holly Lubelski is the Assistant to the CEO and is responsible for providing comprehensive support managing the organization’s office operations. Ms. Lubelski has an innate ability to organize, manage and complete complex projects which allowed for a seamless transition to her current role; after previously holding the positions Regional Supervisor and Director of Special Projects. Prior to her transition to Real Estate Investments, Ms. Lubelski worked in Multifamily Property Management for more than 20 years with highly respected companies including Monument Real Estate Services, Allied Orion Group and Northland Investments. Ms. Lubelski served on the Board of Directors for the GCAA as an owner's representative and is a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management, working towards her Certified Property Manager designation.
Senior Corporate Accountant
Eddie Caguana is the Senior Corporate Accountant for Keener Investments. He initially worked for Keener property management team, where he excelled in all aspects of his work and found his passion for real estate. His property management background, determination, and desire to take on new challenges has made for a smooth transition to the corporate environment. As an integral member of the corporate accounting team, Mr. Caguana has played a vital role in the successful implementation of accounting systems and back-office processes. He has earned his Certified Apartment Manager designation through the National Apartment Association and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting from the University of Houston.
Director Of Information Technology
Derek Plaisance is the IT Director responsible for overseeing the technical infrastructure across the Keener portfolio. His main responsibilities include taking care of our on-site personnel, testing new technologies, and consulting on various projects to enrich the tenants we serve. Mr. Plaisance has over 5 years of experience managing the design and implementation of IT infrastructure. Before joining Keener, Derek was a top performer in designing and selling automation systems for residential clients across Louisiana and Texas. Derek has a degree in Computer Science and Cloud based services which he will utilize to add value to each multifamily asset by ensuring residents are provided reliable, high-quality technologies.
Project Engineer
Preston Moore has a career history of directing activities for both residential and commercial construction projects and is currently acting as Project Engineer for Keener Construction. Mr. Moore has over 12 years of combined renovation and new construction experience on both multifamily residential and commercial projects. Preceding his time at Keener Construction, Mr. Moore was a Project Manager at Whitestone Construction. Whilst working for Whitestone, Mr. Moore directly managed the major renovation of over 1,000 apartment units for various multifamily groups in Texas and surrounding states.