Our Team

Michael Riechman

Managing Partner

Michael Riechman is founding member and Managing Partner of Pivotal, an affordable housing developer, owner, and operator. Prior to Pivotal,  he was a member of the Executive Team of Miller-Valentine Group and responsible for the Investment Management platform that includes capital raising, investment structuring, investor relations, property management, asset management, accounting and compliance. Prior to joining Miller-Valentine, Michael was a Senior Managing Director and head of the Affordable Housing equity group at Centerline Capital Group. His responsibilities included syndications and portfolio dispositions. He was a member of the Executive Management Team. Prior to Centerline, he was with RBC Capital Markets where he spent eight years, most recently as Managing Director responsible for tax credit investments. There he led the tax credit syndication platform that included: originations and syndications, investments, pricing and structuring. The syndication platform had an annual investment volume of approximately $600 Million.

Brian McGeady

Managing Partner

Brian McGeady guides the development activities Pivotal and is responsible for the strategic planning, acquisitions, development process, feasibility analysis and the creation of strategic housing partnerships with both non‐profit and for‐profit organizations. Under Brian’s leadership, the group has produced an average of nine, 9% tax credit allocations over the last eight years. In 2016, the company was named the 3rd largest affordable housing developer in the country for new units created. Product types include senior communities, multifamily and single family homes financed with both 9% and 4% credits. His expertise includes the development of new construction, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse

Nicklaus McKee

In-House Counsel

Nicklaus (Nick) R. McKee is In-House Counsel for Pivotal Housing Partners. He is responsible for managing all aspects of the legal issues that Pivotal encounters. This includes contracting for and closing new developments, advising on compliance and property management matters, and implementing various strategies to mitigate liability and increase company value.
Prior to joining Pivotal, Nick was an attorney at Vorys, Sater Seymour and Pease LLP where he represented agency lenders in HUD-insured financing transactions. He also advised clients on issues regarding portfolio acquisition and disposition along with other loan management issues.
Nick received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a juris doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Pete Schwiegeraht

Senior Vice President of Development - Midwest

Pete Schwiegeraht leads the development activities in the Midwest Region (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, & others) for Pivotal and is responsible for the strategic planning, acquisitions, development process, feasibility analysis and the creation of strategic housing partnerships with both non‐profit and for‐profit organizations. Under Pete’s leadership, the region has produced more than 40, 9% tax credit allocations over the last ten years. Product types include senior communities, multifamily and single family homes financed with both 9% and 4% credits.

Darren Smith

Head of Development - Southwest Region

Throughout Darren’s career, he has been successful in executing more than $1 Billion in total development cost of multi-family housing projects throughout the country. His ability to work with non-profit, government agencies, and for-profit partners has been instrumental in his success. His experience has involved projects that included but not limited to traditional bank financing, HUD, Freddie, Fannie, and loan assumptions. Other programs essential in his success include LIHTC Section 42, Workforce Housing structures, Tax-Exempt Bond Financing, HOME funds, CDBG funds, Historic Preservation, Brownfield credits, Solar Energy credits, and city & county subordinate funds. Darren has been involved in all facets of the development process including site selection, strategic planning, feasibility analysis, site contract & acquisition, entitlements & zoning changes, negotiations with all third-party professionals. Focused on bringing projects in on-time and on-budget begins with identification of General Contractors, bidding, and managing construction through completion all while strategically developing and implementing a lease-up and stabilization plan. Focused on fairness, Win-Win situations creates the best environment when issues inevitably occur. Team is always the best approach. Projects

• Multi-family Housing
• New Construction
• Acquisition Rehabilitation Housing
• Senior Housing
• Commercial Office
• Medical Office
• Church Construction

Granvel Tate

Senior Vice President of Development - Southeast

Granvel Tate serves as the Vice President of Development in the Southeast for Pivotal Housing Partners. In this position, he is responsible for procuring both 4% and 9% tax credit-financed multifamily transactions.

Granvel is a real estate and finance executive that began his career more than 20 years ago in the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman, Sachs & Co. where he worked on mergers and acquisitions and public offerings for banks, insurers, broker/dealers, and asset managers. He moved on to work for various other distinguished organizations where he gained skills in real estate development, underwriting, business development, and asset management while serving as a project manager for the redevelopment of shopping malls, urban retail, and affordable housing.

Most recently, Mr. Tate was the Regional Vice President for a national affordable housing developer. In this role, he was responsible for the business development and execution of affordable and attainable housing projects covering seven southeastern states. During his tenure, he closed approximately 1,000 housing units which represented more than $250mm in development, and served as the chairperson for the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.

Granvel holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Florida A&M University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a member of the Robert Toigo Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing leadership and development opportunities for minorities in finance. Most importantly, Granvel is a father to two amazing teenagers.

Wyllys Mann

Senior Vice President of Development - Upper Midwest

Wyllys has over 15 years of experience across a variety of real estate subsectors. Prior to joining Pivotal as Regional Director of Development and then Senior Vice President for the Upper Midwest, Wyllys Mann was Director of Facilities Services at Baird & Warner Real Estate Services, one of the nation’s oldest and largest family-owned real estate sales companies. Before that he helped to launch Affordable Community Energy, a New Market Tax Credit financed energy efficiency and renewable energy company, which was recognized by the Obama White House and the Department of Energy as a critical contributor to the fight against climate change. Earlier in his career Wyllys gained experience with residential and commercial tax credit developments, including the Chicago Housing Authority’s 3 phase redevelopment of Rockwell Gardens and the Washington Park SRO, Chicago’s first LEED accredited Low Income Housing Tax Credit property.
His leadership goes beyond the office. He is the Vice President of Neighborspace, a public private partnership that transforms vacant lots into community gardens and co-founder of Hyde Park International, an adult recreational soccer club with participants from more than 30 countries. Wyllys was the Michael Smurfit School of Business MBA Class of 2008 “Future Thinker” Scholar. He was among the first generation of LEED Accredited Professionals and is also a Building Performance Institute Certified Building Analyst and BPI Certified HVAC Professional.

Trey Barbour

Senior Vice President of Development- Northeast

Trey Barbour leads development activities in the Northeast Region (Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, & others) and is responsible for the strategic planning, site and portfolio acquisition, feasibility analysis, and overall project coordination for Pivotal. Trey works closely with local governments, community leaders and partners to ensure the highest quality outcomes for the communities we serve. Bringing more than 15 years of economic and real estate development experience, Trey has extensive knowledge of affordable housing (9% & 4%), historic rehabilitation, mixed-income, and mixed-use projects. He received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and his master’s degree from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to working with Pivotal, Trey was Senior Project Manager at Trek Development Group, a Pittsburgh-based real estate development company. While at Trek, Trey managed a variety of projects (affordable, commercial, market rate) from inception to completion resulting in $100+ million in development. Trey was co-founder and Principal of Patrick Edelen, a real estate consulting firm focused on working with private equity groups and local government agencies on economic development strategies and providing overall project management, debt restructuring, tax increment financing, and construction management experience. Trey also worked as Special Assistant to the Chief Executive of Allegheny County and as a Senior Project Manager at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA). Trey is a Certified Coro Leadership and Development Trainer. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Katy Wendell

Senior Regional Manager

Katy Wendel is a Senior Regional Manager who currently is responsible for the Northeast Region as well as properties in MO and KS. She has over 30 years’ experience in residential property management with the last 22 years focused primarily with the affordable housing division.

How did she get into property management?

Much like many others, I sort of fell into the business. After college, I worked as an outside sales representative for an office equipment and supply company. I spent my time cold calling and establishing new customers for orders. I wanted to pick up something else on the weekends and applied for a part time leasing position in Fairfield. I immediately LOVED IT. It was so fun and rewarding to show apartment homes and get people’s story and help them find a place to live that would meet their needs. After a taste of it, I quit the office equipment company and got a full-time job in property management and stuck with it all these years and I really can’t see me doing anything else.

Ami Homestead

Regional Vice President of Property Management

Ami Homestead is the Regional Vice President of Property Management and is responsible for driving operational excellence with our teams in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.

Ami began her property management career in 1994 managing student, then luxury conventional housing. In 2006, Ami transitioned her career into the affordable housing sector working for a large Public Housing Authority as an AMP Manager. In 2009, Ami joined a growing privately held company as the Regional Manager with a portfolio of Project-Based Section 8 communities in Ohio and Michigan. Ami’s focus was to reposition distressed assets and acquisitions.

Ami joined our team in 2016 as the Regional Manager responsible for the affordable portfolio in NW Ohio and Michigan. In addition to her core portfolio, she also managed the Pennsylvania and West Virginia communities during 2020.

Ami’s true passion is team development with a customer-centric management philosophy. Ami has also been influential in developing operating policies and procedures and champions the utilization of technology.

Shelley Umphress

Regional Vice President of Property Management

Dawn Whiteford

Customer Care Representative

Dawn Whiteford is our Customer Care Representative. She has been in this role since August of 2020. Prior to this, she was a multi-site Community Manager for three Senior Communities in the Greater Cincinnati Area. She has over 15 years of experience in property management and enjoys helping people find solutions to their problems and supporting our on-site team members.