Leadership
Alexander R. Westra
Managing Partner
Brian K. Allen
Senior Construction Manager
Andrew T. Yancey
Director of Finance and Operations
C. “Teddy” Zinsner
Director of Acquisitions
Cindy J. Cleaver
Director of Property Management
Nicholas T. Westra
Director of Research and Media
Mr. Westra founded Lakeland Capital in 2018 and has invested in multifamily assets since 2010, he is responsible for Lakeland’s overall strategy, acquisitions, and capital relationships.
Previously Westra was a Managing Director and member of the Finance Committee at Hines Interests, one of the largest private real estate development and investment firms globally, where he participated in approximately $3.5bn of transactions. Prior to Hines, Mr. Westra worked in the Bloomberg Administration in New York and with Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division in London.
He holds a BA, magna cum laude, from Middlebury College where he was a Fulbright finalist, and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Mr. Westra is a guest lecturer at the Darden School where he continues to mentor students and established an endowment to support real estate career development.
Experience
Managing Director, Member of Finance Committee
Investment Banking Division (London)
Education
Middlebury College
BA, Magna Cum Laude
Univeristy of Virginia
MBA
Mr. Allen manages Lakeland’s value-add programs throughout the Southeast and supports the firm’s value-add programs in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
With more than seven years of experience with the U.S. Marine Corps where he served as Infantry Platoon Sergeant and Utilities Section Manager. He previously worked in a construction management capacity at Turner Construction and as Development Project Manager in New Orleans with NORF Companies where he participated in $65mm of multifamily development and historic rehabilitation projects utilizing federal and state tax credit programs.
Mr. Allen holds a BA in Intelligence and Security Studies from The Military College of South Carolina (The Citadel) and an MBA from Tulane University.
Experience
U.S. Marine Corps
NORF Companies
Education
The Citadel
BA in Intelligence and Security Studies
Tulane University
MBA
Mr. Yancey is responsible for Lakeland’s corporate and investor accounting and controls. He oversees and manages property accounting across the firm’s portfolio.
Previously, he worked as an Investment Accountant for Greystar, the largest apartment owner in the U.S., where he focused on joint ventures for student and single family rental assets. He has prior experience with Moody & O’Neal, Virginia National Bank and T.E.A.L. Construction.
Mr. Yancey holds a BS in Accounting and Finance from the College of Charleston, for which he received an academic scholarship. He holds an MS in Accounting from the University of Virgina’s McIntire School of Commerce.
Experience
Education
College of Charleston
BS in Accounting & Finance
University of Virgina
MS in Accounting
Mr. Zinsner supports acquisitions, asset management and investor relations functions at Lakeland.
Previously Zinsner worked at Public Properties in Washington, D.C. where he was active in land acquisition, build-to-suit development, and lease transactions on behalf of federal agencies. Prior to beginning his career in real estate, Mr. Zinsner participated in amateur and professional golf events. He holds a BA in Economics from Yale University, where we he was multi-year captain of the Varsity Golf Team.
Experience
Associate
Education
Yale University
BA, Captain of Division 1 Golf Team
University of Virgina
MBA
Ms. Cleaver is responsible for the property management oversight of Lakeland’s portfolio.
She has more than 25 years of property management experience and most recently held various Regional Property Manager roles throughout the Mid-Atlantic. She began her career with Harbor Group Management in Norfolk, VA.
Ms. Cleaver holds a BA in Communications from Mansfield University.
Experience
Regional Property Manager
Education
Mansfield University
BA, Communications
Mansfield University
Mr. Westra leads Lakeland’s proprietary research group, which informs Lakeland’s investment strategy and seeks to educate the broader market. He also manages Lakeland’s media relationships. Westra worked in prior roles in research and investment at leading financial institutions including T. Rowe Price, Invesco and Morgan Stanley. He also served as a staff writer for the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s largest English-language newspaper, where he covered capital markets. He holds a BA in History with Honors from the University of Chicago where he was appointed Student Marshal, and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Experience
Education
University of Chicago
BA in History with Honors, Student Marshall
University of Virgina
MBA