Jim Thomas
Co-Founder and Principal
As Cityscape Residential’s co-founder and principal, Jim Thomas guides the high-level vision of all development and construction activities.
Jim brings a strategic lens gleaned through years of leadership roles. He was a co-founder of Hearthview Residential, and was a manager and partner in several specialty subcontractor and construction companies. As E.V.P. of AMLI Residential Properties Trust, a NYSE-listed Real Estate Investment Trust, Jim oversaw development and construction from Colorado to Missouri. Before that, he was a partner at Trammell Crow Residential, where he led development and construction throughout the lower Midwest. Jim was also a developer and consulting firm owner in Boston, and was part of an architectural firm in Kansas City, Missouri.
Jim earned a B.S. and a Master of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and an M.S. in Real Estate Development from MIT’s Center for Real Estate Development. He is an active board member and volunteer in Scouts B.S.A. in central Indiana, and is a full member of the Urban Land Institute.
Brian Cranor
Co-Founder and Principal
Brian Cranor is a co-founding principal of Cityscape Residential, where he leads company strategy and capital market activity.
An industry leader for nearly four decades, Brian was co-founder of Hearthview Residential, and was a manager and partner in several specialty subcontractor and construction companies. He held four senior management positions, including E.V.P., at AMLI Residential Properties Trust – a NYSE-listed Real Estate Investment Trust – AMLI Management Company, and AMLI Institutional Advisors. Brian managed AMLI’s national Institutional Capital Market activity, was a member of the Corporate Executive Committee, and chaired the Investment Committee. Prior, he was a partner and chief financial officer for Trammell Crow Residential‘s Midwest operations.
Brian earned a B.S. from Ball State University and an M.S. in accounting from the University of Houston. He is a C.P.A. and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Brian has been very involved with the Indiana Apartment Association, serving in roles including vice-chair of the board, board member, Executive Committee member, and a Joe Rhodes Memorial Award winner. He also served as a past board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis.
Derrick Cranor
President
Cityscape Residential president Derrick Cranor leads the company’s capital market activities, drawing from a varied background in institutional multifamily development, acquisition, and finance.
Derrick was a vice president of Monogram Residential Trust, a NYSE-traded REIT, overseeing acquisition and development sourcing activities in the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, and multifamily development projects in Southern California and South Florida. During his tenure at Monogram, Derrick played a key role in approximately $1.3 billion of acquisitions and managed the development of nearly 3,000 units throughout Boston, Atlanta, Florida, Dallas, and Southern California. Prior, he worked for Behringer Harvard in capital markets and finance, and was part of the manufacturing engineering team at Roche Diagnostics.
Derrick received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University and is active in the Urban Land Institute.
Mike Patarino
President of Construction
Mike Patrino’s construction career started in 1984. Over four decades, his experience has spanned the industry: He worked in architecture as a draftsman and project manager; in construction as a project manager, construction manager, director, vice president, and president; and commercial real estate development as a senior vice president of development for companies including CSO Architects, DLR Architects, Hunt Construction Group, Shiel Sexton Construction, Lauth Property Group, and Keystone Group.
At Cityscape Residential, he puts that experience to use leading the construction group to deliver high-quality work on time, and on budget. Over his career, he’s seen more than $1 billion in projects to successful completion.
Mike has been a licensed Indiana attorney since 1992. He has served as an advisory board member and adjunct professor in the Masters in Professional Studies in Real Estate Development program at the University of Indianapolis. He is also a past board member at Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, past vice chairman, and past board member at the Jefferson County Housing Authority.
Mike earned an Associate of Science degree from Vincennes University, a Bachelor of Science from Ball State University, and Juris Doctorate from Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University-Indianapolis.
Joe Dascoli
Chief Account Officer
Joe Dascoli leads all accounting functions at Cityscape Residential, supporting various teams with experience gained through 26 years in accounting and real estate development.
Joe is a seasoned leader, whose career was built on managing teams and processes for well-known brands including Deloitte and Kittle Property Group. He brings tested leadership experience in corporate accounting and operations management to the Cityscape c-suite, directing the high-level vision of those operations with an eye on emerging trends, and a talent for identifying opportunities to make Cityscape better at every touchpoint.
His extensive experiences help him enhance and optimize Cityscape’s critical financial operations – however, he’s also a tactical, hands-on mentor who develops Cityscape’s project managers, and directs critical day-to-day work, including the production of financial statements, budgets, and forecasts.
A graduate of Xavier University, Joe is also a certified public accountant. In his personal time, he is an active participant in his children’s school and athletic activities.
Ryan Adams
Vice President
With over two decades of real estate experience, Ryan Adams brings a broad and insightful perspective to Cityscapes’s work in the Missouri and Kansas markets. His accomplished background in architecture, construction, development, finance, and asset management helps him lead projects – and growth – in these key Midwest markets, impacting communities including Greenwood Reserve and ALTO (Lenexa, Kansas); Apex on Quality Hill, Summit on Quality Hill, and Crossroads Westside (Kansas City, Missouri;, Meridian at View High and Elevate 114 (Lee’s Summit, Missouri); and Treadway at New Trails (Gardner, Kansas).
Ryan was Associate Director of Development for Port KC, managing development of the 55-acre downtown Berkley Riverfront Development, and supporting the redevelopment of more than 1,000 acres of Port KC’s undeveloped land. Before returning to his hometown, the Kansas City native spent 12 years in Chicago, managing the design, development, planning and zoning of $350 million of development across all asset classes.
Ryan earned a Master’s Degree in real estate from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Kansas. He has served as board chair and founding board member of both Kansas City B-cycle and BikeWalkKC. He is also a member of ULI Kansas City.
Jennifer Sewell
Vice President
As steward of Cityscape’s growing portfolio of properties in the Hoosier state, Jennifer Sewell is the primary point of contact for city leaders, redevelopment commissions, and other development partners exploring how high-end multifamily housing can help their communities grow.
Drawing from experience in development, acquisition, underwriting, and asset management of investments in all major asset classes, Jennifer is deeply invested in the success of Cityscape’s Indiana properties.
Her efforts have resulted in the successful debut of more than 1,450 units in communities including Aria Apartments (Zionsville), The Otis at Fort Ben (Lawrence), and Nexus Apartments (Noblesville). She currently leads Cityscape’s work on its newest apartment developments, The Steadman (Carmel), and Parkfield and BroadAcre (McCordsville).
A graduate of University of Notre Dame with a degree in finance, Jennifer believes in lifelong learning. To that end, she is a Real Estate Mentor for the next generation of Irish development leaders through the Notre Dame Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate, and is also a member of IndyCREW (Commercial Real Estate Women Network).
MJ Trujillo CPM®
President of PRAXM
Leaning on a successful background in on-site and multi-site management, MJ Trujilo directs the overall strategy, vision, and culture of PRAXM Management – the property management affiliate of Cityscape Residential. In this role, she not only stewards oversight of Cityscape Residential communities, she also cultivates and grows PRAXM’s portfolio of third-party properties.
Her proven track record of maximizing performance at all levels of property and organizational operations is a key part of what makes her a great leader. But she also fosters individual and team achievements by providing dynamic, engaged leadership, and championing employee empowerment, recognition, and reward. MJ sets a high bar for exceptional customer service experiences in all components of property management – and that commitment to excellence ripples through PRAXM’s entire company culture.
A member of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®), MJ is a Certified Property Manager and is a past president of IREM Chapter 24. She is on the Executive Board of the Indiana Apartment Association and Legislative Committee. MJ has also served on Ball State University’s Residential Property Management Advisory Board, and is a past Vice Chair of the RPM program. She is also a Board Member of RDOOR Housing Corporation, a non-profit affordable housing provider.
Evan Bryant
Director, Land Acquisitions
Evan Bryant’s decade of experience in multifamily community development arms him with impactful expertise in market and site selection, land acquisition, contract negotiation and management, project underwriting, and development. He leverages market knowledge and relationships to identify and acquire development sites for Cityscape, and navigates municipal processes to gain necessary approvals, financial incentives, and entitlements on projects including The Steadman (Carmel, Indiana), BroadAcre and Parkfield (McCordsville, Indiana) and Aviada (West Lafayette, IN).
Prior to joining Cityscape, Evan spent six years in the student housing industry at Trinitas Ventures, developing more than 5,000 beds from coast to coast, including cottage-style and high-rise developments. Before entering development, Evan worked in various roles in property management, and advised and brokered existing multifamily owners and properties in secondary and tertiary markets throughout the Midwest.
Evan earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Kentucky, maintains an Indiana Managing Broker License, and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, The Penrod Society, and Indy REAL.
Rebecca Collins
Director, Communications & Property Management
Rebecca Collins’s daily focus is driving occupancy and rent growth, while emphasizing innovation. With a skill set that sits at the intersection of marketing, operations, and technology, Rebecca works to expand the company’s reach, leading marketing strategy, communication, and brand management for Cityscape. In this high-impact role, Rebecca also keeps line of sight on emerging trends and opportunities in the space, and evaluates new technologies that can enhance Cityscape and PRAXM’s approach to leasing and operations. Her ability to increase profitability, attract and retain top talent, streamline processes, and improve overall operating performance is unmatched.
Kyra Meyer
Human Resources Director
Kyra Meyer guides Cityscape’s human resources infrastructure, building on close to a decade of tested experience in compensation, benefits, recruitment, retention, training, development, compliance, safety, organizational structure, and employee relations. In addition to setting the company’s strategic course for talent recruitment and retention, Kyra’s most critical job is cultivating an employee-oriented culture across all of Cityscape Residential’s offices and worksites.
From creating a safety program that met and exceeded ISO standards, to receiving accolades from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office for efforts and actions taken to protect employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyra’s career has been built on leading from the front.
An invested member of the industry, Meyer serves on an HR Management Advisory Board and the National SHRM Certification revision and update board. She holds a Certificate in Human Resources Management from the College of DuPage and a SHRM-CP, and a B.A. in management from Benedictine University.
