Jim Thomas
Co-Founder and Principal
Jim Thomas is co-founding principal of Cityscape Residential, with oversight responsibilities for development and construction activities. He was a co-founder of Hearthview Residential and simultaneously, was a manager and partner in several specialty subcontractor and construction companies. Jim has served as E.V.P. of AMLI Residential Properties Trust, a NYSE-listed Real Estate Investment Trust, where he oversaw development and construction for the area from Colorado to Missouri. Prior to AMLI, Jim was a partner at Trammell Crow Residential, also responsible for development and construction throughout the lower Midwest. Jim has also been a developer and consulting firm owner in Boston, MA, and worked for an architectural firm in Kansas City, MO. Jim received a B.S. and an M.Arch from the School of Architecture and Planning of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Real Estate Development from M.I.T’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 the co-founding principal of Cityscape Residential, L.L.C., focusing on capital market activities. He was a co-founder of Hearthview Residential and simultaneously, was a manager and partner in several specialty subcontractor and construction companies. Brian was previously with AMLI Residential Properties Trust, a NYSE-listed Real Estate Investment Trust. During his tenure with AMLI, he served in senior management positions, including E.V.P. of AMLI Residential Properties Trust, AMLI Management Company, and AMLI Institutional Advisors. Brian managed Institutional Capital Market activity nationally for the firm. He was a member of the Corporate Executive Committee and Chaired AMLI’s Investment Committee. Brian was previously a Partner & Chief Financial Officer for Trammell Crow Residential‘s Midwest operations. Brian received an undergraduate degree 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 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Derrick Cranor
President
Derrick Cranor serves as a principle of Cityscape Residential, focusing on capital markets activities, and brings a strong background in all aspects of institutional multifamily development, acquisition, and finance. Prior to joining Cityscape, Derrick served as a Vice President for Monogram Residential Trust, a NYSE-traded REIT. Most recently, Derrick oversaw Monogram acquisition and development sourcing activities in the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California. He was also responsible for managing Monogram’s 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. Derrick received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University and is active in the Urban Land Institute and its Multifamily Product Council (Silver Flight).
Mike Patarino
President of Construction
Mike Patarino brings over 30 years of accomplished experience in real estate development, construction, and architecture to Cityscape. His background includes multifamily residential, government, institutional, commercial, mixed use, retail, hotel, and sports projects. Prior to Cityscape, Mike served as the SVP of Construction and Real Estate Development for an Indianapolis-based real estate company. In this role, Mike led his teams through all phases of project development and construction from concept to completion as well as leading its in-house property management group. Mike holds a Juris Doctor from Indiana University McKinney School of Law, a B.S. in Political Science from Ball State University, and an A.S in Architecture from Vincennes University. Mike is an Adjunct Professor for the Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate Development program at University of Indianapolis and serves as on the Advisory Board and Curriculum Committee.
Ryan Adams
Vice President
Ryan Adams brings nearly 20 years of real estate experience through his accomplished background in architecture, construction, development, finance, and asset management and leads the firm’s efforts in Missouri and Kansas. Prior to joining Cityscape, Ryan served as the Associate Director of Development for Port KC, managing development efforts of the 55 acre Berkley Riverfront Development in downtown KC as well as assisted in redeveloping and managing over 1,000 acres of Port KC’s undeveloped land. Before returning to his hometown of KC, Ryan spent 12 years in Chicago managing the design, development, planning and zoning for $350 million of development, ranging from infill downtown retail on Chicago’s “Gold Coast”, to luxury adaptive re-use condominiums, to suburban for-sale housing. Ryan holds a Master’s Degree in Real Estate with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a degree in Architecture from the University of Kansas. Currently he serves as Board Chair of Kansas City B-cycle, Board member of BikeWalkKC and is an active member of ULI Kansas City and National Preservation of Historic Trust.
Brian Evans
Vice President
Brian Evans brings 15 years of experience in design, land development and project oversight to Cityscape and leads the company’s development and company oversight responsibilities in Kentucky. Prior to Cityscape, Brian oversaw the planning and development for a Louisville based private development company that developed and owned commercial and multifamily properties. Prior to entering development, Brian was a project manager for Qk4, a consulting engineering firm providing planning/zoning and design engineering services for site developments projects in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. Brian received a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering from the Speed Scientific School at the University of Louisville. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Kentucky, a member of the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, and serves as Secretary for the Board of Directors of the Louisville Apartment Association.
MJ Trujillo CPM®
President of PRAXM
MJ Trujillo is responsible for the overall strategy, vision and culture of PRAXM Management, the property management affiliate of Cityscape with responsibility for management oversight of both Cityscape Residential communities as well as third-party properties. MJ brings several years of successful on-site and multi-site management experience to PRAXM. MJ not only has a proven track record of maximizing performance at all levels of property and organizational operations, but she also fosters individual and team achievements by providing dynamic engaged leadership, employee empowerment, recognition and reward. MJ also expects and provides involved exceptional customer service experiences in all components of property management. MJ is a board member of the Indiana Apartment Association.
Evan Bryant
Director, Land Acquisitions
Evan Bryant joins the Cityscape team with nearly a decade of multifamily experience, with expertise in market and site selection, land acquisition, contract negotiation and management, project underwriting, and development. Prior to joining Cityscape, Evan spent six years in the student housing industry at Trinitas Ventures, primarily focused on acquiring and developing a variety of land sites and product types nationwide. During his tenure at Trinitas, Evan played an integral role in developing over 5,000 beds from coast to coast, including cottage-style developments in Washington, Kansas, Ohio and Michigan, and high-rise projects in Indiana and Arizona. 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 received a B.A. in History from the University of Kentucky, maintains an Indiana Managing Broker License, and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and The Penrod Society.
Jennifer Sewell
Vice President
Jennifer Sewell brings five years real estate experience to the Cityscape team. Her background includes experience with development, acquisition, underwriting and asset management of investments in all major asset classes, with a focus on multifamily. Prior to Cityscape, Jennifer was responsible for the asset management of properties from acquisition to disposition at one of the nation’s largest private equity firms. She also spent over three years working for Northwestern Mutual Real Estate where she was an underwriter for loan and equity investments. Jennifer received a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Notre Dame. She is a member of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women Network) and a mentor through Notre Dame’s Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate.
Rebecca Collins
Director, Communications & Property Management
Rebecca’s role focuses on driving occupancy and rent growth while emphasizing innovation simultaneously. Rebecca’s skill set sits at the intersection of marketing, operations, and technology. Areas of expertise include marketing strategy, communication, brand management, evaluating and implementing new technologies, and impacting leasing and operations.
Rebecca’s greatest strengths are her creativity, drive, and leadership. She works tirelessly and thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand the company’s reach.
She is experienced in assisting organizations achieve major business initiatives through strategic business expertise, collaboration, and innovation. Rebecca assists in identifying potential gaps and develops creative solutions specifically tailored to address each unique challenge. Her abilities to increase profitability, attract and retain top talent, streamline processes, and improve overall operating performance are unmatched.
Kyra Meyer
Human Resources Director
Kyra Meyer brings eight years of Human Resources experience to the Cityscape Residential team. She has gained a broad and deep level of HR practices and strategies through her career in Human Resources. Her areas of focus include compensation, benefits, recruitment, retention, training, development, compliance, safety, organizational structure, and employee relations. Kyra serves on an HR Management Advisory Board and participated in 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. She also holds a B.A. in Human Resources Management from Benedictine University.
