Advisory Council

Joseph Cohen

Joseph Cohen – Mr. Cohen is a founding principal and Managing Director of HoyleCohen, a leading San Diego based wealth advisory firm specializing in a long-term, goals-based approach to building and sustaining wealth. He has been a wealth advisor for 27 years. Mr. Cohen is a distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Academy and received his MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T). Mr. Cohen holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, is an active supporter of Technion University, the M.I.T. of Israel, and has been involved with the San Diego Jewish Film Festival for over 10 years. Mr. Cohen serves as a trustee on the Boards of the Jewish Community Foundation (San Diego), the Orcas Island Community Foundation (Washington) and The Reuben H. Fleet Space and Science Center (San Diego).

Carl Eibl

Carl Eibl – Mr. Eibl is the Managing Director at Enterprise Partners, a San Diego-based, $1 billion venture capital firm. In addition to serving as an investment partner, he is responsible for managing the firm. Mr. Eibl leads investments in Internet 2.0, web and software-based businesses, as well as restructurings and business buyouts and combinations. Prior to joining Enterprise in 2003, Mr. Eibl was the CEO of several high profile technology and life science companies, including publicly-traded Maxwell Technologies (MXWL, NASDAQ), President of Stratagene Corporation (STGN), then a privately-held biotechnology company and CEO of Mycogen Corporation, a publicly-held agricultural, biotechnology company, acquired by Dow Chemical Company for $1.1 billion. Mr. Eibl holds a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law and a B.A. from Cornell University.

John Frager

John Frager, Chairman – Mr. Frager has been a commercial real estate executive for more than 25 years. In September, 2010, he rejoined CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. as head of its Office Services Group for North America and Latin America, where he oversees more than 1,500 professionals and support staff. Previously, Mr. Frager was President and CEO of Cassidy Turley|BRE Commercial (previously Grubb & Ellis|BRE Commercial), which he grew from the fourth largest to the largest commercial real estate firm in San Diego in just five years. Under his leadership, BRE launched several new divisions, including Financial Advisory Services, Debt Placement and Capital Markets and acquired several businesses. Mr. Frager spent the first 16 years of real estate career at CB Richard Ellis, in various executive management positions. Previously, he served for six years as an aviator with the U.S. Navy and did tours in Japan, the Philippines and Guam. Mr. Frager received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

Damon Gascon

Damon Gascon – Mr. Gascon is a 20-year veteran of the homebuilding industry with substantial experience in strategic planning, land development and development of master planned communities. He is currently President of Gascon Companies, Inc., a residential real estate advisory, asset management and construction services firm providing services to homebuilders, developers and lenders. Previously, Mr. Gascon served as Inland Empire Area President for K. Hovnanian Homes (KHOV, NYSE), a publicly-traded, national homebuilder. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gascon co-founded Pacific Century Homes, the largest homebuilder in the Inland Empire before Lennar Homes acquired the company in 2002. Mr. Gascon graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from San Diego State University.

Norm Miller

Norm Miller, Ph.D. – Norm Miller is a Professor at the University of San Diego and Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Real Estate (see www.josre.org). He also works with Collateral Analytics, which develops real estate analytic products and tools to support financial institutions, institutional and retail investors. Previously, Dr. Miller was Vice President of Analytics for the CoStar Group, a leading commercial real estate data and market analysis company. Prior to joining the University of San Diego, he was Academic Director and the founder of the real estate program at the University of Cincinnati. He received his Ph.D. from the Ohio State University.

Dr. Miller has published numerous academic articles, books and articles in trade market publications on housing, brokerage, mortgage risk, valuation, sustainable real estate and many other topics. His most recent book “Commercial Real Estate Analysis and Investment” with Geltner, Eicholtz and Clayton is in its second edition and is the world’s leading graduate level real estate textbook. Dr. Miller has lectured around the world, including in Singapore, Thailand and Russia. He has worked extensively with various trade associations and became one of the first “Distinguished Fellows” of NAIOP in 2002 and served as one of the primary instructors for NAIOP educational programs from 1998 through 2008.

He is currently a Homer Hoyt Land Use Institute Faculty and Board member, based in North Palm Beach and on the research committees of PREA, the ULI and ICSC.

Jerry Turk

Jerry Turk – From 1998 to 2008, Mr. Turk oversaw the development, construction and management of the Pala Casino Spa and Resort on the Pala Indian Reservation in San Diego County, California. Mr. Turk co-developed this project in 1998 with Anchor Gaming of Las Vegas (now part of International Game Technology, IGT: NYSE). Subsequently, Mr. Turk was responsible for the development and construction of the expanded casino, resort and spa. The Pala complex contained 2,250 slot machines, 87 table games, a 507-room, AAA four-diamond hotel, a 10,000 square foot high-end spa, eight restaurants, three entertainment venues and a 20,000 square foot convention area. From 1988 to 1996, Mr. Turk was associated with Fitzgerald’s Gaming Corporation (FGC). In 1988, he moved to Nevada from New York to help build a gaming company, which he later combined with FGC. Turk was chairman and chief executive officer of two of the predecessor companies to FGC, which owned casino hotels in Las Vegas and Mississippi. Prior to the formation of FGC, Mr. Turk, together with a former partner, conceived, developed and managed the Empress Casino, near Chicago, which became one of the most successful casinos in the U.S. Mr. Turk was trained as both an attorney and a certified public accountant. Previously, he was a partner and managing director with the investment banking firm of Oppenheimer & Co. He also spent seven years in the women’s footwear industry, first as CFO of an American Stock Exchange-listed company, and then as COO of a large, privately held manufacturer and wholesaler. Mr. Turk also served for 18 months as a special assistant to the New York City Controller, where he led the team that uncovered poor accounting practices and other problems within the Controller’s office.