Richard L. Crook, President
As co-founder and President of Ashbrook Communities, Richard Crook works closely with Timothy McGowan, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, focusing his attention on pursuing their shared vision for the company and creating opportunities for continued growth. Until recently, he also served as Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the company, including overseeing all engineering, entitlement, site development, finance and construction activities. His career in the real estate industry spans more than 35 years and includes experience with some of the country's largest residential development firms. He has held executive positions with Homestead Land Development, Bramalea Ltd., Grupe Development, Cadillac-Fairview Homes and Aetna Diversified Properties. Immediately before co-founding Ashbrook Communities, he served as president of Homestead Land Development, where he acquired, processed and developed master-planned communities with more than 5,000 residential units and built more than 1,000 homes.
Mr. Crook studied business administration at Chico State University and continued his education at the University of California at Berkeley with graduate studies in real estate principles and practices and real estate taxation.
Timothy J. McGowan, Chief Executive Officer
As co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ashbrook Communities, Timothy McGowan oversees all aspects of the organization, with particular emphasis on locating new land purchase opportunities, selection of product and design, and on seeking and establishing financial and business alliances to assist with ongoing or future projects.
Mr. McGowan's 29 years in the real estate industry have made him a leading authority on the Southern California housing market. Before co-founding Ashbrook Communities, he served as a consultant for numerous developers of master-planned communities, assisting them with product mix, lot size configurations, project themes and product types. In 14 years as a commercial broker with Grubb & Ellis, where he was the top producer out of more than 2,000 brokers nationwide in 1989, he also assisted developers in acquiring thousands of acres of land for commercial and residential projects, including master-planned communities with a combined total of more than 30,000 residential units. In 1992, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Grubb & Ellis, a position achieved by less than one percent of the company’s brokers.
Mr. McGowan is an active member of the Building Industry Association and has served for years on the board of directors for Housing Opportunities, Inc., a non-profit company that builds homes for low-to-moderate-income families.
Scott Myers, Chief Operating Officer
Scott Myers is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, including overseeing all engineering, entitlement, site development, finance and construction activities. He previously spent three years as Ashbrook Communities' chief financial officer. Before joining Ashbrook, he spent seven years at Big Eight accounting firms Peat Marwick and Price Waterhouse, and he has worked for two major homebuilders in California and Michigan over the past 15 years in executive financial management and operating positions. In addition, he spent three years as a custom homebuilder in the late 1990s.
Mr. Myers graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a dual major in finance and accounting.
Jim McLennan, Chief Financial Officer
Jim McLennan manages all aspects of accounting, financial reporting, budgeting/forecasting, and information systems management for the company. He was previously Senior Vice President/ Chief Financial Officer of Newland Communities. Prior to joining Newland, Jim was in charge of real estate advisory services with three large accounting firms, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young and Kenneth Leventhal & Company. He has a vast knowledge of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, financial restructurings, debt and equity sourcing and renegotiations, personnel management and development, partnership structuring and restructuring.
Mr. McLennan earned a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in accounting from California State University Fullerton, and he is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Nanci Adler, VP Finance
Nanci Adler is responsible for the management of the day-to-day accounting functions of the company as well as all financial reporting. Additionally, she is responsible for the budgeting and forecasting of all Ashbrook projects.
A graduate of San Diego State University, Ms. Adler has been involved in the San Diego real estate industry for 20 years, with an emphasis in homebuilding for the past 11 years. Prior to joining Ashbrook in 2001, she was with Cornerstone Communities and ColRich Communities. She also has extensive experience in commercial real estate and property management.
