LEADERSHIP
MEET THE TEAM
Paul Pariser
CO-CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Paul is a co-Founder and co-Chief Executive Officer of Taconic Partners who is known for his vision and integrity as an owner, developer and operator of innovative commercial and residential real estate. Paul and his partner Charlie Bendit are directly involved in all aspects of Taconic’s business, and have successfully directed the acquisition, repositioning, and/or redevelopment of key properties in both established and emerging markets. Prior to co-founding Taconic in 1997, Paul was president and Chief Executive Officer of Balfour Holdings, a national investment and development company focused on the acquisition and redevelopment of master planned communities. Balfour Holdings was ultimately sold to Blackstone. Paul has been immersed in the real estate industry since 1978, when he joined Jones Lang Wootton as one of the firm’s first employees in the United States, and where he first met business partner Charlie Bendit. During his tenure at JLW, Paul was named a co-managing partner of its nationwide operations.
Paul is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York, the Advisory Board of New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, the Advisory Board of the Columbia Business School Real Estate Program and its affiliated Real Estate Forum. Paul is also passionate about the arts, serving on the National Council of The Arts and Sciences School at Washington University in St. Louis and the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Art Museum. Paul is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, and earned a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.
Charles R. Bendit
CO-CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Charlie is a co-Founder and co-Chief Executive Officer of Taconic Partners. A recognized leader and innovator in the real estate industry, Charlie and his business partner Paul Pariser seek out investment opportunities for the company and its equity partners, and lead all capital market relationships. Prior to co-founding Taconic in 1997, Charlie founded CBC Properties, Inc., where he acquired, repositioned and managed more than one million square feet of office properties in New York and Washington, D.C., and several hundred residential units in metro New York. Prior to forming CBC, Charlie was a managing director at Jones Lang Wootton, where he established the firm’s regional offices and business platforms in both Washington, D.C. and Toronto, and was responsible for property acquisitions, sales, and financing for the firm’s international clientele.
Charlie is actively involved in the educational community and serves on the George Washington University Board of Trustees, and has served as a Regent of the New York State Board of Education and as a board member and Principal for a Day for PENCIL. Charlie also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York. Charlie graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration.
Colleen Wenke
PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
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Colleen is President and Chief Operating Officer at Taconic. She also leads Taconic’s Development and Construction practice. As President and COO, Colleen oversees corporate matters across the firm. As Head of Development and Construction she manages all aspects of development including strategic planning, zoning and entitlements, predevelopment, project budgeting, design management, construction oversight, procurement, risk management and insurance, community relations, branding, and marketing through sale or lease-up.
Since joining Taconic in 2000, Colleen has planned and overseen both ground-up and restoration projects in the commercial, residential and mixed-use sectors, totaling over 7 million square feet of commercial space and 1,500 units of housing. In addition, Colleen leads Taconic’s development advisory business, which focuses on key partnerships for client-led development and construction projects. Colleen received a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in psychology from Boston College, and earned a Master of Science degree in real estate development and finance from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. Colleen is an active member of ULI’s Program Steering Committee, NYPEN, Professional Women in Construction, and sits on the Fordham Real Estate Executive Advisory Council.
Christopher Squeo
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION
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Chris is primarily responsible for construction projects, including project management, design development, preconstruction, contract negotiations and construction oversight and close-out. While at Taconic he has overseen both ground-up and restoration projects in the commercial, residential and mixed-use sectors including the new 445,000 square foot 525 West 52nd Street building and the historical restoration of 817 Broadway in Manhattan. In his development advisory role, Chris has run point on a large-scale master planning effort as well as performed due diligence and long-term development planning for multiple acquisitions in Manhattan.
Prior to joining Taconic in 2015, Chris worked as both an engineer and construction manager on projects ranging from heavy mass transit to museums and educational institutions. As an engineer at Parsons Brinckerhoff, Chris worked on the $60 million historical restoration of the Corbin Building as well as the $1.4 billion Fulton Center. He then moved into construction management, where he was responsible for over $100 million of new construction and renovation projects. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the state of New York and is a LEED accredited professional.
George Tsapelas
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT
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In his 15 years at Taconic, George has bridged asset management, development and construction projects such as 837 Washington Street, 401 West 14th Street, and the BankNote. He now focuses on commercial redevelopment projects with a significant asset management and lease-up component, such as 730 Third Avenue and 817 Broadway.
