Our Organization
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Don Anderson, Senior Vice President
As Senior Vice President of our New Business Development Team, Don's brings 23 years of experience in new home marketing and sales. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for the sales and marketing of thousands of new and converted condominium products. His expertise in urban high rise, condominium conversions and resorts is invaluable as he leads our new business efforts on major projects. Prior to joining The Ryness Company, Don was president of Developer Marketing Associates, formerly one of the largest new home sales and marketing firms in California, Arizona & Nevada. He has been a speaker at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference and for the National Association of Home Builders and has held various posts in numerous sales, marketing and builder associations. Don currently serves on the steering committee for San Diego's downtown marketing program.
Paul Desmet, Northern California Regional President
Paul brings over 20 years of real estate industry expertise to his role as President of the Northern California Region. His wealth of knowledge and experience in various marketing and sales positions has served our clients well in this leadership role. Prior to his current position Paul also served as an on-site Community Sales Manager and Director of Marketing for The Ryness Company. During the recessionary market of the early 1990s, he continued to achieve consistent sales, demonstrating his capacity for successfully overcoming numerous marketing challenges. Paul's career includes a number of years in commercial real estate where he served as an investment specialist with Grubb & Ellis. His participation in several multi-million dollar transactions involved an emphasis on land sales, leasing, and renovation of commercial properties, giving him tremendous insight into our clients' business challenges. Paul is a licensed Real Estate Broker in California and a long-time member of the Home Builders Association of Northern California and the Builders' Marketing Society.
Michael J. Hixson, MIRM, Executive Vice President Southwest Region
Over 25 years of experience working with residential builders, lenders, master-plan new community developers, and governmental entities has earned Mike the role of Executive Vice President of our Southwest Region. In this capacity, Mike manages the marketing and sales operations for our clients in Central and Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. Prior to joining The Ryness Company, he was President of Developers' Diversified Services, Inc. He was also founder and principal of Goodman/Hixson & Company where he generated a half-billion dollars in new home sales for his clients. Mike has served as president of three industry organizations, including the Sales and Marketing Council of BIA/SC, the Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) of the National Association of Homebuilders, and the Inland Empire SMC. Mike also served as a director of the BIA/OC and BIA/Southern California and is an instructor of marketing for homebuilders at the University of California, Irvine.
Clifford Mensch, Senior Vice President
Thirteen years experience in the real estate industry has made Cliff a recognized authority in new home sales, marketing, and development. Working directly with developers and builders, he consults on all aspects of a project including site/plan evaluation, amenity specifications, model/sales office design, and effective advertising and promotions. He specializes in new homes sales in Southern California and Las Vegas. Cliff is a California real estate broker and a member of the Sales and Marketing Council of the San Diego County Building Industry Association.
Catherine Nicholas, Southwest Regional President
As President of our Southwest Region, Catherine oversees all company operations for Central and Southern California, Nevada and Arizona. She works closely with local area managers to ensure our clients receive optimal service in new product development, market positioning and property launch strategies, as well as advertising and promotional campaigns. Catherine also coaches on-site sales professionals to ensure effective presentation and closing techniques. A 25-year veteran of the development industry, her background as a land use planner and a construction project manager gives an added dimension to The Ryness Company's Management Team. Catherine is a member of the board of directors of the Sales and Marketing Council of the San Diego County Building Industry Association.
James Suth, Vice President
A Vice President with The Ryness Company, Jim is CEO of Ryness Professional Training, formed to promote leadership and selling skills within the company and the housing industry. As a 16-year veteran of the housing industry, Jim's experience has touched all elements of the home purchasing process. With leadership roles at Lamas Loan Group, Hyland Bay, and KB Homes, Jim acquired a unique perspective on the essential elements of successful sales processes. As Vice President of Sales for Richmond American Homes, Jim was exposed to sales systems and specialized marketing programs from coast to coast. Jim is a nationally recognized speaker having trained over one thousand new home sales representatives across the country. His singular style, spontaneity, and sense of humor are key ingredients of his memorable training sessions.
Jeffrey Woerner, Senior Vice President
As Senior Vice President and manager of our New Business Development team, Jeff focuses on the needs of new clients as well as those of existing clients who are breaking into new markets. He translates industry activity, economic analysis and consumer insights from our Market Research Department into actionable recommendations to builders and developers. Prior to his new business role, Jeff specialized in consulting with and providing custom research services to our developer clients as well as financial and lending organizations. Before joining The Ryness Company, Jeff was a consultant for the Meyers Group where he provided research and analysis services for builders/developers and other construction industry professionals throughout the United States. In addition to his real estate industry experience, Jeff has a Masters Degree in Applied Economics and has written Op-Eds for the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register. He has also co-authored public policy reports concerning development issues in Southern California.