LIVV/NEO
Analyst
Connor Bucknam joined CORE in 2022. Connor is responsible for supporting the capital markets and advisory teams in all aspects of execution including internal underwriting, financial modeling, due diligence, FP&A, and investor relations. Additionally, Connor assists in the company’s principal investment opportunities where he supports the deal review and diligence processes.
Prior to joining CORE, Connor studied at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where he attained his B.S. Finance and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Honors College.
Connor was born and raised in Las Vegas. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog, taking trips to the beach, and playing pickleball on the weekends.
Analyst
Matt Zagby is responsible for supporting the advisory team in all aspects of execution, including internal underwriting, financial modeling, due diligence, FP&A, and investor relations. Additionally, Matt assists with the company’s principal investment opportunities where he supports the deal review and diligence processes.
Prior to joining CORE, Matt worked as an accountant at Tang Industries Inc., where he contributed to the month-end closing process by posting journal entries and preparing financial statements. Matt graduated cum laude from Northern Arizona University with a B.S.B.A. in Finance and a B.S. in Accounting. In his free time, Matt enjoys following financial markets, hiking, and spending time with family.
Managing Director
Kenny Daniels has been with CORE Advisory Partners since its founding in 2018 and is responsible for leading several of the company’s largest advisory engagements. As a part of those engagements, Kenny has executed over $300M of financings for clients, including construction finance, permanent financing and structured fund finance. During his tenure, Kenny’s clients have developed or acquired over $2B of real estate across various markets and strategies. Additionally, Kenny leads the company’s principal investment opportunities where he oversees originations, underwriting and asset management. Kenny graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a B.S.B.A. in Finance and Accounting.
Kenny was born and raised in Las Vegas after his parents moved to the city in the early 90’s. Growing up, Kenny was an avid sports fan, playing both varsity tennis and basketball in high school.
Associate
Kimberly “Kim” Tapia is responsible for supporting the advisory team in all aspects of execution including internal underwriting, financial modeling, FP&A and investor relations. Additionally, Kim assists in the company’s principal investment opportunities where she supports the deal review and diligence processes.
Prior to joining CORE, Kim worked as a Registered Wealth Management Client Associate at Merrill Lynch. Kim is a Las Vegas native and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a B.S.B.A. in Finance. In her free time, Kim enjoys traveling and spending time with family.
Associate
Michael Reddoch joined CORE in 2022. Michael is responsible for supporting the advisory team in all aspects of execution including internal underwriting, financial modeling, due diligence, FP&A, and investor relations. Additionally, Michael assists in the company’s principal investment opportunities where he supports the deal review and diligence processes.
Prior to joining CORE, Michael worked as an associate and registered CPA, performing transactional tax due diligence at KPMG, LLP in New York.
Michael is from Memphis, TN, and moved to Las Vegas in 2022. In his free time, Michael enjoys golfing, watching the Memphis Grizzlies, and going to concerts.
Michael graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. and M.A. in Accounting.
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Vitale is an accomplished financial leader who currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of CORE Advisory Partners. Prior to joining CORE, Mr. Vitale held a key position as Vice President at SoftBank Investment Advisers. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in the successful launch of all accounting and finance processes for an $8 billion private equity/venture capital fund focused on Latin America and for a groundbreaking $100 million venture capital fund. Additionally, Mr. Vitale served as the finance lead and right-hand to the CEO and CFO of a publicly traded Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), demonstrating his versatility and ability to navigate diverse financial landscapes. Prior to SoftBank, Mr. Vitale spent nine years at BNY Mellon where he served as Vice President, managing a large team focused on servicing the accounting and finance needs of private equity clients with over $8.5 billion of Assets under Management. Notably, he spearheaded the development of an in-house IT tool that seamlessly integrated two different accounting systems, enabling streamlined communication between the two systems and automating multiple critical processes. Mr. Vitale received a Bachelor of Business Administration, with a concentration in Accounting and Business Law from the University of Miami and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
Analyst
Ali Farid joined CORE in 2023. Ali is responsible for supporting the advisory team in all aspects of execution including internal underwriting, financial modeling, due diligence, FP&A, and investor relations. Alongside assisting the capital markets team, Ali supports the company’s advisory investment opportunities through deal review and diligence processes. Prior to joining CORE, Ali was involved in his local family business, where he played an integral part in expanding its reach across the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
In his free time, Ali finds solace in the great outdoors, often going on hikes with his two dogs. He also enjoys frequenting local bars, attending sporting events, and indulging in live concerts. Ali graduated from UNLV with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a M.S. in Quantitative Finance.
Associate
Jeremy Harris is responsible for supporting the advisory and capital markets teams in all aspects of execution including internal underwriting, financial modeling, due diligence, and final close. He is also involved throughout the Capital Markets deal process including outreach, term negotiations, closing processes, and more. He has been involved in over $500M of commercial real estate financings nationwide. Prior to joining CORE, Mr. Harris spent 3 years at Cushman & Wakefield on the San Diego Equity, Debt, & Structured Finance team. Mr. Harris graduated magna cum laude from San Diego State University with a B.S. in Finance.
In his free time, Jeremy enjoys sampling the fantastic restaurants around Las Vegas and discovering ways to travel around the world with credit card points. He has been to Thailand, Japan, Israel, Mexico City, and travels often to his hometown of Chicago.
Analyst
Devon Zubka is a high-achieving economics graduate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With versatile experience in both public accounting and investment banking, he has interned at KPMG, Union Gaming Securities, and Valtus Capital Group. In addition, he also served as an analyst at US Capital Global prior to joining Core Advisory Partners in 2023. Furthermore, Devon was an award winning cellist who has performed as a guest soloist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Henderson Symphony.
Chief Executive Officer
NMLS# 1834552
Mr. Abrao founded CORE in March 2018 to provide holistic advisory services to best-in-class middle market companies, real estate investors and developers. Most recently, Mr. Abrao was a Managing Director at Valtus Capital Group, where he worked on the closing of over $2B of capital raises, M&A advisory and capital restructuring transactions. Notable transactions included: the $367M acquisition of the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles by Singapore-based Overseas Union Enterprise and the Riady family and the $600M capital raise for The Parq casino in Vancouver, Canada. Prior to Valtus Capital, Mr. Abrao worked as a Director of Corporate Finance at Caesars Entertainment. Under the direction of Apollo and the TPG Group, Mr. Abrao oversaw the team that led Caesars’ initial public offering. In this role, Mr. Abrao also worked on potential acquisitions and disposition of properties and worked through over $4B of debt amendments. Prior to Caesars Entertainment, Mr. Abrao worked for MacFarlane Partners, a real estate private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA with over $20B of Assets Under Management. While at MacFarlane, Mr. Abrao did a rotation throughout the firm including (i) portfolio management where he helped close a $300M fund and oversaw a two funds totaling $1.8B; (ii) asset management where he worked closely with the firm’s development partners on residential, office, retail and hotel assets and assisted in implementing the best business practices into the firm’s portfolio companies; (iii) and on the acquisition team where he oversaw new investments and amendments of existing investments. Mr. Abrao began his career as a financial analyst with a boutique investment banking firm where he covered the real estate and gaming sectors. Francis is a distinguished alumnus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance.
When not engaged in his professional endeavors, Francis cherishes spending quality time with his beloved wife and co-parenting their four children. As a family, they relish participating in a variety of family-friendly sports, including racing, skiing, and watersports.
Francis’s commitment to both his professional and personal pursuits is a testament to his well-rounded nature and exemplifies his dedication to leading a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Managing Director
NMLS# 1962708
Alan Amici is a Managing Director of CORE Advisory Partners and has over 10 years of experience in real estate capital markets and investment banking. Alan is responsible for CORE’s Capital Markets activities and advisory assignments. Alan oversees all aspects of the capital raising process including material creation, marketing, relationship management, and closing. His institutional debt and equity capital raising experience spans all real estate product types and includes construction, transitional and stabilized projects and properties. Prior to CORE, Alan worked with Valtus Capital Group, a boutique investment banking firm that focuses on middle-market real estate, gaming and corporate M&A Advisory and capital raising. Alan graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a B.S.B.A. with a focus in Finance and Economics and is a licensed Mortgage Loan Originator with the NMLS and an active member of NAIOP. Outside of the office, he enjoys traveling with his wife, Courtni, golfing, country music, and virtually anything outdoors.
Managing Director
NMLS# 1824093
Malcolm Morgan is a Managing Director at CORE Advisory Partners bringing more than 20 years of experience in Commercial Banking and Finance that complements our extensive suite of client services. Malcolm is responsible for Capital Markets and Advisory to include Real Estate Acquisitions for best-in-class clients across the United States. Prior to joining CORE, Malcolm spent 12 years at a Top 5 Commercial Bank spearheading the bank’s rapid growth across the Western United States. In addition to Commercial Banking, Malcolm has successfully led market growth and expansion strategies that resulted in long-term stakeholder value for multiple organizations. Malcolm graduated from Baylor University with a BBA in Real Estate Finance.
Malcolm focuses on the Hawaii, Texas, and Western United States geographies to specialize in Multifamily, Hospitality, Experiential and Healthcare Asset Classes. In his free time, Malcolm enjoys spending quality time with his family and 2 dogs. He is a passionate advocate for at risk children and works closely with several Las Vegas nonprofits.
Accounting & Compliance Manager
As a seasoned financial executive, Josh Ruegsegger brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role as a regulatory Compliance and Accounting Manager. With a proven track record of success, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s financial operations, ensuring that they are conducted with the utmost precision, efficiency, and accuracy.
Josh’s expertise extends to a wide range of corporate accounting functions, including payroll and internal reporting, providing critical insights into the financial performance of the company.
A graduate of Oregon State University with a B.S.B.A. in Finance and a minor in Economics, Josh brings a deep understanding of the financial landscape to his work. His contributions have been instrumental in helping the company achieve its strategic objectives and position itself for continued success in the years to come.
In his free time, Josh enjoys returning to his roots in Oregon, where he spends quality time with his beloved family, friends, and two Saint Bernards. His commitment to excellence extends beyond the workplace, and he strives to make a positive impact on his community and everything that he does.
Associate
Charles Fite is a business professional with 15 years’ experience in lower middle market business as a business owner, business broker, and M&A advisor. Throughout his career, Mr. Fite has partnered with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, professionals, and private equity companies to provide innovative financing solutions founded on strong professional relationships and a commitment to client needs.
Mr. Fite co-founded the Association of Blue Moon Advisors (AOBMA), a professional advisory association of registered, qualified subject-matter experts who work in collaboration to assist entrepreneurs in effective enterprise development. As well as being a Certified Blue Moon Advisor himself, Mr. Fite co-founded and managed his own manufacturing facility. After growing the company with his business partner from the ground up to more than 50 employees and over $8 million in annual revenue, he successfully exited the company in order to pursue other opportunities and interests.
Much of Mr. Fite’s professional history is rooted in the construction industry, awarding him a deep understanding of the sector. He has extensive experience working with well-known US home builders, such as Lennar Homes, Richmond American Homes, and KB Homes. He has established long-lasting partnerships with key decision makers and purchasing managers throughout the residential and commercial construction industry, having negotiated contracts with some of the largest homebuilders in the US.
Mr. Fite has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Las Vegas, helping to construct homes for economically challenged families in his local community. In his free time, he pursues his love of singing and enjoys performing with a band. Mr. Fite earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.