Our Team
The SAFHarbor team brings deep expertise in development, construction, finance, and operations. This deep bench is further leveraged by partnering with best-in-class general contractors and management companies, resulting in a lean, efficient development and asset management process that drives investor returns.
Andrew Young
Founder, CEO
Andrew is Founder and CEO of SAFStor, among the most active developers of institutional-grade self-storage facilities in the United States.
Prior to founding SAFStor, Andrew was an Executive Vice President for Landmark Properties, Inc., the #1 developer of purpose-built student housing. Over a 5- and 10-year period respectively, Andrew’s efforts resulted in $1.9+ and $2.7+ billion of urban, mixed-use student assets across the United States, including retail, hotel and office.
Before joining Landmark, Andrew was Senior Vice President of Investments and General Counsel for Campus Crest Communities, Inc. (NYSE: CCG), then the nation’s second largest student housing REIT. Prior to joining Campus Crest, Andrew managed the acquisitions and development arm for Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. (NYSE: CTO), a diversified real estate investment company focused on the retail, office, industrial and land sectors.
Prior to entering the real estate industry, Mr. Young was a Vice President in the Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C). Andrew holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis, and is a member in good standing with the Florida Bar Association.
He is a regular speaker at industry conferences, is a guest speaker at the University of Florida Warrington School of Business and sits on the board of Easterseals Northeast Central Florida.
Robert Poole
Founder, Partner
Bob began his career in New York City working in public accounting at what is now KPMG. He then worked as the treasurer of a chemical machinery company. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, homebuilding became his focus. Through 40+ years of dedication and innovative leadership, he established S&A Homes as a prominent builder of single and multi-family residential communities. Bob is President and CEO of S&A Homes and Allied Mechanical and Electrical, Chairman and CEO of Poole Anderson Construction, and CEO of Gatesburg Road Development. Bob’s real estate interests include apartments, self storage, office space, and retail centers. He has been involved in self storage for more than twenty years, with successful projects located in major markets including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida.
Active in business and community affairs, institutions have benefited from his guidance and leadership on non-public and public boards. These currently include; Schreyer Honors College Board at the Penn State University, Old Dominion National Bank, and Geisinger Health. Bob earned his B.S. degree in accounting from Penn State and M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson.
LEadership Team
Robert Bentley
CFO
Bio
Prior to joining SAFSTOR, Robert served in senior finance and accounting roles with several major southeastern real estate and development companies. From 2004 until 2008, Robert was Chief Financial Officer of ICI Homes, one of the largest production homebuilders (10,000+ homes) in the Southeastern United States. From 1998-2000, he served as Controller for WelbroBuilding Corporation, a large, Orlando-based general contractor specializing in the hotel/hospitality, education, commercial office and retail/commercial sectors. From 1988-1989, Robert worked in the accounting and finance group with ITT Community Development Corp., the developer of what is now known as (the cities of) Flagler- Palm Coast.
In addition to his work in the real estate field, Robert worked most recently as Chief Financial Officer and Controller of a Florida-based manufacturer* of firearms and related products (2009-2017), and from 2000 until 2004 served as CFO for the Southeast Group of Companies, an Orlando-based manufacturer of fire suppression products. Robert resides in Ormond Beach, Florida, with his wife, has four daughters, and works out of SAFStor headquarters in the Daytona Beach office.
Employer name omitted due to confidentiality; employer is a contractor to the U.S. military.
Rick Fortney
COO
Steve Curtis
President of Construction
Bio
Prior to his role with SAFStor, Steve Curtis served as President of Charles Wayne Construction Services. Steve is a construction management professional and industry veteran with over 40 years of construction management experience directing a diversified portfolio of commercial projects. Steve specializes in real estate acquisition, development and construction with expertise in project planning, time management and cost control. As a single source of accountability to project owners, Steve’s commercial construction experience includes the design, permitting and construction of 4+ million square feet of retail, office, independent living, resort, and full-service restaurants projects. Prior to specializing in the commercial markets, Steve held executive management positions in the residential construction industry with responsibilities that included the development of subdivision infrastructure, and the oversight of all construction management teams for communities throughout the Carolinas. Steve currently holds a North Carolina General Contractors License, Building Classification, a Florida Certified Building Contractors License, and a Florida Real Estate Sales Associate License.
Ken Etterman
Director of Capital Markets
Bio
Ken has been actively involved in real estate finance and development since 1991. He began a banking career with a predecessor of Bank of America and progressed to a senior banker role in the real estate finance group of Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo). Mr. Etterman left Wachovia in 2006 to found Redfish Capital Advisors (RCA), a boutique real estate finance and development consulting firm serving real estate developers and investors in the underwriting, financial modeling, and capitalization of real estate assets (development, acquisition, refinancing, repositioning). From 2008-2016 Ken broadened his role with his client, Campus Crest Communities, serving as the Managing Director of Capital Markets (the company went public in 2010 and was purchased by a private equity group in 2016, Ken served the senior management of the company through the closing of the acquisition). Since forming RCA, Mr. Etterman has been involved in over $2.5 billion in construction, permanent, and corporate financings and has provided underwriting and advisory support for projects with a combined asset value in excess of $2.7 billion. Mr. Etterman earned a BS in Finance from Florida State University, an MBA from Western Carolina University, and holds the CCIM designation.
Ryan Rapapolis
Director of Asset Management
Chris Russ
Director of Development
Bio
Prior to starting his own development company, CR Development Partners, and joining SAFStor as Director of Development, Chris served as SVP Development with Valeo Groupe Americas, leading their development team with focus in the student living and senior housing spaces. Chris joined Valeo from CA Ventures/Anthology Senior Living, where he was responsible for the development, design, and entitlement of more than 20 senior housing communities across the country worth over $750 million.
Before CA, he served as VP Land Development & Entitlement for Campus Crest alongside many of the current SAFStor team and consultants. There he had a hand in the nationwide development
of over 55 student living communities worth over $1.4 billion. Chris began his career as a civil engineer, designing an array of commercial and residential projects, working towards his Professional Engineering license. After earning his PE license in 2005, he continued work in the design field for a few years until transitioning into a development role, where he has continued his career.
Extended Team
Richard Ranck, CIMA®
Head of Investor Relations and Business Development
Melanie Etheredge
Senior Project Manager
Regional Sourcing Team
Clay Agent
Mike Dunn
Wright Dixon
Ryan Dunn
Walt Parker
Herm Tomer
Accounting
Alpa Patel
FORVIS
Atlanta, GA
Legal Counsel
David K. Brown
BakerHostetler
Atlanta, GA
For more information or to request access to the investor portal, email us at: info@safharborfund.com
