Submitted by Scott Bitney with Location Commercial.
COLLEEN DARWIN
CONTACT INFORMATION
(602) 350-1104 CMDARWIN1002@GMAIL.COM WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/COLLEEN-DARWIN-08146511
OBJECTIVE
Seeking a real estate position in an organization that values teamwork and creative site selection as well as strong negotiation and financial analysis skills. Desire to leverage my 20+ years of real estate experience by developing and implementing a real estate strategy that is highly integrated with your corporate strategy.
EDUCATION
B.S. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION CARROLL COLLEGE (NOW CARROLL UNIVERSITY) WAUKESHA, WI
AA OF ARTS AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WAUKESHA WAUKESHA, WI
EXPERIENCE
DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE AT HOME GROUP. NOVEMBER 2018-APRIL 2020
Responsible for the execution of the new store market strategy from site assessment through new store opening in the Central and Mountain Regions of the US. Lead the new store process on second generation space, ground up development and relocations. Partner with Design, Construction, and third-party vendors to ensure critical milestones are met through feasibility, permitting and store construction. Analyzed Finance and Market Research Information. Worked collaboratively with Asset Management on Lease renewals and collection of unpaid tenant reimbursements. Planned and organized real estate market tours for senior team including CEO, CFO and CDO. Negotiation of business and legal agreements typically used in complex commercial real estate transactions. Number one producer in 2019.
DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE PETSMART, INC. FEBRUARY 2012 -AUGUST 2018
Responsible for store growth initiatives for the Western Region, Central Region and portions of the Southeast Region of the United States. Supported company store growth through market searches, lease negotiations, development and construction to open new stores within the capital budget. That included prototypical PetSmart Stores and test concepts (The Groomery and small store prototype for urban and small markets). Negotiated 72 deals of the 300 plus locations PetSmart opened from 2012-2018. Analyzed demographics and financial data for proposed trade areas to ensure real estate transactions met the financial and operating objective of the company. Prepared and presented recommendations to senior management committee, which included CEO, COO, CFO, VP of Finance and Research. Managed team of 3rd party brokers. Work with Director of Real Estate Asset Management on reduction of occupancy costs by negotiating rent reduction & tenant allowances with existing landlords during option renewals. Assisted the Lease Administration Team with consents, waivers and landlord approvals.
MANAGER OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT KOHL’S DEPARTMENT STORES, INC. MARCH 2003 – FEBRUARY 2012
Closed on 100 plus deals in 8 years for stores ranging from 55,000-90,000 SQ. FT. Completed 20 self-development projects. Market knowledge in the Midwest, Southwest, Southeast, South and Mid-Atlantic, Mountain and Western regions. Developed a working knowledge of each market within an assigned territory understanding market characteristics, competition, demographics, shopping patterns and real estate market values. Identified all real estate parcels within every trade area in each market that are suitable as a location for Kohl’s store and made assessments as to the cost, functionality, feasibility and timeliness of each. Prepared and presented recommendations to senior management committee, which included CEO, CAO, CFO, VP of Finance and Research. Negotiated the terms of the real estate transactions in order to obtain the lowest possible overall occupancy cost for the company’s stores and also worked with legal in the preparation and negotiation of purchase agreements, ground leases, site development agreements and operating documents. Worked closely with the site development team in developing site plans for each proposed store and in conjunction with site development manager, managed the project through the planning, zoning and permitting process. Worked closely with the site development team and construction in developing timelines and budgets for each project. Team leader on lease renegotiations and provided the company with over $2,000,000 in NPV savings in 2011.
SITE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR KOHL’S DEPARTMENT STORES, INC . FEBRUARY 2000 – MARCH 2003
Assisted site development managers with coordination and delivery of documents. Worked closely with Kohl’s real estate managers, attorneys, and construction managers. Tracked project dates and timelines. Site plan log in, coordination with engineers, architects, developers and site development managers. Tracked contract costs and allocations. Responsible for the disposition of excess property