Real Estate Experience & Qualifications
Employers (chronological order)
- Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, 1966-1972
As Manager of Real Estate for this bi-state agency was responsible for property acquisition, management, leasing, tenant relocation and property engineering in metropolitan New York and New Jersey; supervised a staff of over one hundred people; directed property acquisition for the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, Bus Terminal expansion in Times Square, Port Elizabeth expansion in New Jersey, Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City, extension of runways and obstruction lighting at Kennedy, Newark, Teterboro and LaGuardia Airports, among other projects. - IU International, 1972 - 1982
Group Executive and Senior Real Estate Officer for a $2 billion NYSE diversified company, headquartered in Philadelphia, which owned Ryder Trucking and Pacific Intermountain Express (in combination the fourth largest trucking company in the U.S. at the time); electric and gas companies in Western Canada; the fourth largest water company in the U.S.( General Waterworks, active in eighteen states); the Gotaas Larson Shipping Company; the gold mining company Echo Bay Mines which was to become the third largest in North America; C. Brewer, one of the big five Hawaiian companies, a major sugar producer and land owner in the islands; and various manufacturing, industrial distribution and service companies throughout North America.
Responsible for real estate and communication operating groups and for creation and direction of corporate staff real estate and facilities departments (over 1000 employees in group).
As Chairman, Round Valley Inc. (Clinton, New Jersey) responsible for developing and implementing a strategy to divest approximately 20,000 acres of ground in five counties in northwestern New Jersey by re-zoning and development to successfully re-coup over $10 million invested and stop a cash drain of $200,000 per month when hired. Created landmark zoning law with lawsuit against Clinton Township to rezone an operating golf course as l000 unit PUD (Mt. Laurel II). As Chairman, Fifteen Hundred Walnut Street Corporation (Philadelphia, PA) was responsible for operating and upgrading an approximately 300,000 sq. ft. office building in Center City, Philadelphia, and its sale to the Post Office Staff Superannuation Fund of Great Britain (POSSF) in 1976 for the highest price paid for comparable property in Philadelphia at the time.
As Chairman of Tas-Pagette Ltd. (Toronto, Canada) responsible for parent company management of the largest telephone answering service and paging company in Canada, headquartered in Toronto, with forty offices coast to coast from Newfoundland to British Columbia.
As officer or director of fifteen subsidiaries of IU was responsible, among other things, for directing a timber, mineral and excess land program for General Waterworks; an excess land program for the G&WH Corson Company (a limestone quarry); and developed, bought, sold and leased properties throughout the US and Canada for the many IU operating subsidiaries engaged in industrial, manufacturing, trucking and service businesses.
- Ascott Investment Corporation, 1982- Present
As co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of this national real estate investment, syndication and development firm headquartered in Philadelphia, bought, managed and syndicated as a principal over $200 million of real estate in fourteen states for over thirty five investment programs sold by broker-dealers throughout the country; recruited, hired and supervised a staff of over sixty people; was founding principal of RESCORP (Real Estate Securities Corporation) which was placement agent on all Ascott programs which included both market rate and government assisted apartments, shopping center, office and hotel properties. - Universal Field Services Inc., 1974 - 2007
Director of an affiliate since 1974, and Vice President and head of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Divisions since 1987 for this Tulsa based right of way acquisition services contractor which is the largest independent in North America. Right-of-way is real estate for public and quasi-public use, often involving the power of eminent domain. Contract services and advisory work in right-of-way are provided for government, railroads, pipeline, utility, telecommunications and private companies throughout the US and Canada. - Property Trust Advisory Corporation, 1987 - Present
Sole owner of this real estate investment, development and advisory firm in Malvern, PA, which is an investor in real estate and start-up companies.
- Mr. Cottone is a nationally recognized expert in real estate, right of way and securities, and has appeared in a wide variety of matters in state and federal courts, in arbitrations, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the U.S. Court of Claims. (Top)
- Senior Member, International Right of Way Association (SR/WA) certificate number 1519, awarded in 1969.
- Master, Corporate Real Estate (MCR) awarded by the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (NACORE) in 1982.
- Specialist, Real Estate Securities (SRS), certificate number 177, awarded by the Real Estate Securities and Syndication Institute (RESSI) of the National Association of Realtors in 1985.
- Counselor of Real Estate (CRE), certificate number 1600, awarded by the Counselors of Real Estate in 1994.
- Arbitrator and Mediator in Real Estate – American Arbitration Association (AAA) Construction, Real Estate and Commercial Panels; The Counselors of Real Estate Neutral Panel. (Top)
- International Right of Way Association
President, New York Empire State Chapter, 1969
International General Counsel, Parliamentarian and member of Executive Committee from 1976 to 1983, and 1998 to 2002.
Trustee, Right of Way International Education Foundation, 1984 to 1998; Treasurer and Chair of Investment Committee, 1992 to 1998. - National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives
Co-founder and President of Philadelphia- Delaware Valley Chapter, 1976-77. - Real Estate Securities and Syndication Institute of the National Association of Realtors
National President of RESSI, 1988; Member of Executive Committee of National Association of Realtors, 1988-1990 - Counselors of Real Estate
Chairman, Philadelphia- Delaware Valley Chapter, 1998; National Vice President, 2000; First Vice President, 2002; National Chairman of the Board, 2004. - High Speed Rail Association
Chairman, Real Estate Committee, 1991 to 2000 - Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA - formerly NASD)
Chair, National Real Estate - Direct Participation Program Committee, 1987-90. - Past Associations
Urban Land Institute, Real Estate Board of New York, Philadelphia Board of Realtors, Main Line Board of Realtors, Pennsylvania State Realtors Association (Top)
- Ambrose Winder Professional of the Year Award from the International Right of Way Association, awarded 1976.
- Bert Smith Award for Distinguished Achievement from RESSI, awarded 1989.
- Louise L. And Y T Lum Award for contributions to right of way education from the Right of Way International Education Foundation, awarded 1995.
- Mark A. Green Award from IRWA for Journalistic Excellence, awarded 2002.
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- Development Capital Funds Inc., 1989-1992: As a Director of this Emeryville, CA real estate investment group, supervised structuring and sale of real estate private placements to fund the equity for single family developers through joint venture financing. DCF also provided strategic financial management to California residential builders and developers.
- Government Properties Trust REIT, Omaha, NE (NYSE: GPT); Outside Director and Chair of Nominating and Governance Committee (2003-2007); portfolio sold in 2007.
- Boston Capital REIT, Boston, MA, public company apartment REIT; Lead Director and Chair of Nominating and Governance Committees (2004-2008); portfolio sold in 2008.
- Plymouth Opportunity REIT, Boston, MA, public company; Outside Director and Chair of Compensation Committee (current).
- FreeDesign, Inc., Denver, CO, Director of privately held CAD 3D software company (current).
- RC Company, Inc., Paoli, PA, Director of privately held construction company (current).
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- Invited to speak before the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate and agencies of the federal government on real estate securities on behalf of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), 1988-1990.
- Lecturer in Real Estate Securities on the faculty of the Real Estate Institute of New York University, 1996-2005.
- Co-author and instructor of one day course "Mediation in Right of Way" for International Right of Way Association.
- Frequent speaker and lecturer before real estate and dispute resolution groups throughout the country. (Top)