Executive Profiles

Daryl J. Carter has been a member of our Board since February of this year. Mr. Carter is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Avanath Capital Partners, LLC, an investment firm focused on urban-themed real estate and mortgage investments. Previously, Mr. Carter was an Executive Managing Director of Centerline Capital Group, or Centerline, a subsidiary of Centerline Holding Company (NYSE) and head of the Commercial Real Estate Group. He was also the President of American Mortgage Acceptance Corporation, a publicly-held, commercial mortgage lender that was externally managed by Centerline. Mr. Carter became part of Centerline when his company, Capri Capital Finance, or CCF, was acquired by Centerline in 2005. Mr. Carter co-founded and served as Co-Chairman of both CCF and Capri Capital Advisors since 1992. Prior to Capri, Mr. Carter was Regional Vice President at Westinghouse Credit Corporation in Irvine and a Second Vice President at Continental Bank in Chicago. Mr. Carter currently is a Trustee of Paragon Real Estate Equity and Investment Trust, Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, treasurer of the National Multifamily Housing Association and former Chairman of the Commercial Board of Governors of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mr. Carter serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council of the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management.

Daniel G. DeVos has been a member of our Board since February of this year. Since 1998, Mr. DeVos has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of DP Fox Ventures, LLC, a diversified investment and management enterprise with investments in real estate, transportation, and sports teams. In addition, Mr. DeVos is the majority owner of the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) and has ownership interests in the Orlando Magic (NBA). Mr. DeVos is currently a director of Alticor, Inc., the parent of Amway Corporation, located in Ada, Michigan, and the Orlando Magic (NBA). Mr. DeVos has also served as a trustee of Paragon Real Estate Equity and Investment Trust since 2003 and served as a trustee of First Union Real Estate Investments (NYSE) from 1994 to 1998.

Donald F. Keating has been a member of our Board since 2008. Mr. Keating was formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Shell Mining Company. Mr. Keating retired from Shell Mining Company in 1992 and continued to provide consulting services to Shell Oil until 2002. Since 2002, Mr. Keating has managed his personal investments. Mr. Keating graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and served in the United States Marine Corps as infantry company commander. He is a former board member of Billiton Metals Company, R & F Coal Company and Marrowbone Coal Company.

Jack L. Mahaffey has served on our Board since 2000. Mr. Mahaffey was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer of Shell Mining Company. Since retiring from Shell Mining Company in 1991, Mr. Mahaffey has managed his personal investments. Mr. Mahaffey served in the United States Air Force and is a former board member of the National Coal Association and the National Coal Counsel.

Chris A. Minton has served on our Board since 2000. Mr. Minton was formerly a Vice President with Lockheed Martin. Since retiring from Lockheed Martin in 1995, Mr. Minton has managed his personal investments and served as a member of the board of Mount Carmel High School. Mr. Minton is a licensed CPA (retired status) in the State of Texas. He has been awarded the Gold Knight of Management award for achievements as a professional manager by the National Management Association.

James C. Mastandrea has been our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since October 2006. Mr. Mastandrea has over 35 years of experience in the real estate industry. He also serves, since 2003, as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Paragon Real Estate Equity and Investment Trust, a real estate company currently focused on value-added real estate and investments in shares of publicly-traded real estate investment trusts, and, since 1978, as the Chief Executive Officer/Founder of MDC Realty Corporation, a privately held residential and commercial real estate development company. From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Mastandrea served as Chief Executive Officer of Eagle’s Wings Aviation Corporation. From 1994 to 1998, Mr. Mastandrea served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Union Real Estate Investments, a NYSE-listed real estate investment trust. Mr. Mastandrea also served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer. Mr. Mastandrea currently is a director of Cleveland State University Foundation Board and a member of the investment committee, director of University Circle Inc. Board, Cleveland, Ohio and is a member of the real estate committee, and a director of the Calvin Business Alliance Board at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Mastandrea regularly lectures to MBA students at the University of Chicago and Rice University and also regularly presents to institutional investors in the U.S. and Europe.

John J. Dee has served as our Chief Operating Officer since 2006. Mr. Dee also serves, since 2003, as the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and member of the Board of Trustees of Paragon Real Estate Equity and Investment Trust. Prior to joining us, Mr. Dee served from 2002 to 2003 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MDC Realty Corporation, a privately held residential and commercial real estate development company. From 2000 to 2002 he also served as Director of Finance and Administration for Frantz Ward, LLP, held several management positions and most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer with First Union Real Estate Investments, a NYSE-listed REIT from 1978 to 2000.

David K. Holeman is our Chief Financial Officer and has served in this capacity since 2006. Mr. Holeman also served as the Chief Financial Officer of our former Management company. Prior to joining us, Mr. Holeman served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gexa Energy, a NASDAQ listed retail electricity provider from 2004 to 2006, and as Controller and Chief Financial Officer of Houston Cellular Telephone Company from 1994 to 2003.

Valarie L. King is our Senior Vice President of Property Management. From 2000 to 2006, Ms. King also held several management positions, and most recently served as Vice President of Property Management for Hartman Management. Ms. King has over 15 years of property management experience in Houston, Texas. From 1986 until 1989, she was Property Manager at Helmsley Spear National Realty, a New York-based company, where she was responsible for running the Houston office, including property management, leasing and construction.

Daniel E. Nixon, Jr. is our Senior Vice President of Leasing and Redevelopment and has served in this capacity since 2007. Prior to joining us, Mr. Nixon served as the Executive Vice President for Hull Storey Retail Group, LLC, owner of 17 enclosed malls, totaling 11 million square feet from 2000 to 2007. He also held several management positions and most recently Executive Vice President, Director of Retail at First Union Real Estate Investments, a NYSE listed REIT from 1978 until 1999.

Samuel Demissie is our Vice President of Acquisitions and Asset Management and has served in this capacity since 2007. Mr. Demissie has held senior management positions for NEC America, Phillips Semiconductor and Holley Communications. Prior to joining Whitestone REIT, he served as president of Hop-on Wireless, Irvine, California.

Greg Belsheim is our Vice President of Human Resources. Mr. Belsheim has more than twenty-five years of human resources management experience in the retail, wholesale and manufacturing industries. From 1997 to 2005, Mr. Belsheim was Vice President of Human Resources of Rice Epicurean Markets, the oldest family-owned supermarket chain in Houston.

Anne Gregory is our Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Investor Relations. With over twenty-five years of management experience in corporate communications, she has directed marketing and employee communications, media and public relations initiatives, and investor relations for both public and privately held companies.

Charles M. Taylor is our Corporate Counsel. Mr. Taylor has over twenty-five years of broad-based experience in the legal, financial and commercial real estate fields. Prior to joining Whitestone REIT Mr. Taylor served as General Counsel of AmREIT, a 500 million dollar real estate investment trust based in Houston, Texas.  Between 1993 and 2001 Mr. Taylor served as Assistant General Counsel and then Senior Vice President of Administration for Bank United, Houston Texas.

Theodore R. Zeck is our Vice President of Information Systems. Prior to joining Whitestone, Mr. Zeck was controller and treasurer of The HOMZ Group, a multi-state real estate development and management firm. From 1997 to 2007, he was in private practice, providing implementation, training and support of Yardi Systems, Inc., property management software for hundreds of clients nationwide.

Richard A. Vaughan is Vice President of Leasing Development. With more than twenty-five years in the investment industry, he has worked for several national financial services companies, including Farmers Financial Services and Legacy Advisors.