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Jeffrey Wolfer
Jeffrey Wolfer President and Co-CEO
 

President and Co-CEO Jeffrey Wolfer has been the driving force behind the transformation of Kennedy Funding into the global leader in private lending it is today. Under his leadership, Kennedy has grown from $40 million in annual closed loans to more than $500 million in 2007. Jeffrey's multi-year strategic plan helped facilitate those enormous gains and rapid national expansion, and oversaw the introduction of "situational lending": a combination of speed, flexibility and creativity unrivaled in the industry.

Jeffrey is heavily involved in numerous philanthropic causes. He has made significant contributions on behalf of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Hoop-A-Paluza, Inc., a non-profit organization for children. He contributes annually to The Nurturing Place at the York Street Project in Jersey City, a nationally accredited early childhood development center for homeless and economically disadvantaged children. Jeffery has also been instrumental in the development of The Kennedy Funding Invitational, an annual, world-class tennis tournament whose proceeds are donated to the Breast Care Center at Englewood Hospital, NJ.

A 2006 winner of NJBIZ magazine's prestigious Forty Under 40 award, Jeffrey was honored the following year with the Forty Over 40 award by Midwest Real Estate magazine. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in finance at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and now makes his home in New Jersey with his wife and three children.

Kevin Wolfer
Kevin Wolfer Co-CEO
 

As Co-CEO, Kevin Wolfer is involved in all aspects of Kennedy Funding's business. His innovative leadership, however, is most evident in the area of operations, as his guidance helps take the organization effectively into the 21st century. In particular, the establishment of the company's banking and co-lender relationships, both domestically and internationally, have been largely due to Kevin's experience, expertise and proficiency. His efforts and contributions have also helped enable the company to more than double its production in just the last few years.

Among Kevin's philanthropic endeavors, one of the most meaningful is The Kennedy Funding Invitational, one of the New York Metropolitan area's premier tennis tournaments. Kevin's concept, organization, follow-through and dedication founded the event in 2006 and raised $250,000 for the fight against breast cancer the very first year. At that time, Kevin and the other organizers guaranteed a $2 million donation to Englewood Hospital's Breast Care Center. For 2007, Kevin secured the legendary Pete Sampras to appear in a much-anticipated exhibition match at the tournament, which helped raise more than $625,000 to "Continue the Fight" against breast cancer. That year, in memory of Kevin's close friend and the inspiration behind the event, the Englewood Hospital Breast Care Center was renamed "The Leslie Simon Breast Care Center."

Kevin was awarded a BA and an MBA in finance from Emory University. He currently lives with his family in New Jersey.

Gregg Wolfer
Gregg Wolfer Co-CEO
 

"Professional and passionate" describe Gregg Wolfer's attitude and approach to all his responsibilities as Co-CEO. A broad range of experience in the commercial real estate lending industry enables him to handle even the most complex situations with poise and practicality. Gregg brings a creative approach to both the marketing of the company and day-to-day transactions. He's been personally involved with deals in commercial property acquisition, development and construction, income-producing properties, turnaround situations and more that have been worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Known throughout the industry for his "nothing's impossible" philosophy, Gregg has also developed a reputation for quick thinking and flexibility when tight schedules arise. Despite his hectic duties at Kennedy, he finds time to remain at the forefront of current industry events through numerous trade shows and conventions.

Gregg graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Evan M. Bell
Evan M. Bell Executive Vice-President and General Counsel
 

Evan comes to Kennedy Funding with an impressive array of accomplishments in the area of commercial real estate law. Having worked at several prestigious Manhattan law firms prior to joining Kennedy, Evan's experience includes the representation of several large financial institutions in connection with various mortgage and mezzanine loan financings valued in the billions of dollars and the representation of prominent real estate developers and investors in the purchase, sale, financing and leasing of commercial properties throughout the United States. In addition, he has counseled large corporations on real estate issues relating to mergers and acquisitions.

Evan was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in U.S. history from the State University of New York at Albany, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Hofstra University School of Law in Hempstead, New York where he was a member of the Hofstra Law Review and the recipient of Westlaw's Corpus Juris Secundum Award. He is currently admitted to practice law in the state of New York, and is licensed in New Jersey as an in-house counsel.

Anthony Petrucello
Anthony Petrucello Information Services Manager
 

Anthony Petruccello joins Kennedy Funding as our Information Services Manager, having served with distinction in similar capacities for previous companies. Prior to KFI, for example, the experience Anthony gained as Vice President of Operations at a successful document management company allowed him to streamline operations at his last employer, resulting in significant cost reductions.

At Kennedy Funding, he will be spearheading the implementation of document management and data processing software that will enable the company to be well prepared for future growth.

With a proven expertise in driving people, process, quality and service in fast-paced technology-driven operations, he also manages Kennedy Funding's reporting with a large global bank. In addition, he contributes substantial industry experience including business and operations leadership, a solid track record supporting sales as technical lead, new business development, strategic planning, and cost reduction.

Anthony was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts
in NYC.

Kimberlee Vaccarella
Kimberlee Vaccarella Controller
 

Kimberlee Vaccarella has been with Kennedy Funding for almost thirteen years, and brings a dedication to her role as Controller seldom seen in the corporate arena. Kim's bookkeeping and accounting skills are of the highest caliber and beyond reproach, enabling her to excel at her position, as does her attribute of being proactive rather than merely reactive. Kim routinely manages multiple responsibilities in a hectic, fast-paced environment, and her fabled attention to detail and firm grasp of the finer points of financial reporting have made her invaluable to the company.

Kim earned her AAS degree in Accounting from Berkeley College in New Jersey.

Paul Feffer
Paul Feffer Information Technology Manager
 

Paul joined Kennedy Funding in 1997 bringing to the team significant experience in business consulting and finance, along with advanced analytical and computational skills. Over the years, he has instituted many operational and network changes that have greatly facilitated the way Kennedy Funding conducts business both in the U.S. and around the world. Currently as Chief Information Officer, his responsibilities are focused on the development and maintenance of Kennedy Funding's IT infrastructure, communications, data mining and redundant backup systems.

Paul received is Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Stanford University, and his Doctorate from UC Berkeley.

Stephen Bienko
Stephen Bienko Director of Marketing and Business Development
 

As the Director of Marketing and Business Development, Stephen brings a very diverse and intriguing set of credentials and experiences to the Kennedy Funding team. He was previously a principal with the Gaslight Management Group, LLC, an organization which manages professional athletes and musicians. He is also a Founding Director of the Institute of Athletic Performance (IAP) in Morris Plains, New Jersey. He has been a private business entrepreneur, owning multiple health clubs throughout the USA. Prior to that, he spent time as a State Trooper with the New Jersey State Police, working in the Alcoholic Beverage Control Special Task Force Unit.

Currently at Kennedy Funding, Stephen oversees the firms marketing and advertisement division and the REO department where he directs the servicing and sales of Kennedy Funding's REO pool. Stephen's expertise is in the evaluation, analysis and marketing of company brands and REO properties. He is a tireless proponent of broker relationships and new age marketing techniques to rebuild business brands and sell REO properties.

Stephen's education is equally noteworthy. He graduated from the prestigious Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, after spending time at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition, he is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Movement Science from Seton Hall University.

Stephen is actively involved with his local church, The Life Christian Church in West Orange, NJ where he heads the mission team for LifeforGhana.com. Life for Ghana has adopted the village of Abetifi-Kwahu. Through multiple mission trips a year, Stephen and his team provides physical, educational, spiritual and emotional support to the members of the 500 person village in Ghana.

Jonathan Weiner
Jonathan Weiner Chief Loan Officer
 

Since joining Kennedy Funding in 1999, Jonathan has been able to open the right doors to enormously successful transactions. As an initial point of contact for the firm's many incoming loan requests, he decides which are the most promising for pursuit by Kennedy's senior partners. Jonathan's financing knowledge, accessible personal style, and commitment to building good long-term relationships have lead to a growing percentage of repeat business from brokers. This success has also resulted in Jonathan having recently been named Senior Loan Officer.

Prior to joining the firm, Jonathan worked in the commercial real estate division of a major Wall Street investment bank performing financial analyses of client portfolios.

Jonathan completed a Bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Vermont School of Business.

Edwin Urrego
Edwin Urrego Executive Loan Officer
 

Edwin Urrego brings valuable industry insight from earlier positions with respected mortgage lenders and notable real estate firms. Through extensive contact with borrowers, he has developed strong interpersonal skills and a magnetic personality that have helped him excel as one of Kennedy's key players.

Edwin's experience, versatility, communications abilities and mastery of the Spanish language make him an extremely valuable asset to the Kennedy team. Edwin is a graduate of Monmouth University School of Business with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.

Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien Executive Loan Officer
 

Having been with Kennedy since 2004, Brendan has distinguished himself and the company in numerous successful loan transactions, and is now an Executive Loan Officer. Assisted by a team of Loan Originators, Brendan is one of the company's initial points of contact for it's steadily growing number of loan requests, and helps to negotiate new deals with senior partners.

Prior to joining Kennedy, Brendan worked in a financial capacity for a major, well-known international company, where his responsibilities included management, marketing and direct customer interaction duties. Brendan earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in business administration with a concentration in management from Montclair State University. While there, he was ranked in the top 5% of his class and was a member of many national honor societies.

Steve Rogovich
Steve Rogovich Senior Loan Officer
 

Steve has been an Associate of Kennedy Funding since its inception. In addition, he is actively involved in many small business ventures throughout New Jersey. Prior to joining Kennedy Funding, Steve spent several years in the commercial real estate appraisal field.

Steve is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and served as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.

Kivanc Cubukcu
Kivanc Cubukcu Senior Loan Officer
 

After many years of experience with Kennedy Funding, Kivanc Cubukcu brings his analytical skills to the most complex transactions, which enables him to find solutions to each project that crosses his desk. His ability to serve his borrowers' needs, however unusual and/or complicated, has been instrumental in his many successful loan closings for multimillion-dollar transactions.

Using his strong interpersonal abilities, Kivanc has been able to establish many long-lasting relationships with brokers and borrowers alike, which has resulted in a series of highly profitable repeat business contracts. Kivanc is also fluent in three languages - French, English, and Turkish - which gives him a definite edge in international business dealings.

Kivanc was awarded his Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey and currently resides in New York City.

Mark Falzone
Mark Falzone Senior Loan Officer
 

Senior Loan Officer Mark Falzone has been with Kennedy Funding since 2003, continually proving himself to be a particularly staunch, resourceful, and successful representative of the KFI family. Before joining KFI, Mark worked on Wall Street as a financial advisor, where he became adept at investing his clients' funds according to their individual financial needs and personal investment profile. Mark has been an integral part of numerous successful transactions, and will continue to be involved in many more on virtually a daily basis.

Mark earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Jersey City University with a concentration in International Business, which positions him strongly as a valued asset of Kennedy Funding. He subsequently completed the Wells Real Estate Investments course for financial advisors, and has his Series 7,63,31 as well as his NJ Life Insurance License. Mark was also in the Army ROTC program at Seton Hall, where he crafted a no-quit, determined, creative problem-solving ability that serves him well today.

Allan Wolfson
Allan Wolfson Senior Loan Officer
 

Allan joins Kennedy Funding with a diversified and extensive background. As a business owner, he created, managed, and built a clothing company from humble beginnings to a major licensee of name brands, evolving innovative financial and business strategies along the way.

More recently Allan has worked as a commercial real estate appraiser, thoroughly researching the New York real estate market and appraising single tenant industrial and office buildings as well as multifamily apartment buildings.

He earned his Bachelors of Science Management degree from Tulane University, and he is currently pursuing Certifications in Real Estate Finance and Appraisal at New York University.

Jeff Silver
Jeffrey Silver Loan Officer
 

Jeffrey comes to us with a resume already brimming with impressive experience. Prior to KFI, he founded a successful, full-service financial company providing bridge financing for non-institutional real estate transactions, which he ran for over 15 years. And before that, he was a partner and acquisition manager in another profitable firm which purchased, managed, and sold apartment buildings in the NYC Metropolitan area.

Jeffrey has expert qualifications in acquisitions, management, lending, and sales, and is skilled in identifying unique market opportunities for increasing revenue streams from new and existing forms of real estate. Add to this his proven ability to function in an administrative and strategic planning capacity, and Jeffrey is expected to quickly become a welcome addition to Kennedy's staff of industry professionals.

Jeffrey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Justin Kantrowitz
Justin Kantrowitz Loan Officer
 

Justin Kantrowitz joins Kennedy Funding as a loan originator, bringing a flair for the international to the firm. In conjunction with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics from the prestigious Emory University in Atlanta, Justin studied abroad at Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. His Spanish-speaking skills have also come in handy in past positions with a large media group and as a manager in a busy retail food/catering establishment.

In addition to the cultural exchange program in Spain, Justin has been involved in numerous organizations and activities, including Emory READ, a volunteer project in which he tutored elementary school age children in the Atlanta area. Justin's background, knowledge and enthusiasm are sure to quickly become vital to the Kennedy Funding team.

Gerald Shmaruk
Gerald Shmaruk Loan Officer
 

Loan originator Gerald Shmaruk brings a diversity of experience from the mortgage banking industry, the lending industry, and the equities trading arena. Possessing proven skills in each category, Gerald is a critical thinker with superior problem resolution abilities. As a senior mortgage banker, he originated and processed residential, investor, and commercial property transactions, and was involved in all due diligence, from inception to closing. As a loan officer, he originated all mortgages and contributed to all marketing efforts.

Gerald was awarded his B.S. degree in finance from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He has also earned a certification in personal financial planning, and a certification in paralegal studies from New York University.

Jonathan Kingston
Jonathan Kingston Account Manager
 

Jonathan Kingston comes to Kennedy Funding with the kind of diversity of experience and education that have helped make him goal-oriented, with exceptional organizational skills and the ability to focus intently and prioritize projects effectively. Before joining Kennedy, Jonathan managed a bar in New York, and was responsible for material management of supplies, procurement, scheduling, training, and career assessment for team members. Prior to that, he was the manager in a worldwide candy manufacturing company, where he prepared and analyzed daily, weekly, and monthly sales reports to meet corporate goals, defined and monitored sales territories, and established measurable goals and provided positive feedback to new sales reps. Jonathan's attention to detail, along with his ability to step back and evaluate the big picture, make him a natural at managing multiple projects and people for successful team building.

Having attended Dominican College and the University of Albany in New York, Jonathan was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, with a minor in business.

Matt Lundy
Matt Lundy Account Manager
 

Matt Lundy has come to Kennedy Funding directly out of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Currently, Matt is a vital member of the Asset Management team that overseas the organization of tax’s and insurance issue of current notes and REO properties.

Matt was nationally recognized in 2008 to attend the International Scholar Laureate Program for the Business delegation due to his academic and personal achievements. The delegation was a tour of western Europe that allowed Matt to observe first hand International Business in emerging markets such as Hungary and the Czech Republic. Matt held many leadership positions in his time at Cornell, including Philanthropy Chair and Vice President of the Governing board of his fraternity. Matt was also a Varsity player football in at Cornell and held several valuable internships that granted him valuable experience in the competitive business world; including a venture capital firms and a currency brokerage house.

Matt will be adding significant energy and knowledge to the Kennedy Funding Asset management team.

Dawn Furlong
Dawn Furlong Position
 

Dawn Furlong is one of Kennedy Funding's true success stories. She gained valuable experience in her previous position as a head teller at a national bank. She showed such promise that she eventually became a secretary to one of our on-staff attorneys. Her responsibilities increased as her capabilities became even more apparent, and she returned to college to seek training in the paralegal field. To the surprise of no one, Dawn graduated Bergen Community College with an Associates Degree in Science, majoring in Paralegal studies. Today, she is a Paralegal with the company, working closely with our legal staff.

Amy Vigilanti
Amy Vigilanti Executive Secretary
 

Amy Vigilanti is an executive secretary with Kennedy Funding, and proves her value every day, working closely as she does with one of the Co-CEOs. She provides for and facilitates the smooth operation of the office through the processing of loans and the performance of due diligence of loan transactions, from the procuring of appraisals to the actual loan commitments.

Amy is also invaluable in the performance of special assignments from the Co-CEO, making administrative decisions regarding office business, procedures, and policy, and in the handling and scheduling processes that enable the company to function on a daily basis.

Sue Gold
Sue Gold Executive Secretary
 

As an executive secretary to the Co-CEO and Legal Department, Susan has her capable hands full in Kennedy Funding's busy offices. With a background replete with sales and marketing experience, Susan uses her extensive computer, organizational, and lender-oriented skills to tackle a wide variety of duties and responsibilities. From matters relating to loan processing and documentation, to technical assistance and input, Susan consistently does it all, and does it under typically tight deadlines and with minimal supervision.

Susan attended The Berkeley School in Waldwick, New Jersey.












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