David Polinsky is an engineer, real estate developer / builder and urban community change agent. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Cornell University, a Master’s Degree in Financial Risk Management from Simon Fraser University in Canada and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley.

After co-founding and managing a high-tech manufacturing company in the Silicon Valley for 20 years, he moved to Vancouver, Canada. From there he developed affordable housing and luxury townhomes in West Hollywood, California. In 2011, he moved to Miami, where he developed the 250 Wynwood condominium project, assembled a small portfolio of other Wynwood development sites and serves as a Board Director and Zoning Committee Chair for the Wynwood Business Improvement District. His aspirations are to build art-infused, boutique commercial mixed-use projects that serve as a model for smart infill development in Wynwood & beyond.

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Andrew Lenahan is a licensed GC with 13 years of experience working at First Florida in new and rehabilitation construction in Florida and Louisiana. During that time he has delivered 2,900 residential units and 3 million square feet of floor space for a total investment of $271 million with a mix of multi-family, commercial, office and retail uses. Principal clients with whom he has worked include Camden, Equity Residential, Jamestown, Landmark, ZOM, Gatehouse, the Richman Group and Royal Senior Care.

Andrew was awarded the Young Constructors Forum Person of the Year in 2011 and served on the board of the South Florida Association of General Contractors. He holds a Bachelor’s in International Finance from the University of Miami School of Business.

Nicole Ferrarini joined the team in 2016 as a Project Engineer for Fortis combining her real estate knowledge with her architectural and construction backgrounds. She has experience in boutique & luxury hotels, multifamily condominium & rental developments, and high-end custom residences. Nicole’s diverse experience allows her to be strategically positioned within the firm to manage all aspects of the development process from acquisition to design to construction.

Nicole received her Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism form the University of Miami, where she also graduated cum laude with her Bachelor of Architecture and Certificate of Historic Preservation. She is a member of ULI, U.S. Green Building Council, and is an Associate ASID, and Associate AIA. She previously worked as an Associate at Lefrak and STRANG Architecture. Nicole is also the recipient of the Addison Mizner Medal for Excellence and was selected as Who’s Who in America.

Derek joined Fortis in 2022 as its Senior Construction Manager, bringing more than 15 years of construction and project management experience to the team.  His impressive portfolio of high-end residential and commercial projects and experience in all stages of construction management has given him the unique ability to anticipate the needs of complex developments.

Derek has been recognized for his work by being awarded the Young Professional Award by the Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. Before relocating to Miami, Florida, Derek earned his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Todd Guthrie graduated from North Carolina State University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in Science of Accounting. He has over 20 years of experience in both public and private accounting specializing in construction and developing. He has held various positions from Controller, CEO to CFO of various companies in a wide range of industries.

He is currently a licensed GC in North Carolina.

Eleanor Williams joined the team in 2019 as a Development Associate with a diverse background in real estate, public accounting, and project management. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and previously worked for the Business Advisory Services segment of Grant Thornton advising international Russell 2000 public companies.

Eleanor received her Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism from the University of Miami where she participated in the inaugural Real Deal Shark Tank event. She graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy. She is a member of ULI and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Peter Kaisary joined Fortis as a Development Manager, originally from London, he has ten years of appraisal experience. He was an Associate Director at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in London in the residential valuation team specializing in multi-family development and loan security valuation. Prior to JLL, Peter was a Senior Surveyor at Deloitte Real Estate within the valuation advisory group.

Peter holds a Masters degree in Urban Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a Masters degree in Development and Planning from University College London (UCL), and a Bachelor’s degree from Manchester University. He qualified as a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in 2013.

Dilia Tabora joined the team in 2023 as a Senior Development Manager bringing 10 years of experience in real estate development with an architectural project management background. In her previous role as VP of Development for Housing Trust Group (HTG), she lead the procurement and project management of ground-up multifamily rental communities resulting in the construction of a 1,000+ unit portfolio valued at $200+ Million within 6 years. Prior to that, Dilia worked with local architecture and interior design firms focusing in hospitality and commercial projects.

Dilia holds both a Masters degree in Real Estate Development & Urbanism and a Bachelor’s in Architecture, both from the University of Miami, Florida. She is a member of ULI and CREW, where she participates in events to encourage women in real estate.  

Pierina Sanchez joined Fortis as a Development Manager in 2021 with a background in Architecture and Urban Design. She is a licensed architect in Peru with architectural and construction experience in single and multi-family housing. She worked for Populous as an Urban Designer working on large scale urban redevelopment projects driven by sports/entertainment anchors such us university campus, sports-based urban mixed-use districts, and master planning.

Pierina received her Master’s in Urban Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she received the outstanding Thesis award in the School of Architecture. She also holds a Bachelor’s in Architecture from Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (Lima, Peru).

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Margaux Mielcarek joined Fortis in 2021 as a Development Manager with a background in hospitality real estate. Prior to joining the firm, Margaux worked as a Senior Associate for Jones Lang Lasalle’s (JLL) Hotels & Hospitality Group based in Miami where she focused on advisory assignments and hotel transactions for clients ranging from institutional investors and real estate developers to hotel operators. Prior to JLL, Margaux worked both in the real estate development and marketing departments at Club Med, a global all-inclusive hotel operator.

Margaux graduated from Warwick University and HEC Paris with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in International Business and Management. She also holds the CEMS Master in International Management and attended Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil. In addition to her native French, Margaux speaks fluently English, Spanish and Portuguese.

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April MacNichol joined Fortis as a Development Associate in 2022 with a background in Architecture. She is a licensed architect in the State of Florida with architectural and construction administration experience in commercial and multi-family projects. She previously worked for Winstanley Architects + Planners and Smith Group in Washington, D.C. working on commercial, office and multifamily projects.

April received a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech. She was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Medal for Academic Excellence for achieving the highest GPA of her undergraduate architecture class.  She is also a member of ULI and holds an NCARB certificate.