Christopher Wild
Chris is Co-Founder and Managing Principal of East Coast Acquisitions, LLC. Mr. Wild is actively involved in directing the company’s strategy, acquisitions, joint venture alliances, and complex negotiations involving the company’s assets. Prior to East Coast Acquisitions, LLC, Mr. Wild was Senior Vice President of Leasing and Acquisitions for Brandywine Financial, a Pennsylvania based full service real estate operating company. Brandywine owned/managed over 200 retail properties of over 11 million square feet, 60 residential projects providing 14,000 dwelling units and 1 million square feet of office space. At Brandywine, Mr. Wild originated and oversaw more than $100 million in retail leases and repositioned/developed over $100 million of commercial real estate. He was responsible for running the company’s southeast operations and directing the company’s strategy.
Mr. Wild began his career at Elastic Networks, a division of Nortel Networks and served for 5 years as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for New York based KoolConnect Technologies during which time he negotiated, formed and managed strategic partnerships with Sprint, Starwood and Sonesta.
Mr. Wild obtained a Bachelors Degree in Management from Widener University, attended the Executive Learning Series at the University of Shopping Centers and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Elliot Sasson
Elliot Sasson is Co-Founder and Managing Principal of East Coast Acquisitions, LLC. Mr. Sasson is involved in all aspects of East Coast’s day to day operations with emphasis on deal sourcing, strategic partnerships and the company’s financing and private equity needs.
Mr. Sasson is a true entrepreneur with vast experience in both the real estate and retail industries. Mr. Sasson was responsible for the joint venture that brought Global Pet Foods, Canada’s largest retailer of natural and holisitic pet foods and accessories into the United States. Mr. Sasson was instrumental in forming the joint venture, site selection and the development of Global’s first stores in the United States. Mr. Sasson also founded BathSense LLC, a multi-national manufacturer of bath products. BathSense products can be found at retailers world wide ranging from Walmart to Bed Bath and Beyond. Today BathSense is a category leader and innovator with hundreds of patents on its products.
Mr. Sasson began his career as a construction estimator at a leading New York City firm. From there Mr. Sasson developed his skill set in acquisitions as VP of Acquisitions at Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corporation. Mr. Sasson went on to develop and manage hundreds of residential units in New York City with his family. These assets were sold off at substantial profits in 2006.
Mr. Sasson obtained a Bachelors Degree in Business with a minor in Metropolitan Development from Baruch’s Zicklin School of Business.
Allison Almerico
Allison Almerico serves as Director of Operations and brings 16 years of property management expertise to East Coast Acquisitions in the areas of retail, office, and multifamily. Mrs. Almerico is responsible for overseeing day to day operations of the company portfolio, financial reporting, investor relations and lease & property administration.
Prior to joining ECA, Mrs. Almerico served as a property and asset manager with MLG Companies and Accord Resources where she was responsible for the Florida management division portfolios of commercial, mixed use, and multifamily properties. During her tenure, Mrs. Almerico was an award-winning manager that oversaw more than 2000 units, and 300,000sq. ft. of commercial real estate.
Allison obtained a Bachelors Degree from The University of South Florida.
Jennifer Smithers
Jennifer serves as East Coast Acquisitions’ Senior Portfolio Manager and brings an extensive background in operations, lease administration and site selection. Mrs. Smithers is responsible for the day to day operations of the company portfolio, marketing, site due diligence evaluation and lease & property administration.
Prior to joining ECA, Mrs. Smithers worked for 5 years in operations for World of Beer before starting her real estate career working for 4 years with the same company in their New Development Department. In that capacity Mrs. Smithers supported the Vice President of Real Estate with site selection, preparation of real estate committee packages and lease administration duties.
Jennifer studied Business Marketing at St. Petersburg College.
Grace Pierola
Grace is East Coast Acquisitions’ Portfolio Manager overseeing tenant relations and management of multiple commercial properties representing 2 million+ square feet. Grace maintains a proactive focus on sustaining full occupancy levels, and interfaces internally and externally with the finance department and third-party vendors. Prior to joining ECA, Grace worked for 5 years in the legal industry where she was responsible for the management of settlements and paperwork required for 150+ active cases.
Grace studied Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of South Florida.
Michael Hoyt
Michael Hoyt serves as Controller for East Coast Acquisitions and leads the accounting team for all assets. He is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day accounting and financial reporting as well as budgeting and CAM reconciliations.
Prior to joining ECA, Mr. Hoyt served as controller for Avison Young overseeing the day-to-day accounting and financial reporting for 180 commercial properties consisting of 27M SF. He had a team of 25 direct reports which included accountants, A/P, A/R and lease administration team members. Mr. Hoyt worked seamlessly with the Property Management teams throughout the United States in providing institutional grade deliverables. Under his guidance, the accounting team underwent an annual audit of their internal controls, and operated under a Statement of Organization Controls (SOC) 1Type 2 Report.
Mr. Hoyt has over twenty years’ experience in the real estate accounting industry. He has a comprehensive knowledge of financial statement preparation, real estate analysis, CAM reconciliations, and due diligence. He has worked with auditors from various firms, providing and supplementing their workpapers. In addition, Mr. Hoyt’s technology and software skills prove to be a strong asset as properties are integrated and consolidated into portfolios.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Strayer University.
Josh Matute
Joshua Matute serves as the Property Accountant for East Coast Acquisitions. He is responsible for recording the daily rent revenue and making sure vendors are paid in a timely manner; as well as various projects to assist the Controller in his duties. Josh graduated in December 2022 from the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. Prior to starting his accounting career with East Coast Acquisitions, Josh worked as a Financial Analyst for a credit union service organization.
Tina Castanon
Tina Castanon serves as the Office Administrator for East Coast Acquisitions and is responsible for coordinating office activities, operations to secure efficiency, and compliance with company policies. When needed, Ms. Castanon completes the clerical and administrative tasks. She also assists with both the operations and accounting departments to ensure the office functions are coordinated to achieve a high level of productivity. Prior to joining ECA, Ms. Castanon was in the multifamily industry for 8 years, working with Class A communities throughout her career, and is currently pursuing her CAM license.
