President's Club - Real Estate Market Update
About the Event
President’s Club is an exclusive group of community leaders who meet with experts for conversations about projects happening across Southwest Florida. President’s Club connects community leaders from organizations in Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties so we can work together for a bright future.
Please join us for an exclusive Real Estate Market Update. We will have Justin Thibaut with LSI Companies, Inc., Gary Tasman with Cushman & Wakefield and Matt Caldwell, Lee County Property Appraiser joining us for our roundtable discussion as panelist.
President's Club is now featuring an a la carte ticket option to join these exclusive conversations.
About the Speakers:
Justin Thibaut is the President and CEO of LSI Companies. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management and joined LSI after a successful career in the Nuclear Power and Petroleum Industries, where he held positions in project engineering, construction, and business management of major capital projects valued from $500 million to $1 billion. Specializing in real estate analysis and acquisition/disposition of commercial real estate, Justin is also well-versed in all stages of land development and vertical construction. In addition, he is effective and experienced in complex RE transactions including 1031 exchanges, income-producing investment sales, and developer/homebuilder-developed lot programs. Justin spends his free time enjoying the outdoors and SWFL waterways with his wife and daughter.
Professional Affiliations:
- Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) – Designee
- Lee Building Industry Association – Board Member
- Lee BIA Builder’s Care – Vice President
- Real Estate Investment Society (REIS) – Secretary
- SWFL District Chapter, CCIM – Board Member
- Executive Committee for the Dept of Economics and Finance, FGCU – Member
- Leadership Lee County – Graduate, 2017
Gary Tasman is the Founder of Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida (CW|CPSWFL) and serves as its CEO & Principal Broker. The firm provides commercial real estate solutions, locally and globally, in every stage of the real estate ownership and development process, representing clients in buying, selling, leasing, financing and valuing assets.
In January of 2007, Gary Tasman joined Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc. (C&W) as Executive Director for the Southwest Florida market. After successfully handling C&W’s high-profile, national accounts on a local level, he was offered the opportunity to become a C&W Alliance member, and in 2009 founded the only independently owned and operated member of the Cushman & Wakefield Alliance in the State of Florida.
Gary is a 35-year veteran of the real estate industry and is regarded regionally and statewide as an expert on Southwest Florida commercial real estate. His expertise includes: market analytics, financial feasibility studies (office, retail, industrial), site analyses, land development, and disposition/acquisition strategies. He regularly speaks to public and professional organizations about commercial real estate trends and serves as a special columnist for The Fort Myers News-Press Commercial Connection, Florida Real Estate Journal, Gulf Coast Business Review, Florida Business Weekly, Southwest Florida Business Today, American Builders Quarterly and Suite Life Magazine.
Matt Caldwell is a 7th generation Florida native, whose family came to Micanopy in 1826. Matt was born in Gainesville but grew up in Lee County where he met his wife, Yvonne. They live there today, where they raise their daughter, Ava. In his private life, Matt enjoys the outdoor lifestyle that Florida offers: fishing, golfing, kayaking, hunting, and camping, to name a few. He is also a deacon is his local church, as well as spending time focused on his small timber and cattle business activities.
After attending local schools in Lee County, Matt received his Associates Degree from Edison College and his Bachelor of Arts in History from Florida Gulf Coast University. He is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Geomatics from the University of Florida.
While an undergraduate he began his career as a real estate appraiser, ultimately joining the firm of Maxwell, Hendry, Simmons in 2004, where he remains of counsel. He has attained the highest state certification in his field and is qualified as an expert witness in multiple states and federal court. From 2019-2020, Matt was also a partner at TM Strategic Consulting, focused on political consulting, where he remains of counsel, as well.
Outside of serving in elected office, Matt volunteered for appointment to various governmental committees regarding financial oversight, audits, land use and transportation, as well as Everglades restoration as a member of the Lake Okeechobee Water Resources Advisory Committee from 2006-2008, the constitutional review of the Lee County Charter in 2008, and the OPPAGA Local Government Efficiency Task Force in 2021. Matt is a current board member and past chairman of the FGCU Center for Agribusiness Advisory Committee and also serves on the board of the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, Florida State Parks Foundation, and the Richloam Museum.
Matt was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2010-2018, serving on and chairing several committees including: tax policy, redistricting, insurance & banking, agriculture & natural resources/public lands, transportation & infrastructure, local, federal, & military affairs, and oversight of government operations, such as pensions & elections. He is proud to have sponsored, and have the Governor sign into law, dozens of bills, including those related to agriculture, natural resources, public safety, cannabis reform, medical care, criminal justice reform, pensions and term limits, among others. He also served on the Board of the Assembly of State Legislatures, a national organization focused on the implications of Article V of the US Constitution during his time in the Legislature. In 2018, Matt was the Republican nominee for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
In 2020, Matt was elected to serve as the Lee County Property Appraiser, following the retirement of 40-year incumbent Ken Wilkinson. As the author of numerous Constitutional Amendments, including Save Our Homes, Working Waterfronts, and Portability, Ken set a standard of excellence for public service. Matt is proud to continue Ken’s legacy as an advocate for the taxpayer; using the platform as a Constitutional Officer to support good government at the local, state, and federal level.
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