Hobbs Brook Management hires four new employees and promotes one

Waltham, MA Hobbs Brook Management LLC has hired four new employees to the firm, and promoted one long-time employee. Newly hired are Lynn Gray as a human resources manager; Kelsey Harrison as a senior administrative assistant; Chris Poravas as a real estate manager, construction specialist; and Erik Waal has joined as a staff vice president, technology services. John Tomasello has been promoted to the manager, facility and buildings.

Gray has been working in human resources since 1994, and in this role, she acts as a strategic business partner to executive, staff, and line management by providing comprehensive value-added human resource consultation services to diverse business segments. Using customized HR-based solutions, she solves business problems, while providing a comprehensive range of human resource tools and solutions that support business objectives. 

As senior administrative assistant, Harrison provides administrative and construction project support to the project management staff and facilitates the functioning of real estate planning and development. Her duties are wide-ranging, including preparing general correspondence, soliciting competitive bids from vendors, comparing/tracking bids, preparing purchase orders and assists with tracking project costs.

With 27 years of experience in architecture, construction, and project management, Poravas will manage multiple real estate functions on behalf of Hobbs Brook, with a focus on the development of the Mass. and R.I. campuses. Working closely with the principal architect, he will be responsible for ground-up investment real estate construction, repositioning of real estate assets, tenant improvement projects, major repairs, and life cycle building system replacements from project inception to completion. 

Tomasello has been with Hobbs Brook since 2000, most recently as an assistant facilities manager. In his new role as a manager, he is now responsible for the administration and managerial direction of the facility department, as well as controlling overall operations and personnel. 

Waal is responsible for the development and execution of strategic and tactical IT plans and solutions in support of the real estate, property management, food service, and facilities management units. 

“We are so pleased to add this talented group of professionals to the Hobbs Brook Management team and we congratulate Jack on his promotion,” said Sam Schaefer, president and CEO at Hobbs Brook Management. “As our commercial real estate portfolio expands, particularly with the addition of 225 Wyman St., we will rely on our staff to continue providing the excellent service our tenants have grown to expect from us.”