The Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut (REFA-CT) has elected its new president, Michael Riccio. Riccio is head of CBRE Capital Markets Debt & Equity Hartford office covering all of Connecticut. With more than 26 years of real estate experience, Riccio has closed over $4 billion of mortgage transactions in major metropolitan areas around the U.S. in all property types. Prior to opening the CBRE Capital Markets office in Hartford, Riccio spent 23 years at CIGNA and held several real estate positions, including assignments in asset management, portfolio management and debt origination. During his career, Riccio has spoken at various industry conferences and is a published author.
Riccio is or has been an active member in the following organizations: International Council of Shopping Centers, Institute of Real Estate Management, National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, and serves as past president and board member of The Hartford Chapter of the Real Estate Finance Association. He graduated with a BA in mathematics from Southern Connecticut State University, and a MBA in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Connecticut.

FAIRFIELD/WESTCHESTER CHAPTER
REFA also would like to announce the election of the new Chapter president of the Fairfield/Westchester Chapter, George Yerrall, along with vice president Mark Ellman.
Yerrall is the managing director of RiverOak Investment Corp. RiverOak Realty Funds were formed by RiverOak Investment Corp., LLC (the Managing Member) to provide high net-worth individuals, foundations, pension funds, Individual Retirement Accounts, self-directed 401-Ks, and endowments access to professionally managed real estate investments.
Yerrall has also worked in a variety of roles in real estate over the last 30 years, including his father's residential brokerage firm, Stearns and Yerrall, as well as First Winthrop Corporation where he was the assistant to the chairman. Yerall also became a partner in and the president of Pecoy Development Company, a high-end custom home builder and land developer. Yerrall graduated with a BA in Economics from Amherst College and a MBA in Real Estate Finance from Columbia University. In addition to serving as the Chapter's president, he also served as chair of the REFA 2008 Gala and will also chair the 2009 Gala as well.
Mark Ellman, a licensed real estate broker and securities principal, holds a BA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, a JD (cum laude) from Fordham University School of Law and an LLM in taxation from New York University of Law. He has served on numerous corporate, non-profit and trade organization boards and is a frequent speaker on real estate acquisitions and finance. He has served on the REFA Program Committee for many years as well.
Prior to founding CCGL's predecessor company in 1994, Ellman was a founding partner and senior vice president at Value Properties, Inc. and a senior vice president and partner at Oppenheimer Properties, Inc., the real estate affiliate of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. Ellman practiced law for 11 years before becoming a real estate investor in 1981. He has personally directed property acquisitions and dispositions exceeding $600 million. He has also directed leasing for more than 1.75 million s/f of space and has directed renovation and repositioning for 3 million s/f of space.

HARTFORD CHAPTER
The Hartford Chapter has also elected new officers. Elected as the REFA-Hartford Chapter president is Frank Appicelli, alongside newly elected vice president Vin Bergin.
Appicelli is co-chair of Bingham's Real Estate Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial finance and real estate. He regularly represents commercial lenders, developers, and owners of real estate.
Appicelli has been identified as one of the best real estate lawyers in Chambers USA, a compilation of America's leading business lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America. He has also been included in Lawdragon 3000 Leading Lawyers in America. He graduated with a BA from Fairfield University and then went on to Georgetown University Law Center where he graduated with a law degree, cum laude.

Vin Bergin is a vice president in People's United Bank's Commercial Real Estate Finance Department. For over five years, Bergin has been responsible for originating, underwriting and asset managing commercial real estate loans throughout the Tri-State area. Prior to joining PUB, Bergin spent eight years at Berkshire Mortgage Finance in Boston where he specialized in underwriting and product management of the Fannie Mae DUS and Freddie Mac Seller Servicer programs. At Berkshire, Bergin held various positions including Freddie Mac product manager and underwriting manager; was a voting member of Loan Committee and served on the Education & Training, Policy & Procedures and Global Production committees. Throughout his career Bergin has been responsible for more than $2 billion in mortgage transactions throughout the U.S.
Bergin is an active Connectcut licensed general real estate appraiser, member of the REFA-CT Hartford Chapter since 2003 and an Executive Board Member since 2004. Bergin is a graduate of the University of Connnecticut, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance.