Meet Our Team

Sean McGrory is the Executive Director of the Real Estate Center at the University of Cincinnati. Sean received his MBA in Finance from Xavier University and his undergraduate degree in Accounting from Miami University.

Sean is a Certified Public Accountant and was a Shareholder at Clark Schaefer Hackett where he led the Real Estate and Construction practice group. Prior to joining CSH, Sean served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Miller Valentine Group. Sean began his career with Grant Thorton where he served in various roles including the US Liaison Partner for Europe-London, and the Partner-in-Charge of the Cincinnati office.

Sean has served on several civic and philanthropic boards including: The Springer School and Center, The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati, Clark Montessori High School, Wasson Way, and Tri-State Trails.

Gary Painter, PhD, is the BEARE Chair and Academic Director of the Center for Real Estate at the University of Cincinnati. Gary received his PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and his undergraduate degree in Quantitative Economics and Decision Sciences from the University of California, San Diego.

Gary has extensive expertise in housing, urban economics and social innovation. His work in real estate is shaped by understanding issues of housing affordability and how changing demographics impact U.S. housing markets. His research has appeared in numerous top journals and media outlets.

Gary has previously served as President of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association. And has held leadership positions at the National Association of Realtors, Andrew Davidson Co., Fannie Mae, the Research Institute for Housing America, and as an expert witness on several real estate and fair housing cases.

Heather Johnson is the Program Manager for the University of Cincinnati’s Real Estate Center at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business. She brings more than a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and program leadership, with a strong track record of building relationships and creating meaningful partnerships across industries.

Before joining higher education, Heather served as an Account Director, leading business development and national marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 clients. In that role, she excelled at cultivating client relationships, executing large-scale initiatives, and driving growth through strategic planning.

At UC, Heather combines her background in marketing and relationship management with her passion for connecting people. She leads industry engagement for the Real Estate Center, overseeing sponsorships, events, and communications that bring together students, faculty, alumni, and real estate professionals. Her work strengthens partnerships between the university and the industry while creating opportunities for collaboration, networking, and professional development.

Passionate about building community and fostering connections, Heather plays a central role in advancing the Real Estate Center’s mission to prepare future leaders and support Cincinnati’s vibrant real estate industry.

Edward Hudson recently retired from The Kroger Co., where he served as manager of alternative profit and partnerships. 

He worked in a team creating alternate sources of revenue out of the company’s real estate holdings as well as new lines of business particularly in customer transportation. Between 2013 and 2019, Hudson served as senior director of corporate research with offices in Portland, Oregon, and Cincinnati. He supervised a staff engaged in market research and analytics. He also served as senior director of loyalty and insights for Kroger until 2013.  

Hudson joined Kroger in 1979 as a real estate attorney. Since 1984 he’s held real estate positions, including senior real estate manager for Kroger’s Nashville, Columbus and Michigan divisions, and director of real estate for Ralphs and Food 4 Less in Los Angeles, California. Ed joined the corporate real estate office in 2008 before being transferred to the loyalty department in 2010.

Hudson earned a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Cincinnati. A longtime adjunct faculty member at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, Edward was recently appointed Executive in Residence, where he continues to teach courses in Real Estate Development, Finance, and Law while mentoring students and supporting the Real Estate Center.

Hudson is currently a member of the board and executive committee of the UC Economics Center and a board member for the ICSC’s North American Research Task Force and received the BH Kroger Award for Community Service. 

Eunjee Kwon, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Real Estate at the Lindner College of Business and University of Cincinnati. She received her PhD in Economics from the University of Southern California and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics from Sogang University in Seoul, Korea.

Her research explores how major urban shocks — such as the rise of remote work, natural disasters, immigration and e-commerce — reshape household mobility and city dynamics. Her work has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Urban Economics, and has been recognized with the Homer Hoyt Doctoral Dissertation Award, the Haynes Lindley Fellowship, and the Dissertation Award from the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.

She regularly presents her work at premier academic and practitioner venues such as the NBER Summer Institute, the World Bank, Fannie Mae, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Her research and commentary have also been featured in media outlets including Freakonomics Radio, J.P. Morgan Insights, Time, the Los Angeles Times and Business Insider.

As Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Core5s Midwest Region, Doug’s chief responsibilities include business development, capital deployment and operations in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and New Jersey.  His primary focus is on land acquisition, entitlement and development of modern logistics facilities for inventory and build-to-suit requirements. Additionally, he is accountable for sourcing value-add acquisition opportunities.

A 39-year veteran of commercial real estate, Doug has overseen more than 70 million square feet of industrial property development and leasing with a total market value of more than $6 billion. His specialty concentrations include development, leasing, brokerage, financing, acquisitions and dispositions.

Doug holds membership in National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) and the Board of Real Estate Executive Advisors at the University of Cincinnati.

Past industry duties include Chairman of the University of Cincinnati Real Estate Executive Advisory Committee, speaker for NAIOP’s eCon conference and the NAIOP’s Developing for the New Century course. He is an adjunct instructor of Real Estate Finance in the Carl H Linder College of Business at the University of Cincinnati.

Doug holds BBA degrees in Real Estate and Finance from the University of Cincinnati and is a licensed real estate broker in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Florida and Indiana.  Doug is a Planning Commission Member for the Kenton County Kentucky Planning Commission.

Prior to joining Core5, Doug spent 25 years serving with IDI Logistics, most recently as East Region Senior Vice President and Regional Director.

Bill Kernitz has over 38 years of experience in Real Estate Analysis in the private sector. He has served in senior research positions at Macy’s and Sears and has also held positions at Management Horizons, the May Department Stores Company, and the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Kernitz specializes in quantitative analysis and the use of geographic information systems (GIS). Kernitz received his Master of Arts in Geography from Miami University, Oxford, OH in 1983 and his Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH in 1981.

Steven is the founder and principal of Pinnacle Associates, a commercial real estate appraisal and consulting firm he established in 1994. With nearly four decades of experience, Reynolds specializes in the valuation of income-producing properties across office, retail, industrial, multifamily, and mixed-use portfolios, as well as complex special-use assets. He holds the MAI and CCIM designations and is a Certified General Appraiser in Ohio. Reynolds has also served extensively in public service, including 14 years on the Grandview Heights City Council - more than seven as Council President - where he played a key role in major redevelopment initiatives and economic incentive structuring. In addition to his professional practice, Reynolds is active in academia as an adjunct instructor and guest lecturer at multiple Ohio universities and is a published author in The Appraisal Journal. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and is currently pursuing a Professional MBA with a focus on artificial intelligence.

Greg Scheper currently serves as Director of Strategic Assets for Corporex. In this role Scheper is responsible for devising and implementing strategies to maximize value for underperforming and non-performing assets through redevelopment and repositioning properties to better meet market demands.

Scheper is a licensed attorney in the Commonwealth of Kentucky who has primarily focused his career working in business-centric roles. Over the course of his twenty-five year career he has developed an expertise in multiple disciplines within the commercial real estate industry, including development, land-use and zoning, acquisitions/dispositions, public-private partnerships, economic development, entitlement procurement and leasing.

Scheper earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati. 

Marianne Taylor is a Vice President with Colliers, specializing in multifamily investment sales. She advises private and institutional investors on the acquisition and disposition of apartment communities, leading transactions from valuation and market positioning through negotiation and closing. Marianne is known for her strategic approach to capital markets, deep market knowledge, and the ability to execute complex deals that maximize value for her clients.

Prior to joining Colliers, Marianne was at CBRE for 6 years, where she was responsible for listing and selling multifamily assets, conducting property tours with prospective buyers, underwriting opportunities, and negotiating purchase agreements. She began her multifamily brokerage career after a decade at PNC Bank, where she built a strong foundation in commercial real estate underwriting and small business relationship management. During her banking career, she facilitated and closed numerous investment and owner-occupied commercial real estate loans, giving her a comprehensive understanding of both the debt and equity sides of a transaction.

Since 2023, Marianne Taylor has served as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Cincinnati, where she teaches Asset and Property Management during the fall semester. In this evening course, she brings real-world multifamily investment and operational experience into the classroom, equipping students with practical knowledge of ownership strategy, property performance, financial analysis, value creation, and networking.

Marianne also authors a widely followed monthly newsletter, The Marianne Minute, where she shares market insights, industry trends, and practical advice for multifamily owners and investors. Known for its engaging and entertaining style, the newsletter weaves in personal life experiences alongside professional expertise, which has led to the publication's substantial popularity.

Marianne holds Ohio and Kentucky real estate licenses and is actively engaged in mentoring the next generation of real estate professionals. She is scheduled to earn her CCIM designation in April 2026. Her background in finance, advisory, and leadership uniquely positions her as a trusted partner to multifamily investors seeking strategic, results-driven guidance.

She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Cincinnati, where she achieved Magna Cum Laude and Beta Gamma Sigma honors. While at UC, she played on the Women’s Golf Team and competed in every tournament during her college career. She received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Xavier University, where she received Beta Gamma Sigma honors. 

Marianne is the founder of The Women In Real Estate Network (WIRE), where she organizes quarterly sponsored networking events. She currently serves as a board member for the Real Estate Executive Advisory Council (REEAC), and the Clifton Heights Business Association (CHBA).  She is also an active member of the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association (GCNKAA), the Greater Dayton Apartment Association (GDAA), and the UC Real Estate Roundtable. In 2026, Marianne was recognized as a Cincinnati Business Courier 40 Under 40 honoree, celebrating her leadership, professional achievements, and contributions to the Greater Cincinnati business community.