We greatly appreciate the meaningful contributions of the following individuals.
Larry A. Mizel, Founder, Mizel Institute
Chairman and CEO, MDC Holdings
Larry A. Mizel founded MDC Holdings in 1972 and has served as a director and chairman of the board since its inception. He was appointed chief executive officer of MDC Holdings in 1988, a position he currently holds. Mizel has provided MDC Holdings with leadership and judgment, serving as the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors and working to further the long-term interests of MDC Holdings’ shareholders. One of the most experienced leaders in the homebuilding industry, his knowledge and foresight provides the board with invaluable guidance.
Herbert T. Buchwald
Chairman of the Board and President, BPR Management Corporation, Principal, Herbert T. Buchwald, P.A.
Herbert T. Buchwald is a principal in the law firm of Herbert T. Buchwald, P.A. Buchwald has been the chairman of the board and president of BPR Management Corporation for more than five years. He is an attorney admitted to practice before federal and state trial and appellate courts in Florida and Colorado. In addition, he has been engaged for over 30 years in the real estate development of residential and commercial properties in Florida, New Jersey and Colorado, serving as chief executive officer of various entities. He has been a lead director of MDC Holdings Inc. since March 1, 2006, and as its independent director since March 1994. Buchwald serves as a director of M.D.C. Land Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of MDC Holdings Inc. He is a certified public accountant.
Michael Burg
Founder/Shareholder, Burg Simpson Personal Injury Lawyers
Michael Burg was admitted to the Colorado Bar in May, 1976 and founded Burg Simpson in 1977. Today, Burg Simpson comprises more than 50 attorneys with offices in four states. Burg has tried over 185 trials and obtained over 15 verdicts in excess of $1M. In total, his clients have received settlements, judgments and verdicts in excess of $500M. Burg has annually been named among America’s 50 Leading Trial Lawyers by the U.S. Legal 500 since 2012, and the U.S. Legal 500 also acknowledged him as a Leading Lawyer nationally in representing individuals in Pharmaceutical Mass Tort and Class Action Litigation. Burg was inducted to the Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2016, joining such legendary trial lawyers as John Adams, Clarence Darrow, and Johnny Cochran. Additionally, he was named by Best Lawyers® in America as the 2016 Denver Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs.
David P. Cohen
Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Drawing on 20 years of Washington, D.C. experience, David Cohen has a proven track record of assisting clients with developing high-stakes legal and public policy strategies, then implementing those initiatives before federal and state agencies as well as the U.S. Congress.
David represents clients in complex congressional oversight matters, in addition to regulatory investigations and enforcement actions by state and federal agencies. David also helps clients with their legislative advocacy, with an emphasis on financial services and homeland security issues. He returned to Brownstein after two years as the Chief Administrative Officer for CLEAR, a leading biometric technology company, where he played a critical role in its expansion handling operations, risk management, legal affairs and government and public relations. While still in the public sector, David served as chief of staff to U.S. Customs Service Commissioners, was involved in the initial policy discussions surrounding the formation of the Department of Homeland Security, and as professional staff on the House Financial Services Committee.
Admitted in Maryland, David’s legal practice within the District of Columbia involves matters and proceedings before federal courts and agencies. David is not currently licensed to practice in the District of Columbia.
David H. Engleberg
David H. Engleberg has lived in the Denver area since 1992. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and attended the University of Utah where he earned his B.A. and M.B.A. degrees. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1967 – 1973. He also resided in the Los Angeles area for a number of years. He has held senior executive positions in the health care and insurance industries. For the past 20 years he developed numerous residential and commercial real estate projects in the Denver area. Since 2010, Engleberg has been the owner of Capitol Cigars. Engleberg served on public, private and non-profit Boards, including being Chairman of the Board of National Jewish Health. Engleberg is married and has four children, one in Denver, two in Israel, and one in Portland, Oregon. He currently has six grandchildren. His hobbies include tennis, golf, fly fishing and watching football.
Anne Hillary
Anne M. Hillary is a community activist and philanthropist, serving on several local boards in arts and education. She and her husband, Jim Hillary, have lived in Colorado since 1998 with their three children. Anne’s professional history includes leadership positions in arts management at American Ballet Theatre and the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York.
Arlene Hirschfeld
Born and raised in Denver, Arlene Hirschfeld has been making significant and enduring contributions to the community for 35 years. After working as a teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School, Hirschfeld made a career of working nearly full-time for various causes. She has volunteered for nonprofits including the Allied Jewish Federation – now JEWISHcolorado – (where she served as the third female president in the organization’s 57-year history), the Denver Art Museum, Rose Community Foundation (where she was the first female board chair), and The Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Hirschfeld currently serves on the boards of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Denver Art Museum. She is a member of Rose Community Foundation’s Philanthropic Services Committees. She is also an honorary trustee of Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Her belief in the importance of volunteerism to enhance the quality of life of individuals and the community has fueled her work.
John Ikard
Director, FirstBank Holding Company
John Ikard was elected president and CEO of FirstBank Holding Company in 1999. In early 2017, after 35 years with the company, the last 17 years as CEO, Ikard stepped down as CEO but continues to serve on the FirstBank Board of Directors. He also is the chairman of Colorado Concern. John served as past chairman of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Denver Area Boy Scout Council and Denver Economic Development Corporation.
Walter Isenberg
Co-Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer, Sage Hospitality
Walter Isenberg started Sage more than 30 years ago with partner Zack Neumeyer. As CEO of Sage Hospitality, he directs all company operations including management, real estate investment and brand development, with an emphasis on community giving and teaching the next generation of great leaders. He also partnered with Sage Restaurant Group’s Peter Karpinski in 2006 to create high-volume restaurants within urban hotels, upping the value and revenue for Sage investors. Results driven and creative, Isenberg is a member of the Union Station Alliance, the group responsible for revitalizing Denver Union Station and creating the high-performing Crawford Hotel. He created Sage’s art program which provides locally curated art in newly built or renovated hotels. Now, Isenberg is leading Sage toward a new adventure, creating places that people want to go to, not through; by cultivating new experiences within the walls of Sage Hotels and Restaurants.
James A. Lustig
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Management
James A. Lustig is a founder and chief executive officer at United Capital Management. He is an extensive real estate investor, with diverse holdings throughout the Western United States. Lustig also owned, operated and successfully exited a large chain of sporting goods stores located throughout Colorado. Previously, he owned and operated a commercial bank, headquartered in Denver, which he sold to Zionbank. Lustig is founder and director at GEA Entertainment, a music publishing industry consolidator. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Board at ARC China, Inc. As an active philanthropist, Lustig focuses on a variety of charitable endeavors. He holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University.
David D. Mandarich
President and Chief Operating Officer, MDC Holdings, Inc.
David D. Mandarich has been associated with MDC Holdings since 1977. He was elected president and chief operating officer of MDC Holdings in June 1999, a position he currently holds. He previously had been elected chief operating officer in March 1996, co-chief operating officer in September 1994 and executive vice president real estate in April 1993. He was a director from September 1980 until April 1989, and has been a director continuously since March 1994. A skilled and experienced leader in the homebuilding industry, Mandarich provides the board with the benefit of his judgment and his knowledge and understanding of MDC Holdings’ homebuilding business and operations.
Andy Miller
Managing Principal, Miller Frishman
Following graduation from the University of Denver with an accounting degree, Andy Miller worked as a CPA for the international accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. In 1980, he joined with four other partners as Loup-Miller Development Company, which designed and developed shopping centers, apartment communities, office buildings and warehouses across the United States. In 1993, Miller and David Frishman co-founded Realty Funding Group, a mortgage and finance company that has acted as a mortgage broker and mortgage banker for numerous commercial real estate projects across the U.S. RFG has provided financing for over $1 billion of commercial real estate. In 2009, Miller and David Frishman founded Miller Frishman Group, which specializes in multi-family apartments and retail shopping centers.
Courtney Mizel
Director, MDC Holdings, Inc.
Courtney L. Mizel is a Principal at Mizel Consulting, where she has worked for over 20 years. In this role, Mizel advises companies in various industries on matters relating to business management and strategy, including operations, business development, marketing, as well as legal matters. She is also a Founding Director of the CELL. Mizel is involved in a number of non-profit activities, including serving on the Boards of Directors of Zimmer Children’s Museum, Sharsheret National and JQ International. Mizel received her Bachelor of Science in Economics with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and her Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law. She is the daughter of the MDC Holdings, Inc., Executive Chairman of the Board Larry A. Mizel, and she joined its Board of Directors in 2017. Her legal and business achievements and diverse-yet-highly-relevant experiences provide the Board with enhanced business, operational, governance and legal perspectives.
Michael Pollak
Co-founder, Hyde Park Jewelers
Michael Pollak, co-founder of Hyde Park, with over 40 years in the jewelry business, started by selling turquoise and Indian jewelry after class on the lawn of Denver University in 1973, where he graduated with a BSBA. He has spent extensive time in New York, Geneva, Vicenza and Hong Kong, cultivating his skills, knowledge and expertise in the field of gemology, fine jewelry and Swiss timepieces. With over 37 years in retail management, developing five regional, luxury jewelry stores, Pollak became chief executive officer of Hyde Park Jewelers in 2007. He has received numerous industry awards, including induction into the National Jeweler Retailer Hall of Fame in 2008, and “Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award” in 1999. Pollack has held board positions with Jewelers of America, Natural Color Diamond Association and the Mizel Institute. He is a co-founder of Diamonds in the Rough, a non-profit organization to support the efforts of youth-based nonprofits and local charities.
Blair Richardson
Managing Partner and Co-founder, Bow River Capital Partners
Blair Richardson is managing partner of Bow River Capital Partners and has held executive positions in international sales and trading of public equity and debt securities for nearly 25 years. In 2011, Richardson was named one of the most influential people in Denver by 5280 magazine (“The 5280 Fifty”). Richardson was with Morgan Stanley and Company from 1987 to 1995, serving as president of Morgan Stanley Japan in Tokyo, vice chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia in Hong Kong, and managing director of the Equity and Fixed Income Department in New York. Prior to forming Bow River Capital Partners, Richardson was managing partner of B.E. Richardson Investments, which invested in a variety of industries and real estate throughout North America. Between 1996 and 2002 his company made over 20 private equity investments.
Rick Sapkin
Founder and Managing Principal, Edgemark Development
Rick Sapkin is a founder and managing principal of Edgemark Development. Since 1999, Edgemark has been one of Denver’s most significant commercial development firms, with a strong presence throughout the Midwest, Rocky Mountains and western United States. With more than 25 years of commercial real estate experience, Sapkin has been involved in more than a billion dollars of real estate transactions, several million square feet of retail development, and has established a proven track record for entrepreneurial business development specializing in retail development, brokerage, tenant representation and retail expansion. Sapkin received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Denver in 1983, where he remains involved in the Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management.