ABOUT US

Westar Associates, headquartered in Newport Beach, California, is engaged in the acquisition, development, leasing, and management of real estate including shopping centers, apartments, self-storage, hotels, and mixed-use properties. Westar has developed and acquired 80 properties valued in excess of $2.6 billion.

OUR TEAM

Bob Best

CEO

In 1980, Bob founded Westar Associates. Throughout his career, he has developed and invested in over 150 projects including shopping centers, apartments, hotels, self-storage, and mixed-use properties. In 2017, he co-founded SmartRent, a real estate technology provider for apartments. He has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, and received his BS and MBA degrees from USC.

Mark Hulme

Chief Financial Officer

Mark Hulme has been part of Westar since 1991 and serves as a partner. He is responsible for all Asset Management, Financing, Lender and Investor Relations, the Sale of Projects, and Raising Equity. Mark’s background is in commercial real estate lending, having worked for Wells Fargo Bank, Chemical Bank, and M&T Bank. He has been responsible for over $1 billion worth of real estate loan fundings. He is the past president of Orange County Youth Sports Foundation and graduated from Bucknell University with a BSBA.

Jud Dutrisac

Chief Operating Officer

Jud Dutrisac has been with Westar since 1995 and is a partner in the company. He oversees all aspects of Leasing, Acquisitions, Entitlement, Development, and Construction.  Before being named COO, Jud ran Westar’s Leasing Division where he successfully negotiated 3 million square feet of retail leases. Prior to joining Westar, he spent 5 years with Grubb & Ellis, specializing in retail real estate. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

Connor Best

Executive Vice President, Entitlements

Connor Best has been with Westar since 2007 and is a partner in the company. He oversees entitlements for existing properties and new projects. His experience in planning, design, and construction management of numerous asset classes allows him to provide decisive direction to Westar’s entitlement efforts. He was born and raised in Southern California. He attended the University of Colorado, and is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

Ryan Best

Executive Vice President, Construction

Ryan Best has been with Westar since 2010 and is a partner in the company, and is responsible for overseeing the development of Westar’s projects including construction management & entitlements. Prior to joining the development department, he was Vice President of Property Management for 5 years. He attended the University of Southern California and Columbia College Chicago.

Kam Walton

Executive Vice President, Acquisitions & Leasing

Kam Walton joined Westar Associates in 2013 and is a partner in the company. He has over 20 years of experience in real estate transactions and is currently involved with acquisitions, development, major tenant leasing and relations. Kam oversees all aspects of the company’s 2 million square foot retail portfolio and the management of its in-house leasing team. Prior to joining Westar Associates, Kam spent several years working in brokerage with a focus on representing shopping center owners throughout Southern California, most recently as the senior retail advisor in Cushman & Wakefield’s Irvine office. Kam is a native of Southern California and is a graduate of Harvard University.

Catie Allison

Senior Vice President, Accounting

Catie Allison is the Senior Vice President, Accounting for Westar. She spent 8+ years in public accounting with firms such as Deloitte and Haskell & White, and after working on Westar’s engagement for several years, she was offered the lead position in their accounting department in 2022. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Accounting. Catie has been actively licensed to practice as a Certified Public Accountant since 2015.

Mike Wentworth 

Senior Vice President, Property Management

Mike Wentworth is responsible for all operations of Westar’s shopping center portfolio property management, marketing, and security departments. Mike previously served as Westar’s Director of Operations. Prior to joining Westar, Mike spent 15 years with the Irvine Company and has experience in both the Irvine Company Retail and Office divisions. He graduated from California State University Fullerton with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration.

Marianne Emmerling

Vice President, Property Management

Marianne Emmerling is responsible for overseeing the management and lease administration of a portfolio consisting of 13 shopping centers with over 2 million square feet. Marianne joined Westar in 2001, as Property Manager, bringing with her vast real estate and property management experience having worked on the retail tenant side of the business with Krause’s Furniture and Denny’s Restaurants, as well as, shopping center management with GVD Commercial Properties. She attended Cerritos College and has her California Real Estate License.

Chris Walton

Vice President, Leasing

Chris Walton oversees all aspects of leasing Westar’s two-million square foot portfolio. Prior to joining Westar, Chris focused primarily on anchor, junior anchor and pad leasing for Newmark Knight & Frank. Since January 2010, Walton has completed more than 600 lease transactions with a combined total consideration of approximately $300 million. He graduated with a Business Management degree from San Diego State University where he was the captain of the men’s basketball team. He is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and has been acknowledged for several professional achievements in the shopping center industry.

Zach LeLevier-Joseph

Vice President, Development

Zach LeLevier-Joseph has been with Westar since 2016. He is involved with the development and construction of new projects, and is responsible for the management of Westar’s Central Coast properties. Prior to joining Westar, Zach worked as a Civil Engineer for a private firm in Santa Barbara, and as a Project Manager for a General Contractor in Goleta, where he played an integral role in the construction of the Hollister Village mixed-use community. After growing up in Alaska, Zach graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Civil Engineering, and is a licensed California Professional Engineer.

Bob Byrd

Director of Operations

Bob Byrd joined Westar in 2023 to lend his skills as the Director of Operations. He is responsible for overseeing all operations, tenant coordination, and landscaping for Westar’s Southern California commercial retail portfolio. Bob received an HVAC certification from Orange Coast College and has a robust background in construction and extensive electrical knowledge. Prior to joining Westar, Bob spent 12 years working with and for the Irvine Company Retail Properties division. There he held the roll of Operations Manager for The Market Place Shopping Center, one of the company’s three Regional Centers.

Joe McCabe

Property Manager

Joe McCabe is involved with the operation and renovation of the Westar centers throughout Southern California. He has been involved in high end retail stores for the past 20 years in the Los Angeles area, primarily pertaining to the facilities maintenance and new system implementation in various flagship stores. He graduated from Los Angeles Valley College with an Associates of Science Degree. He is an active member of ICSC, as well as a member of IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management).

Morgan Curtis

Marketing Manager

Morgan Curtis is the Marketing Manager at Westar Associates, supporting all marketing efforts across the portfolio. She joined Westar in January 2023 and brings expertise in digital marketing, social media strategy, and design. She helps implement effective marketing and public relations strategies that drive increased traffic and sales for the merchants of Westar’s properties. Morgan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is an active member of ICSC.

Ben McCarthy

Director of Technology

Ben McCarthy joined Westar in August 2020 to drive all aspects of technology initiatives. Ben attended Kalamazoo Technical College in England before moving to the United States. He comes with over 20 years’ experience in the IT and Managed IT industries, and has attained numerous certifications, including from Microsoft, Citrix, and CompTIA.

Lauren Rufino

Executive Assistant

Lauren joined Westar in 2020. As Executive Assistant, she coordinates schedules and provides administrative support to the partners at Westar. Prior to becoming Executive Assistant, Lauren worked with the Property Management department as their Property Coordinator, assisting with various aspects of lease administration.