The Employee Advisory Board [EAB] is a key component to fostering an open exchange of ideas between senior management and staff.
The EAB is comprised of employees nominated from any department within the company. Representing their co-workers, the group synthesizes employee suggestions for consideration by senior management. Their primary focus is flagging operational concerns that have the potential for a long-range effect on employees.
Engaging employees and providing a forum for constructive dialogue aligns powerfully with the Towbes Group’s core values and mission. Contact us to learn more about the Towbes Group and to join our team.
Since joining the Towbes Group in 1997, Robert Skinner has served in a number of key leadership roles. He currently oversees all aspects of the company’s business as CEO. During his tenure, the Towbes Group successfully closed one of the largest leasing transactions in Santa Barbara county history. He also is Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of the Towbes Group-affiliate Montecito Bank & Trust.
In addition to his real estate and banking responsibilities, he is one of the founders and managing principals of Towbes Capital Partners, the real estate investment division of the Towbes Group. He is the chief executive officer of Agility Capital, a venture-debt fund he co-founded in 1999. Along with Michael Towbes, he formed and is managing partner of Twenty One East Victoria Investments, a firm focused on opportunities created by California’s central coast technology industry.
Prior to joining the Towbes Group, Mr. Skinner was an attorney with the international law firm of White & Case specializing in real estate transaction and bankruptcy work in the Los Angeles and New York offices. His legal expertise encompasses complex business litigation and construction and real estate law.
As a community leader, Mr. Skinner has served on the Boards of Directors of Montecito Bank & Trust, the Towbes Foundation, Barrister Executive Suites, the Santa Barbara Foundation, Camerata Pacifica and the development committee for the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Mr. Skinner is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate.
Michelle Konoske serves as The Towbes Group’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and is a vital component of the Senior Management Team. Since 1999, Michelle has been a key player in the organization. As COO, Michelle is responsible for operational controls, leading the administrative and reporting procedures, and managing the organization’s leadership to continue the efficiency of the company. As CFO, Michelle oversees the entire accounting department, which includes the preparation of monthly financial statements for more than 40 projects managed by The Towbes Group.
Michelle is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accounts. She also serves on the Finance Committee for the Granada, a premier performing arts center in Santa Barbara.
Derek Hansen serves as the Executive Vice President at The Towbes Group and part of the Senior Management Team. He is responsible for the oversight of all construction staff, budgets, department activities, and direction on the building and systems implemented for the development of all new projects. Through his oversight of the Property Services Group, he guides the management of capital improvement projects across the residential and commercial portfolios, including tenant improvements for both private parties, and tenants of The Towbes Group managed properties.
Derek serves as the Responsible Managing Employee for the A and B Contractor’s Licenses of The Towbes Group. His professional portfolio includes a wide variety of commercial buildings, single-family projects, multi-family communities, historical remodels, and custom estate homes.
Jay Bardessono serves as the Vice President of Information Technology at The Towbes Group, with over 23 years of hands-on experience related to information systems and information technologies. Jay provides essential insight and leadership for the continued development of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment. His extensive experience in operations, enterprise computing, and telecommunications influence the projected technology strategy for the TG residential portfolio, commercial properties, and corporate office. Additionally, at The Towbes Group, Jay has been an integral player in implementing new systems such as virtual models, smart apartments, and full-stack Yardi integration, among other things.
Jennifer (Jenn) joined the Commercial Department at The Towbes Group in 2008 and has been in the real estate industry since 2003. Jenn serves as the Commercial Property Manager within the office, industrial and retail businesses. Her property management portfolio includes buildings located in Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria, totaling nearly 200,000sf. As a property manager, Jenn oversees the operations needed to keep properties in premium condition, including leasing, capital projects, and tenant improvement projects.
Jenn’s experience reaches to many facets of the real estate industry, including escrow, real estate transactions, and loan processes. In addition to earning her Real Estate License, she is a certified IREM Accredited Commercial Manager (ACoM).
As a licensed attorney, Kim Shlens has spent a significant amount of time as a real estate transactional associate with respected law firms and, for nearly a decade, managed the entire real estate portfolio of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust (now Union Bank). Her property investment acumen has been fine-tuned as a principal in her family’s real estate development business, as well as in the purchase and sale of investment properties.
Ms. Shlens is a graduate of the Eller College of Management, University of Arizona, with a Bachelor in Science in Business Administration, and Western State University, with a J.D. She also holds a real estate broker license with the California Department of Real Estate. In her leisure time, Kim enjoys traveling, surfing, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends.
For the past twenty years, Peter has worked as a commercial real estate manager. He has also been acting as managing partner of Goodell Investments LLC, a commercial real estate management firm. Before this, he served as vice president/CFO of Goodell Packing Corporation, a citrus processing organization affiliated with Sunkist Growers Inc.
A Goleta native, Peter, and his wife have raised their family locally and feel blessed to have been able to take advantage of all our area offers.
Summer serves as Commercial Property Manager at The Towbes Group. She began her career in Real Estate in Santa Barbara in 2016 with over 5 years of experience in Commercial Property Management. Her portfolio includes properties located in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Santa Maria, totaling around 500,000sf. She ensures all her properties are in premium condition and oversees all leasing and capital projects.
Summer is a graduate from Auburn University, with a bachelor’s in science in Geology. She is licensed California Real Estate Salesperson and a certified California Notary Public. In her leisure time, Summer enjoys yoga, pilates, hiking, traveling, scuba diving, surfing, and spending time with her family.
