Pioneer Cos.

John is Senior Managing Director of the company and has over 25 years of experience in planning and developing commercial real estate throughout the eastern United States. He has a broad knowledge of all aspects of the development process, including site assessment and acquisition, risk assessment, legal and finance, planning and zoning entitlements, construction, and project management. As Managing Director, John participates in strategic planning and is responsible for analyzing, assessing risk, and implementing and overseeing new business opportunities.

Mark serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the company. In that role he participates in the company’s managerial and strategic planning and organizational administration. His primary responsibilities include capital sourcing, implementation of tax strategies, risk management, financial oversight and structuring of development and acquisition opportunities. Mark brings over 20 years of experience in real estate finance, management, development and accounting to the Pioneer team.

Melissa started with Pioneer in the early 1990's working as a construction manager. She left to pursue a career in architecture, designing and building institutional, commercial, and residential projects throughout the United States and France. Melissa rejoined the company in 2013 as an asset and property manager. As President and COO, she manages the day-to-day operations of the company in addition to leading new development projects with a special focus on urban in-fill and revitalization projects. She is registered to practice architecture in New York, California, and Colorado and is a licensed real estate salesperson in New York.

Mike Falcone began his real estate career in 1952 when, at age 16, he became the youngest licensed real estate salesman in the State of New York. In 1969, he and a high school friend in the contracting business formed the Pyramid Companies and built shopping centers, warehouses, office buildings and student apartments throughout the northeast. In 1975 he formed The Pioneer Group, a predecessor of today’s Pioneer Companies, where he served as Chairman of the Board until 2007. Today, he is focused on new investment opportunities, and reviewing and maximizing value in the existing portfolio.

Chuck joined Pioneer Companies in 2008 as a Construction Project Manager. He has a unique combination of military leadership, education in architecture and construction management, and over 20 years of experience in all phases and types of construction. Chuck has overseen and successfully completed over 1.2 billion dollars in commercial, institutional, higher education, office building and mixed-use development and redevelopment projects. As Director of Construction, he oversees all of Pioneer’s Tenant Improvement and New Build projects in addition to 3rd party consulting work.

Al joined the company in 2001 as Director of Leasing and has participated in marketing, leasing, property management, and development projects for both Pioneer owned and third-party properties. His primary role is overseeing leasing activities for retail, office and residential properties. Al has a Bachelor of Science degree from Siena College and previously worked on major mall development, investments and telecommunication infrastructure projects.

Eric oversees asset management activities and provides operational insight to all of Pioneer’s hospitality related entities. He brings over a decade of experience in hotel openings, operations, and finance and holds a certification in Hotel Industry Analytics. Eric’s success has been recognized by New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association’s Pinnacle Award and by American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Outstanding General Manager of the Year Award.

Sue currently serves as Pioneer’s Director of Property Management, overseeing the budget, marketing, maintenance programs and personnel of the portfolio while maintaining direct oversight of a medical office portfolio consisting of 500,000 SF. After joining Pioneer as a Marketing Specialist in 1992 in its Rochester office she relocated to Syracuse as a Property Manager in 1997 and was subsequently promoted to her current post. Her experience in property management includes all major commercial asset classes-retail, CBD office, suburban office, and medical office. Sue is a graduate of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and also has earned her Real Property Administrator designation from the Building Owners and Managers Institute.

After joining Pioneer in January 2000 as a Property Accountant, Donna was promoted to Accounting Manager in 2012. She is a reliable member of our leadership team and contributes to company direction and strategy. With over 30 years of real estate accounting experience, Donna currently oversees all aspects of the accounting department which includes accounts payable and receivable, leasing and project development accounting, financial reporting, investor reporting, payroll, cash management, and systems administration support.