Locations
Verdugo Co.
Founder & CEO
Key Contacts
Owners, Principals & Senior Executives
Corey Leff's Bio
Big-picture thinking balanced with detailed implementation defines the daily operations of Corey Leff, President of Chandler Partners. Corey built his career with several of California’s most highly regarded investment and development companies, honing his expertise in market rate and affordable housing. Most recently, Corey’s emphasis on LIHTC developments earned him valuable insights into navigating complicated financing structures and building trusted public-private partnerships.
Today, Corey serves as the backbone of these typologies at Chandler Partners, where he leads the company’s vertically integrated practice of developing, building, and managing properties the firm acquires. He stays closely involved in all aspects of each project—from land acquisition to entitlements, financial underwriting to construction, and leasing to long-term management—to ensure Chandler Partners’ assets provide immediate and sustaining value. An intuitive leader, Corey bridges the gap between personalities and backgrounds among cities, community groups, and project teams to drive collaboration toward smart and appropriate solutions in any situation.
Over more than 15 years in real estate development and financing, Corey is credited with more than $300 million in successful investments.
Dan Chandler's Bio
As Founder and CEO of Chandler Partners, Dan Chandler set the benchmark for the innovative and complex projects that built Chandler Partners’ stellar reputation. Early on, Dan saw the opportunity to create a company that delivers the greatest value and the most reliable quality through a vertically integrated model. Today, Chandler Partners is comprised of a team of seasoned and strategic leaders who execute on Dan’s vision and share his standards for uncompromised quality and integrity. Always on the forefront of industry trends, Dan and his team leverage insights into the fast-paced Southern California market to develop prestigious real estate assets that endure, while nurturing a network of long-standing relationships with an extended project team.
As a testament to the Chandler Partners process, Dan has spearheaded the development of over $1 billion in assets, including more than 700,000 square feet of multifamily residential and commercial office space. His ability to recognize value in assets other developers overlook, and apply the discipline and know-how to overcome tough obstacles quickly, has enabled Chandler Partners to consistently deliver above-average returns. Cumulatively, Dan has developed more luxury apartments in East San Fernando Valley than any other developer and builder.
Lisa Jesse's Bio
Lisa Jesse has dedicated her career to real estate finance. Helping owners and investors achieve their financial goals faster has been a defining theme over Lisa’s more than 25 years in the business. As Chandler Partners’ Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Lisa oversees all operations and finance functions.
Lisa is no stranger to complex, multidisciplinary projects. Over her career, Lisa has managed all aspects of accounting and reporting for public, private, and government entities, such as CalPERS and the City of Long Beach. She has touched a range of property types, including mixed-use, hotel, retail, and multifamily at every stage of development, from due diligence through property management or sales.
While Lisa’s passion is generating impressive profits for ownership and investors, her dedication to the personal side of the business is equally impactful. Whether she is negotiating competitive benefits packages, serving as a confidant, or helping team members tackle tough challenges, Lisa is gifted at boosting morale and performance.
Throughout her career, Lisa has been a constant champion of operational productivity. She pinpoints areas for improved cash flow and savings, motivates teams to meet higher goals, and leverages technology to drive data insights—all in the spirit of revenue growth and profitability.
Estimating, Purchasing & Preconstruction
Doug Brown's Bio
As a 20-year veteran of housing construction and a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, Doug Brown values teamwork and the power of delivering on the details. Doug is the Director of Construction at Chandler Partners’ construction company, Verdugo, responsible for overseeing operations and the day-to-day management of dozens of construction team members, including contractors and superintendents. He works on construction planning, budgets and schedules, implementing cost control measures, supporting relationships with long-term consultants, and serving as liaison to government agencies and the firm’s development partners.
Doug’s experience spans nearly every type of housing, from market rate and affordable apartments to mixed-use projects to single-family homes. This multifaceted expertise, coupled with a highly approachable personal style, has made him not just a respected leader within the firm, but also a motivating force for his projects.
Operations
Veronica Casas's Bio
Veronica Casas is a Regional Manager within the Chandler Partners team. A “people person” who demonstrates a passion for helping others, she brings a deep knowledge base in property management, business, tax credits, and residential law to Chandler Partners’ property management company, Pineridge, which oversees both multifamily residential and commercial properties.
As a person who understands the power of relationships as much as the product, Veronica helps build and maintain impactful communities through meaningful interactions with tenants, managers and brokers. She oversees smaller management teams for dozens of properties across the region and supports their efforts by connecting resources, information, and experiences in order to build better teams and, in turn, better properties.
Veronica offers her teams a solution-oriented attitude backed by an education in Business Management, a real estate license, ongoing training in housing laws and fair housing practices, and more than 20 years in the industry with other development and management companies across Southern California.