National Development to Receive REFA’s Swain Distinguished Service Award at Annual Gala
October 08, 2025
Boston — The Real Estate Finance Association (REFA) will reward National Development with its Swain Distinguished Service Award at the 37th Annual REFA Gala to be held on Monday, November 3, at the Omni Seaport, Boston.
The Annual REFA Gala, Boston’s premier commercial real estate awards dinner, will honor National Development for more than 40 years of service to the Greater Boston real estate community and for their leadership role in demonstrating that social responsibilities are essential to creating and sustaining a thriving community. According to a REFA release, the firm takes a holistic approach, integrating best practices across its projects and supporting the communities it serves, including their unwavering commitment to REFA, the commercial real estate industry, and the greater Boston business community.
REFA 2025 President Jill Sharif, VP - National Business Development for Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company - National Commercial Services and REFA Gala Co-Chairs Peter Bloomfield, KPMG Partner and Real Estate Practice Leader-New England, and Elizabeth Lowrey, Principal of Elkus Manfredi Architects, will present National Development with the highly coveted Boston Harbor Bowl designed by Shreve, Crump & Low.
National Development is led by a dynamic team of seasoned professionals: Brian Kavoogian (CEO), Ed Marsteiner (President), Andrew Gallinaro (CIO), Steve Kinsella (CFO), and Charlie Rollins (COO). This leadership marks a new chapter following the retirement of co-Founder Ted Tye, which was the final transition from the firm’s founding partners. The current team continues to drive National Development’s entrepreneurial spirit and evolution into an institutional investment manager, deploying investors’ capital through a series of closed-end funds.
Brian Kavoogian, CEO of National Development, shares his reaction upon learning that the firm will be celebrated, “It is a great honor for National Development to be recognized by peers in the Boston real estate community. On behalf of all of our employees, I am incredibly proud of the culture we have built, our role in the community and of our amazingly talented people who take on challenging, complex situations and turn them into outstanding results that make a real impact.”
The firm supports nearly 60 nonprofit organizations each year through financial contributions, pro bono services, and volunteerism. Its leaders serve on the boards of many of Greater Boston’s most impactful nonprofits, reinforcing a strong culture of civic engagement. With long-standing involvement in organizations like the Community Foundation for MetroWest and Heading Home, National Development and its employees take pride in giving back to the neighborhoods where they live and work.
Jill Sharif, VP - National Business Development for Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company - National Commercial Services and current REFA President, reflects, “We are delighted to honor National Development with the Swain Distinguished Service Award. National Development has been involved with some of the most transformative projects in their over 40-year history of development and created some of the most vibrant communities. Whether in investment, development, or management, National Development is a partner in all aspects of commercial real estate. In addition to the spirit of collaboration that they bring to all their projects, their commitment to corporate responsibility is truly inspiring. They consider the social impact of the communities they are creating, and they look for long-term solutions that foster social growth, economic growth, and meaningful change.”
Elizabeth Lowrey, a previous recipient of the Swain Distinguished Service Award, returns as Co-Chair of the REFA Gala for the fifth consecutive year. “I couldn’t be prouder that we are delivering this year’s award to our good friends at National Development,” says Ms. Lowrey, a Principal of Elkus Manfredi Architects. “National Development has been a tremendous contributor to our industry and city. They are big thinkers doing provocative and innovative development work, right down to their creative programming, development, and financing approach and their commitment to building community. At the same time, they are a company of down-to-earth, humble, and gracious people who are among our favorite and most inspiring partners.”
National Development joins an elite list of previous recipients of the Swain Distinguished Service Award, all of whom have made outstanding contributions to the greater Boston community, including last year’s recipient Paul J. Nasser, President of Intercontinental Real Estate; Steve Samuels, Founder and Chairman, Samuels & Associates; Paul J. Ayoub, Chair, Nutter; The Bulfinch Companies and WinnCompanies; Jon Davis, CEO and founder, The Davis Companies; Pam Herbst, Managing Director, AEW; Tammy Jones, CEO and founder, Basis Investment Group; Bryan Koop, EVP, Boston Properties; Elizabeth Lowrey, Principal, Elkus Manfredi Architects and David Manfredi, CEO and Founding Principal, Elkus Manfredi Architects; Kirk Sykes, Co-Managing Partner, Accordia Partners; and Mayor Thomas Menino.
