Gina Champion-Cain

President/CEO

American National Investments (“ANI”) is a real estate services entity capable of adding value to a managed portfolio, performing transactions such as development, rehabilitation, management, leasing, sales and repositioning for acquired and third-party owned assets. ANI operates a specialty development group which focuses on the development of mixed-use, leisure lifestyle environments in invigorating urban locations. Our mission is to generate value through the creation of world-class destinations for urban signature properties which can combine brand-identified retail and entertainment venues with places to live.

As President and CEO of ANI, Ms. Champion-Cain’s responsibilities include providing strategic direction to ANI and overseeing all real estate services such as development and acquisition activities, commercial and residential leasing, commercial and residential asset management. This entails interfacing with all ANI partners, clients, project investors and tenants, as well as developing and implementing the strategic direction approved by the ANI Board of Directors. Responsibilities also include managing all administrative functions of ANI, interfacing with the various regional offices of ANI, new business development activities and due diligence for new acquisitions.

As Senior Vice President of Koll, Gina Champion-Cain was responsible for the overall project management of three specific types of Next Generation Retail/Entertainment centers within Japan (Urban MegaMalls, Urban Entertainment Centers, Beyond Big Box Centers). Duties included the following: design oversight and budgets; preliminary marketing strategies and plans; marketing and leasing; financial plans and strategies; construction budgets, scheduling and deliverability analyses; property management: pre-opening plans and budgets; monthly project management reports covering development, architectural, construction management, marketing/leasing, financing and property management issues.

During her career, she has been responsible for the redevelopment/repositioning, leasing and management of a mixed portfolio of properties comprised of nearly 10 million square feet of retail, office and industrial as well as over 5,000 multi-family residential units. Her activities have included the following: developing strategic marketing strategies, management plans and proforma budgets; construction and tenant improvement supervision; land entitlement and community outreach; project development management during pre-development (design) and development phases; lease administration and analysis; tenant and community relations; supervision and training of management and leasing staff; and the leasing of vacant space. Ms. Champion-Cain directed and implemented the property and asset management, as well as the leasing and repositioning strategies of Koll Retail Group - Western Region. Responsibilities also have included the coordination of all due diligence activities for new acquisitions.

Ms. Champion-Cain received a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy/Political Science from The University of Michigan and was a Regents-Alumni Scholar in 1983. She attended California Western School of Law and received her Master’s Degree in Business Administration, with concentrations in International Business and Real Estate Finance, from The University of San Diego where she served two graduate teaching fellowships in Marketing and Computer Science in 1990 and 1991.

Ms. Champion-Cain is a recipient of the San Diego Business Journal’s 2001 Women Who Mean Business Award, San Diego Metropolitan’s 2001 40 Under Forty Award, San Diego Magazine’s 50 People to Watch for 2002, YWCA’s 2002 Tribute to Women and Industry Award and was nominated by the National Association of Women Business Owners’ Woman Business Owner of the Year Award in 2002. She also is the 2003 recipient of the Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award, accorded by the School of Business Administration at the University of San Diego. Lambda Alpha International, the San Diego Chapter, awarded Gina Champion Cain an honorary membership for her many years of leadership and contributions to San Diego’s educational, political and professional communities; and the economic revitalization and redevelopment of San Diego.  Most recently, the Mayor of San Diego awarded Ms Champion-Cain for her efforts as a civic leader  by reserving June 28th as “Gina Champion-Cain Day”.

Ms. Champion-Cain holds a California Real Estate Broker’s License and is a Certified Property Manager (CPM®), a designation awarded by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM).  She is active in professional organizations such as the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Building Owners and Managers Association, Inc. (BOMA), San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).  Ms. Champion-Cain has been a past Board Director for the YMCA and American Lung Association.  She was a former Trustee of the San Diego Repertory Theatre were she served as Vice President of the Board and Chair of the Development Committee. She also sat on the City of San Diego’s Redevelopment Agency, Centre City Development Corporation’s (CCDC) Board of Directors, appointed by the City Council in June 2005.  Ms. Champion-Cain currently sits on the University of San Diego’s Real Estate Institute’s Commercial Real Estate Advisory Committee, the University of San Diego’s Policy Advisory Board, and serves as an officer on the Executive Committee for the Downtown San Diego Partnership; she was Chair of the Board in 2002.  Ms. Champion-Cain also is Chair of the Housing Advisory and Appeals Board, appointed by Mayor Dick Murphy in 2001, and serves on the San Diego Advisory Council for Best Buddies and the San Diego Brain Tumor Foundation Board of Directors. In September 2008, Mayor Sanders appointed Ms. Champion-Cain to sit on the Southeast Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Board of Directors where she was elected to serve as Vice Chairman of the Board.