MESSAGE 4: GEORGE LEONE

George Leone

Co-Founder & COO, Corner Lot Development Group

Question:  As a leader, what is your message to Americans who are frightened about the future due to the Coronavirus?

Message: In these unprecedented times it's hard to focus on what's important (definitely not toilet paper).  I remind myself daily to pray, be thankful for my life and family and to always keep working because it takes hard work to move forward toward better days ahead.

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George Leone began his seventeen-year career in real estate after graduating from Florida State University class of 2001. His ambition quickly led him to real estate development where he began his thirteen years at Toll Brothers ending as the Vice President of Land Development. In 2005 George relocated to Jacksonville, FL, where he oversaw development projects amounting in over $500 million in Central and North Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina where he regularly managed over forty different consultants and contractors. In 2016, George started Leone Development to pursue his ambition of creating a leading real estate development company in the southeast United States. Over the years, George has built a great reputation for understanding development constraints, being solution oriented and building great teams for the successful execution of land development projects. The culmination of George’s experience led him to partner with Andy in creating Corner Lot Development Group wherein it's first year sold 220 lots to local and national builders. In his personal life, George enjoys an active role with his wife Irena in raising their three children; Anthony, Jordan, and Isla.

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Photo: Courtesy George Leone

MESSAGE 3: ANDY ALLEN

Andy Allen

Co-Founder & CEO, Corner Lot Development Group

Question:  As a leader, what is your message to Americans who are frightened about the future due to the Coronavirus?

Message: Thankfully, Main Street has more emphasis than Wall Street in this generation.  We have seen more people come together during this pandemic to support one another more than anytime in our history.  Initial panic is scary, but we are the home of the brave and the land of the free.  Let's not forget that. It takes bravery to be free.  This same bravery was seen on the shores of Normandy, in the dust of our towers, and everyday fighting for our families.  Finally, WE are one nation under God, we got this!

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A native of Jacksonville, Andy Allen attended Jacksonville University where he earned the President’s Award (Scholar Athlete Award) for the graduating class of 2003. Andy majored in Finance and minored in Marketing and was a Cleveland Golf Academic All-American. Andy has been involved in almost every aspect of the real estate industry throughout the past 15 years. He started Corner Lot Properties in 2009 where he conducted commercial, multi-family and land transactions and quickly became the largest real estate wholesaler in Northeast Florida showing over $1billion of real estate including acquisition, disposition, sales and development. From 2011-2014, Andy's companies facilitated the largest Residential REIT, American Homes 4 Rent, with its acquisition, rehab and management of its Northeast Florida market. This spawned Heritage Holdings, his own residential portfolio of 1,100 SFR houses, in Northeast Florida which is one of the largest in Duval County. Through natural progression, Corner Lot Development Group (CLDG) was formed in 2017 and developed over $15 million in commercial and SFR subdivisions in its first year.  Currently, CLDG is a leader in the marketplace focused on developing lots allowing for affordable priced homes to continue to exist. In 2015, he was included in Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Andy is the best in the business at identifying undervalued assets. Outside of real estate, Andy is one of the top amateur golfers in Jacksonville and enjoys Gator & Jaguar football. He cherishes spending time with his wife Kristen and his two children Ava and Payne.

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Photo: Courtesy Andy Allen

MESSAGE 2: PATRICK KRECHOWSKI

Patrick Krechowski

Partner, Balch & Bingham LLP

Question:  As a leader, what is your message to Americans who are frightened about the future due to the Coronavirus?

Message: Without getting too metaphysical and philosophical, my approach – and the approach I’ve been trying to relay to both my personal family and my work family in this strange and disruptive time – is to focus on the Now.  None of us live in the future.  We cannot control the future or really influence it in any meaningful way.  We can only live in the present moment.  Or, we can “worry” about the future – which is seldom productive.  We can either surrender to certain life situations or do our best to take action to change them.  At home, that means being the most patient and caring parent and husband I can be – while also learning how to be a school teacher.  It means reaching out to friends all over the world to check in on them, to ask them how they are coping and adjusting.  At work, that means staying in contact with my clients and colleagues.  Talking with them about what they are encountering or what they need to gain comfort and confidence in their path forward.  In the past few days, I’ve found that most people just want to talk and interact – even if it has nothing to do with COVID-19 and the curve-ball it has thrown us.  Together we can handle this moment.  And then the next and the next after that.

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Patrick W. Krechowski has over 20 years of experience in real estate, land use, environmental, governmental, administrative litigation, appeals and title insurance law. Patrick is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in City, County and Local Government Law. His practice focuses on all aspects of zoning and land use law, real estate due diligence, environmental permitting (including sovereign submerged lands and riparian rights), environmental remediation, water use permitting and planning, beach nourishment projects, coastal construction and due diligence before local governments and federal/state agencies, including associated administrative and civil litigation.

Patrick has represented various state agency boards and local governments, including serving as the City Attorney for Neptune Beach, Florida. This experience not only allows him to assist local governments with virtually any aspect of their operations, it also gives Patrick a unique insight into how best to navigate challenges that his private clients often encounter in seeking local and state approvals for their real estate projects.

Patrick has extensive public speaking and teaching experience and is a published contributing author to a book focused on international climate change.

Patrick is a member of the Florida Bar. He holds a B.S. from Florida State University; and, a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center.

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Photo: Courtesy Patrick W. Krechowski