McWhinney Amplifies Core Leadership Team with Four Key Promotions


McWhinney, a Colorado-based real estate investor and developer in commercial, multifamily, hospitality, residential, and mixed-use assets, recently announced the elevation of four executive team members to new leadership roles spanning key departments. The newly promoted leaders bring diverse expertise and a shared commitment to McWhinney’s mission of creating lasting, positive impacts on the clients and communities it serves. Their leadership will play a critical role in shaping McWhinney’s next chapter of growth, ensuring that the company’s projects continue to align with its values.
“To create places people love, it is essential to have the right team members in the right positions – people who are passionate about their work and execute it with clarity, accountability, and excellence,” said Chad McWhinney, CEO, chairman, and co-founder of McWhinney. “By recognizing and empowering these leaders, we not only honor their contributions but also drive the collective momentum that moves McWhinney forward. These promotions reflect our confidence in their ability to deliver exceptional service to our clients, investors, and stakeholders, and to exceed expectations every step of the way.”


The following executive leadership team members have been promoted:
- David Allard has been promoted from senior vice president of accounting finance to executive vice president of accounting, where his responsibilities will be expanded to oversee strategic financial planning and operational accounting for all business units.
- Beth Johnson has been promoted from executive vice president and general counsel to chief legal officer and will take on a broader role in shaping the company’s risk management framework.
- Will Little has been promoted from executive vice president of Vertical Development to chief development officer, focusing on the expansion of McWhinney’s Master Planned-Community business and spearheading efforts to integrate strategic partnerships and innovative design across development initiatives.
- Omar Palacios has been promoted from executive vice president of hospitality to chief hospitality officer, assuming responsibility for the strategic direction and operations of the company’s hospitality portfolio, enhancing guest experiences, and aligning projects with the company’s broader brand vision.
Piper Sandler Announces New Leadership for Special District Group’s Colorado Practice


Piper Sandler Special District Group, a specialty financing group that leads the nation in special district financing, announced that Shelby Noble and Jonathan Heroux have been named co-heads of the group’s Colorado practice.
“Colorado has the been the foundation of the Special District Group and as we expand into other markets, it’s imperative that we have outstanding leadership here,” said Zach Bishop, group head of Piper Sandler’s Special District Group. “Shelby and Jonathan possess a unique combination of skills and experience that will continue our legacy of innovation not just in Colorado, but in the sector more broadly.”
Managing Director, Colorado Co-Head, Shelby Noble has been in the public finance investment banking group at Piper Sandler specializing in special district and tax increment financings since 2020. She works with clients at all stages of the development cycle to structure financings that meet their goals, ranging from early-stage non-rated transactions to fully built investment-grade rated financings and re-financings.
Prior to joining Piper Sandler, Noble was an associate vice president at another broker dealer with a similar focus on special district financings. Before that, she served as vice president of capital markets for Forum Real Estate Group, a private real estate developer in Denver, CO. She also served as senior director of investor relations for UDR, Inc., an S&P 500 REIT and as a securities analyst for Invesco in Dallas, Texas.
Additionally, Noble serves as a board member for the Aurora Economic Development Council as well as Invest In Kids, a Colorado non-profit. She was named to Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list in 2024. Noble earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Texas A&M University.
Now Managing Director, Colorado Co-Head, Jonathan Heroux joined Piper Sandler in 1993 as an associate. He has served as either sole or senior underwriter, financial advisor, and placement agent on municipal bonds totaling more than $10.5 billion to date.
Prior to joining Piper Sandler, Heroux was an analyst at Shearson Lehman Hutton in New York. Heroux has a broad range of experience with various types of financings, including fixed and variable rate, certificates of participation, and derivative-type transactions. He also served as a former president of the Colorado Municipal Bond Dealers Association.
Heroux earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Michael’s College, Vermont and a Master of Business Administration degree in corporate finance and international economics from the University of Rhode Island.
Lee & Associates Denver Hires Broker Jeff Heine as Principal

Lee & Associates announced the hiring of Jeff Heine as principal. Jeff brings extensive experience as an industrial specialist in sales and leasing throughout the front range of Colorado. Jeff was previously a senior advisor at SVN Denver Commercial. Over his seven-year career, Jeff has closed many notable transactions including sales and leasing, investment sales, landlord representation, as well as many land transactions.
“At Lee & Associates, I’m looking forward to leveraging the firm’s unique platform, national reach, and entrepreneurial model to deliver top-tier results for clients, while staying rooted in the Denver industrial market,” said Jeff Heine.
Over his career, Jeff has represented many well-known clients including Stonemont Financial, Bear Peak Development, Hillen Holdings, Stevinson Co., and others. Jeff was consistently recognized as a top producer at SVN, regularly contributes to numerous commercial real estate publications, and also appears as a public speaker on the topic of industrial real estate.