Mr. Benjamin (“Steve”) joined Dermot’s Board in 2015 when he led the buyout of Dermot from the company’s founder, William P. Dickey. Mr. Benjamin has been active in multifamily investment and development for nearly his entire career. Steve joined Dermot in 2001, acting as a Principal with primary responsibility for Dermot’s development work. In 2007 he was promoted to the firm's Chief Operating Officer under the firm's founder, William Dickey. In 2015, Mr. Dickey retired, and Mr. Benjamin became Dermot’s Managing Partner and CEO, and has been active in all of Dermot’s activities since that time. Over his career, Steve has led over $8 billion of multifamily investment and development activity throughout the United States. Prior to joining Dermot, Mr. Benjamin worked as a private real estate investor from 1999-2001 and founded Meridian Realty Partners. Prior to starting Meridian Realty, from 1993-1999, he served as a Vice President of Development at Homestead Village and Archstone, both of which were started by Security Capital Group Incorporated. Mr. Benjamin also worked at Cushman Wakefield, Inc. in New York City from 1991-1993, where he was an analyst and associate in Cushman’s leasing and Valuation Groups. Mr. Benjamin received his Bachelor of Arts from Haverford College and his Master of Science in Real Estate from New York University. Mr. Benjamin is also a member of PREA, AFIRE, NMHC, and ULI, and a former member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Affordable Housing at the Furman Center of New York University.