The Premier Team
Jonathan Cutler, PhD., Founder
The founder of the company, Jonathan is available to consult with clients regularly on issues ranging from marketing strategy, to tenant negotiation, to capital improvement plans, to working with lenders to acquisitions and dispositions. Because of his extensive experience as an owner, manager, builder, contractor and even lender during his 25+ years in the business, Jonathan Cutler is in a unique position to help our clients make informed, intelligent decisions. Read more about Jonathan Cutler here.
Adam K. Santos, President
Adam is a Certified Property Manager (CPM®) an Accredited Commercial Manager (ACoM®) and a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM®). Adam is also twice past president of the area chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management. Since joining Premier in 2007, Adam has been instrumental in the growth of Premier’s portfolio. In addition to his role as president, Adam also oversees a portfolio of Premier’s assets and actively sources new acquisitions.
James M. Kernan, Vice President
Jim brings over 45 years of property management, leasing and operations experience to Premier. Jim formerly held senior management positions with The Donohoe Companies and the Randall Hagner companies. Jim is also a Certified Property Manager (CPM®) and past president of the Washington, DC chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management. Jim is a licensed real estate broker in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
Richard Battista, CFO
RIchard is a CPA with deep experience in financial management. Richard joined Premier after spending 30 years with Pepco, where he was involved in financial reporting, leasing, and business management. At Premier Richard also oversees financial reporting and internal financial management.
Courtney Bocage, PMP, Vice President of Financial Management
Courtney joined Premier in 2012. Her past experience includes lease and transaction administration with JBG Smith and Link Logistics Real Estate. Courtney has a BA, MBA and MS in Management from the University of Maryland. She is also a Certified Project Management Professional. Courtney's primary role at Premier involves financial analysis, CAM reconciliation, and assisting in acquisitions with financial analysis and due diligence.
JoAnn Maguire, Portfolio Manager
JoAnn is both a Certified Property Manager (CPM®) and an Accredited Residential Manager (ARM®), as well as being the current Maryland Chapter President of the Institute of Real Estate Management. JoAnn brings over 29 years of property management experience to Premier, including managing assets for LCOR, Bozzuto, Avalon Bay & Kettler Management. A Native Texan, JoAnn somehow also finds time to be a Volunteer EMT & Firefighter as well as a competing chef on the Food Network!
Victor Teichmann, Property Manager
Victor has worked with Premier on and off since 2018. Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, Victor grew up in a real estate family and interned with an international bank and a European accounting firm before coming to the U.S. and working with Premier. In 2024 Victor graduates with a Masters in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics from the University of Wisconsin and we’re pleased that Victor has decided to join Premier on a full time in-office basis. Victor is fluent in English and German, and speaks functional Spanish. He is also a serious football player.
Danelle Smith, Lease Administrator
Danelle manages Premier’s 500+ commercial leases, making sure that delinquencies are kept to a minimum, renewals are handled in a timely fashion, and new leases are processed properly. Danelle is a native Washingtonian and has over 18 years of experience working as a paralegal in the real estate field.
Ed Halverson, Accounting Manager
Ed has been handling accounts receivable and payable and reconciliations at Premier for over 10 years. A graduate of University of Maryland, Ed’s original training was in the graphic arts, so accounting is his second career. Ed also handles a variety of office management responsibilities that keep our office running smoothly.
Karina Hernandez, Accounting Manager
Karina has over 20 years of experience in Accounting and Property Management, often at a supervisory level. At Premier, Karina teams with Ed in making sure that all of the books and accounts of our 60+ properties are kept up to date. That involves depositing and allocating rents, making daily deposits, paying bills, and interacting with tenants and vendors to solve problems as they arise. When not working, Karina enjoys spending quality time with her family and making memories!
Kima Ledesma, Service Manager
Before joining Premier, Kima had 10+ years of administrative experience at firms such as Capital One and Guardian Realty. At Premier she handles all of the incoming maintenance requests from our 45+ properties, whether by phone, email, web ticket, fax, or from our own team. She then assigns those requests to our excellent tech team and follows up to make sure things get done - no small job!
Ron Willis, Senior Maintenance Supervisor
Ron has been with Premier for 20 years. Aside from helping with all aspects of maintenance administration, Ron oversees and performs maintenance for many of our properties in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Ron is a skilled plumber, he is certified in HVAC, and has formal training in a host of related electrical and mechanical disciplines. There is generally not much Ron can’t fix or get fixed.
John Black, Senior Maintenance Supervisor
John Black has been with Premier since 2012. Originally hired to provide onsite maintenance support to one of our medical properties, John’s responsibilities have grown to include onsite maintenance supervision for a number of Premier properties in the District of Columbia and the close in suburbs. Aside from being a skilled maintenance technician, John is also certified in HVAC and basic electrical maintenance.
Ed Witt, Senior Building Engineer
A retired Army Sergeant, Ed came to Premier with 25+ years of experience in maintaining and supervising the maintenance of a wide range of commercial facilities. At Premier, Ed is responsible for maintenance issues throughout Premier’s extensive Richmond portfolio. Ed is a certified HVAC technician as well as carrying Facilities Management Administrator certification.
Donna Bocage, Property Assistant
Prior to joining Premier, Donna had 15 years of administrative experience in the Property Management field and an additional 10 years of Administrative Support experience in sales and customer service. At Premier, Donna assists the senior management team with a wide range of administrative support efforts, as well as assisting the Accounting Department with billing and reconciliations.
Josh Shaffer, Senior Building Engineer
Josh came to Premier after spending almost 20 years as the building engineer on a high-rise condominium property in Arlington, Virginia. At Premier, Josh is responsible for a 117,000 corporate headquarters property for a national financial company, as well as a large medical and office building nearby. Josh has expertise in boilers, chillers, electrical, plumbing and fire systems. He is a member of the National Association of Power Engineers and carries a NIULPE and NAPE certifications in HVAC, boiler and power plant operations as well as a UFC Universal License.
