UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business recently named three new members to the Penn State Real Estate Advisory Board ahead of its spring meeting, which will take place in Philadelphia today (May 16).
Tabitha Brittain and Brennan Marion will join the executive committee while Robert Hudert was named to the advisory board.
The board includes business, government and education professionals who have an interest in promoting real estate education and scholarship at Penn State. Board members make a financial commitment to the college in support of Smeal’s Borrelli Institute for Real Estate Studies.
Tabitha Brittain
Brittain earned a bachelor’s degree in international business and economics from Penn State in 1997.
Before joining Quadrangle in 2022, Brittain spent more than 25 years at WashREIT (now Elme Communities) where she managed more than 5 million square feet of commercial office space along with 5 million square feet of retail and industrial space.
At Quadrangle, she is vice president of commercial operations, leading the firm’s commercial property management, engineering and parking operations.
She is an active member of the commercial real estate community and the Washington, D.C. Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women, where she served on the board and was the 2021 chapter president. She also serves as a mentor to college students with an interest in careers in commercial real estate.
Brittain said that things have evolved over her 26 years in the commercial real estate industry.
“Developing a well-balanced program that includes the fundamentals of real estate and mentoring will create a path to success for Smeal students. I’m looking forward to sharing my skills and expertise with them and helping to take the program even further,” she said.
Brennan Marion
Marion earned a pre-law undergraduate degree from LaSalle University in 1991 and an executive MBA from Penn State Smeal in 2010.
He co-founded Homsher Hill LLC, a residential real estate development firm, in 2002. As managing partner, Marion controls all aspects of development for the firm.
Previously, he’s held the positions of director of land at Allan Myers, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the Philadelphia University School of Business and founder and president/CEO of Better Bodies Inc.
He said good mentorship is the key to success in today’s real estate market.
“My mentor gave me the toolbox and introduced me to the network required to compete in today’s real estate market. Guiding Smeal students to this important reality will make an already complex and ambiguous industry more clear and focused, greatly enhancing their chances of success,” Marion said.
“The invitation to join the Penn State Real Estate Advisory Board and give back to the Smeal program that has given me so much is the realization of a long-time personal goal," he added.
Robert Hudert
Hudert earned a degree in economics from Penn State in 2016.
He began his career as a financial analyst for Reynolds Asset Management across its acquisitions, asset management and development groups before joining Sentinel Real Estate Corp. in its acquisitions and portfolio management groups.
He is currently a director for Twenty Lake Holdings, where he is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, conducting due diligence and determining financial feasibility in both the commercial and multifamily space. He is also founding principal of RHR Capital Partners LLC, a boutique real estate investment and advisory firm.
“As an economics major, I was fortunate to forge a relationship with a visiting real estate professor who helped me access many of the opportunities available to Smeal students, like Real Estate Boot Camp, case competitions and networking opportunities," said Hudert. "I am thrilled to be a part of the board and to help influence the experience of Penn State students moving forward.”