Today we are highlighting Jeff Beckham and Clark Dean’s Pathway to the (Y) stories. We learn that both of our guests became involved at the Y at a young age and their families both were active participants in sports and youth programs throughout the years. Because the Y has made a lasting impact on both of their families, which is a big reason they choose to serve the Y and their community.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:00] Jeff learned how to swim at his local YMCA at a young age. When he became a father and it was time for his children to learn how to swim, Jeff enrolled his sons at the Y.

• [2:18] Clark also swam at his local YMCA when he was a young boy, when his swim team would use the Y’s pool. He then became a lifeguard at the YMCA.

• [2:50] When Clark and his family moved to Atlanta, he and his family became involved with the Y. Clark’s son started playing soccer and fell in love with the sport. He went on to play 4 years of college soccer.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• When parents have such great memories of their childhood experiences at the Y, they likely want to give their children the same opportunities.

• The Y is a welcoming place that helps make a lasting impact on people.

• The sports program at the Y has a lasting impact on participants, whether they play for a year or all the way through college.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Facebook: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Linkedin: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Twitter: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Website: YMCA Metro Atlanta

YMCA Atlanta Membership - Website

BIOGRAPHIES:

Jeffrey Beckham is Head of Portfolio and Asset Management and a member of GID’s Executive and Investment Committees. He is responsible for leading the multifamily and retail asset management team, overseeing the multifamily, industrial and credit portfolio management teams, guiding the ESG effort across GID, and supporting the development of new investment products for the company.

Previously, Mr. Beckham worked at Jamestown, where he served as Head of Institutional Investment Management and Fund Manager for Jamestown’s flagship open-end vehicle, the Premier Property Fund. Before Jamestown, Mr. Beckham worked at Tishman Speyer in New York and Atlanta, focusing primarily on acquisitions and development deals. Before Tishman Speyer, Mr. Beckham worked at Hines in London, England, focusing on development projects and Morgan Stanley Real Estate in New York, London, and Tokyo, focusing on principal investing and advisory assignments.

Mr. Beckham is married and is the father of two boys who play basketball and learn how to swim at the YMCA. He received a BBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Clark Dean helped direct Transwestern’s Tenant Representation and Workplace Solutions business and founded the company’s Transaction Sciences Group, which operates across asset classes and service lines. Clark is a Transwestern Board of Directors member and its National Tenant.

Representation and Workplace Solutions Steering Committee. He also helps lead the company’s global partnerships with BNP Paribas Real Estate and Encore Advisors. With a background in biomedical engineering, management consulting, and financial structuring, Clark is known for being a disruptive innovator. His Transaction Sciences Group helps build businesses, grow non-profits, and enrich communities by structuring better solutions for real estate occupiers and investors. Clark and his wife have three children, all of whom grew up going to the Carl E. Sanders at Buckhead YMCA. He graduated cum laude with an A.B. in Engineering and Biological Sciences from Harvard University, where he played varsity football, served as a class officer, and delivered the Harvard College oration as a graduating senior.