DBC Real Estate Management Team

John M. Hess, Victor D. Son and Tonaus John serve as the officers and the executive committee of DBC Real Estate Management, LLC.

John Hess, Owner, President and CEO, holds a 100% interest in the company and sets the overall business strategy for the company. Mr. Hess also serves as the managing general partner of each of the single-purpose limited partnerships holding title to properties within the portfolio.

Victor D. Son, CPA and CFO, manages all financial controls for the operation of the properties and coordinates all accounting and financial reporting for the properties, the ownership entities, and the management company.

Tonaus John, CPM, ARM, CAPS, COS as COO, is responsible for the performance of all apartment operations focusing on profitability, cost control and property conditions.

  • John M. Hess – Owner, President and CEO
    John M. Hess – Owner, President and CEO

    Owner, President and CEO of DBC Real Estate Management, LLC. President, John Hess began his career owning an open-shop construction company where he served as the general contractor/construction manager. The company constructed projects in the Commercial, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Institutional, and Industrial sectors in addition to building over 4,000 apartment units. As he became more knowledgeable about the economics of building and operating multi-family properties, Mr. Hess began to invest in the ownership side of the business by taking equity positions in properties which he was building for others. By early 2008, he was ready to become the general partner by acquiring income-producing properties. DBC Real Estate Management, LLC is the manager of the acquired properties with any repairs or remodeling being facilitated and guided through prior building knowledge. This strategy has significantly contributed to the excellent current returns enjoyed by the investors in those properties. Mr. Hess has also served as Chapter President of the Associated Builders and Contractors trade association, and has been a member of their National Board of Directors as well as served on the Board of Directors of Enterprise Bank for over a decade. Through the formation of DBC Real Estate Management, LLC, he is now taking on the role of leading investment opportunities as Developer/General Partner.

  • Michael E. Hess – Chief Financial Officer
    Michael E. Hess – Chief Financial Officer

    Michael Hess is the Chief Financial Officer of DBC Real Estate Management, LLC. As CFO, Michael provides the leadership, direction and management of the finance and accounting departments at the company. Mr. Hess oversees, both directly and indirectly, the day-to-day financial affairs of the properties and management company including tax compliance, risk management, budgeting, insurance and the management of expenses for all corporate entities. He leads all interaction with senior funding sources and provides oversight to the acquisitions department, including the management of the sourcing of investment opportunities, the structuring of transactions and managing the overall due diligence and closing for each investment. Michael brings firsthand knowledge, experience and successful strategy implementation to the company having served in various positions of increasing management responsibility, where he reported directly to the company’s previous CFO for over six years. Mr. Hess holds an MBA from Villanova University’s School of Business where he obtained dual master’s concentrations in Finance and Data Analytics. He completed his undergraduate from Miami University, where he earned degrees in Economics and Finance.

  • Tonaus John, CPM® – Chief Operating Officer
    Tonaus John, CPM® – Chief Operating Officer

    Tonaus John is the Chief Operating Officer of DBC Real Estate Management. He leads the successful execution of DBC operations and comprehensive management, business development and delivery of innovative technology solutions. Tonaus brings over 20 years of hospitality and property management experience to DBC and has a strategic role in the overall management and growth of the company. In this current role, he coordinates all operational, financial and marketing activities of the properties, establishing best practices across the portfolio. Prior to joining DBC, he was the Chief Operating Officer for NOVO Properties, where he had a proven track record of property management operations and revenue growth. He was responsible for the implementation of comprehensive programs and strategies that promote achievement of operational, financial and business performance of the properties. Tonaus holds an MBA with specialization in Finance from Louisiana State University and an undergraduate degree with a major in Real Estate Studies from Ashford University. He is a Certified Property Manager (CPM®) & Accredited Residential Manager (ARM®) through the Institute of Real Estate Management; a Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS®) designated through the National Apartment Association; and a Certified Occupancy Specialist (COS®) designated from the National Center for Housing Management. Tonaus attained and developed many talents through his past roles, maintaining an uncompromising approach to results while coupled with excellence makes him a respected professional through his ability to manage many different responsibilities, and thereby an esteemed leader.

  • John R. Hess – Vice President
    John R. Hess – Vice President

    John R. Hess joined the company in 2014 as Vice President with responsibilities related to operations and day to day contact with property managers of the existing portfolio. J.R. completed his academic undergraduate degree majoring in managerial economics at Allegheny College, one of the top National Liberal Arts Colleges in the country. He completed his academic career obtaining two masters’ degrees from Georgetown University, graduating magna cum laude with an MBA and MPSRE, Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate.

  • Laura W. Biery – Controller
    Laura W. Biery – Controller

    Laura is a financial veteran of 30 years with a wide range of experience in a number of business areas including wholesale sales, restaurants and real estate. For 21 years, she worked for our CFO in an established multifaceted company located in Pittsburgh, PA where she held significant responsibility in the restaurant chain. Laura joined DBC Real Estate Management in 2011.

  • Victor D. Son, CPA – Advisory Board Member
    Victor D. Son, CPA – Advisory Board Member

    Victor Son, CPA, CGMA, is an Adviser to the firm and served as an executive of DBC Real Estate Management, LLC for 11 years until ultimately reaching his planned retirement, effective December 31, 2020. Mr. Son is a formerly named Pittsburgh Business Times CFO of the Year who joined DBC in 2010 and spent the prior 21 years as CFO of a Pittsburgh-based, vertically-integrated company which owned and operated multi-family housing, high-volume restaurants (with over 700 employees), commercial property and other investment operations including a medical device manufacturer. During his tenure there, he served as President of the Western Pennsylvania Restaurant Association. Prior to that, he was the Controller for Residential Construction for Forest City Enterprises (a large publicly-traded, multi-faceted, real estate company headquartered in Cleveland) and was the Controller for Diversified Construction (a single family and multi-family residential developer, construction and management company also located in Cleveland). He has proven experience working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development on HUD financed and contracted properties. Mr. Son was a municipal public official beginning in 1996 and Council President until the latter years of his career. He began his career with one of the “Big 4” national accounting firms and is a member of the PICPA and AICPA. Mr. Son has been nominated for the Pennsylvania Institute of Public Accountants Distinguished Public Service Award five times.

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