EDWARD M. KOBEL

PRESIDENT & COO, DEBARTOLO DEVELOPMENT, TAMPA

Kobel, the half-brother of Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., leads investment strategy for DeBartolo Development, a real estate company that since 2003 has invested in more than 4,000 multifamily units, 1.6 million square feet of retail space, 175 hotel units and 1.5 million square feet of industrial space throughout the United States — in total, 66 assets valued at about $5 billion. Recent Florida projects include Haven, a 338-unit amenity-filled multifamily community in Kissimmee. Earlier, DeBartolo undertook a $5.5-million renovation to turn a church building into the Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa.

Kobel, a Pittsburgh native who was once in the U.S. Army’s counter-intelligence department, previously managed more than $600 million in real estate projects as a partner at Fortis Advisors in Scottsdale, Ariz., an affiliate company of DeBartolo Property Group, and founded Trinity Development, which completed more than $300 million in retail development through offices in Colorado Springs, Denver, Phoenix and Chicago. He has served on the boards for organizations including Lifework Leadership, Faith Tampa Bay, the University of Tampa and St. Leo University.