Arlington, VA — Blackfin Real Estate Investors, LLC announced that Leslie Furst, previously with Kettler, Inc., will serve as the company’s new COO. In this role, Furst will be a senior officer responsible for debt placement, asset management, investor relations and company operations. Prior to joining Blackfin, Furst was senior vice president of asset management and finance, as well as chief risk officer, of Kettler Inc., a privately-owned real estate developer, investor and property management company. In this role, Furst was responsible for overseeing asset management, all financing activities and lender relationships, and she was actively involved in equity placement and investor relations. She successfully managed more than $2 billion in funds on behalf of Kettler and its partners during her 15-year tenure with the company. Prior to Kettler, Furst was a vice president in the Charles E. Smith Division of Vornado Realty Trust, as well as a managing director of Bank of America. “Leslie is a perfect fit to our senior management team,” said Doug Root, co-founder and managing partner at Blackfin Real Estate Investors. “Her extensive knowledge and demonstrated expertise in real estate and finance will play an integral part in Blackfin’s ongoing success, today and in the future.” Furst holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is an active member of Urban Land Institute, a ULI Young Leaders Mentor and CREW DC on its community service committee. Blackfin founders Doug Root and Andrew Buchanan, veterans of Washington-area real estate firms Kettler and Greystar Investment Group respectively, came together to form the real estate investment company in August 2016.