Viking

SVEIN H. DYRKOLBOTN

Principal Owner

Svein Dyrkolbotn has over 15 years of development experience as part owner of Davis & Sons and as principal owner of Viking Companies. Svein has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida and is a licensed general contractor in the State of Florida (CGC1517065). He managed and developed over 2,000 multi-family residential units in communities throughout the southeastern United States and has recently secured entitlements for more than one million square feet of retail and office uses and 2,500 residential units. Born in Bergen, Norway, Svein was a member of the Norwegian National Basketball Team before moving to Florida in 1990 as a high school exchange student staying with the Davis family in Newberry, Florida. Svein was a scholarship athlete who played four years of college basketball for the University of Florida, including a trip to the Gators first Final Four in 1994. Svein is very active in the local community coaching his daughter’s basketball teams, working with the Sebastian Ferraro Foundation and actively engaged with the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce and local public/private initiatives to improve transportation mobility within Alachua County.

TROY ELY

Director of Construction

Troy is Construction Manager of Viking, overseeing the build and flow of every project from the ground up. Troy is a State Certified Contractor who received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. After college, Troy was employed as a Superintendent by Davis and Sons Construction building several multifamily projects. He then went on to own and operate Ely Builders, where he specialized in building and remodeling custom homes. After seven years with Ely Builders, Troy rejoined the Davis and Sons’ team as a project manager where he continued to gain experience in the multifamily construction industry. In 2004, Troy partnered with Svein to help manage the construction arm of Viking Companies.

JIM STOCKMAN

General Counsel

As General Counsel for Viking, Jim is responsible for all legal matters involving real estate, government entitlements, and general business law. For 17 years, Jim worked for the Davis Property Management and Davis Companies. For four years, he oversaw the company’s property management division and was responsible for approximately 8,000 units. He was also general counsel for 13 years and was responsible for the development and refinancing of over $500M of multi-family properties. Jim graduated from the University of Florida with both a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and a Juris Doctorate. He was admitted to the Florida Bar Association in 1998. Jim is also licensed in Florida as a real estate broker and is licensed in Florida as general contractor.

Sean McIntosh

SVP Asset Management

Sean McIntosh is a Commercial Real Estate veteran having worked with industry leaders such as Jamestown Properties where he managed a class A office tower in midtown Atlanta and was subsequently part of the management team during the development process for the innovative mixed-use development Ponce City Market also in Atlanta, CBRE, Inc.  and Jones Lang LaSalle where he was a member of the Atlantic Station Management team.  During this time Sean held the positions of Association Manager and Assistant General Manager, and General Growth Properties.  With experience that includes managing and redeveloping regional shopping centers and managing mixed-use developments, Sean is a well-rounded member of the Viking team.  Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois Sean has resided in the Greater Gainesville area since 2016 and has a degree in Accounting from Northern Illinois University.

Madeline Da Silva

Controller

Madeline joined the Viking team in May 2010. She serves as the Controller for both Viking Companies and Celebration Pointe.  She is responsible for the accounting operations of the company including maintaining financial records, creating financial reports, and accounts payable and receivable. Through her tenure at Viking Companies, she has performed various roles including office manager and bookkeeper. Madeline, a lifelong resident of Gainesville is an alumna of the University of Florida and The Rock School.

Stephanie Magee

Attorney at Law

Stephanie became licensed in Florida in 2010; wherein, she began working for Saunders, Curtis, Ginestra, and Gore, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale FL.  Her primary areas of practice were the handling of foreclosure actions and other real estate litigation on behalf of corporate clients such as BankAtlantic and Habitat for Humanity.  Stephanie then became licensed in California working for McCarthy Holthus, LLP, an AV-rated multi-state law firm representing financial institutions in a variety of banking law matters.  Stephanie welcomed the opportunity to join the Viking team in 2017 with a focus on commercial real estate and construction law.

Stephanie is currently licensed to practice in the State of Florida; State of California; United States District Court for the Northern District of California, United States District Court for the Central District of California; United States District Court for the Eastern District of California; and United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Brandon Smiley

Development Associate

As the Development Analyst for Viking Companies, Brandon is responsible for the financial underwriting for all Viking Projects.  Brandon received his Bachelor of Science in Finance at the University of Florida, where he was also a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.  Brandon has intern experience at Capital City Bank, Rendina Healthcare Real Estate, and Precision Economics.

Jen Tener

HR Manager

Jen Tener joined the Viking team in 2015 as an Office Manager and Development Assistant.  Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Operations Management and a minor in Project Management from the University of Cincinnati, Jen has proven to be a valuable asset to the organization.  Not only does Jen bring her years of experience as a Manager, she also has over 8 years of experience in Learning & Development, as a corporate trainer.

Pam DeMichele

Development Associate

Pam joined the Viking team in July 2019 and works on legal, accounting and development team projects. Born and raised in New Jersey, she moved to Gainesville for her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida (UF). Pam earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance, moved to St. Petersburg and began her consulting career at Accenture, prior to working for the Internal Revenue Service as a Revenue Officer. Next, she returned to Gainesville and UF, earned her Master of Science in Exercise Physiology while working as a graduate assistant, before being hired as full-time teaching faculty in the UF College of Health and Human Performance upon graduation. Five years later, Pam transitioned to a non-teaching faculty position in the UF Warrington College of Business, where she served as the Director of Admissions and Student Services for the Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) program for almost 20 years.

Angela Chan

Manager of Marketing

Angela graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida in 2017. During her time as a student, she was an active member of the university’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America and served on the board for a year. During the summer semesters, Angela interned and gained experience in digital marketing from a local marketing company in Gainesville and from Gainesville Harley-Davidson.

Angela served on the local board of directors for the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) where she has won several awards for her public relations work from both the local chapter and state association of FPRA. For 2019-2020, she was FPRA Gainesville’s Rising Star of the Year Recipient due to her commitment and engagement to the chapter. In 2023, Angela was FPRA Gainesville’s Member of the Year due to her continued dedication and support through sponsorship of the chapter. Angela is also the Chair for the Greater Gainesville Young Professionals, an affinity group within The Chamber of Commerce, and she serves on the Advisory Council at the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business for the Digital Marketing course.

Connie Brashear

Controller

Connie is a University of Florida graduate and seasoned Controller/CFO in our Celebration Pointe Property Management Operations. She has specialized in many industries throughout Florida, including CPA and Professional Organizations, Construction, Finance, Banking and Interior Design. She brings her many years of experience and knowledge of accounting systems and a results-based approach to the team.

Frank Suarez

Director of Operations

Frank Suarez has managed the growing responsibilities of daily site operations at Celebration Pointe since 2018. His responsibilities include handling facilities’ engineering, safety and permitting, vendor relations, coordinating with ongoing construction projects, as well as staff oversight for landscaping and irrigation crews, security personnel, and maintenance teams for Viking Property Solutions. Frank is a proud Cuban American, who brings an optimistic enthusiasm for everything he does. He previously lived and worked in Miami for many years with the US Secret Service until 2003, and then with Cushman Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services firm, until 2016, both as a Senior Chief Engineer.

Paige Stockman

Project Manager

Paige joined the Viking team in March 2022. Born and raised in Gainesville, Paige has seen Gainesville’s growth into the bustling city it is today. After she graduated from St. Francis Catholic Academy, she attended Santa Fe College, where she also played on the volleyball team. Paige is passionate about intellectual and developmental disability causes. Starting at 18 years old, she was a volunteer counselor for Camp I Am Special for three years, where she helped individuals with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities build friendships and be able to enjoy a typical summer camp experience.

Paige enjoys helping around the Viking Companies office and assisting with the planning of internal events. She hopes to continue to grow within the company.

Auriyan Johnson

Administrative Assistant

Auriyan joined the Viking team in June 2022. Being a Gainesville native, she attended P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School for middle and high school. During her time at P.K. Yonge, Auriyan amassed many medals and awards such as Junior Olympic Medals from her time on the track and field team and for getting the basketball team to the Elite 8 for several years. After graduating, Auriyan attended Florida A&M University. She joined SISTUHS, Inc., a community service organization at FAMU, where she enjoyed all activities, but really cherished her time mentoring at one of the local high schools in the Tallahassee area. She graduated from FAMU with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health and a concentration in Pre-Occupational Therapy before returning to Gainesville to work for the Alachua County School Board, and now, Viking.

Auriyan is currently working on obtaining her Master’s Degree in Information Technology & Management from Florida Atlantic University. Auriyan enjoys helping and being a part of a team and will continue to grow with Viking and assist when the opportunity arises.

Hanna De La Garza

Digital Media and Events Coordinator

Hanna graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. During her time there, she served as an editor for Sparks Magazine, an on-campus publication that provides a platform for the Asian and Pacific Islander American community. In 2021, she joined Our Town, a community lifestyle magazine, as a features intern. She has since written several stories for the Gainesville-based publication. From covering breaking news stories to highlighting local businesses, these experiences allowed her to interact with and engage her community.

As Digital Media & Events Coordinator, Hanna oversees Celebration Pointe’s various social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. She is also responsible for managing the website, ensuring that visitors have access to the most up-to-date information on events and deals in the area. Hanna uses her passion for writing and multimedia creation to bring the spirit of Celebration Pointe to the digital landscape.

 

Thomas Marino

Accounting Assistant

Thomas joined the Viking Team in February 2023, bringing expertise and a strong work ethic. Originally from Hollywood, Florida, Thomas relocated to Gainesville in 2006. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Santa Fe College and is currently pursuing the Juris Doctorate/Masters in Accounting program at the University of Florida. His ambition is to obtain a CPA designation and a license to practice law.

In his role as an Accounting Assistant, he takes on a range of responsibilities within our Property Management Team. He is responsible for managing financial records, AR/AP, maintaining vendor & tenant relationships, account reconciliation, payroll, financial reporting, and general administrative duties.

Thomas’s diverse skill set extends into the areas of information technology and has developed brand identities for various local businesses. While studying and working at Santa Fe College, he managed the installation of computer hardware and software throughout campus. He has worked in many industries including finance, IT, digital design, marketing, high-end fashion, fitness, and gourmet food.