Archives: Bios

Ms. Nickolette is an Analyst at Creek Lane Capital. She is responsible for supporting both asset management and acquisition efforts by conducting market research, preparing investor reports, and analyzing new investment opportunities. Marie graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a BBA in Finance and is currently pursuing the CFA charter, having passed Level I in November 2025. She is also an active member of the Real Estate Finance Forum (REFF).

Mrs. Yniguez supports the day-to-day operations of Creek Lane through administrative support, meeting coordination, database management, and reporting assistance. She also contributes to marketing initiatives and plays a key role in event planning. Mrs. Yniguez is a graduate of Fox College in Oak Lawn, IL.

Mr. Wetzel has over 36 years of experience in development and construction, responsible for land acquisition, pre-development, design and construction. Prior to joining Creek Lane, he was Vice President of Real Estate Development for Higgins Development Partners and its predecessor firm Walsh, Higgins & Company. Over his career, he has successfully managed the completion of 4.5 million square feet of commercial office space,1,800 multifamily units, and 3.5 million square feet of industrial development. Donald holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and is a licensed Architect and member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Mr. Waitzer is a Senior Associate at Creek Lane Capital, focused on private equity and venture capital opportunities. Prior to joining Creek Lane, he began his career as an investment banker at UBS and then was Director of Finance at Fairway Resources. Jonathan has a BA from Rice University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Mrs. Patel brings over 15 years of real estate accounting experience. Prior to joining Creek Lane, she was a Fund Controller at Walton Street Capital. She has a BSA and MAS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is also a CPA.

Mrs. Gurgone has over 15 years of experience in commercial real estate and development, including transactions, financing, and asset management. Prior to her role at Creek Lane, she worked for McCaffery Interests, Equity Commonwealth, and InvenTrust. Her experience includes the negotiation of over 1.5M SF of leasing and participation in more than $3 billion in transactions. Danielle holds an MA in Real Estate from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BA in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Mr. Gibbons leads the family’s efforts in exploring investment opportunities outside its traditional spaces, with a focus on select private investments. He also provides executive oversight of The Walsh Group’s Operations & Maintenance business (WIM) and is a member of its corporate Executive Committee.

As Managing Principal, he co-leads the firm’s public-private partnership (P3) infrastructure investment initiatives. Previously at Walsh, he served as Vice President of the company’s internal construction equipment rental business. In addition, he co-developed and delivered Walsh’s Executive Training Program and was a member of the company’s Corporate Safety Committee.

Mr. Gibbons serves as a Director at RepairClinic.com, Sundberg America, Board Member at autoLOTO, Board Observer at both Cleanwater1 and Farmer’s Fridge, and is a member of the President’s Advisory Council for Graduate Studies & Research at the University of Notre Dame, from which he holds both a Bachelor’s and Executive MBA degrees.

Mr. Cordrey is a Senior Associate at Creek Lane Capital. He is responsible for the analysis and underwriting of acquisition and development opportunities and assists in asset management and portfolio management. Prior to joining Creek Lane Capital, he worked at Wells Fargo as an Analyst in the Real Estate Banking Group. He graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in Economics.

Mr. Ciambrone serves as President of Creek Lane Capital, leveraging over 39 years of experience across banking, real estate, infrastructure development/P3, and alternative investments. In addition to his leadership at Creek Lane, he sits on the Executive Committee of The Walsh Group and serves on the board of directors for several private investment companies. Mr. Ciambrone offers deep expertise in project finance and capital markets, and has successfully closed over $10 billion in transactions over his career. He holds a BBA (Finance) from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from DePaul University.