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Jeff Tucker (MBA ’00) has been named the new executive director of the Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies. Tucker is a long-time friend of the program, an engaged alumnus of UNC Kenan-Flagler, a dedicated leader, and an experienced professional within the real estate private equity arena.

Tucker has more than 20 years of private equity experience with the last 16 focused specifically on real estate. He has most recently worked as the co-chairman and chief operating officer of Century Bridge Capital, a Beijing and Dallas-based private equity real estate firm focused on middle-class residential developments in China. Since starting the firm in 2007 with his partners, he has built and managed Century Bridge’s operations, which included building the firm’s investment team in Beijing, designing and implementing an investment strategy and process, raising institutional capital, and overseeing investor relations with the firm’s Limited Partners around the world. Under the leadership of Tucker and his partners, the firm invested approximately $650 million of equity and debt in 19 developments and co-developed 22,679 residential housing units in 16 cities across China.

Along with his industry experience, Tucker brings a vast knowledge and intimate understanding of the business school to this role. He has been the chair of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Advisory Board since his appointment in 2019 and he is the former chair of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Alumni Council. He received UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2001 and its Global Leadership Award in 2015. In 2001, he also formed the Rollie Tillman, Jr. Development Fund, an endowment fund aimed at enhancing UNC Kenan-Flagler’s development efforts.

What are your goals as you step into the executive director role?

“The Wood Center is one of the crown jewels at Kenan-Flagler, and it gives me great confidence knowing that such a strong foundation has been laid. My goal is to work with the team to take it to the next level without losing the fabric of the culture that has been very deliberately built over the past twenty years.”  

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Katie Hambrick is the Wood Center’s Senior Associate Director. Her primary roles include serving as the center’s operations lead, working with employers to hire Tar Heel real estate program talent and serving as a liaison to the Wood Center Advisory Board.

She brings to the team more than a decade of experience working in higher education at the University of South Carolina, most recently leading alumni engagement efforts for the alumni association. She has a decade of experience in planning large-scale events, customer service, external relations, and program and team management.

Katie received her M.Ed. from the University of South Carolina in Higher Education Administration. She also has her Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Elon University.

What is your favorite part of your job?

“I really enjoy working with our talented team to make great things happen for our Wood Center community, whether that’s supporting an event, creating a new initiative from scratch or helping an employer land their perfect new hire.”

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Lynn Tocci is the Wood Center Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Programming. She works with all aspects real estate education and student development for undergraduates, including: career coaching and advising students completing the real estate coursework, promoting and handling admissions for the new real estate minor, overseeing the Undergraduate Real Estate Club (UREC) and the Wood Center’s early talent and career readiness initiatives with undergraduates. Lynn has been a fixture on UNC’s campus for more than a decade, with a tenure working in Kenan-Flagler admissions and main campus academic advising.

Lynn has her Masters in Social Work from UNC and Masters in Counseling Psychology from Marist College. She also has her Bachelors in Psychology from the State University of New York – Albany.

What is your favorite part of your job?

“My favorite part is having conversations with students to enhance their self-awareness and how to harness and promote their individuality and strengths.”

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Kathlyn “Katie” Bowden is the Wood Center’s Associate Director of MBA and Alumni Engagement. Her primary role is to lead and shape all MBA-oriented academic and career-focused programs within the Wood Center, partner with faculty and alumni to recruit new students, and deliver real estate career-related content and coaching.

An experienced professional with an interdisciplinary background in urban planning, real estate, and economic development, Katie brings a decade of experience to the Wood Center team. She previously served as the Interim Director of Economic Development for the Town of Chapel Hill where she led initiatives to foster economic growth and create a vibrant business environment. She holds a Master of Urban Planning and a B.A. in Environmental Design from Texas A&M University.

What is your favorite part of your job?

“My favorite parts of the job are probably our ‘Real-World Real Estate’ approach to learning, and the affinity within our real estate community. Our alums are a tight-knit group and to see their impact on both our program and the industry as a whole is really something special!“

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Kelsey Faulkner brings a storyteller’s instinct to everything she does at the Wood Center. As Communications and Events Manager, she oversees the Center’s website and social media, develops marketing initiatives, and serves as the driving force behind the Wood Center’s signature events.

From intimate gatherings for 20 to large-scale productions drawing nearly 900 attendees, Kelsey manages every dimension of the Wood Center’s event portfolio — including the annual Real Estate Conference and MBA Real Estate Development Challenge. She leads end-to-end logistics, manages attendee support, and oversees event marketing, ensuring each experience reflects the Wood Center’s reputation for excellence.

Her path to higher education began in newsrooms. Before joining the Wood Center, Kelsey designed and edited newspapers across the country, and her first love — writing — earned her awards from the NC Press Association during her time as a news reporter.

Kelsey holds an M.Ed. in Adult Education from East Carolina University, with certifications in Instructional Design and Student Affairs in Higher Education, as well as a B.S. in Communications with a concentration in Media Studies, also from ECU.

What is your favorite part of your job?

“Everything I do — whether crafting a story or pulling off an event — comes back to our students. I want them to walk away from their time with the Wood Center with real connections, real industry exposure, and valuable experiences that open doors. They’re my north star.”

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Julie supports the overall operations of the Wood Center and act as the first point of contact for guests and visitors of the Center. She manages financial data, generates expense reports, and reconciles receipts for the Center.

While she is new to the Wood Center this year, she is not new to the Carolina community; She joins us from UNC Orthopaedics. She also has a background in residential real estate and is a licensed realtor in NC.

“I automatically felt comfortable in my new position due to my background and all the wonderful and supportive staff,” she said. “I look forward to being involved in real estate again, the work-life balance, and learning more about the Wood Center for Real Estate Studies.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and wellness with a minor in public health from UNC Greensboro.