Buzz Cooper
Chief Executive Officer and President
703-287-5815
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Mr. Cooper joined the Gladstone Companies at their inception in June 2001 with an extensive background in commercial real estate finance. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer and President of Gladstone Commercial Corporation (the “Company”) where he is focused on the executive oversight of the sourcing and executing of net leased real estate acquisitions as well as portfolio and corporate strategy. He is also responsible for the development and retention of talent necessary to operate and grow the business. During his tenure with the Company, Mr. Cooper has been responsible for acquiring the majority of the Company’s real estate portfolio.
Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Cooper served as a Senior Vice President and Principal of Allied Capital Corporation and its affiliate funds from 1986 to 2000. At Allied Capital, Mr. Cooper was responsible for originating all forms of commercial real estate loans and servicing a portfolio of over $300 million in debt instruments and mortgages. During his career, he has negotiated and closed all types of commercial real estate transactions and financings. Mr. Cooper received a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Washington and Lee University and is a member of the National Association of Industrial Office Properties (NAIOP).
Gary Gerson
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Treasurer
703 287-5800
Gary.Gerson@gladstonecompanies.com
Mr. Gerson was appointed Executive Vice President in March 2026 and Chief Financial Officer in June 2021 (and previously served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer from March 2021 until June 2021). Mr. Gerson also served as the Treasurer for the Gladstone Companies from February 2006 until January 2012. Prior to rejoining Gladstone Commercial in 2021, Mr. Gerson was most recently the Chief Financial Officer (from February 2013 to August 2020) of Spotted Hawk Development, LLC an Apollo Investment Corporation (Nasdaq:: AINV) portfolio company. Additionally, Mr. Gerson served as Assistant Vice President of Finance at the Bozzuto Group from February 2004 until February 2006 where he led residential real estate development financing matters. From June 1995 through February 2004, Mr. Gerson was Director of Finance at PG&E National Energy Group, a subsidiary of PG&E Corp (NYSE: PCG), where he worked on power plant development financings. Mr. Gerson earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. He is a CPA in the Commonwealth of Virginia and CFA charterholder. During his time in the United States Navy, Mr. Gerson served as a submarine officer.
Jay Beckhorn
Executive Vice President, Treasurer
703-287-5823
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Mr. Beckhorn was appointed our Treasurer in January 2015 and previously served as our Assistant Treasurer from July 2014 until January 2015. Mr. Beckhorn was also appointed Treasurer of Gladstone Land in January 2015 and also served as the Assistant Treasurer of each of the Company and Gladstone Land from July 2014 through January 2015. Mr. Beckhorn was also named Assistant Treasurer of each of Gladstone Capital and Gladstone Investment in January 2015. Mr. Beckhorn joined the Gladstone Companies in January 2013 as Managing Director, Finance. Prior to joining Gladstone, he was a Regional Director (from March 2010 through December 2012) with Heavenrich & Co., an M&A group that serves the senior’s housing industry. Mr. Beckhorn served as a Senior Vice President with Sunrise Senior Living from May 2000 through December 2008, where he secured debt financing to support the company’s development, acquisition, and joint venture activities. Additionally, he worked for the Riggs Bank in a variety of real estate related capacities including Managing Director and Senior Asset Manager for the Multi-Employer Property Trust, spanning from February 1990 through April 2000. Mr. Beckhorn earned an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a BA from Colgate University.
Ryan Carter
Executive Vice President, Head of West and Midwest Regions
571-451-0019
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Mr. Carter joined Gladstone in September 2021 as Executive Vice-President with responsibility for West and Midwest Regional leadership. Prior to joining Gladstone, Mr. Carter was a founding partner of Porthaven Partners, LLC, formed in 2009 as a full-service commercial real estate firm. Mr. Carter’s clients ranged from high net-worth to institutional investors for whom Mr. Carter provided acquisition and disposition services, debt placement, portfolio management, and principal investments, including net leased and value-add developments. Prior to Porthaven, Mr. Carter was a Director with Stan Johnson Company, focusing his brokerage services on institutional buyers of retail, office, and industrial properties. In total, Mr. Carter brings 20-years of transactional and operational experience in the net leased investment space.
Mr. Carter’s experience with Gladstone includes identifying a significant number of transactions across the United States which are still an integral part of the Company’s portfolio. These transactions date back to Gladstone’s first acquisition in 2003. As Executive Vice President, he will have responsibility for sourcing net leased real estate acquisitions and sale-leaseback investments in the West and Midwest while also managing and servicing Gladstone’s existing assets in the regions in coordination with his asset management teams.
Mr. Carter, a CPA (inactive), is a graduate of The University of Tulsa (B.S.B.A) and Oklahoma State University (M.B.A.) and will work out of a regional office in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Todd Alan McDonald
Senior Vice President, Head of South Central Region
703-287-5895
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Mr. McDonald joined Gladstone in September 2019 as a Senior Analyst. He has worked on originating over $275MM in new acquisitions since joining Gladstone and is the acquisitions lead in the South Central Region. Prior to joining Gladstone, he was a Senior Credit Analyst and Commercial Real Estate Team Lead at United Bank. While at United, he underwrote commercial real estate loans for properties in all asset classes. Mr. McDonald also analyzed corporate debt products as a founding member of the bank’s syndicated loan group. He received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from Washington and Lee University.