Shortly after graduating from the University of Cape Town, South Africa with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management, Gaf and his wife, Pam Gaffen, moved to San Diego. During their first eight years, Gaf built an incredible reputation in the management and construction of real estate development projects. Ultimately, his entrepreneurial spirit took hold in 1987, and Gaf and Pam founded Gafcon to fulfill his vision of assisting owners in delivering complex projects supporting vibrant communities.
Today, Gaf lends his 40 plus years of experience and expertise to the programs and projects Gafcon manages—from once in a lifetime projects like Seaport San Diego and Zizhu Hi-Tech Development in Shanghai, China to our work supporting community capital programs like the City of Santa Monica and San Diego Unified School District. Gaf’s commitment to the local community extends to his service on various boards, including the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and AltaSea Board of Trustees. He has previously served on the boards of San Diego Taxpayers Association, San Diego Hebrew Homes, San Diego Jewish Federation, the Explorer Charter School, New Americans Immigration Museum and Learning Center, and the University of California, San Diego Cancer Center.
When he’s not at work, you can find Gaf outdoors, staying physically fit by golfing, working out, fly fishing, and bow hunting. His hobbies include collecting tribal art and antique maps, as well as adventure traveling.
As Co-Chief Executive Officer, Robin is responsible for Gafcon’s day-to-day operations. A construction industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in program, project, and construction management, Robin has been a key Gafcon team member since joining the firm in 1998.
One of Robin’s goals is to further strengthen Gafcon’s focus on delivering quality projects for clients. He is known for his strong and productive relationships with owners, architects, contractors, and consultants. He is highly experienced with the management and development of public, educational, residential, and commercial/retail projects.
Prior to joining Gafcon, Robin was a development/project manager for Rabie Property Developers and construction manager for Resnekov & Neilson in his native South Africa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Cape Technikon in Cape Town, South Africa.
Robin is a Board of Director for the ACE Mentor Program San Diego Chapter and is currently the Board Liaison for San Diego High School. He is also a panelist for Continuing Education for San Diego Community College District and is on their Corporate Council, which is an integral adviser to SDCCD regarding workforce education and training. From 2017 to 2023, with five years in the role as President, Robin served on San Dieguito Union High School District’s Independent Citizens Oversight Committee.
Robin enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, exercising, and swimming.
Bryan Benso has more than 30 years of experience in various fields, including public capital projects, tribal capital projects, master planning, real estate development, real estate LLC transactions, agency negotiations, and numerous other business acumen verticals. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated the critical skills and core competencies to grow an organization with strong internal and external public relationships. As Co-CEO, Bryan is responsible for driving all growth initiatives at Gafcon PM-CM LLC, ensuring the company's expansion and success across its comprehensive range of services. His strategic vision and leadership are pivotal in identifying new opportunities and fostering key partnerships that propel the company's development.
In 1994, Bryan was hired by Gafcon to serve as a Project Manager and in two years he was promoted to Senior Project Manager. In 2001, he was promoted to Director of Operations and in 2003, he was promoted to join the Executive Committee as Corporate Vice President. In 2008, Bryan joined the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians as the Vice President of Planning and Real Estate Development, where he provided owner representation and acted as a liaison between the SMBMI tribal and casino management, design consultants, and contractors on extensive development and investment projects exceeding $2B in value. He oversaw large, complex infrastructure projects, including a 25mw substation and a 5mw cogeneration facility.
In 2020, he returned to Gafcon as the Chief Development Officer. He holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana -Champaign and a Tribal Administration Certification in Tribal Government Management from Clairemont McKenna College. Bryan was honored as a Character Counts recipient by the Public Safety Academy Charter Schools and in 2000 he was awarded Gafcon Project Manager of the Year.
Bryan is a proud husband and father of three. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family.
Paul Najar is the Senior Vice President of Real Estate Services and General Counsel at Gafcon PM-CM LLC. He offers clients a comprehensive suite of real estate solutions, including entitlement, financial and market feasibility, financing structuring, public agency negotiations, and construction management. Paul ensures seamless coordination and communication across all project phases and frequently leads green urbanism and infrastructure initiatives involving both public and private stakeholders.
Before joining Gafcon, Paul served in senior legal advisory roles at private and public entities, including the University of California, Irvine, and California Federal Bank (now Citibank). From 2013 to 2020, he was an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego School of Law and remains actively involved with various non-profit boards. Paul holds a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, and a J.D. from the University of California, Davis.
Marty Glaske has been with Gafcon for over 18 years and currently serves as the Senior Vice President, Business Development. Marty holds a Bachelor of Science in Business, and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Management, as well as multiple executive certificates. Throughout his professional career, Marty has worked for consulting firms, general contractors, and construction managers focusing on all aspects of operations, marketing, and business development.
Marty leverages more than 30 years of experience in the A/E/C industry with both public and private clients to define strategic, forward-thinking goals for the firm. Additionally, he is a member of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH), The Community College Facilities Coalition (CCFC), and sits on the Board of Directors for the Society for Marketing Professional Services, San Diego (SMPS), Construction Management Association of America, San Diego (CMAA) and the Business Development Association– Inland Empire Chapter. Marty was the 2006 Gafcon Employee of the Year, the 2017 Public Works Advocate of the year awardee presented by the San Diego/Imperial County Chapter of the American Public Works Association, the 2022 Presidents Special Service Award Winner for CMAA San Diego, and one of the 2023 San Diego Business Journal Leaders of Influence, Marketing, PR and Advertising.
Marty’s hobbies include fly fishing, golf, and travel with his wife.
Professional Affiliations
David has more than 25 years of healthcare development and construction management experience, having managed billions in projects for healthcare facilities nationwide. His expertise includes planning, design, construction management, financial modeling, acquisitions, dispositions, entitlements, portfolio management and complex negotiations.
He has held a number of key leadership roles within the industry, including Corporate Senior Vice President of Development for Healthcare Trust of America, Vice President of Development at Duke Realty Healthcare, and Regional Director of Real Estate and Construction for Providence St. Joseph Health System in Western Washington. David earned a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and his Master of Real Estate Development – MRED degree from the University of Southern California.
Cade is a respected construction executive dedicated to achieving clients’ objectives and delivering their vision for facilities improvements. With years of professional experience managing programs and projects for educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and other clients, Cade understands the importance of developing relationships around demonstrated success and results.
Having over 20+ years of experience working in construction, Cade understands the value of industry relationships as well as the technical aspects of cost, schedule, and overall program/project delivery. He has worked in engineering, inspections, program and construction management, and as a general contractor. Still, he considers himself a student of the construction process and various contractual methods of project delivery. He is eager to continually acquire and apply formal education, certifications, and experience to understand all areas of his practice at a fundamental level.
Cade studied business at the BYU Marriott School and received his MBA from the ASU WP Carey School of Business. He is a Certified Construction Manager (CCM), Design Build Professional (DBIA), and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP).
Heather Skaife is the VP, Corporate Operations at Gafcon PM-CM LLC. She has worked in the construction field for over 17 years in various roles including Project Executive and Director of Operations, and Project Manager. Heather has worked in numerous market sectors throughout her career, including public works, education, healthcare, hospitality, and special projects. Heather has managed both public and private projects in general contractor, developer, and owner’s representative capacities. In previous roles, Heather has served as a Program Director and Director of Operations overseeing project teams and all phases of large-scale construction and development programs.
Heather holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from the University of Alaska and a Master of Science in Executive Construction Management from Northwestern University. Heather is Design Build Institute of America certified and is a Certified Construction Manager (CCM). Active in the community, she serves as the Executive Board Secretary for the Construction Management Association of America San Diego Chapter and is the Executive Board Secretary for the CMAA Foundation. Additionally, Heather is active in California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) and Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC).
In her personal time, Heather enjoys reading, cooking with her husband, and watching her son play travel baseball.
Craig Dutoit has more than 22 years of experience in finance and operations. He studied at the Insurance Institute of South Africa and obtained his Six Sigma green belt certification while working in the U.S.
Craig has a variety of experience in different industries including insurance and risk management, utility solutions, software services, information technology consulting and engineering, as well as the pet sector where he was a Lead Business Analyst at Petco. He joined Gafcon’s accounting team in 2013 as the Project Accounting and Analysis Manager and was promoted in 2016 to Director of Finance. During his tenure with Gafcon, he has created several financial models and oversees budgeting, forecasting, key performance indicators, and all areas of financial analysis for the company. He prepares short and long-term financial forecasts and projections for financial performance reviews.
Craig enjoys spending time outdoors with his family on weekends and is a proud father of three boys and a little girl. He believes that life is a journey and not a destination—enjoy the ride!
Lizette Rodriguez is the Director of Labor Relations and the Labor Relations Business Line Leader at Gafcon PM-CM LLC. She has extensive experience in all areas of contract compliance monitoring, auditing, and the enforcement of applicable rules and regulations for state and federally funded projects. She has been with Gafcon for more than 10 years working with contractors, subcontractors, and organized labor representatives in resolving challenging compliance issues.
Lizette has participated in and facilitated various public works and labor compliance training classes sponsored by the Department of Industrial Relations, the Department of Labor, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the County of San Diego, and other labor organizations throughout the State of California. She is an expert matter speaker for several organizations and teaches complimentary Labor Compliance courses. Lizette is on the Barrio Logan “Building a Community Vision” team and was a part of a mentor protégé program focused on enhancing growth and opportunities for small local businesses.
Lizette received an Associates in Paralegal Studies and is a licensed paralegal with six years’ experience in workers compensation and civil litigation practices. She is involved in a variety of organizations including the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH), Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC), and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) San Diego.
Outside of work, Lizette enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, exercising, cooking authentic Mexican food, and tropical traveling.
Andrew is an experienced real estate professional with 25 years of experience evaluating and managing a wide range of real estate ventures from a financial, market, and operating perspective. Over the course of his career, Andrew worked as a VP/Director of Finance and Operations Manager for some of the top public and private real estate development companies in the industry, including Lennar, Kennedy Wilson International, and J.F. Shea Company. In these roles, Andrew provided financial leadership in the acquisition of well over $500M in assets, managed development budgets exceeding $400M, and secured debt and joint venture financing for land, apartment, hotel, and for sale housing developments.
Andrew has also worked directly for Gafcon for seven years providing financial and real estate advisory services for public and private sector clients across all real estate asset classes. Andrew’s experience working directly for leading real estate companies while also servicing public and private sector clients in a consulting capacity provides a unique and valuable perspective for clients. Andrew’s primary areas of expertise include: Financial and Market Feasibility, Financial Planning and Analysis, Project Management, Financial Modeling, Project Financing, and Asset Management.
Andrew holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Finance from Chapman University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Urban Planning from UC Santa Barbara. Andrew also holds a California Real Estate Broker License.
In his spare time, Andrew enjoys spending time with family, exercise, travel, music, and reading.
Jim Bray is a seasoned Registered Civil Engineer with over 20 years of extensive experience in program and project management within the construction field. Throughout his career, he has effectively managed diverse teams of up to 107 individuals, encompassing contractors, construction trades, engineers, scientists, procurement specialists, and administrative personnel. Currently, Jim serves as the Program Manager for the San Diego Community College District’s (SDCCD) $1.5 billion bond program.
Jim’s expertise spans various project delivery methods, including design-build, design-bid-build, and Construction Management Multi-Prime (CMMP). He has also managed energy services agreements, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects, and Division of the State Architect (DSA) projects. His extensive experience ensures the safe and successful delivery of projects on active campuses, promoting a collaborative environment among project teams, district personnel, and stakeholders.
In addition to his role at SDCCD, Jim also leads the Proposition V Program for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (GCCCD). His commitment to fostering teamwork and delivering high-quality projects has been a hallmark of his career, making him a valuable asset in the construction management field.
