THE GROUP
Phillip A. Smith / President
Phillip Smith is based in Tampa and leads Framework Group’s efforts and strategic plans for developing diverse multi-family housing projects throughout Florida. Phillip is responsible for acquisition, approvals, project financing and overseeing all development, construction and property management activities. Of keen interest to him are those high barrier-to-entry development opportunities that present complex challenges by way of political, regulatory, site design, or environmental issues.
Prior to founding Framework Group, Phillip established the Florida multi-family office for Crosland, an 85-year-old private development company based in Charlotte, NC. Prior to joining Crosland, he was a Partner in a private venture based in Connecticut where he developed multi-family residential projects throughout New England and South Carolina. Prior to that, he was a Senior Development Manager at JPI, where he developed over 3,500 apartments in the country’s most challenging regulatory and construction environments in the Northeast.
Phillip is the current Chairman of ULI Tampa Bay, serves on the Board of Directors of the Westshore Alliance, and is former President of Leadership Tampa Bay. He has lectured on real estate development and finance at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Clemson University, and the University of South Florida. Phillip is a LEED-Accredited Professional, a licensed Florida General Contractor, and a licensed Florida Sales Associate.
Phillip earned his Bachelor of Architecture, magna cum laude, from Auburn University, and Master in Architecture from Harvard University.
Steve Hammond / Director of Construction Operations
Steve Hammond has over 25 years of management experience in single and multi-family construction, land development and rehabilitation of existing assets. This portfolio includes over 9,000 multifamily units throughout Texas, North Carolina and Florida consisting of a variety of types such as wood frame, tunnel form and concrete block construction. He has also managed and contracted commercial tenant improvement projects for health care and large pharmaceutical concerns.
Steve manages all self-performed new construction projects, third-party construction service contracts and Owner Representative contracts for Framework Group, including the day-to-day management of all subcontractors, local regulatory agencies and professional consultants.
Prior to joining Framework Group, Steve served as Vice-President of Construction for the Wilson Company, Director of Construction for Phillips Development Realty, and President of HBD Construction, a general contracting and construction management firm.
He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and resides in Tampa.
Nick Herring / Executive Vice President
As Executive Vice President, Nick Herring oversees all phases of the development process for each project in Framework’s portfolio. Nick’s contributions begin with the creative inception of each project’s identity or “big idea”. Through execution, he leads sourcing, contracting, and day-to-day management of external designers, builders, property managers and other providers necessary to bring Framework’s projects into reality. Additionally, Nick assists in relationship management with regards to investor and lender partners. Since joining Framework in 2015, Nick has delivered multi-family projects that span the state of Florida, represent wide ranges of rental rates and construction types, and altogether total over 3,000 units.
Nick also plays key roles in the strategic direction of the firm, including establishing target geographies, product types, and capital sources as well as sourcing new business. Internally, Nick focuses on developing management and reporting systems aimed at enabling Framework’s long-term growth. With the same goal in mind, Nick leads Framework’s recruiting efforts and aids in new hire development.
Prior to joining Framework Group, Nick managed high-end residential, commercial and retail developments as a Project Manager for Shawmut Design and Construction. Prior to Shawmut, Nick managed construction field operations as Resident Engineer for Hill International, where he led teams of subcontractors on large-scale public projects including the renovation of New York City Hall.
Nick graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Building Construction and minors in Business Administration and Sustainability Studies. Nick also earned his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, specializing in Real Estate and Strategy.
James Bote / Vice President of Finance
James Bote brings over 10 years of experience in data analysis, financial reporting, public accounting, and academia to Framework Group where he oversees all aspects of finance and accounting.
Prior to joining Framework, James was Director of Finance & Accounting for a modern vacation rental platform in Key West, Florida. Collaborating closely with the CEO, he played a key role in leading and developing the finance and accounting functions including technology-based applications to streamline AP and human resources, as well as leveraging fintech banking partners for capital efficiency. Prior to that James was Senior Manager for Baldwin Risk Partners, a Tampa-based publicly traded insurance company, and was involved in 16 strategic acquisitions with a combined value of $1.5B. Prior to that, James spent over 6 years as Accounting Manager at Rooms-To-Go, a multi-billion dollar privately held organization engaged in the retail sale, manufacturing, and distribution of furniture.
James started his career at Ernst & Young in Tampa where he performed audits across various industries including financial services, retail, not-for-profit, and entertainment for both publicly traded and privately held organizations.
James holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in Tax from the University of South Florida. His commitment to education is evident through his passion for teaching, having taught for a total of 4 semesters at USF as a graduate teaching assistant and adjunct professor. James also maintains an active Certified Public Accountant license in Florida.
Hannah Arduini / Development Associate
Hannah Arduini is a Development Associate and works closely with both development and construction teams throughout the entire process. Hannah is passionate about placemaking, and her background in architecture helps bring a critical dimension to the execution of Framework’s developments in the field.
Previously, Hannah gained experience as an intern with Framework Group where she assisted her team with daily tasks on a construction site in Bradenton, became Procore certified, and discovered her love for construction management. She simultaneously worked as an intern for a Lakeland architecture firm where she contributed to the design process of multiple educational projects through sketching, plan drawing, and 3D rendering.
During her undergraduate studies she worked as an architectural studio Teaching Assistant, was a member of her college’s Habitat for Humanity Chapter, and served as the American Institute of Architecture Student’s Chapter Treasurer. Hannah most recently returned from Vicenza Institute of Architecture where she studied and was inspired by classical and modern works throughout Europe.
Hannah graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Florida.
Thomas Sexton / Development Manager
Thomas Sexton brings 10 years of experience in real estate development to Framework Group, where he oversees all phases of the development process for the firm.
Prior to joining Framework Group, Thomas served as Development Manager at Daniel Corporation and Development Associate at Quarterra (formerly Lennar Multifamily Communities). In these roles, he developed over 2,000 units in Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, and Florida. His projects include high rise, mid-rise podium, and wood-framed garden style communities. In addition to multifamily, Thomas has also worked on industrial and mixed-use developments in South Carolina and Georgia.
Thomas has a passion for people and places and seeks to improve people's lives through design and experiential living. Outside of work he enjoys cooking, an active lifestyle, and spending time with family and friends.
Thomas graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.