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 currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors for ULI Tampa Bay, the Board of Directors of the Westshore Alliance and is Past-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 / Senior Vice President of Construction
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.
Anthony Crawford / Vice President of Construction
With over 10 years of experience in the construction industry, Anthony Crawford has established a portfolio of work throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions that includes a variety of project and construction types. From concrete block and wood frame, to post-tension concrete with commercial metal frame, Anthony has taken on a unique mix of projects that have shaped his collaborative approach to new challenges and opportunities.
Anthony manages all self-performed new construction projects, third-party construction service contracts and Owner Representative contracts for Framework Group, including day-to-day management of all onsite project staff, subcontractors, local regulatory agencies and professional consultants. Anthony also focuses on recruiting efforts and aids in new hire development.
Before joining Framework Group, Anthony managed high rise multi-family and hotel developments as a Project Director for Greystar Development and Construction. Prior to Greystar, Anthony fulfilled both field operation and project management responsibilities as an Engineer for Turner Construction on a stadium renovation and a multi-acre institutional hospital/educational project. Prior to Turner, he managed all subcontractor teams as a Project Engineer for Clark Construction on large scale commercial projects including the Department of Defense's BRAC 133 project and the expansion of the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery within the National Postal Museum on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution.
Anthony is a LEED-Accredited Professional and earned his Bachelor of Science in Building Construction with a minor in Business from the University of Florida.
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 French / Senior Development Manager
As Senior Development Manager, Hannah is responsible for the design, underwriting, market analysis, project management, and lease-up of Framework’s developments. She is involved from the outset with site acquisition and due diligence, design and construction team management, brand and market positioning, and the coordination with the property management team to ensure the highest quality resident living experience.
Prior to joining Framework, Hannah was Director of Corporate Real Estate at Raymond James, where she led design and construction for the firm’s 4 million SF real estate portfolio consisting of corporate offices, trading operations, and branch locations across the U.S. Key projects included a 150,000 square foot five-office consolidation in New York City, and a 200,000 square foot build-out for the firm's operations in Memphis, TN. While there, she developed the Branch of the Future platform, reimagining how the built environment could better support client engagement through revamped interiors, furniture standards, and technology offerings.
Previously, Hannah managed international real estate projects at Capital One and Mesirow Financial, where she completed lease transactions and directed architectural projects in North America, Europe, and Asia. Earlier in her career she worked as an interior designer at IA Interior Architects and Mary Cook & Associates, where she designed corporate, higher education, and residential interiors.
Hannah has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Architecture from Columbia College Chicago. She earned her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, with a focus on real estate and entrepreneurship. She is a registered interior designer in Florida.
Alex Love / Development Manager
Alex manages and coordinates all project development and construction processes from the conceptual stage through stabilization. He oversees a myriad of consultants and service providers and works closely with the VP of Development to ensure the project's design and economic goals are achieved.
Prior to joining Framework, Alex was a member of the Capital Markets Team at CBRE focused on all commercial asset types in the Utah, Idaho & Wyoming markets. While there, he acted as the point of contact and liaison for the marketing, analysis, and research groups and coordinated the completion and submission of financial, market, and property-specific data for customized property valuation packages. Prior to CBRE, Alex held several internships working on spatial program drawings, model development, and material decisions for architectural firms.
Alex graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and earned his Master's Degree in Real Estate from Georgetown University.
Jessica Eckaus / Office Manager
As Office Manager, Jessica provides key administrative support and oversees all internal business operations to ensure smooth workflow and keep Framework Group’s development and construction teams productive and communicating efficiently.
Jessica brings comprehensive experience in all aspects of business administration and has supported owners and CEO’s to launch, reorganize, and successfully divest business ventures in the manufacturing and real estate industries. She is passionate about strategic planning methods and motivated by the benefits of technology and employing strategies that improve team collaboration, financial stability, and organizational balance.
Prior to joining Framework Group, Jessica worked for a full-service real estate firm specializing in agricultural land and commercial sales. In 2013 she ventured into real estate investment by founding August Holding Ventures, LLC., a small residential investment company where she acquired properties, oversaw renovations, and optimized a small investment portfolio still in operation. Prior to that, Jessica worked for Florida Envelope Company where she led an initial acquisition process, developed a business improvement plan, and eventually prepared the business for a successful disposition.
Jessica is biliterate in English and Spanish and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration—Specialization in Management from Saint Leo University. She is a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Certified Agile Leadership—Essentials (CAL-E), Certified Agile Leadership for Teams (CAL-T).
Julie Conway / Executive Assistant
As Executive Assistant, Julie plays a pivotal role in efficiently managing the daily responsibilities of the President. With over two decades of experience supporting C-level executives, she skillfully utilizes her wealth of knowledge to streamline tasks and optimize the President’s valuable time in an efficient and productive manner.
Prior to joining Framework Group, Julie served as the Executive Assistant to the President of Franklin Distributors LLC, a subsidiary of Franklin Investments. During her impressive 28-year tenure at Franklin Templeton, she proved to be a dedicated and loyal partner, cultivating a reputation as a resourceful and invaluable leader while seamlessly managing a diverse range of executive responsibilities.
Originally from Massachusetts, Julie graduated from Bradford College with a degree in business management. Her professional journey began outside of Boston, where she worked as a sales assistant to the National Sales Manager for WQTV a local television station. Subsequently, she aided the Director of Programming at The Monitor Channel, a cable news station affiliated with the Christian Science Monitor newspaper. Julie also had the privilege of working for the Director of the University Press and Faculty Club at Harvard University before making the transition to Florida in 1994.
Thrilled to be a member of the Framework team, Julie is enthusiastic about leveraging her wealth of experience to make significant contributions and further enhance the organization's success.
Nimish Deshpande / Project Engineer
Nimish Deshpande is a construction management professional with a Master of Science in Construction Management from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from the SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
Previously, he served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies where he assisted in creating a database of Local Housing Assistance Plans (LHAPs) for the state of Florida and contributed to research on the impacts of COVID-19 and hurricanes on the construction companies in Florida. He has also gained experience through internships as a Construction Project Engineer and Civil Engineer, and through participation in various construction projects.
As a former President of the Internal Quality Assurance Department, Nimish has demonstrated leadership and problem-solving skills. He is also a certified Yoga teacher and former Vice-President of UF SKY where he organized and led yoga and meditation sessions for students.
With his education and experience, Nimish brings a solid foundation in construction management and engineering to his role at Framework Group.
Hannah Arduini / Project Engineer
Hannah Arduini is a Project Engineer 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.
Katherine Cowley / Events Coordinator
Katherine Cowley serves as the Events Coordinator for Framework Group.
Most recently, Katherine was on the Events Team for the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC), where she was involved with planning global networking events for top technology distributors and vendors. Prior to that, Katherine started her career in the retail business working for a leading industry retailer, where she was a Store Manager and eventually an Area Manager for the West Coast of Florida and the Washington, D.C. area.
Katherine is very involved with the PTA and serves on several committees in her community. Katherine graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2002.