Davis’ Absence Deeply Felt at Fall NIC Conference

As Cambridge Realty Capital continues to mourn the loss of Jeffrey Davis, its Founder and former President, staff were reminded again recently of just how significant an impact Davis made within the senior living community. The annual Fall NIC Conference, hosted by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care, was an event that Davis rarely missed. His absence was felt deeply by Brent Holman-Gomez, Cambridge Senior Vice President; Hymie Barber, National Originations Manager; Managing Director Tony Marino, and Vice President Zachary Scardina, who represented Cambridge Realty Capital in September at this year’s conference in Washington, DC.

Jeffrey Davis passed away suddenly in April of this year, sending shockwaves throughout the company that he founded as well as the senior living community at large. Davis was an Illinois native who, upon graduating from high school, studied business and real estate, graduating with an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Davis founded Cambridge Realty Capital in 1983, specializing in commercial real estate lending. When Andrew Erkes, a licensed HUD mortgage issuer, joined the company a few years later, Davis and Erkes made the decision to shift Cambridge’s focus to the senior living market. Today, Cambridge Realty Capital is one of the US’s premier senior housing capital providers, with more than 550 closed transactions totaling more than $5,500,000,000 since the early 1990s.

Davis was a powerhouse in his field, and it was clear how much his loss has affected the senior living community, as evidenced by the number of fellow conference attendees who sought out Holman-Gomez, Scardina, Marino, and Barber to express their condolences and reminisce about Davis’s life and work. “So many people came by to express how much Jeff was missed,” Barber noted. “He was a gale force at both the NIC and the entire healthcare finance spectrum. Our team effort was testimony to the rich legacy he created and that [current President] Andy Erkes is perpetuating.” Scardina had much the same experience at the conference. “Fond memories of Jeff Davis were exchanged with many attendees and the Cambridge team is excited to continue his legacy going forward.” For Barber, Marino, Holman-Gomez, and Scardina, the networking and the exchanging of knowledge and ideas that took place at the conference were overshadowed only by Davis’s absence. “His legacy is very evident and we feel proud to be able to continue carrying out his vision and honoring his memory.”