Environmental site assessment pro joins JLL’s new EPC team

CHICAGO, Dec. 9, 2021 – JLL’s Valuation Advisory group announced today that it has hired professional engineer Benjamin Hestir to join its growing Environmental and Property Condition (EPC) team as a Project Management Director specializing in environmental site assessment.

In his new role, Hestir will be responsible for the technical review of various environmental reports, providing management and oversight of Phase II projects, and the mentoring and development of assessment staff. He comes to JLL with more than 29 years of experience in environmental due diligence investigations for property acquisitions, including Phase I and II environmental site assessments (ESA), management of third-party due-diligence reporting for multi-family projects, industrial hygiene/indoor air quality assessments and development of environmental health and safety programs.

“I’m tremendously excited to join this experienced group of real estate due diligence professionals to assist in the growth of the capabilities and capacity of the environmental practice,” Hestir said.  

In addition to being a professional engineer, Hestir holds various certifications, including Certified Asbestos Inspector. He holds a Master of Science degree in environmental systems engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural engineering from Clemson University.

Led by Managing Director Jeff Manas, the EPC service team offers Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and Phase II Oversight Management, along with property condition assessments, zoning reports, seismic studies, ALTA surveys and green evaluations. The new service line was announced in April 2021 as part of JLL Valuation Advisory’s ongoing growth strategy. It expanded JLL’s capabilities to provide a full suite of EPC services through a single source of ordering; faster access to high-quality data for engineering, environmental and valuation products; a non-disruptive and optimized approach for collection of field data; and helping clients manage real estate risk.

Due to immediate high demand for their services, Manas started implementing an accelerated hiring plan to better support client needs.

“Our strategy for building this team is centered on putting our client’s needs first and providing them with world class support. We’re hiring the most talented professionals in the industry who excel at providing good science and risk mitigation practices, and Ben Hestir is a perfect example of this strategy. Ben brings tremendous subject matter expertise not only in Phase I and II assessments, but also decades of multifamily and Fannie/Freddie knowledge, having been the principal consultant for several of the largest multifamily owners in the industry. We’re very excited to announce Ben’s addition to our JLL EPC team!”

Based in the Greenville, South Carolina, metro area, Hestir will report to Senior Project Management Director Ken Voyles. Working remotely with JLL will result in approximately 15,000 less vehicle miles annually, supporting corporate ESG goals, as will his work in the field of indoor air quality.

“Ben has been a trusted colleague for over 20 years, and I am excited he has joined the EPC team. He brings a wealth of knowledge regarding environmental risks related to multi-family housing properties and also the entire due diligence process. His addition to the team expands our capabilities and I’m confident our clients will appreciate the high degree of technical acumen he brings to our team.”

JLL Valuation Advisory is the essential guide to the changing face of real estate values and risk. We bring together unrivalled human intelligence and experience, with continuous, data-driven insights to uncover a panoramic view of Value and Risk across sectors and geographies. 

JLL’s 2,000 qualified valuation professionals are connected across more than 50 countries, sharing insights and real-time data to deliver tailored client solutions and advice for its clients’ real estate and business asset interests. The team is globally connected but also maintains sector-based expertise and deep local knowledge in every market. 

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U.S. property valuation and tax consulting services are performed by JLL Valuation & Advisory Services, LLC, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated.