Michael Bailey, Managing Partner
Michael J. Bailey is a co-founder of both Fireside Financial and Hearth Construction Management. With more than 30 years of real estate investment management and transaction experience, Mr. Bailey is responsible for guiding the company’s overall growth and overseeing the acquisitions, capitalization, and joint-venture strategies. Since establishing Fireside Financial, Mr. Bailey has been responsible for the placement of approximately $1 billion in real estate transactions. Prior to forming Fireside Financial, Mr. Bailey was responsible for the North American Bus Division at Daimler Chrysler, where he controlled strategic planning. Mr. Bailey’s background also includes co-founding an architectural design and engineering firm that served a client base which included Delta Faucet, Cummins Inc., Dunlap, and approximately 100 residential builders.
Mr. Bailey maintains professional affiliations with members of NAREIT, SIOR, and the Illinois Board of Realtors. Mr. Bailey holds a Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.
Kristie Bailey, Partner
Kristie L. Bailey has been with Fireside Financial since its inception and is a co-founder of Hearth Construction. Possessing more than 10 years of operations experience, Ms. Bailey provides the leadership, management and foresight necessary to ensure the company establishes proper operational controls, follows organization and reporting procedures, and maximizes efficiency in every project. In addition to focusing on Fireside’s financial strength and exponential growth, Ms. Bailey manages the due diligence and transaction coordination during the acquisition and disposition phases of Fund cycles to promote our investors’ long-term strategic growth.
Ms. Bailey holds a B.A. in Business from Sullivan University and participated in the Budget Advisory Committee for the State of Indiana.
Jamie Mehrtens, Chief Financial Officer
Jamie Mehrtens is responsible for the Funds’ activities with respect to existing investments as well as its day-to-day accounting activities. In addition, she leads the sourcing of financing and investor reporting to give every stakeholder a clear picture of the Funds’ portfolio performance, return metrics and asset summaries. Ms. Mehrtens has more than 20 years of accounting experience, including nine years with Fireside, and is a licensed CPA in Missouri and Illinois. Prior to joining the Fireside team, she worked in public accounting with a focus in tax and small business development.
Ms. Mehrtens holds an M.B.A. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as well as a B.B.A. in Accounting from McKendree University.
Katherine Opel, General Counsel
Katherine L. Opel advises Fireside Financial on a wide range of legal issues in her role as General Counsel, including acquisitions and dispositions, contract negotiations, compliance, and oversight of litigation matters. She is also involved in strategic planning. She formerly practiced business and real estate law at a large firm in St. Louis where she enjoyed managing diverse transaction and client challenges.
Ms. Opel holds a Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University Law School and a B.A. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Illinois.
Matt Baker, Head of Investor Relations
Matt Baker is the Head of Investor Relations and is responsible for ensuring that Fireside Financial is strategically positioned to appeal to investors and shareholders. Mr. Baker’s 15 years of real estate investment experience provides him with the robust industry knowledge needed to raise capital funds while directly overseeing the Acquisitions and Dispositions Team. Prior to joining Fireside, Mr. Baker held positions as an Investment Officer for John Hancock Real Estate Finance Group in Chicago, IL followed by working as the Director of Finance for a large commercial real estate developer in North Carolina.
Matt holds an MBA from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Finance from Drake University.
