Castagna Realty Company Inc., has appointed Russell G. Matthews president and Chief Executive Officer. Matthews succeeds John J. Gutleber, who passed away on Sept. 7, of this year.
Preceding this appointment, Matthews has been executive vice president and Principal of the Albanese Organization (AO), a privately-owned real estate company founded in 1949 by Russell’s uncles, Vincent M. Albanese, Esq. and Anthony A. Albanese. The firm is renowned for pioneering green development with the completion of the first green residential high-rise building in the nation, the Solaire, in Battery Park City.
Matthews has been with AO for more than 20 years and has been most recently responsible for leading the overall asset management function of the company, including long term strategic financial planning and performance monitoring of the company’s real estate assets. In 1995, Matthews was appointed by the Mayor of Garden City to serve on the Village’s Business Planning Coalition, formed to develop a strategic plan to address the decline of the Village’s vital Franklin Avenue corridor. Among the positive outcomes of this effort was the Village’s $4M Streetscape Beautification Plan, a catalyst for the redevelopment of over three million square feet of office and retail space.
In concert with the Village’s efforts, Matthews spearheaded AO’s partnership with Castagna Realty to acquire and redevelop some of the most prominent buildings along Franklin Avenue, including 1001 Franklin Avenue, Long Island’s first LEED certified commercial office building.
“Our long-standing partnership with the Albanese family has always been one based on mutual respect and trust, and Russell Matthews has been an integral part of that collaboration,” said Frank Castagna.
“Russell embodies all that the Castagna name stands for,” added Russell Albanese, Chairman of the Albanese Organization. “He is a proven and highly respected leader who will undertake his new role with the utmost of skill and dedication to the Castagna family.”
Matthews currently serves on several Boards, including the Association for a Better Long Island and the Long Island Real Estate Group, and is a member of the Energeia Partnership and its Advisory Board. He is committed to supporting community groups, nonprofits and cultural institutions in Long Island and New York. He has been an active board member of the Mental Health Association of Nassau County and the Safe Center Long Island (formerly known as the Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect) for more than 15 years.
Prior to joining AO, Matthews was executive vice president and Chief Lending Officer of the Greater New York Savings Bank. He holds a BA from Rutgers College and a JD from St. John’s University School of Law. Castagna Realty Company is a leading, diversified real estate company committed to the development and management of premier properties.
