McCormack Baron Salazar team members have broad experience in housing development, finance and management. Our multi-disciplinary team approach to development is unique in the industry and results in the highest quality product for our clients and partners.

  




Richard D. Baron
Co-founder, Chairman and CEO
Richard Baron is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McCormack Baron Salazar in St. Louis, Missouri, a firm specializing in the development and management of mixed-income communities with an emphasis on large-scale redevelopment projects in central city locations.  Since the company began in 1973, it has developed 124 projects in 33 cities with development costs in excess of $1.8 billion which includes more than 13,895 residential units and one million square feet of commercial space.  The firm’s management portfolio includes 14,970 residential units.

In October 2004, Richard Baron received The Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development.  The Nichols Prize was established by the Nichols family in 2000 to recognize individuals whose career has demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of responsible development.  Mr. Baron is the fifth recipient of this prestigious award.

Mr. Baron serves on the Executive Committee of the Regional Chamber and Growth Association, and on the Boards of St. Louis Downtown Partnership, Downtown Now!, and The Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA).  He is also on the Board of Trustees at St. Louis University.  He is a past-board member of John Burroughs School and a past-member of Washington University's George Warren Brown School of Social Work National Council.

He currently is on the Advisory Board for the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy of The Brookings Institution, and is an emeritus member of the Board of Trustees for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Mr. Baron is the founder and developer of The Center of Creative Arts (COCA), in University City, Missouri, a community-based visual and performing arts center that serves more than 50,000 children annually.  Mr. Baron currently serves as the co-chairman of the Vashon Education Compact which targets 7 low-performing public schools in the City of St. Louis for major transformation.

Mr. Baron is a graduate of Oberlin College and holds a masters degree in political science from the University of California-Berkeley and a law degree from the University of Michigan.  Mr. Baron has been awarded honorary degrees from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio and from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri.





Kevin J. McCormack
President
Mr. McCormack has been with the company since 1981 and has served as President since 2000. In addition to his oversight of the entire development process, he continues to be closely involved in Project Finance and in Asset Management. MBS projects are known for their solid design, high quality, and innovative financial structures which blend federal, state and community subsidies with conventional debt and equity to provide quality urban development. From 1981 to 2000, Mr. McCormack was responsible for structuring the financing for most of the company’s real estate development projects.

Prior to joining MBS, Mr. McCormack served four years as Vice President of Chemical Bank/J P Morgan-Chase. Mr. McCormack is a frequent speaker on residential urban development topics and a consultant and advisor to not-for-profits, cities and states. He is a graduate of Lehigh University and received a Master’s degree from University College, University of London, England. Mr. McCormack also attended the University of Vienna, Austria, and was an Exchange Fellow at the University of Berlin, Germany.

 


Tony Salazar
President of West Coast Operations
Mr. Salazar is responsible for the day-to-day development activities in the west and southwest. Based in Los Angeles, Mr. Salazar’s responsibilities include initiating developments, coordinating the planning process, acting as liaison with joint venture partners, working with government officials and local community groups, and coordinating the final design process, including the integration of marketing, construction, and property management disciplines. The Los Angeles office has developed over 2,400 units in 21 phases including, five earthquake recovery properties, five HOPE VI sites, a 192-unit Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) project, and 2 transit-oriented developments. 

Prior to joining the firm in 1985, Mr. Salazar administered HUD Community Development Block Grant Funds for the City of Kansas City, Missouri.  He also served as Executive Director of Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance, a not-for-profit Community Development Corporation, for five years.  Mr. Salazar is a graduate of the University of Missouri in Kansas City, and received a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. 

Mr. Salazar has served as director of several public and private organizations, including the National Council of La Raza, the California Community Foundation, and Enterprise Social Investment Corporation.  He has also been appointed to numerous national and local housing and community development commissions.



 

Linda E. Heiney
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Heiney has been with McCormack Baron Salazar since 1985. She directs accounting and information technology functions. Her division is responsible for annual tax returns, financial statements, audits, budgeting, cash management, internal controls, HUD-insured mortgage processing, tax credits, cost certifications and not-for-profit reporting. Prior to her appointment as Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Heiney worked as job cost accountant, accounting manager, and controller for MBS. 

Ms. Heiney is a member of the National Association of Female Executives. She also volunteers for the Girl Scouts and as a St. Louis Regional Chamber of Growth Association tax preparer. Ms. Heiney holds a Certified Public Accountant Certificate. She is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University and holds a Master’s of Finance Degree from Saint Louis University.



 

Hillary B. Zimmerman
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Ms. Zimmerman is responsible for legal aspects of project development, for the coordination of outside counsel, and for corporate and management legal matters.
She is experienced in real estate acquisition and site assembly, contract negotiation
and development procedures at the municipal, state and federal level. Ms. Zimmerman coordinated all closings of equity, construction and permanent debt financing and refinancing for McCormack Baron from 1984 through 2004.

Prior to joining McCormack Baron Salazar in 1984, Ms. Zimmerman was a partner in the law firm of Greenfield and Davidson in St. Louis. As a participant in the National Task Force on Financing Affordable Housing, she co-authored a chapter on subordinate debt and subsidy financing and was an organizer of the Task Force-sponsored Multifamily Institute.

Ms. Zimmerman serves as a member of the Missouri Botanical Garden Subdistrict Commission and a board member of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. She is a past board member and officer of the Jewish Center for the Aged. She is is a member of the
St. Louis Forum, an organization of top-ranking female executives and is a member of the Advisory Council of the National Council of Jewish Women, St. Louis Section.

Ms. Zimmerman has been a speaker for The Institute for Professional and Executive Development, Inc. (IPED), the Urban Land Institute, St. Louis University Law School, National Network of Commercial Real Estate Women, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association. Ms. Zimmerman is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.