Allan is the founder and President of Synergy. He has worked in private real estate practice for 18 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Real estate and a Master of Science Degree in Finance and Economics, as well as three professional real estate designations.

Allan spent eleven years in the private real estate development business as Vice President of Development for a Pittsburgh regional development company. In that capacity, Allan participated in every aspect of the development business including land planning, design, construction, leasing, sales, and management of major real estate projects.

During his tenure as Director of Economic Development for Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Allan experienced ways the public and private sector can effectively partner for economic development. As Director of Economic Development he served as a "super director", simultaneously serving as the Director of economic Development, the Executive Director of Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, the Director of the County's Department of Planning, and Executive Director of five separate lending Authorities in industrial development, community development, housing, education and health care. In these capacities Allan led and administered the counties redevelopment and development activities, development funding programs including $20 million of annual federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, and worked on transportation planning in the local MPO including transit as well as highway project funding and planning.

Since that time, Allan focused his consulting business on projects that bring together the public and private sectors. Synergy's clients, whether public or private, are in need of creative strategies to optimize return on their real estate assets, and often that requires identifying partnership opportunities.

Allan is currently an Adjunct Instructor to college juniors and seniors in Corporate Finance at the Pennsylvania State University. He has also taught real estate for several sessions to undergraduates at the University Park campus of Penn State as well as continuing education to practitioners. He is the past President of the NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties) of Pittsburgh, as well as a member of various professional and community boards.

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