Retail RE Veteran Named Lat Purser VP

James Penman

James Penman Jr., a 20-year veteran of the retail real estate industry, was named vice president and promoted to the executive team of commercial real estate firm Lat Purser & Associates Inc. Since joining the company in 2015 as director of retail leasing, he has expanded the company’s retail platform and played a key role in the growth of rents and occupancy rates across the portfolio.

“Jimmy has been an invaluable addition to our team and instrumental to our continued success in the retail sector. We appreciate his leadership, perspective and energy. By unanimous vote of the board of directors, I am very pleased to announce his promotion to vice president,” said Lat Purser President & COO Bob Otten, in a prepared statement.  

Previous experience 

Prior to joining Lat Purser, Penman served as leasing executive at Weingarten Realty Investors. He also held similar positions with Hawthorne Retail Partners and Crosland. Penman spent the first six years of his career as a leasing agent. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in more than $225 million in transactions and as many as 55 shopping centers, malls and mixed-use developments across the Southeast.

The company’s new vice president serves as North Carolina/South Carolina government relations co-chairman for the International Council of Shopping Centers. In addition to leasing, Penman’s specialties include center merchandising, asset analysis and repositioning, trade area analysis, site selection, tenant representation and marketing.

One of the company’s most recent acquisitions is Ashley Oaks Plaza, a 58,720-square-foot retail center in Charleston, S.C.

Image courtesy of Lat Purser & Associates