Our Team

Max Graham brings over 15 years of experience in real estate to his current role. Throughout his career, he has contributed to significant transactions and projects for a multi-family residential REIT and a major accounting firm, showcasing his broad expertise.

As Chief Operating Officer, Max leads strategic initiatives across the organization to improve the overall resident experience, maximize building performance, and increase environmental sustainability. He is dedicated to enhancing resident satisfaction through consistent responsive service and strives to create a positive living environment by fostering open communication.

Max's leadership extends to stakeholder relations, capital deployment, financing, funding requirements, risk mitigation, revenue maximization, and policy review, ensuring comprehensive oversight and growth. Max holds a CPA, a CA, and an MBA from the University of Calgary.

Blair Rafoss brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience in commercial real estate development, financial management, and strategic operations. Prior to joining Avenue Living, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for a leading commercial development firm, where he managed over $5 billion in development projects and played a pivotal role in the company's expansion into key markets.

As Chief Performance Officer at Avenue Living, Blair oversees the financial and operational performance of the organization's multi-family residential platform. He leads the Asset Management and Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) teams, driving

cross-functional collaboration to enhance operational alignment, support market growth, and advance the company's long-term strategic objectives.

Blair is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan

With over 16 years of progressive human resources and labour relations experience, Amanda Kweens has demonstrated her adaptability and passion for people-focused work environments. For nearly a decade, Amanda worked in the construction section, in both unionized and non-unionized workplaces in industrial and civil settings. During this time, she hones her ability to develop and implement human resource strategies and build human resource infrastructures to support effective recruitment, retention, and employee well-being policies and initiatives.

In her role as Senior Vice President, People & Culture, Amanda is responsible for confirming that resources are strategically aligned with our operational goals, while ensuring the retention of top talent fora consistently best-in-class resident experience Amanda also oversees the employee life cycle to support effective onboarding and retention programs that help to maintain a skilled and motivated workforce focused on resident satisfaction.

She promotes a positive and inclusive work environment by ensuring the People and Culture team effectively handle employee relations issues, and foster a culture of open communication and respect.

Amanda obtained her Bachelor of Management, specializing in Human Resources and Labour Relations, from the University of Lethbridge.

Graeme Mitchell brings over a decade of operational leadership experience focused on strengthening business processes, driving efficiency, and elevating resident experiences. His expertise spans quality assurance, service optimization, and operational excellence across multi-site portfolios.

Prior to joining Avenue Living in 2019, Graeme held senior leadership roles at a multinational rental car company, where he led customer service strategy, revenue growth initiatives, and operational performance across multiple Alberta locations.

Since joining Avenue Living as a Leasing Specialist, Graeme has progressed through several leadership roles, building a strong, end-to-end understanding of the organization. In his current role, Graeme leads business process improvement and customer experience initiatives, with a focus on consistency, scalability, and resident-centric service delivery. He holds an MBA from the University of Fredericton.

Jaime Lopresti brings over 16 years of leadership experience in property management and real estate to his role as Senior Vice President, Operations for Northern Region. A results-driven leader, Jaime is known for driving revenue growth through the strategic management of real estate portfolios, effective contract negotiation, and the development of cost control initiatives. His collaborative, team-focused leadership style empowers high-performing associates and cultivates an environment of continuous growth and innovation.

Inspired by the power of community and the huge impact each and every team member in the company can make regardless their role. Jaime is passionate about fostering strong, connected teams and creating meaningful communities.

Before entering the real estate industry, Jaime had a successful 17-year professional soccer career in South America.

Ray Tarnes has over 20 years of experience in the construction and property management industries, bringing a wealth of hands-on expertise to his leadership role. Starting his career in the trades, Ray held progressive roles, including site superintendent and project management. He joined Avenue Living in 2019 as a Construction Project Manager for Southern Saskatchewan before transitioning into operations, where his leadership and strategic approach have driven success across multiple regions.

As Senior Vice President for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Ray leads a dedicated team focused on delivering exceptional service to residents while optimizing key performance metrics, including occupancy and retention. He has partnered with various non-profit organizations on behalf of Avenue Living, including the YWCA and Canadian Blood Services. He played a pivotal role in launching Avenue Living's Cold Weather Protocol, which has significantly reduced weather-related maintenance issues and improved resident communication during extreme conditions.

Ray holds a Red Seal certification in carpentry, demonstrating his deep expertise in the construction field. His leadership philosophy is grounded in teamwork, accountability, and a commitment to Avenue Living's core values. A firm believer in leading by example, he actively supports his teams on the ground, ensuring a high standard of service and operational excellence.

Kal Chary brings seven years of progressive leadership experience at Avenue Living to his role as Vice President. He began his career with the organization as a Facilities Manager and advanced through a series of increasingly senior leadership roles, including Construction Project Manager, Regional Director, and Regional Vice President. This broad operational background provides Kal with a strong, ground-up understanding of the business, as well as the needs of both residents and teams.

Throughout his tenure, Kal has led and supported operational initiatives focused on improving team sustainability and enhancing the resident experience. His people-first leadership approach emphasizes strong teams, clear priorities, and consistent, high-quality service delivery.

Kal holds a master's degree in business from the University of Bedfordshire in England and brings additional professional experience from the healthcare, retail, and corporate sectors.