About Us
Our corporation was initially formed in 1958 as a car seat covering business by college student David Ruegg. He and longtime friend Robert Ellsworth became partners in 1960 and delved into several different investment interests before settling on commercial real estate. For over 50 years, these two Berkeley natives have operated their businesses on a handshake.
CLI’s employees lease properties held by other entities owned by the principals of the company. Clients of CLI include Rue-Ell Enterprises, Inc. and Ruegg and Ellsworth with retail properties in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Campus Plaza Associates, which has a portfolio of retail, office and flex space in Sacramento and Davis.
Available space for lease in Davis can be found at www.DavisFlex.com
BAY AREA - Rue-Ell Enterprises, Inc.
David Ruegg – Founder, Principal
Dave is a Berkeley native. He graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1961 with a BS in Land Economics and has been working as a real estate professional ever since. Dave is an active member of the Berkeley business community and has served as President of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce and the Berkeley Association of Realtors. He is the broker of record for Commercial Lessors, Inc. and also holds a B Contractor’s license.
CalBRE Broker License 00218637
Dana Ellsworth - President and CEO
Dana manages the commercial real estate portfolio owned by the principals. She received a BA in Business Economics from U.C. Santa Barbara and began her real estate career in 1988 with Grubb and Ellis. Since joining the staff of Rue-Ell Enterprises in 1990 she has served the company in leasing, purchase negotiation, human resources and operations. In 2006 she became the Director of Acquisitions and seeks new business opportunities for the company. In the past, she has served as President of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, Telegraph Business Improvement District, and the North Shattuck Association.
CalBRE Broker License 00993519
Steve Ruegg - Executive Vice President and CFO
Steve Ruegg joined Rue-Ell Enterprises in 2018 and is responsible for overseeing the financial analysis and due diligence of Rue-Ell’s acquisition for real estate projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Steve has over thirty years of commercial real estate experience including acquisitions, finance, sales, leasing, and development. Before joining Rue-Ell, he spent fifteen years as a principal for Lafayette Capital Group, Inc. Prior to Lafayette Capital, Steve worked for Norris, Beggs, and Simpson as a commercial sales and leasing agent along the 880 corridor.
Steve holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Colorado, Boulder. He currently resides in Lafayette with his wife and three children.
Kevin McNally – Vice President of Operations
Kevin is a certified mechanic and HVAC repair technician. He has been with Rue-Ell Enterprises since 2001. He oversees maintenance of the entire Bay Area portfolio.
Carrie Ellcessor – Controller
Carrie joins Rue-Ell Enterprises in 2017. She has worked in Property Management for 15 years, both in private and nonprofit sectors. She oversees all aspects of the accounting for both Sacramento & Berkeley offices.
She earned her degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from University of Phoenix.
Todd Simi – Marketing and Technology Specialist
Todd joined Rue-Ell Enterprises in 2013. He brings to the company extensive experience in advertising, sales training, and contract negotiations, from his background as a General Manager for a large car dealership. He is accustomed to working with family-owned businesses and community involvement.
CalBRE Sales Associate License 01944768
todd.simi@clire.com
Tina Allman
Tina Allman is the AP Specialist/Office Manager for the company. She has a degree in accounting and has been working in the accounting field for over 25 years. She has a background in both commercial and residential property accounting. She just recently joined the company in March of 2018.
Brendan Heafey – Development Consultant
Brendan has been associated with Commercial Lessors since 2001 and is currently the project manager for Ruegg and Ellsworth's in-fill development projects. He owns and operates Heafey Commercial, providing general real estate and brokerage services out of Jack London Square, Oakland.
SACRAMENTO - Campus Plaza Associates
David Carlson - Property Manager, Sacramento Portfolio
Dave graduated from U.C. Berkeley and went on to receive a JD from Golden Gate University. He is licensed in California as an attorney, real estate broker and building contractor. Dave has been with Rue-Ell Enterprises, Inc. and CLI since 2010. He worked in the Berkeley office leasing the Bay Area portfolio before moving to Sacramento to oversee the Campus Plaza Associates portfolio. He oversees all aspects of the Sacramento properties from building maintenance to leasing.
CalBRE Broker License 01865967
david.carlson@clire.com
Mike Oliver – Building Maintenance Supervisor
Mike joined Campus Plaza in 2013. Mike has an extensive background in property management and HVAC repair. He works directly with David Carlson to assure that the properties are well maintained. He directs in house maintenance staff and negotiates bids for larger projects. He is often available meet with tenants on-site to handle questions and concerns.
Commercial-Lessors, Inc. – Staff
The following employees of Rue-Ell Enterprises are also employed by CLI as Real Estate Sales Persons or Brokers:
Todd Simi
David Carlson