W. Robert Kohorst, founder and president of Everest Properties II LLC, a privately held real estate investment firm with interests in multi-family, retail and self-storage properties, has been appointed ambassador to Croatia by President Donald Trump. The Sept. 2 announcement from the White House was included with 41 other nominations to fill positions within the Trump Administration.
Ambassador appointments must be confirmed by the Senate. Of 188 U.S. ambassadorships, 78 posts are currently unfilled, with 28 nominees awaiting confirmation, according to data posted by the American Foreign Service Association. Kohorst was among 11 appointees formally nominated on Sept. 5, along with individuals tapped to lead U.S. embassies in Germany, India and Switzerland.
Kohorst founded Everest in 1994. The Pasadena, Calif.-based company has invested more than $200 million in more than 650 limited partnerships, according to its website. It pursues properties with “disproportionately high potential investment return compared to the investment risk.” It invests its own capital alongside institutional and individual investors and “often owns a substantial majority of the equity of projects within its portfolio.”
Everest began acquiring and developing self-storage properties in 1998 through its Everest Self Storage affiliate. Over the years, it has built or acquired interests in 12 storage assets and currently manages eight facilities in Arizona, California, Florida and New Mexico as well as Toronto, Canada. It also has interests in 28 multi-family properties across the U.S., and owns and manages retail centers in the Midwest. The company estimates the value of its current portfolio at more than $500 million, according to the website.
Kohorst served as president of the Private Placement Group for self-storage real estate investment trust Public Storage Inc. from 1984 to 1990, according to his bio on the Everest website. In 1990, he became CEO and principal at Masquerade International Inc., a manufacturer of Halloween costumes, and Tiger Shark Golf Inc., a golf-equipment manufacturer. Kohorst co-founded real estate investment firm KH Financial Inc. in 1991, which served as the predecessor to Everest.
The White House announcement noted Kohorst’s contributions to public-service organizations and educational institutions, including stints as director and chairman of the San Gabriel Valley, Calif., chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization, regent of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, trustee of La Salle High School in Pasadena, and president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
He holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Dayton.
Sources:
- American Foreign Service Association: Tracker: Current U.S. Ambassadors
- Everest Properties: Website
- Pasadena Now: President Trump Appoints Pasadena Businessman to be Ambassador to Croatia
- The White House: President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts