About Us

Leadership

Matthew Baumgarten
Managing Director

Matthew is responsible for the executive level day-to-day management and business development for CDS. This includes all pre-construction management and owner’s representation for their clients’ development portfolio, as well as the coordination of the development team and ensuring projects comply with the necessary specifications, budget and schedule.

Practice Areas

• New Business Development
• Pre-Construction and Construction Management
• Client Relations
• Project Management

Experience

Matthew brings over 23 years of progressive real estate development and construction project management experience to the company. Prior to joining CDS, Matt served for five years as the Executive Director of the Tidewater Community College Real Estate Foundation, as well as the Chief Operating Officer for Facilities and Public Safety for the college. His primary role at the Foundation was the development of the Foundations real estate assets. This work included leading the environmental cleanup of the original TCC campus which was declared a Super Fund site by the EPA in 1996. As COO of TCC, Matt oversaw the daily work of the Facilities staff as well as the contracted Security Officer staff. Together, these two departments had a combined workforce of over 350 people.

Prior to TCCREF, he spent 10 years as the design/build project manager and owner’s representative for Lincoln Property Company of Dallas TX, managing all aspects of the development process and all phases of construction for military family housing neighborhoods in the Navy Mid-Atlantic Region. In that role, he led the design process, budget development, coordinated the bidding process, negotiated contract awards, and then oversaw the construction management and delivery process.

Previously, Mr. Baumgarten was a project engineer with Sussex Development Corp. of Virginia Beach, assigned to the joint-venture company that built Virginia Beach’s new convention center; a project manager for Chianelli Building Corp. of Norfolk, where he managed the construction contract at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune; and a project manager with J.D. Miles and Sons, Inc., of Chesapeake, concentrating in commercial roofing.

Prior to beginning his career in construction and real estate development, Matt served as a nuclear engineer-qualified submarine warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the U.S.S. James K. Polk SSN-645, homeported in Norfolk, VA.

Education

Bachelor’s degree cum laude in Mechanical Engineering from Manhattan College in New York City; as well as a graduate of the Navy Nuclear Power Program Officer Course.