Cabretta Capital Corporation was founded by Brent Watts in January 2015. Brent had been working in the industry for 10 years when he decided to move back to his hometown, Savannah, GA to pursue his dream of starting a new company. Cabretta closed its first Georgia Low Income Housing Tax Credit transaction in March 2015 and quickly expanded into many other credit types across the country.
When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed, the Opportunity Zone program was created. This happened at the same time one of Cabretta’s Historic Hotels was finishing up construction. Phase II of that hotel development was a new hotel located in a qualified Opportunity Zone. Cabretta took the expertise it acquired from other public private partnership programs and used it to create its first Opportunity Zone fund in March of 2019.
The back office at Cabretta rivals much larger shops. Cabretta’s accounting and operations are led by Beau Hinton, CPA. They are supported by a team of accounting and finance professionals that understand how to protect investor and developer clients alike while maintaining Cabretta’s reputation as a great firm. They are given the technology and resources of Cabretta Capital to create systems that will last long term.
President
Brent Watts got his start at a boutique Tax Credit Syndicator based in Atlanta in 2005 where he worked for 10 years. He started as an analyst and served in many roles including head of acquisitions, Chief Compliance Officer for an RIA, Senior Vice President and shareholder. Brent is the founder of Cabretta Capital Corporation and serves as its President. He has acquired skills in partnership structuring, acquisitions, financial modeling, underwriting, fund management, and asset management. Brent has structured dozens of Private Placements and has provided equity for well over 100 multi-family, Hospitality, and Office properties during his career. Brent has been working extensively in Low Income Housing tax credit properties, Historic Tax Credits, and several other tax advantaged programs since 2005.
Brent is from Savannah, GA and graduated from Benedictine Military School. He holds a BBA in Finance with a concentration in Real Estate from the University of Alabama.
Brent is married with 2 girls and a boy. When he is not spending time with his family, he enjoys flyfishing, camping, hiking, running, snowboarding, golf, and tennis.
Brent can be contacted via email at bwatts@cabrettacapital.com
Operations and Transactions Manager
As the Operations and Transactions Manager, Kelly assists Cabretta team members to ensure that the firm functions in an efficient manner and that company strategic and operational goals are met. She works closely with and provides support to various personnel including company officers, the sales team, and accounting; and oversees general daily operations of the office.
With over 15 years of experience in executive assistant and office managerial positions, Kelly has a track record of strong performance in high-volume, high-pressure environments. Prior to joining Cabretta Capital in August of 2019, Kelly worked in the public accounting field as well as in the private school system and in medical office settings. She has experience with various aspects of federal and state filings, professional/ business licensing and certifications, employee benefits and policies, internal bookkeeping, and professional insurance as well as company/organizational website and other media. She holds an associate degree from South University in Medical Administration.
Kelly grew up in the Tucson, Arizona and Washington DC areas, but has resided in Savannah since 1990. She enjoys landscaping projects, beach activities and spending time with family in her free time.
Kelly can be contacted via email at kanderson@cabrettacapital.com
Bookkeeper
Judith Crawford has worked in the accounting field for over 45 years in various business fields and has managed Cabretta’s bookkeeping from its inception. Judy has 3 sons and a daughter and 11 grandchildren. When she is not spending time with her family, Judy enjoys working in her yard.
Judith can be contacted via email at judy@cabrettacapital.com
Senior Accountant
Nathan Gingrich is a Senior Accountant at Cabretta Capital, where he maintains the general ledger, supports month-end and year-end close process, and collaborates with our Controller and Chief Financial Officer to improve financial procedures. Before starting at Cabretta Capital, Nathan helped small business owners and individuals manage and grow their financial success for almost six years as a tax accountant. He has worked with many industries ranging from professional services, hospitality, real estate, construction, manufacturing and distribution, and oil and gas. Nathan is from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and holds a BA in Finance, Management, and Marketing with minors in Economics and Corporate Communication. He will be completing his Master’s in Accountancy by May of 2021. Nathan is engaged and has two dogs. He has competed in power-lifting and regularly enjoys going to the gym. Other activities he enjoys include fishing, kayaking, Jiu Jitsu, trying new foods, and programming software and applications for various platforms.
Nathan can be contacted via email at ngingrich@cabrettacapital.com
Chief Financial Officer
Beau Hinton graduated from the University of Georgia earning both a BBA in Accounting and a Masters of Accountancy. He holds the CPA designation. He started his career in public accounting while focusing on audits of local governments and financial institutions. Beau spent the following years in the Insurance Industry where he became a Specialist of Financial Reporting and Accounting. Beau joined Cabretta Capital in March 2018.
Beau can be contacted via email at bhinton@cabrettacapital.com
Director of Asset Management and Underwriting
In 2021 Patrick became the Director of Asset Management and Underwriting for Cabretta Capital Corporation, where he manages all asset management efforts for the nearly 4,000 housing units for which Cabretta holds investments, to ensure compliance and transparency to all Cabretta’s investors. Patrick will work to establish underwriting procedures and processes, for all Cabretta Investments, and work with all Cabretta’s developer clients to ensure a smooth due diligence process.
In 2017 Patrick became the Chief Operating Officer of NorSouth Construction, and oversaw all information technology functions for NorSouth Constructs, as well all insurance coverages and claims. Patrick worked with the executive team to identify the financial position and needs of the business and support all field level staff to ensure consistency and efficiency across all projects. Patrick also directed all NorSouth Construction’s advertising and marketing material.
In 2016 Patrick oversaw and assisted in negotiations of the successful sale and closings of all three NorSouth Companies (construction, development, and management).
Patrick joined the NorSouth Companies in 2013 and served as the Senior Asset Manager where he managed all asset management, acquisitions, dispositions, and refinancing efforts. Along with his successful disposal of over 600 units in distressed assets, he also represented the owner’s interests by maximizing and managing the distribution of cash flow, while managing ongoing compliance of almost 2000 units of owned real estate.
Before joining NorSouth, Patrick worked as an Analyst at Churchill Stateside Group, working on underwriting activities and due diligence for multifamily financing.
Patrick holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance with a minor in Accounting from Auburn University, and enjoys fishing, hunting, surfing, and spending time with friends and family.
Patrick can be contact via email at pjohnston@cabrettacapital.com
Administrative Assistant
Michelle graduated from Virginia Tech in 2015 with a BA in English and has since grown her skillset in administrative support roles. She has lived in several states over the years but has called Georgia home since late 2016. She and her dog Poseidon relocated to Savannah from Atlanta in June 2022, and she joined the Cabretta team in May 2023.
Michelle likes to spend the sunny summer days at the beach or exploring new restaurants, but most of the time prefers to stay in watching her favorite Rom-Coms. She takes pride in consistently focusing on her mental and physical wellbeing and advocating for others to do the same. She believes in Marie Kondo’s philosophy on finding joy and lives as minimalistic a lifestyle as her wardrobe will allow.
Financial Analyst
Elliot Rodgers joined Cabretta Capital in April 2019 as a Financial Analyst. Elliot assists with underwriting, analysis, and asset management for Cabretta Capital. Prior to this, Elliot had experience in the Real Estate field as a Financial Analyst focused in multifamily and as a Data Analyst for construction. Elliot was born and raised in the heart of Atlanta. She attended The University of Georgia where she received a Bachelors of Science in Statistics.
Elliot recently relocated to Savannah and enjoys exploring Historic Downtown and taking advantage of living close to so many beautiful local beaches.
Elliot can be contacted via email at erodgers@cabrettacapital.com
Senior VP of Institutional Tax Credit Investments
Peter Rourk is Senior VP of Institutional Tax Credit Investments and responsible for expanding Cabretta’s national footprint with an emphasis on banks, Insurance companies, and large public corporations.
Rourk has extensive experience with tax credit investments and federal tax equity. Most recently, he was Managing Director of Tax Credit Investments and executive leadership member at a leading national tax credit syndicator. During his tenure Rourk was responsible for the placement of more than 500 million in federal and state tax credits. Prior to that position, he was Vice President of Business Development for American Express in New York, where he developed two decades of financial services and corporate sales experience with multiple Fortune 1000 companies.
Rourk is a native of North Carolina, who lives in Chapel-Hill, NC and has a B.A. from the College of Charleston. He is active in his community and has voluntarily served on several foundations and boards. He is currently serving a six-year term on the foundation board for Christchurch Episcopal School. Peter enjoys travelling, spending time with his family and fishing/diving in the Florida Keys.
Peter can be contacted via email at prourk@cabrettacapital.com
Director of Tax Credit Investments
Jesse Speltz, Director of Tax Credit Investments, is responsible for expanding Cabretta’s national footprint with banks, private equity groups, family offices, specialty finance companies, CPA’s, wealth advisors, strategic businesses and high net worth individuals to lower their federal and/or state tax liabilities.
Jesse is an accomplished finance and business development professional with 30+ years of leadership experience working with middle market and growth-oriented companies. Prior to joining Cabretta, Jesse led business development for DHG’s private equity and transaction advisory teams, assisting buyers and
sellers with their M&A and financial accounting requirements around the transaction.
Jesse is heavily involved within the financial community, currently serving as a board member for the Atlanta Association of Corporate Growth (ACG), attending 25-30 ACG events across the country on an annual basis. Jesse and his wife live on the north side of Atlanta in Roswell, GA. When Jesse is not on the golf course, they enjoy traveling, wine and cooking. If you are ever in the area, reach out and let’s tee it up!
Jesse can be contact via email at jspeltz@cabrettacapital.com
Controller
Katheryn Wells, CPA, serves as the Financial Controller at Cabretta Capital where she manages all accounting records, evaluates and handles risk, ensures regulatory compliance, performs analytical and forecasting duties, and helps oversee the general operations of the accounting department in concert with the company’s acting CFO.
Before joining Cabretta Capital, Katheryn spent the first five years of her career with PwC in Atlanta in their Asset Wealth Management tax group, where she was promoted to manager in four years. She specialized in providing tax compliance and consulting services to clients in private equity and real estate, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), fund of funds, and construction/development. She dealt extensively with REITs and partnerships and has experience with both outbound and inbound investments.
Katheryn graduated from the University of Georgia magna cum laude with a BBA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy. She also earned a minor in German and certificate in legal studies. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
Katheryn can be contact via email at KWells@cabrettacapital.com
Loyalty Program Coordinator
Sister has been a faithful friend and employee to Cabretta Capital from its inception. She is always on duty to emulate and encourage a positive and dedicated attitude with everyone she meets. We love Sister!