Corporate Management Team
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Jeff Gaines, originally from Woodland Hills, CA, spent his formative years in Newport Beach and La Jolla before completing his education at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, AZ. He graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and a minor in Business.
Jeff's professional journey began at a private construction firm in Riverside, CA, where he swiftly advanced from Sales Associate to Sales Manager, collaborating with some of the nation's largest home developers. In 1998, he seized the opportunity to open a new showroom and office in San Diego County. Over the next five years, Jeff honed his business acumen, mastering all aspects of operations and ensuring a five-star customer experience.
In early 2002, Jeff joined his parents, Don and Pam Gaines, at GIT, taking over daily operations as the VP of Operations and initiating a succession plan for the family business. By 2010, he was promoted to Managing Director, overseeing day-to-day operations and spearheading real estate investments nationwide. In 2022, Jeff ascended to the role of President of GIT, delegating daily operations to Matthew Bernstein, SVP, and focusing on identifying new acquisition opportunities across the country while ensuring the multi-faceted business runs smoothly with a high degree of competency.
Under Jeff's leadership, GIT expanded rapidly, acquiring over two billion dollars' worth of real estate across Arizona, Texas, Kansas, Nevada, Idaho, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. The company focused on purchasing well-located apartment buildings and NNN investments, including single-tenant office and industrial/distribution facilities. Jeff also solidified long-term leases for some of the family's legacy retail assets, helping build one of the most sought-after private real estate portfolios in the country.
Jeff is married to his college sweetheart, Robin Gaines, and together they have two children.
Matthew is based at the corporate office in San Diego. He oversees the operational success of the entire portfolio. He has held numerous roles since joining the team, including regional and national asset management positions. Originally hailing from Maine, Matthew graduated from Bryant University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s in Communications and Marketing. He came to the San Diego area in 2016 from New York City and brings extensive experience in management and operations. He is an avid golfer in his free time.
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Robin grew up in Philadelphia, PA, and always knew she wanted a warm climate for her college experience so she wound up attending Arizona State University, ultimately earning a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1997. Robin’s first job out of college was with a recruiting firm that specialized in office & clerical staffing in San Diego and Orange County. During this time, Robin studied for and obtained her Real Estate Sales Person’s License and decided to join Prudential Real Estate and sell homes. She worked independently for her first year and earned the "Rookie Of The Year” award at Prudential but later joined forces with the number one agent by volume in San Diego as his sole Buyers Agent, then later being promoted to the Listing and Marketing Manager; helping close 375 homes on average, annually. After taking some time off to have children, Robin joined GIT and has held down various roles centered around marketing, HR, recruiting and asset management. Today, Robin is the Director of Corporate Relations where she spends her time speaking with the employees of GIT, administering Skype sessions with the onsite teams and speaking with employees one-on-one to recognize their commitment to GIT and significant milestones along the way. Robin is married to Jeff Gaines, they are college sweethearts and they have two children together.
Allison Gaines Bissonette graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Allison has worked for Gaines Investment Trust in many capacities over the past 25 years; she is currently the Senior Vice President of Gaines Investment Trust.
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Tiffany Gaines Bernstein is happy to be working with her parents, siblings, and husband at Gaines Investment Trust. As the Marketing Director, she is responsible for overseeing all marketing efforts, designing and curating all customer touch-points, and using her creativity to help guide the company in the direction of innovative growth. The majority of Tiffany’s work experience comes from running her own consumer products based business for six years which she sold in 2019. Prior to that she worked as an Innovation Consultant for Hyatt Hotels. Tiffany graduated with honors from New York University in 2012 with a BA in Social Entrepreneurship and received her Masters in Design For Social Innovation in 2014. Though her background and formal education are quite diverse, she’s had a lifetime of exposure to the real estate business, and received her Real Estate Salesperson License in 2009 at the age of 19.
Gary joins the GIT team after a distinguished 26 year career in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. Gary graduated with honors from Oregon State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business focused on Information Systems Management and a minor in Naval Sciences. He brings a lifetime of operations experience, strategic analysis, and human resource management, as well as a unique perspective to our corporate team.
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