Alumna's new job strengthens ties between Center for Real Estate and Kokes Properties

Rutgers Business School graduate Aurelia Del Rossi is the newest member of the growing team at Kokes Properties.

Del Rossi, who earned a bachelor's of science degree in finance with a concentration in real estate, transitioned from part-time intern to full-time employee at the firm, where her responsibilities as a development associate include project underwriting, budgeting, accounting administration, construction oversight, and social media marketing for the company’s portfolio. 

“I knew from the beginning of my internship that this is where I wanted to work,” Del Rossi said. “Everything from the culture to the tasks at hand made me feel comfortable and pushed me to learn more than I could have ever imagined.”

Del Rossi’s introduction to Kokes Properties was initiated by Morris A. Davis, the Paul V. Profeta Chair of Real Estate and academic director of the Center for Real Estate. As a student in the program, Del Rossi served as vice president of the Real Estate Club on Davis’ recommendation, enabling her to network with professionals, learn the industry, and further solidify her passion for real estate. 

“[Professor Davis] has been a mentor since my junior year of college,” Del Rossi said. “With his influence, I was able to secure multiple scholarships and internships, eventually leading to this exciting position with Kokes Properties.”

Prior to Davis’ appointment as academic director in 2015, Rutgers offered only one real estate class with 40 students. Over five years, the center’s enrollment has grown to more than 300 students on two campuses. Students are now learning from a dynamic curriculum spanning real estate finance, law, development, market analysis, capital markets, property management, and asset management. 

Davis and Kokes Properties President Michael J. Kokes have collaborated to position the Rutgers Center for Real Estate as the top undergraduate real estate program in the U.S. In addition to providing internship opportunities, Mr. Kokes has been a guest lecturer and sponsors an annual scholarship at the Rutgers Center for Real Estate to support the program’s growing community of young real estate professionals. The Kokes family legacy is a well-known in New Jersey circles and has been a strong advocate of Davis and his efforts to expand the program’s reputation for developing future industry leaders. 

According to Davis, "Aurelia was one of our top students. Aside from doing well in the classroom, she was an executive leader of the Real Estate Club and a participant in the elite ICSC case-study competition. Her passion for real estate was apparent from day one. I appreciate that Mike Kokes -- a great partner to the Rutgers Center for Real Estate -- hired Aurelia as an intern initially, as I thought she could learn a lot from the opportunity.” Davis said he is “delighted that Aurelia is now a full-time employee at Kokes properties.”

“The way [Del Rossi] has stepped into the workplace and made an immediate impact speaks both to her career-readiness and, in turn, to the quality of the real estate program at Rutgers,” said Clark McIntyre, vice president of operations at Kokes Properties. “We knew prior to the internship assignment that we would receive a candidate with high character, strong work ethic, and fundamental business and real estate knowledge. We welcome [Del Rossi] to the team and look forward to continuing to build the Rutgers and Kokes Properties connection.”

- Kokes Properties