TROY, N.Y. — The United Group of Cos. Inc, a Troy-based owner operator, has promoted Michael DiGiacomo to chief operating officer and Jeff Smetana to chief development officer.
DiGiacomo will take on increased responsibility in all phases of operations as well as play the role of leading United Group’s growing management company.
DiGiacomo was formerly United Group’s vice president of operations. In that role, he oversaw the management company’s operations and the asset management of United Group’s senior, student, multifamily and commercial portfolios.
Before joining United Group, DiGiacomo was a property manager for Gross and Cohen LLC, where he directed site operations for student housing properties in New York and Kentucky.
In his own new role, Smetana will continue to oversee operations within the development department and collaborate with the department on future growth opportunities, including additional successful developments and new acquisition opportunities.
Smetana was previously United Group’s executive vice president of development and was responsible for all phases of project development, including opportunity assessment, planning, entitlements, design development, financial modeling, construction budgeting, project management and financing.
Throughout his 40-year career, Smetana has developed and acquired more than $1 billion in completed projects. His work has included multifamily housing, seniors housing, student housing, mixed use and commercial projects involving diverse forms of financing including conventional, tax-exempt, various tax credit programs and a variety of equity structures.
Prior to working at United Group, Smetana worked for Newman Development Group in Binghamton and as a Certified Public Accountant for Ernst & Young. He has a master’s degree in accounting from the University at Albany and a bachelor’s degree in economics from SUNY Oneonta.