News Releases

(ORLANDO, Fla.) May 6, 2014 — CNL Financial Group’s executive chairman James Seneff, Jr. and CEO Thomas K. Sittema will both speak at the second annual University of Central Florida (UCF) Real Estate Conference on May 7 at the Embassy Suites in downtown Orlando.

The conference, titled “Here Comes the Sun: Emerging Opportunities in a Recovering Market,” will include Central Florida’s top commercial real estate owners, practitioners, and key decision makers. Other speakers include local and state politicians, senior real estate executives and UCF scholars. The conference will focus on the changing environment facing the real estate industry in 2014 and beyond; specifically those impacting the commercial space market, investment market, and lending environment.

Seneff, the founder and executive chairman of CNL Financial Group, is the conference’s keynote speaker.  Since starting CNL in 1973, Seneff has grown the company to be one of the nation’s top real estate and alternative investment firms, with CNL and its affiliates having acquired assets worth more than $28 billion.

Seneff has also been widely recognized for his business and civic contributions. In 2010, he was awarded the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, a national honor bestowed upon outstanding individuals who have succeeded in spite of adversity, and who are committed to supporting young people in pursuit of increased opportunities through higher education. He has also been inducted into the Junior Achievement of Mid-Florida Hall of Fame in recognition of his service to the community and serving as a role model to other young entrepreneurs. In 2011, he was named one of Real Estate Forum’s 65 “Legends and Icons.”

Sittema will be featured at the UCF Real Estate Conference during a roundtable discussion with other industry leaders titled “Investment and Capital Markets Landscape in Florida.”

Sittema was named CEO of CNL in 2011, and leads the platform of diverse real estate investment trusts (REITs) and business development companies (BDCs). He is also very involved in the community, including serving as the chairman for the Heart of Florida United Way’s 2013 fundraising campaign.

About CNL Financial Group

CNL Financial Group (CNL) is a leading private investment management firm providing global real estate and alternative investments. Since inception in 1973, CNL and/or its affiliates have formed or acquired companies with more than $28 billion in assets. CNL is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. For more information, visit www.cnl.com.

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