“We started Sandpiper because we identified an underserved need that extended stay hotels meet. Customers seeking a place to stay for one week to six months have very few affordable, efficient options. Our hotels meet that need and demand for this purpose-built product continues to exceed supply.

As investors and operators, Sandpiper’s extended stay hotel properties have demonstrated a balanced, risk-versus-reward profile since our inception. This hotel segment has been tested during both the 2008-2010 economic downturn and the COVID-19 pandemic. We have remained cash flow positive and have substantially outperformed the overall hotel industry during these stressful times. We continue to see attractive return opportunities in this space and believe many years of strong growth lie ahead.”

– Carter Rise, Founder

WHO WE ARE

“We started Sandpiper because we identified an underserved need that extended stay hotels meet. Customers seeking a place to stay for one week to six months have very few affordable, efficient options. Our hotels meet that need and demand for this purpose-built product continues to exceed supply.

As investors and operators, Sandpiper’s extended stay hotel properties have demonstrated a balanced, risk-versus-reward profile since our inception. This hotel segment has been tested during both the 2008-2010 economic downturn and the COVID-19 pandemic. We have remained cash flow positive and have substantially outperformed the overall hotel industry during these stressful times. We continue to see attractive return opportunities in this space and believe many years of strong growth lie ahead.”

– Carter Rise, Founder

Sandpiper Property
Sandpiper Property
Sandpiper Property
Sandpiper Property
Sandpiper Property
Sandpiper Property

EXPLORE SANDPIPER

OUR TEAM

Carter Rise

Founder & Managing Partner of Sandpiper Hospitality

President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of SLT

Carter Rise has served as President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Sandpiper since its inception. Mr. Rise is the founder and sole member of Sandpiper, LLC, the Manager’s majority owner and controlling member, and the sole common shareholder and a significant preferred shareholder in each of the Sandpiper funds. Mr. Rise also is the majority owner of Sandpiper Hospitality, a hotel management company. Since 2012, Mr. Rise has served on WoodSpring Suites Franchise Advisory Council, and is currently serving his fourth term as its Chairman.

From 2001 to 2008, Mr. Rise was a Founder and Managing Partner of Scura, Rise & Partners, LLC, an investment banking boutique based in New York, NY. Prior to 2001, Mr. Rise was an investment banker for 13 years with Prudential Securities, Inc. and its predecessor company, Prudential-Bache, Inc., where he served as Managing Director and Group Head of the Financial Services Group.

Mr. Rise has an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

Jim Darter

President & Chief Executive Officer of Sandpiper Hospitality

Jim Darter is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sandpiper Hospitality since April 2016. He is an owner of SH and is responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations and performance. With over 25 years of on-property and above-property leadership. Mr. Darter is a lifelong hotelier with years of experience.

Mr. Darter was most recently the Chief Operating Officer at GoldKey | PHR in Virginia and was the SVP of the Full-Service Division of Sage Hospitality (“Sage”) from 2000 to 2014. During his time at Sage, he had oversight of over 120 hotels across the United States in virtually all industry segments and brands, from Fairfield Inn by Marriott to Starwood’s Luxury Collection. His brand relationships resulted in him being asked to serve on several advisory boards and councils.

Mr. Darter holds a B.S.B.A. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte

John Austin

Chief Financial Officer

John Austin has served as the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary of Sandpiper since its inception in June 2018 after serving as a consultant of Sandpiper. Mr. Austin is responsible for managing all financial functions for the Sandpiper affiliates.

Prior to Sandpiper, Mr. Austin was the Chief Financial Officer of The Chef’s Warehouse, Inc., a publicly traded foodservice distributor, from 2012 to 2017, after having served on the Board of Directors from 2011 to 2012. From 2009 to 2012, Mr. Austin was a founder and former Chief Financial Officer of the HILB Group, LLC, an insurance broker in Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Austin worked at Performance Food Group Company (“PFG”), a Richmond-based publicly traded foodservice distributor, for over 14 years, serving a portion of his time as their CFO. Mr. Austin was integrally involved in leading the company through the process of going private and the divestiture of a major business segment that created significant shareholder value.

Mr. Austin holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Delaware.

Andy Anderson

Chief Acquisition Officer

Andy Anderson joined Sandpiper in June 2018 as Chief Acquisitions Officer, after serving as a consultant to the company. Mr. Anderson focuses on identifying and completing strategic hotel acquisitions for Sandpiper and assists with legal and capital market requirements.

Mr. Anderson most recently served as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development for WoodSpring Suites Hotels, where he was responsible for the activities of the brand’s large-scale developers nationwide and internal and external acquisitions. Mr. Anderson has more than 30 years of real estate transactional experience derived from his roles as a partner at Sandman and Savrann, a national law firm specializing in the hospitality industry, General Counsel of Mid America Real Estate Companies, Granite Golf, and his years in private practice. He also leverages over 20 years of business development in the hospitality industry and has been a critical part of business development teams for GE Capital Solutions – Hospitality Finance, Citi Hospitality Finance, Troon Golf and WoodSpring Suite Hotels.

Mr. Anderson graduated with honors from the University of Tulsa College of Law and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University.

Ned Sinnott

Managing Director, Equity & Investor Relations

Ned Sinnott joined Sandpiper in September 2012 as Managing Director. Mr. Sinnott oversees investor relations and equity investments for the Company. Mr. Sinnott is a key member of our management team and has been responsible for overseeing capital raising efforts that have resulted in $215 million in equity investments for the Company and other Sandpiper entities. Further, he was responsible for identifying and securing the real estate sites for Sandpiper Hospitality IV, LLC and Sandpiper Hospitality V, LLC.

Mr. Sinnott has held several sales and management positions over his 25-year career. Most recently, from 2006 to 2012, he was a Senior Vice President in Institutional Equity Sales with Davenport & Company and Wunderlich Securities, covering major institutional accounts in New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Mr. Sinnott has a B.A. in History from the University of Virginia.

Peter Burke

Senior Vice President of Construction and Capital Expenditures

Peter Burke joined Sandpiper in May 2023 as the Senior Vice President – Construction and Capital Expenditures. Mr. Burke is responsible for new hotel construction projects on a national basis with emphasis on the new ECHO brand properties for Wyndham and Embassy Suites for Hilton. Mr. Burke is also a key member of the Sandpiper Hospitality senior management team coordinating all Capital Expenditures and PIP’s (Product Improvement Plans) for existing hotel renovations across the entire national portfolio.

Prior to Sandpiper, Mr. Burke most recently spent 17 years as the Director of Facilities for Gold Key/ PHR Hotels and Resorts based in Virginia Beach, VA and was instrumental in the completion of the Cavalier Resort Complex on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. This three-hotel complex consisted of the newly renovated historic Cavalier Hotel circa 1927 (which is part of the Marriott Autograph brands), the new 305 room full-service Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort and the new 157 room Embassy Suites Virginia Beach by Hilton along with the Cavalier Beach Club. Throughout those 17 years, Mr. Burke was involved in the construction and renovations of multiple hotels and timeshare properties to include two 300 room, full-service Hilton’s (Virginia Beach Oceanfront and Hilton Norfolk The Main), as well as several mixed use retail locations, apartments, warehouse, central laundry facility and IT Data Centers along with 17 restaurants.

Mr. Burke is a graduate of Villanova University and received his master’s degree in management from Troy University. He achieved the following professional designations: CHFE (Certified Hospitality Facility Executive), FMA (Facility Management Administrator) and FMP (Facility Management Professional). Additionally, Mr. Burke is a military veteran having served in the Navy on several Amphibious Ships, Naval Special Warfare and a tour in the Pentagon.

Carter Rise Jr.

Vice President of Development

Carter Rise Jr. joined Sandpiper in February 2022 as Vice President of Development. Mr. Rise is responsible for identifying and managing the development of new hotel opportunities for the company on a national basis.

Prior to Sandpiper, Mr. Rise served as a Managing Consultant within IBM Global Business Services. During his 5 years at IBM, Mr. Rise focused primarily on providing data analytics, process automation, and asset management work to clients in the Federal Government and Healthcare sectors, including the DOD and DOJ.

Mr. Rise holds a B.A. in Political Economy with a minor in Business Administration from Georgetown University.

Michael Helgeson

Vice President of Capital Markets

Michael Helgeson joined Sandpiper in May of 2023 as Vice President of Capital Markets. Mr. Helgeson is responsible for the education, promotion, and sales of Sandpiper Lodging Trust to Registered Investment Advisor firms.

Prior to his arrival at Sandpiper, Mr. Helgeson held roles with Duncan Advisor Resources and AOG Wealth Management in Richmond, VA. From 2010 through mid-2019, Mr. Helgeson held both advisor and client-facing wholesaling positions and roles with Jackson National, Transamerica, Capitas Financial, Black Creek Capital Markets, and Globe Life, in Denver, CO. His financial services sales experience includes variable annuities, mutual funds, REITs, 1031-exchanges, and life insurance.

Mr. Helgeson holds a B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Mr. Helgeson holds active Series 7, 6, 65, 63 licenses, in addition to his Virginia resident life, health, long-term care, and variable contracts license.

Nick Anders

Acquisitions Associate

Nick Anders joined Sandpiper in July 2021 as a Financial Analyst. His responsibilities include providing analytical support for the acquisition, development, and financing activities of the company’s portfolio.

Nick started his career in commercial real estate at the CoStar Group here in Richmond, VA, serving as a market researcher for the CRE information provider. From there, he moved to Atlantic Union Bank where he served on the credit side, helping underwrite prospective loans and providing maintenance and due diligence on existing facilities.

Nick graduated from Washington & Lee University with a B.A. in Economics in 2019.