Leadership

Alex

Pond

Project Manager

Brandon

Valadez

Project Manager

Giselle (Gigi)

Pickard

SVP, Controller

Gigi Pickard is the controller of Inkana Properties, LLC. Gigi is a CPA and MBA. She has worked in accounting and business development since 1985. Her accounting experience includes public, private, and nonprofit accounting. Gigi managed a technology incubator where she helped launch technology firms, wrote business plans, and set up business systems, eventually leaving to join one software firm that later went public. Gigi has set up accounting systems to achieve high standards, implemented those systems, offering technical support and training. Gigi is skilled in business, accounting, and human resource management.

Coker

Barton

SVP, Business Development

With over 30 years experience in the Healthcare Construction industry, Coker seeks to understand clients’ goals, objectives, and business needs and to build partnering relationships with them. His considerable healthcare background working for large, national healthcare contractors includes building all medical facility types such as new hospital construction and renovation, all outpatient facilities including multi-specialty medical office buildings, surgery centers, cancer treatment centers and behavioral health facilities. This experience coupled with his client centered approach and his understanding of the healthcare industry allows him to assist clients in achieving solutions to maximize their business objectives.

Randy

Childers

SVP, Facilities

Randy’s combination of technical engineering skills and knowledge of building operations is unparalleled in the industry. His 35+ years in the commercial industry as a general contractor have equipped him with this deep knowledge base and also with excellent communication skills. He prepares operational budgets, financial forecasts, oversees major renovations, planning new construction, and engineering assessments of third party assets. He is the central point of contact for building operations and manages a team of facility managers that maintain over 20 facilities.. The team of facility managers have a wide range of responsibilities, including maintaining and repairing buildings and equipment, ensuring all lighting, HVAC systems are operating properly and adhering to and improving health and safety standards.

Joe

Guillaume

Partner / Construction

Joe Guillaume, partner of INKANA, has over 30 years of construction experience managing total projects of over $6.4 Billion with $1.7 Billion in Healthcare. His extensive experience in many regions throughout the country includes planning projects, negotiating contracts, assessing project risk, establishing project controls, and managing cost for multiple projects at a high-level of execution. He has a proven track record in the world of development and construction, implementing plans to deliver in the most effective and efficient manner possible. He is comfortable managing team members while fostering a relationship with external stakeholders. His skills include construction planning, value engineering, building construction, quality control, and schedule management. In addition, he has extensive experience in managing overall construction field operations.

Austin

Blackwell

Managing Partner

Austin Blackwell is the managing partner for INKANA Development. In addition to being a licensed attorney, he is CCIM certified with areas of expertise in development of ground-up real estate projects. Project finance, including debt/equity structuring, cap rate sensitivities, and state & federal credits is where Austin spends most of his time. During Austin’s 15-year career at INKANA he has assisted or directed the development of over $200 million of healthcare projects. He led the effort to secure one of the largest healthcare New Market Tax allocations in the history of the State of Alabama. Austin oversees all facets of operations and property management, including leasing, property maintenance, and staffing.

Slade

Blackwell

Founding Partner

Slade Blackwell founded INKANA Development over 23 years ago with a primary focus on the healthcare industry. He concentrates on financial structuring and debt placement for each project. The “capital stack” involves putting in place public private partnerships (PPP), government tax abatements, new market tax credits, historic tax credits, and working with redevelopment authorities, bond council, and State and Local governments for approvals. During his tenure at INKANA he has been responsible for over $550M in healthcare developments, including many healthcare firsts in the State of Alabama. He developed one of the State’s first LEED certified office buildings, the first PPP bond issue with the City of Huntsville, the first parking deck in Shelby County, and implemented one of the largest healthcare new market tax allocations in the State’s history. Slade also served in the State of Alabama Senate for 8 years.

John

Blackwell

Partner / Co-Founder

John Blackwell has over five decades of experience working with universities, foundations, hospital systems, and municipalities in the planning, designing, and construction phases of projects. While helping to establish the company’s mission, vision, and goals, he has guided INKANA into one of the Southeast’s premiere healthcare development companies with relationships and clients spanning 30+ years. As Auburn University’s President, Pro Tempore, and chair of the Properties and Facilities Committee, he established a comprehensive Campus Master Plan, the first ever Character and Image study, and was responsible for multiple other projects in excess of $1 Billion.