Experience. Acquiring the right property takes the right people. We have the experience necessary to add value at every level of the community development cycle – from land acquisition and financing to community design and marketing.

Capital. Our ready access to capital is the fuel that enables Optima Properties to acquire quickly and under terms necessary to limit financial risk. It takes smart money to see, appreciate, and act on ‘what’s next’ vs. today’s common wisdom. We have a committed and growing group of financial partners that understand our mission and share our desire to participate in a unique approach to community development.

Principles. We take a holistic approach to community development and lifestyle needs. Our bedrock is the infusion of quality land use principles into all aspects of our community development plans and implementations. We have a passion for what leading architects, planners, builders, and developers are saying about designing and building to enhance quality of life through sustainable development practices.

Relationships. Over the years, the leadership of Optima Properties has established productive relationships with various governmental, non-profit, and development community leaders to help shape our vision and bring it to life. These stakeholders believe in our strategy, support our mission and are essential contributors to our success. We have earned their trust based on our past performance, and value their collaboration as we plan for the future.

The Optima Leadership Team

Dennis Crumpler – Managing Partner

As a successful business leader, Mr. Crumpler's relevant business experience includes founding and governance roles in Green Mountain Energy, TechDiscovery, Silas Technologies, and Chatham Capital. He has a 20 year history of building investor value as an operating executive in a number of successful companies, including XcelleNet which he lead as CEO from inception - through a public offering - to its acquisition by Sterling Commerce in 1998. A graduate from MIT, with an MBA from Harvard Business School, Mr. Crumpler is currently is serving as a trustee of The Southern Environmental Law Center.

John D. Merritt, Jr – General Partner

Mr. Merritt is a General Partner of Optima and is responsible for deal origination, underwriting, and the management of the company’s North Carolina and Virginia projects. Prior to Optima, Mr. Merritt was an associate with James McColgan and Associates in Atlanta, GA, where he specialized in providing market analysis and valuation services to local and regional developers of master planned communities. Mr. Merritt currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Triangle Urban Land Institute and is the Chair of the Young Leaders Group. Additionally, Mr. Merritt serves on the Building Committee of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, the Associates Steering Committee of the NC Museum of History, and is active in other local community organizations.

Mr. Merritt graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he remains involved as a member of the University’s Board of Visitors. Mr. Merritt is a licensed real estate broker in North Carolina.

Carl F. Frischkorn – General Partner

Carl F. Frischkorn is the president of Whites Creek LLC, d.b.a. Catterton Resources. Catterton is a management consulting and personal investment company focused on helping entrepreneurial companies grow into professionally managed ones. Catterton also invests in early stage businesses. Whites Creek is a mineral holding company with oil and gas production in West Virginia.

Mr. Frischkorn has been an active management consultant and venture capitalist since 1979, with specific investment and management experience in numerous basic industries. In 1980, Mr. Frischkorn founded and became chairman of The Catterton Group, a regional merchant banking operation that he sold in 1993. While with the Catterton Group, and later as the general partner of four early-stage venture funds representing approximately $20,000,000 in capital, Mr. Frischkorn helped seed and oversee more than thirty start-up or early stage companies. In addition, he has acquired and manages a number of royalty producing mineral properties and has been an active real estate developer of properties in West Virginia, Florida, and Texas.

Mr. Frischkorn is a 1975 graduate of Princeton University, having received an AB degree in Architecture.

David Raymond – General Partner

With over 20 years of marketing communications experience, Mr. Raymond provides creative direction and marketing leadership for Optima Properties. Mr. Raymond has provided world-class creative leadership for builders and community builders such as Custom One Homes, Arverne by the Sea, HarborView, St. Joe Land Company, The Peninsula on Indian River Bay, Odyssey Development, Central Florida Home Sales, Lansdowne, and Markham Real Estate. Prior to Optima, he served as Director of Marketing and Creative Services at XcelleNet and held marketing positions with Harris Corporation, Hayes Microcomputers and Digital Communications Associates.

Tom Wagner – General Manager, Optima WV

Before joining Optima WV, Mr. Wagner was general manager and development director for a large regional developer in Fayetteville, WV. He has marketing, promotions and development experience through his work with outdoor recreation outfitters Adventures Mountain River, Inc., and North American River Runners in southern West Virginia, with Jack Frost/Big Boulder Ski Area in Pennsylvania and as a sales representative for Patagonia Corp. Mr. Wagner is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a degree in recreation and resource management. He is a member of the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Tourism Advisory Board, the Mountain State Academy Advisory Board and an assistant division director for the southern division of National Ski Patrol.