Wareham Development is the East Bay’s leading owner-operator of life science and R&D campuses

Richard Robbins founded Wareham Development in 1977 and has led its growth into one of Northern California’s premier developers and owners of life science research campuses. Under his direction, Wareham created the first private sector incubator lab with QB3 in Berkeley, a model for other Bay Area innovation hubs. He also guided the development of major research campuses across Emeryville, Berkeley, and Richmond.

Richard is recognized for his expertise in master planning, entitlement strategy, redevelopment, biotech development, and public private partnerships. He led the public private effort behind the Amtrak Intermodal Transit Center, a key element of the EmeryStation master plan, and is a founding member of the West Berkeley and Emeryville Transit Authorities. He serves on the Bay Area Council’s Board of Directors and as Co Chair of its Transportation Committee.

Named one of the San Francisco Business Times Most Admired CEOs in 2018 and included in its 2023 Power 100 list, Richard also directs Wareham’s philanthropic initiatives including public-private partnerships focused on STEAM education, arts and communications, innovative sciences, and research and development. He holds a BA from Bucknell University and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Geoffrey Sears brings over 40 years of real estate development and asset management experience to Wareham Development. Since 1998, he has led the creation and stewardship of 1.4 million square feet of lab, office, and residential space at the EmeryStation campus and oversees Wareham’s Peninsula lab portfolio. He guided the development and leasing of EmeryStation West and is leading the EmeryStation V planning effort.

Before joining Wareham, Geoffrey managed Citicorp Real Estate’s western U.S. portfolio and worked in development and finance in California and New York. He holds an architecture degree from Yale University, graduating cum laude and with honors, and is active in several community and nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Goddard, a partner at Wareham Development, has over 30 years of commercial real estate experience in transactions and asset management. Since joining Wareham Development in 2000, his responsibilities have included sourcing and structuring debt and equity along with managing equity partner relationships and conducting portfolio management. Mr. Goddard is also responsible for acquisitions and dispositions along with underwriting and structuring development projects. Mr. Goddard has completed approximately $3.0 billion of debt, equity, acquisition and disposition transactions at Wareham Development.

Prior to joining Wareham Development, Mr. Goddard was a Vice President of Asset Management at Maier Siebel Baber. In this capacity he represented a portfolio of office projects located in the Western United States in the leasing and asset management functions. Prior to this, Mr. Goddard performed real estate management consulting, tax consulting and audit activities at Ernst and Young / Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group with a focus on portfolio acquisitions and loan resolution work associated with the Savings and Loan crisis.

Mr. Goddard has a BS degree in Managerial Economics from the University of California at Davis. He is a father of two daughters and enjoys mountain biking, road cycling, skiing and supporting English Premier League football team Crystal Palace. He is a citizen of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Mr. Goddard has also served on various boards, including the San Francisco Conservation Corps.

Chris Barlow has led many of Wareham Development’s signature life science and R&D projects since joining the company in 1996, overseeing more than 800,000 square feet of specialized laboratory space in Berkeley and Point Richmond. His key projects include the 740 Heinz life science facility, the California Department of Justice DNA Forensics Laboratory, and the Berkeley West Biocenter for Berkeley Lab.

Chris brings global engineering experience from work in Southern Africa, Norway, Russia, and the UK. He holds a BS with Honors from Manchester University, an MBA from London Business School, and is a Chartered Engineer with the British Engineering Council.

Irving Cerda oversees Wareham Development’s 14‑person accounting team, directing all accounting operations and serving as the key liaison with equity partners, lenders, and external CPAs for financial reporting and compliance. He joined Wareham in 2017 and brings more than eleven years of accounting experience focused on real estate, tax, and audit.

Before Wareham, Irving worked in Ernst & Young’s San Francisco Tax practice, supporting Bay Area clients with real estate, corporate, international, and high‑net‑worth tax compliance and assisting audit teams with tax‑related reviews. He holds BS degrees in Accounting and Finance, with a minor in Economics, from the University of San Francisco.

Outside of work, Irving enjoys exploring Bay Area trails, traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with his wife and daughters.

With more than a decade at Wareham Development, Leah serves as Director of Human Resources, supporting our award winning mixed use and life science campuses across the Bay Area. Leah is committed to cultivating a positive, high performing workplace and bring strong leadership, communication, and business insight to overseeing recruitment, retention, training, and employee development. Leah also leads resource and budget planning to support the company’s long term goals.

Catherine Kargl serves as the Director of Property Management at Wareham Development, bringing over 25 years of comprehensive experience in commercial real estate operations, asset management, and strategic leasing. She currently leads Wareham’s property management group supporting the full Northern California portfolio of properties.

Catherine excels at building strong tenant relations and brings deep knowledge of contract negotiation, CAM reconciliations, and regulatory compliance.

Prior to joining Wareham Development, Catherine held leadership roles at Cranbrook Group, where she managed a challenging portfolio of properties. She is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) and a licensed Real Estate Broker. She holds a degree in Real Estate Management from CSU Hayward.

Daniel Gillis serves as the Director of Information Technology. Daniel is a dynamic and analytical IT leader with more than 15 years of experience in strategic planning, project oversight, and team management. He has a proven record of driving significant cost savings and strengthening operational efficiency by building high-performance IT teams and designing tailored support systems for rapidly growing organizations.

Daniel excels at developing and implementing user-friendly network redesigns, integrations, migrations, and security solutions that align technology with business goals. Known for pushing beyond conventional standards, he is committed to delivering results that exceed organizational expectations and create lasting value for all stakeholders.

As Director of Community Relations, Judy Wetterer leads Wareham’s outreach and philanthropic initiatives, identifying and managing community engagement opportunities, coordinating volunteer efforts, and serving as the primary liaison for public, private, and nonprofit partnerships. She also oversees the stewardship and documentation of Wareham’s art collection and nearly 50-year history. A 28-year veteran of the company, Judy draws on her extensive experience in marketing and public relations to strengthen Wareham’s presence and impact within the communities it serves.

Judy has a record of board and committee commitments and currently sits on the boards of two nonprofits, including Scientific Adventures for Girls. Representing Wareham, she served as co chair of the East Bay Economic Development Alliance’s Employer Advisor Committee and on the Berkeley Startup Cluster Advisory Group. She continues to represent Wareham as a longtime member of the City of Emeryville Public Art Committee and the Rotten City Cultural District. She holds a BA from Loyola University Chicago and an MA from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Jennifer M. Barrett serves as Director of Marketing and Communications at Wareham Development. With over 25 years of real estate marketing experience, she leads branding, integrated marketing strategy, corporate messaging, and stakeholder engagement for a diverse portfolio of lab, office, and mixed use properties serving the Bay Area’s innovation and life sciences ecosystem. She ensures brand consistency across platforms, supports leasing efforts, and elevates the company’s philanthropic and community engagement initiatives through strategic media and public relations.

Jennifer’s experience in commercial real estate marketing has evolved significantly across her various roles. Early in her career, she gained experience in marketing, investor relations, and business development at BlackRock. Transitioning into real estate marketing, Jennifer developed and executed strategies for large multifamily portfolios at Alliance Residential and then took on increasingly senior regional marketing leadership roles at Greystar, Brookfield Properties and Sares Regis Group.

Jennifer holds a BS in Economics from Santa Clara University and in her free time can be found hiking the trails of Marin and sailing on San Francisco Bay.