Joe Mifsud named Chief Operating Officer; Katie Vohwinkle promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations; Mike Van Patten promoted to Senior Vice President of Asset Management; Neal Warling has joined the company as Director of Sales and Leasing
Oxford Companies, a leading commercial real estate firm serving the greater Ann Arbor area, today announced the promotions of three longtime members of its leadership team: Joe Mifsud to Chief Operating Officer, Katie Vohwinkle to Senior Vice President of Operations, and Mike Van Patten to Senior Vice President of Asset Management, as well as the addition of Neal Warling as Director of Sales and Leasing.
The promotions and addition of Warling reflect Oxford’s continued growth and investment in a senior team designed to strengthen operations, develop its people, deliver exceptional service to clients and position the company for its next phase of growth.
“Joe, Katie and Mike have each made a tremendous impact on Oxford through the results they’ve delivered and the teams, relationships and culture they’ve helped build,” said Jeff Hauptman, CEO of Oxford Companies. “Their promotions recognize those contributions, while Neal brings decades of brokerage experience and deep knowledge of the Ann Arbor market. Together, they give Oxford an experienced, well-rounded team to guide the company as we continue to grow.”
Joe Mifsud Named Chief Operating Officer
Mifsud moves into the role of Chief Operating Officer after serving as President of Oxford Companies since 2022. A member of the Oxford team since 2016, he has spent his entire career in real estate management services and brings more than 25 years of industry experience to the position.
As COO, Mifsud brings extensive experience leading Oxford’s property management operations. His responsibilities have included oversight of approximately 2.6 million square feet of commercial property and more than 900 campus and multifamily beds, along with leadership of teams spanning commercial and multifamily property management, customer service, and maintenance and repair. Throughout his career, he has worked across nearly every major commercial and multifamily asset class, including office, retail, warehouse, healthcare, conventional apartments, condominiums, senior housing and campus housing.
Mifsud has also been involved in more than $1 billion in real estate transactions over the course of his career, working with property owners and investors as well as financial institutions, insurance companies and special servicers.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with a focus on Advertising and Public Relations, from the University of Detroit Mercy and has been active with local committees.
Katie Vohwinkle Promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations
Vohwinkle has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations, continuing a decade-long career with Oxford that began in property management and has progressed through a series of increasingly senior leadership roles. Most recently, she served as Vice President after previously serving as Director of Multifamily Property Management, Associate Director and Senior Property Manager.
In her new role, Vohwinkle leads Oxford’s commercial and residential property management, maintenance and repair, customer service, and business operations. Her focus includes operational strategy, portfolio performance, cross-functional execution, client experience and building scalable systems to support the company’s growth.
Vohwinkle is also passionate about developing people and creating opportunities for team members to advance their careers. Throughout her tenure at Oxford, she has emphasized mentorship, collaboration and process improvement while helping build teams that can grow from within.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration focused in Business Administration and Management from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration.
Mike Van Patten Promoted to Senior Vice President of Asset Management
Van Patten has been promoted from Vice President to Senior Vice President of Asset Management. He joined Oxford in 2016 and has advanced through several leadership positions with the company, including Commercial Portfolio Manager, Associate Director of Commercial Property Management and Director of Commercial Property Management.
As Senior Vice President of Asset Management, Van Patten is responsible for the performance, strategy and long-term value of more than 2.4 million square feet of commercial real estate throughout Southeast Michigan. With more than 13 years of commercial real estate operations and leadership experience, he has played a significant role in improving Oxford’s processes, service delivery and client relationships.
His accomplishments include developing new asset management and long-term capital planning processes, leading acquisition due diligence, improving customer service practices, and helping expand Oxford’s managed portfolio. He has also been an advocate for employee development and succession planning throughout the organization.
Van Patten holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan and has earned the RPA and FMA designations through BOMI International. He is a licensed Michigan real estate salesperson and serves on multiple local boards, including the State Street District and Main Street Area Business Improvement Zone.
Neal Warling Joins Oxford as Director of Sales and Leasing
Warling has joined Oxford Companies as Director of Sales and Leasing, bringing more than 40 years of commercial real estate brokerage experience and deep expertise in the Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County markets. He will help lead Oxford’s brokerage activities, working with property owners, investors, tenants and corporate clients throughout the region.
Over the course of his career, Warling has completed more than 1,000 transactions valued at over $2 billion, representing corporate, entrepreneurial and institutional clients in the acquisition, disposition and leasing of office, research, industrial and commercial properties. His clients have included Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Stryker, United Technologies and the University of Michigan.
Prior to joining Oxford, Warling spent 16 years as a Managing Director at JLL, specializing in the Ann Arbor market and landlord and tenant representation. Earlier in his career, he worked with three other nationally recognized commercial real estate firms, consistently ranking among their top-producing brokers.
Warling holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Public Administration from The Ohio State University and is a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He has also held several community leadership roles, including serving as a Board Member and President of the Friends of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Together, these appointments reinforce Oxford’s commitment to developing leaders from within while building a senior team that pairs deep institutional knowledge with decades of real estate experience.
Oxford Companies is a longtime Ann Arbor SPARK partner and mission funder, supporting initiatives including a2Tech360 Tech Trek and Tech Talk, while CEO Jeff Hauptman serves on SPARK’s Board of Directors.
