Kevin Augustyn

Senior Vice President, Credit Ratings at Morningstar DBRS

Speaker

Kevin Augustyn

Kevin Augustyn is a Senior Vice President, Credit Practices in the North American CMBS, Global Structured Finance Group at Morningstar DBRS. Morningstar DBRS is a credit rating agency and investment research firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. In his role at Morningstar DBRS, he develops and implements credit rating methodologies and product offerings for CPACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) loans, REIT’s, CRE/CLO financing, and CMBS securitizations. He was instrumental in developing Morningstar’s effort to provide credit ratings for CPACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) loans on a national basis.

He leads Morningstar DBRS CMBS group’s initiatives addressing integration of ESG considerations and the credit ratings process. He has served on the Morningstar DBRS ESG Methodology Committee and Structured Finance ESG Working Group and is the group’s subject matter expert covering green finance, green leasing, climate change, resiliency and decarbonization.

Mr. Augustyn has over 25 years of real estate development and finance experience with several national real estate development firms and financial institutions including Bank of Montreal, Trammell Crow Companies, OPUS and CIII Capital Partners. His professional career has centered on urban infill development and commercial real estate finance. Chicago development projects include Piper's Alley, River East Plaza (the former North Pier), and River East Center.

Mr. Augustyn began his career as a city planner, reflecting his passion for community economic development and historic preservation. His first professional assignment was to return to his hometown of Hammond, Indiana, where he served initially as the Land Use Planner and eventually as the Director of the Planning Department.

He has a long-standing interest in the private use of capital for the public good and corporate sponsored urban economic development programs.

EDUCATION

Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

MBA, Finance and Management Policy, Dean’s List.

University of Illinois, Urbana, IL BA, Urban and Regional Planning, Graduated with High Honors. Inland Ryerson Scholar, Illinois Union Board Member, Mortar Board, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Urban Land Institute (ULI) -Full Member and member of the Responsible Property Investment Council. Other ULI activity includes core planning committee for the Infrastructure Forum focusing on walkable communities and membership on the ULI Chicago Climate Initiative Task Force.

Illinois Green Alliance (IGA) – IGA is the Illinois affiliate of the US Green Building Council.

Member of the Board of Directors and Board Liaison to the Chicago Building Energy Research Hub.

PUBLICATIONS

Demand for Healthy Buildings Could Drive ESG Investment in Commercial Real Estate, May 21, 2020, Published by Morningstar DBRS

Useful Tools to Rejuvenate CRE Assets and Communities: New Urbanism, Smart Growth and ESG Principles, June 1, 2021, Published by Morningstar DBRS

As Seas Rise, Coastal Commercial Properties Will Need to Batten Down the Hatches, September 12, 2022, Published by Morningstar DBRS