Craig Ricketts
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Chairman Ricketts has over 32 years’ experience in all aspects of real estate development prior to
launching Liberty Cove project in partnership with Stephan Haah. As a licensed general contractor
specializing in projects with challenges to entitlement and development, Mr. Ricketts’ real estate
development expertise is in planning, legal and entitlement activities. He has applied this experience to
projects representing over 5,000 residential units, across multiple jurisdictions. Ricketts’ partnerships
with major institutions and high net worth individuals, as well as his experience in consulting to Fortune
500 Companies, reflects an understanding for the broad and demanding role of Master Developer,
Listed below are samples of projects he was involved;
1979…..Aspen Creek Development, Mammoth Lake, California: Located at the lift t#15 in an area known
for being one of the most spectacular comprehensive ski resorts, Aspen Creek Condo project blended
beautiful surroundings of the Lake Mammoth area with modern condo projects in an ecological fashion
which set the tone for the future development of the area.
1988 to 1992…..Pacific Palisades Island: 3500 acre master development project conducted in
partnership with New England Mutual Life Insurance Company, one of the largest financial/insurance
firms in the country, which evolved into Met Life. The project consisted of low to high income housing,
high end side currently being resold at the average of $6,000,000 per house, and commercial areas that
caters to the high end desire of the area.
1991 to 1999……Lucerne Valley development entitlement work encompassing 4200 residential units
sprinkled with golf courses and trails, “well being” life style of the Southern California being the key
theme of the planning and entitlement.
Stephan Haah
President
With over 20 years of experience in all aspects of real estate investment, Mr. Haah has specialized in
investment property transactions to increase mid/long term value to his clients based on their
investment criteria. Mr. Haah founded a full service real estate investment/management and consulting
firm in downtown Los Angeles, where he was engaged in all aspect of investment real estate, including
commercial condo development planning and disposition, acquisition/disposition of investment
properties, valuation analysis, development feasibilities, asset management strategies, and international
real estate transactions. Mr. Haah studied Urban Land Development at the University of California,
Berkeley, and is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), awarded by the Commercial
Investment Real Estate Institute in Chicago. His transactional experience represents in excess of $500
million USD. As President of Rockingham Asset Management, Mr. Haah is responsible for many aspects
of the development of Liberty Cove as well as the day to day management of the Corporation.
Richard C. Bertsch
Sr. Vice President-Special Projects
Mr. Bertsch’s specialty is in operations and management, with particular emphasis on project
maintenance and execution. Coming from many years of construction/construction management
consulting, Mr. Bertsch is invaluable in Rockingham meeting its planned objectives in any areas of entry.
Having studied Economics at the University of California, Irvine, Mr. Bertsch is well versed in financial
projections to actual implementation within the reasonable boundaries of deviation.
Robert Chernick, C.A., C.P.A.
Chief Financial Officer
With 35 years’ experience in finance and real estate development activities, Mr. Chernick brings
invaluable project experience, relationships and corporate governance to the Rockingham team. He is
the President Emeritus and Board Member of a Public International Merchant Bank which specialized in
the real estate industry; as such, Mr. Chernick is distinguished as belonging to the upper echelon of
financial executives in North America. As Vice Chairman of a private company, he was a founder of and
responsible for developing the Four Seasons Destination Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, a $125 million
project encompassing an interval ownership element. From 1970 until present, his capital and
development activities have resulted in excess of $1 billion USD in international transactional valuation.
Mr. Chernick oversees Rockingham’s private funding strategies, multiple financial offerings and provides
general fiscal management to the Project.
Additional Background on Mr. Chernick
Mr. Chernick has senior experience and specific expertise garnered by over 35 years in business.
His professional qualification include having graduated as a Canadian Chartered Accountant (CA) in
1961, and becoming a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) in
1966, which membership is still current.
Throughout the 1960’s in New York, Mr. Chernick was a well‐known venture capitalist raising funds
and creating ventures with major institutions such as Citicorp and Chase Manhattan Bank, in
conjunction with various Federal Government programs such as the SBIC and MESBIC programs.
Subsequent to this, he was instrumental in finalizing the negotiation for the Canadian Franchise Rights
for Century 21 Real Estate, and prepared its five‐year business plan. Following this plan, Century 21
Canada grew nationwide with 7,560 agents and 9 billion in annual sales.
In 1993 Mr. Chernick became the president and board member of a Canadian public company that
functioned as a merchant bank to the real estate development industry. After two successive additional
share issues to the public totaling $70,000,000, he directed the operations to the ownership and
management of hotels which ultimately totaled in excess of 4,000 rooms across the United States. He
prospected and arranged for an IPO of $150 million for a proposed merger of time‐share interests and
the Company’s hotel portfolio In addition, he negotiated with GE Capital who became the Joint Venture
partner on 7 separate projects.
Mr. Chernick was the architect of, and engineered the ‘off‐shore’ structure of the Company, and was
headquartered in Barbados for 3 years concomitant to that structure. He is considered an expert in the
intricacies and complexities of off‐shore structures and taxation. Under his stewardship, the company
had a portfolio of development product totaling in excess of $900,000,000.
As Vice Chairman of a private company, he negotiated the purchase, and oversaw the development of
Westover Hills, a 6,000 acre master planned development project in San Antonio Texas, That project
now is the home to Sea World, QVC, The Capital Group, VLSI Technology, Frost National Bank, Chase
Manhattan Bank, The Hyatt Hill Country, and a host of National and local home builders under a builder
development program, similar to the program envisioned for Liberty Cove. In 1996 he was responsible
for funding and developing the Four Seasons Destinations Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, a $125 million
project encompassing an interval ownership element.
From 1970 until his involvement in 2003 as CFO of the Liberty Cove project, on his own account and with
joint venture partners, Mr. Chernick has raised capital and developed in excess of $500 million of real
estate in Canada and the United States. Additionally, he has been the creator and architect of business
plans, and the resultant raising of Venture Capital, and been on the Board of Directors for a wide
spectrum of interests, ranging from high tech internet related ventures; pulse wave/vortex submicronic
milling processing; a new concept national toy company; multi location restaurant chains; North
Americas largest salmon farming operations, to interactive video touch screen technologies.
Carol Ackerman
Sr. Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Carol Ackerman has over 30 years' international experience in design, development and marketing
efforts for real estate projects, with a particular focus on high-end, luxury sector developments.
Previous Project Expereince
Vice President, GMA International

Responsible for all business development, sales and marketing efforts

Duties include securing project leads, writing proposals, performing technical and entitlement
services; international, regional and local competitive analysis for complex client projects;
shared corporate direction-setting and operational responsibilities with Partner; contributed to
employee recruitment, multiple-market contract management and corporate fiscal planning,
including business plan development, budget management, resource allocations, negotiations
and debt management and restructuring

Doubled international project load (sales) within an eighteen month period

Expanded design department with additional products/services resulting in increase in sales by
22%

Developed international hospitality relationships that assisted clients in securing development
capital and flag participation at golf and resort communities and extended Company’s
involvement in projects

Co-directed Golf&Travel Magazine’s CEO Forums: Golf and Real Estate

Frequent presenter at industry conferences and trade shows: Crittenden Golf Expo; ULI,
Golf&Travel CEO Forums
President, International Equities, Inc

Corporation closed over $138 million in real estate transactions through brokerage participants

Created collateral and marketing strategy plans to implement sales of raw land, commercial,
industrial and mixed use land parcels

Implemented database identification and application system to accelerate location of qualified
buyers
Principle, Resort Golf Media, Inc

Founded multimedia fee-based custom publishing company

Secured first coffee table book contract with Destination Hotels & Resorts’ The Royal Palms
Hotels and Casitas

Initial publication, “Desert Dreams, Desert Romance – The History of the Royal Palms Resort and
Spa,” February 2003; initial printing, 10,000 copies
ROCKINGHAM PRINCIPLES’ MAJOR MIXED USE, RESORT AND
COMMERCIALLY VALUABLE PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Westover Hills Project Website
Westover Hills is one of the Nation's premier, award winning, large scale,
masterplanned, mixed use developments strategically located in Northwest San
Antonio, the center of our City's fastest and most dynamic growth sector. The
September 17, 1997 Wall Street Journal article on Developments entitled "San Antonio
Corrals Big Business Bucks", copy attached, highlights all new business activity in San
Antonio, and more specifically the Westover Hills Development. The article states, "the
most dramatic transformation [in San Antonio] is occurring in Westover Hills, which was
undeveloped ranch land until recently. Now, more than 8,200 workers are employed
there, and that number will swell to 14,000 when the existing companies finish all the
buildings planned for their land." Today, Westover Hills encompasses 1,270 prime acres
that are fully served and already zoned for development.
San Antonio Business Journal
More Development is set for Westover Hills
The owners of Westover Hills are planning to move much more aggressively in
developing their master‐planned community.
Samoth Capital Corp., an Arizona‐based company that trades on the Toronto Stock
Exchange, has a new chairman and is no longer content to only sell land tracts.
"The time is now," says James Grogan, president and chief executive officer of Samoth,
based in Scottsdale. "It's time to develop in earnest. We're so proud of the projects that
are already there."
Samoth will now develop its own projects, lend to developers who want to build
projects in Westover Hills, and work on joint venture deals, Grogan says, in addition to
selling land. By the end of this year, the firm will begin developing offices, apartments
and retail projects on its remaining 940 acres, located on the far West Side of San
Antonio.
"David is anxious to get those projects started," Grogan says.
"David" is David Kosoy, the new chairman of Samoth, who was recruited by former
Chairman Peter H. Thomas. His entry into the firm is part of an overall restructuring that
began in November 1998, Thomas said in a prepared statement.
"Jim (Grogan) and his new management team have done a remarkable job in a short
period of time restructuring the company's balance sheet and restoring Samoth to
profitability with a focused business plan," Thomas stated. "Mr. Kosoy will now have the
opportunity to utilize his substantial financial contacts and real estate expertise to grow
the company significantly."
Kosoy, formerly president and chief executive officer of the Sterling Cos. in Palm Beach,
Fla., has done real estate development in Canada, Florida and in Dallas. Samoth
acquired all the issued shares of Sterling in a share exchange agreement. Samoth plans
to change its name to Sterling Financial Corp., Grogan says.
"What (this) will bring to Westover Hills is fresh new capital for development and to
lend to developers who want to develop property there," Grogan adds.
The cheerleader
Samoth is a real estate investment company and merchant bank that focuses on
master‐planned communities, multifamily projects and hotels. It owns hotels in Florida,
Arizona, Missouri and Texas, including two in San Antonio ‐‐ the Sheraton Four Points
Riverwalk and the Best Western Lackland Lodge.
Charles Martin Wender, Westover Hills' most vocal cheerleader, will continue to market
the development for Samoth, Grogan adds.
"From our perspective, Marty will always be Mr. San Antonio," he says. "Most people
carry pictures of their children in their wallets. Marty carries pictures of his projects in
Westover Hills." Wender has been involved with the development since the 1980s when
he bought 3,500 acres of what was mostly ranch land. He eventually lost most of it in
the real estate crash of the late '80s and 1,270 acres reverted back to the original
owner, the Wiseman family. He found a buyer for the land in Samoth, and has worked
with them to market the development. Westover Hills has attracted large corporate
campuses such as The Capital Group, Philips
Semiconductors (formerly known as VLSI Technology), QVC Network and
Oberthur Gaming Technologies.
The timing of Samoth's change in strategy coincides with plans to complete State
Highway 151, which runs from Loop 1604 through Westover Hills, connecting it to U.S.
Highway 90, and to Kelly Air Force Base.
"It will change the whole dynamics of Northwest San Antonio," Wender says of the
expanded roadway. "Kosoy believes in the project and believes there is great
opportunity out here."
On the board
Samoth is drawing up development plans for offices, a hotel, apartments and retail on
two tracts fronting Hwy. 151, Wender says. The first tract at the northeast corner of
Military Drive West and Hwy. 151 will have at least one office building, where Wender
plans to locate Westover Hills' marketing office by year end. He is talking with additional
office tenants for the site as well, although Wender says the exact size of the building is
still to be determined. Also near this tract Samoth plans to develop apartments
overlooking the golf course at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort.
Another tract, at the northeast corner of Westover Hills Boulevard and Hwy. 151, has
been master‐planned by architects Rehler, Vaughn & Koone Inc. with offices, a hotel, a
restaurant and green space that will serve as a common area with jogging trails for
nearby companies. Wender is also talking with a Dallas developer who wants to do a
build‐to‐suit project for a client at this site. Wender says he is looking forward to
developing, in addition to selling, in Westover Hills.
"He's been the customer I used to sell to," Wender says of Kosoy. "Now we don't have
to go find someone (to develop). Now we can do it."