Our Team
Principals • Senior Advisors • Capital Markets Leadership
Cornovus Capital's principals and senior advisors bring more than 70 years of combined capital markets leadership experience across institutional credit, capital placement, asset management, and hospitality ownership. Every engagement is led by professionals with deep program knowledge and direct lender relationships, ensuring advisory recommendations reflect current market conditions, active credit standards, and real-world execution realities.
The team's advisory framework is built on three operational pillars: rigorous credit analysis before any lender is engaged, structural alignment between borrower objectives and capital source requirements, and disciplined execution from term sheet through closing.
Gerard Dehner Jr.
Founder and Managing Partner
Gerard "Jerry" Dehner Jr. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cornovus Capital, where he leads the firm's national advisory platform. With nearly 30 years of commercial real estate finance experience beginning in 1996, Jerry oversees the firm's advisory operations across bridge, CMBS, SBA, LifeCo, and structured debt programs, providing sponsors with strategic capital placement and transaction execution nationwide.
Under Jerry's leadership, Cornovus Capital has become a recognized advisory platform serving business owners, investors, and operators across a wide range of industries. His underwriting acumen spans hospitality, multifamily, industrial, office, retail, and owner-user asset classes, with transaction volume across complex bridge, repositioning, refinancing, and permanent loan executions representing billions in commercial real estate. His experience in hospitality financing in particular, encompassing brand flag requirements, PIP structuring, and bridge-to-perm execution, reflects a depth of program and operational knowledge that defines the firm's advisory standard.
Prior to founding Cornovus Capital, Jerry co-founded Hyde Park Commercial Group, where he built a national network of regional referral hubs across the United States focused on enterprise financing, business acquisitions, and commercial real estate capital placement.
Jerry's deep involvement across underwriting, debt structuring, capital placement, and direct property ownership and repositioning has provided a comprehensive understanding of both capital markets and operational realities. This perspective enables Cornovus Capital to deliver advisory precision and execution certainty consistent with the firm's institutional capital markets standard.
Jerry attended the University of Cincinnati where he studied finance, and Ashford University where he studied Real Estate.
Contact: gdehner@cornovuscapital.com | 513-653-4246
Mario Grk
Vice President, Business Development
Mario Grk serves as Vice President of Business Development at Cornovus Capital, where he oversees national originations and leads production across Bridge, CMBS, SBA 7(a), and 100% SBA programs. He plays a central role in expanding Cornovus Capital's national footprint, building client relationships, structuring complex transactions, and driving execution across commercial and owner-user asset classes nationwide.
Mario joined Cornovus while completing his studies at the University of Cincinnati's Lindner College of Business, where he earned degrees in Finance and Real Estate. After graduation, he moved into a full-time capital advisory role, distinguishing himself through analytical depth, leadership, and the ability to communicate complex transactions clearly to both clients and lenders. His work has been integral in building Cornovus Capital's national origination presence and expanding lender participation across Bridge, CMBS, and SBA programs.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Mario grew up in a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs, an upbringing that shaped his work ethic, accountability, and ability to build meaningful relationships with clients at every stage of a transaction.
Known for his consultative approach and ability to simplify complex transactions, Mario is recognized as a reliable and consistent advisor to borrowers, developers, and investors across the country.
Contact: Mario.Grk@cornovuscapital.com | 513-653-4246
Kathy Laubach
Vice President, Operations
Kathy Laubach serves as Vice President of Operations at Cornovus Capital, bringing more than 35 years of experience across commercial lending, mortgage, and real estate operations. Kathy oversees the firm's internal operations, ensuring precise execution, compliance, and operational consistency across all programs and engagements.
Throughout her career, Kathy has led high-performing teams, streamlined operational workflows, and built scalable systems that support sustained growth. Her operational insight and disciplined focus on process and compliance make her an essential part of Cornovus Capital's leadership structure, responsible for managing internal systems, optimizing team performance, and supporting the firm's overall execution capacity.
Before joining Cornovus Capital, Kathy held senior management roles in the mortgage industry, including Branch Manager and Vice President of Operations, with responsibilities spanning underwriting, compliance, FHA, VA, and conventional loan program administration, and national lender relationship management. She also served as a licensed real estate agent for more than a decade, giving her operational perspective that bridges residential and commercial financing disciplines.
As a former business owner and operator, Kathy understands firsthand the importance of financial accountability, systems integration, and team development across growth cycles.
Contact: 513-653-4246 | info@cornovuscapital.com
About Cornovus Capital
With more than 70 years of combined capital markets leadership experience, Cornovus Capital is a national institutional commercial real estate and business capital advisory firm. Led by principals and senior advisors across institutional credit, capital placement, asset management, and hospitality ownership, we perform institutional-grade underwriting on every engaged transaction and place credits with pre-qualified capital partners matched to the transaction's credit profile, structure, asset class, and geography.
Our expertise spans seven debt silos: SBA 7(a), SBA 7(a) 100% CRE, SBA 504, Bridge and Structured Debt, CMBS and Conduit, Conventional Multifamily (Agency and LifeCo), and Student Housing, with a Hospitality Owner's Representation overlay led by principals with direct owner-operator experience across the full asset lifecycle. Our quantitative underwriting platform applies institutional credit standards across every transaction, delivering depth, consistency, and turnaround speed.
For insight into the broader interest rate and monetary policy environment influencing commercial real estate financing, visit the Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy resources for insights into national commercial real estate performance.
Connect with Cornovus Capital
For active acquisitions, refinances, recapitalizations, or expansion opportunities, begin with the appropriate financing request. For early-stage discussions, use the contact path to confirm program fit and execution strategy.
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