OUR TEAM
We are a successful firm due in large part to the creative nimbleness and bold decisiveness of our team. We’re too small to have committees, so we’re not plagued by the bureaucracy and chain of command rules that slow down our larger competitors.
Tom Balames
Principal & Managing Member
Tom has been the Managing Member of Accelerated since its inception in January 2000 and is actively involved for Accelerated in the identification and acquisition of timeshare related real estate and loan portfolios as an equity partner and Capital Light developer in partnerships with branded timeshare operators.
Prior to founding Accelerated, Tom was involved in various partnerships dating back to November, 1993 that purchased asset backed receivables with two of the current Accelerated members. Tom also started Americor Financial Services, a mortgage banking company, in 1986 in Birmingham, Michigan.
Tom is an ARDA Trustee and currently serves on the ARDA Board of Directors.
Trish Belanger
Controller
Trish joined Accelerated in 2022 as the Controller, focusing on accounting related activities including financial reporting and compliance. Directly prior to her employment with Accelerated, she worked for a high-net-worth family office as their Senior Controller. She has over 15 years’ experience, including work in public accounting (both audit and tax) and at a large law practice engaging in estate & trust administration and tax & litigation matters.
Trish holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Taxation from Walsh College, is a licensed CPA in the state of Michigan and is a Certified Financial Planner.
Aaron Cowhy
Senior Portfolio Manager
Aaron is a Senior Portfolio Manager for Accelerated primarily focused on portfolio operations, financial analysis, due diligence, and transaction success. Prior to joining Accelerated in 2019, Aaron worked as a Senior Audit associate at KPMG US, conducting financial statement audits within the financial services and industrial manufacturing industries.
Aaron holds his Master of Science in Accounting from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University.
Dylan Greenberg
Portfolio Analyst
Dylan is a Portfolio Analyst for Accelerated primarily focused on portfolio operations, financial analysis, due diligence, and transaction success. He joined Accelerated from United Wholesale Mortgage where he worked as a Capital Markets Analyst mainly involved in best-execution modeling and Mortgage-Backed Securitization.
Dylan earned his Bachelor’s in Economics from Alma College.
Steve Pflugner
Managing Director
Steve is the Managing Director for Accelerated responsible for helping expand their brand presence in the timeshare industry through innovative consumer financing programs and off-balance sheet real estate development. Additionally, Steve focuses on identifying and developing new business opportunities for Accelerated across asset classes.
Prior to joining Accelerated, Steve worked 20 years with Holiday Inn Club Vacations establishing and leading all facets of structured finance transactions, including planning, design, marketing and execution, as well as large-scale expansion opportunities and new product development. He also oversaw treasury operations, mortgage and maintenance fee servicing, and collections including the deeding and recovery of property. He was the Business Manager of the Caribbean for Sunterra (now Hilton Grand Vacations) and started his career with Citigroup. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Indiana University.
Genevieve Polakoff
Assistant Controller
Genevieve is the Assistant Controller for Accelerated primarily focused on accounting related activities including financial reporting and compliance. In addition, she manages various real estate investment portfolios for Accelerated working to resolve issues relating to chain of ownership, property transfers, or resales.
Prior to joining at Accelerated Assets, Genevieve worked as a financial accountant for Palace Sports & Entertainment. Genevieve holds both her Bachelor’s in Accountancy and MBA from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration in Troy, Michigan.
Isaak Raykhinshteyn
Corporate Accountant
Isaak is a Corporate Accountant for Accelerated, primarily focused on activities such as reporting monthly activity in our numerous entities, preparing reports for internal and external distribution and working with our outside advisors to complete audit and tax filing requirements. Prior to joining Accelerated Assets, Isaak worked in the accounting department of a law firm in the Metro Detroit area where he was responsible for accounts receivable and cash management.
Isaak earned his Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Michigan – Dearborn.
Jon Walraven
Portfolio Manager
Jon is a Portfolio Manager for Accelerated primarily focused on portfolio operations, financial analysis, due diligence, and transaction success. He joined Accelerated from American Axle and Manufacturing, where he worked as a Senior Financial Analyst involved in SEC reporting and technical accounting. Prior to American Axle, Jon worked as a Senior Audit Associate at KPMG US, conducting financial statement audits within various industries including industrial manufacturing and financial services.
Jon is a licensed CPA in the state of Michigan and earned his Master of Science in Accounting from Oakland University.
Debbie Hines
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Debbie joined Accelerated in 2023 to assist Tom with his business and personal endeavors and works closely with the team. Debbie has 25 years’ experience supporting senior executives, most recently 20 years with the founder of a prominent law firm handling his business and personal needs and serving his clients, many entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth families. She has worked in privately held and large public companies. Her strengths include event planning and special project management.
Chris Danner
PORTFOLIO ANALYST
Chris is a Portfolio Analyst for Accelerated primarily focused on portfolio operations, financial analysis, due diligence, and transaction success. He joined Accelerated from United Wholesale Mortgage where he worked as a Capital Markets Analyst mainly involved modeling interest rate risk and execution strategies.
Chris earned his Bachelor’s in Statistics from Michigan State University.