Our Team

Roger A.P. Joseph – CEO & President

Franklin Croft is led by CEO and President Roger A. P. Joseph. Franklin Croft is reflective of Rogers’ 35+ years of achievement and experience in commercial real estate investment and development. Originally formed as Joseph Development Company in 1981, Roger later re-established the company as Franklin Croft in 1997 and has since grown the company into one of San Diego’s leading full service real estate and hospitality organizations.

Roger’s many years of involvement in the hospitality industry originated extend from his role as Chairman of the Board of La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club Inc., a position he held from 1989 through 2003. Currently, as a Director, he is involved in setting policy and direction for the ongoing operations of this unique privately-owned hospitality enterprise that encompasses the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, the La Jolla Shores Hotel, restaurants and apartment rentals as well as other operating properties.

Because of his involvement with the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, he extended his knowledge of hospitality with his investment in and development of other hotel products, namely, the Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla, Colonial Terrace Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Hilton Santa Clara, Marriott Residence Inn, and the Hampton Inn Del Mar, to name a few.

Roger’s other interests also include his activities as a member of the University of San Diego Board of Trustees. Previously, as a founding member of the Board of Directors of Regents Bank, he actively participated in the formation process during its launch in 2001.

Roger was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of San Diego and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Cornell University.

Thomas E. Leeman – Chief Financial Officer

Thomas Leeman currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of Franklin Croft, a position he has held since 1999. Thomas is responsible for finance and asset management of the company’s portfolio of properties including joint ventures between Franklin Croft and its investment partners. In this role he also oversees new business development and deal sourcing for the company. He is a member of the Franklin Croft executive committee and as such is directly involved in formulating and executing the company’s strategic and business plans.

Earlier in his 30+ year real estate career, Mr. Leeman served as an Assistant Project Manager for the four million square foot mixed-used StoneCrest project. He subsequently joined Pan Pacific Development as a Manager of Finance and Acquisitions. From there Thomas became part of KPMG’s National Real Estate Consulting Practice where he engaged in numerous appraisal, bank loan workouts and feasibility projects with the firm. Later, he joined Trizec Corporation’s retail division (originally the Hahn Company) as a Senior Asset Manager for the company’s super regional mall portfolio.

Over the course of his career with companies such as Trizec-Hahn, Pan Pacific Development and Franklin Croft, Thomas has managed financing, acquisition and disposition transactions with a total consideration of several billion dollars. He has also served as Project Executive for each of the company’s hotel development projects including the four-star rated Hilton Santa Clara and the San Diego Residence Inn Gaslamp Quarter prior to their sale. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree with a Real Estate Finance emphasis from San Diego State University.

Terrence D. Underwood – Director of Hotel Operations

Terrence Underwood, a 40-year hotel and resort-industry veteran, has presided as Director of Hotel Operations for Franklin Croft Hospitality since 1999. His expertise in market repositioning, capital project management, revenue management and electronic distribution systems are applied across Franklin Croft’s hotel portfolio including La Jolla’s Grande Colonial hotel, the Hampton Inn San Diego/Del Mar and the former Colonial Terrace Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Terrence began his hospitality industry career in 1982 when he joined the Marriott Hotels & Resorts. He spent the next 11 years working for Marriott in a variety of capacities including rooms operations, recreations services and human resources in Newport Beach, La Jolla, Desert Springs, and at Marriott’s flagship property, the 1,355-room San Diego Marriott Marquis Hotel & Marina. He then spent six years as Director of Operations for the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, Inc., owner and operator of a 17-acre oceanfront resort in La Jolla. As Director of Operations, he was responsible for all rooms & related and private club operations (beach services, golf & tennis) for the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club and the La Jolla Shores Hotel.

In 1999, Terrence joined the Franklin Croft Hospitality team, also serving as General Manager of the historic Grande Colonial hotel and it’s Michelin-recognized NINE-TEN Restaurant. He then spent the next 23 years having complete operational and directional responsibilities for the hotel including rooms and related services, sales and marketing, development of the company’s policies and staff, as well as management of all food and beverage and financial operations.

His current and past professional affiliations include seats on the San Diego Tourism Authority Marketing Committee, board member of the California Hotel Lodging Association, board member of the San Diego County Lodging Association, board member of the La Jolla Business Improvement District and Steering Committee member for the La Jolla Town Foundation. Terrence is a Bachelor of Science graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

His active roles in the community have earned him a spot in the La Jolla Light’s “Top 18 People to Watch in La Jolla”. He was also awarded the 2012 Gold Key Award for Hotelperson of the Year by the San Diego County Hotel & Motel Association.

Leslie E. Araiza-Lorenzo – Director of Marketing

Leslie Araiza-Lorenzo is a 34-year hospitality and travel industry marketing and public relations veteran. She joined the staff of Franklin Croft in 2004 where she currently serves as the company’s Hotel Division Director of Marketing & Public Relations Director. Leslie began her career with The Gable Group, a public relations and advertising agency where she spent two years in working in the agency’s consumer accounts division.

In 1990, she joined Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites as the San Diego Regional Public Relations Manager launching a new West Coast Division for the international hotel company. For the next four years, she was based out of the flagship San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina where she developed and implemented a public, community and media relations program for the four local properties. In 1994, Leslie accepted a new position as the Director of Marketing & Membership Services for La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, Inc., owner and operator of a 17-acre oceanfront resort in La Jolla, California.

Today, she oversees all marketing efforts for the Franklin Croft group of hotels to include the development and management of multi-channel brand communications programs, collateral development, database management, digital marketing, social media outreach, media relations, crisis communications, and budget preparation/control. A third-generation native of San Diego, Leslie is a graduate of the University of San Diego holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies and English.

Marie Makinson – Director of Human Resources

Marie Makinson was appointed Director of Human Resources of the 97-room Grande Colonial Hotel and the Michelin-recognized NINE-TEN Restaurant, part of the Franklin Croft Hospitality collection, in February of 2022.

In this position, Marie oversees the planning, direction and coordination of all human resource management activities for the hotels including employee compensation, benefits administration, recruitment, personnel policies and regulatory compliance, as well as developing and implementing all employee training and rewards and recognition programs. She also provides related human resources support for Franklin Croft Hospitality and its affiliated properties.

Prior to joining Franklin Croft, Marie spent three years as the Human Resources Manager for Petco Park, managing all on-site human resource functions for more than 1,200 full- and part-time employees and special event temps. Prior to that, she spent five years with the Simmons Group human resource consulting firm in Nevada, providing related consulting services and support for the Hard Rock Hotels in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Marie attended the University of California, San Francisco, where she received a degree in Exercise Physiology. She also received an Advanced Human Resources Certificate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Professional Certificate in Human Resource Management from the University of California, San Diego. Additionally, she was the first recipient of the Human Resources for Values in Action Award.

Tammy Frazine – Executive Assistant

Tammy Frazine joined Franklin Croft in 2008 as the Executive Assistant to the company President, as well as Office Manager. In this position, she manages the schedule and activities of the President including scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements and organizing daily calendars. She also oversees all administration duties and office procedures including scheduling meetings and appointments, making office supplies arrangements, greeting visitors, and providing general administrative support to the Franklin Croft team. Her role is to create and maintain a pleasant work environment, ensuring high levels of organizational effectiveness, communication and safety.

Tammy is the main point of contact for building tenants regarding leasing, payments, administering work orders, parking issues, and general cleanliness of the building and surroundings.

Prior to joining Franklin Croft, Tammy spent 20+ years in the administrative and accounting fields.