Our team

Founder/Managing Partner

Ross Litkenhous

I’ve spent the better part of my life immersed in commercial real estate – as a student, analyst, executive, entrepreneur and elected official. I have personally owned, managed and leased commercial buildings. I’ve even redeveloped a few. But my specialty is property tax advisory. For two decades my focus has been creating value for owners, developers and investors of commercial real estate by reducing, forecasting and managing property taxes – saving my clients hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.

I have worked at numerous local, regional and global property tax firms, leading highly successful consulting and advisory teams. I’ve written dozens of white papers, articles and studies on innovative state and local tax strategies. All of that passion for and experience in commercial real estate and property tax is engrained and visible in everything we do at Cavalry.

Outside of the real estate world, I enjoy life with my wife, 3 daughters and our cattle dog mutt, Ronnie. We raise backyard chickens, rock climb, and play a lot of lacrosse. We take pride in raising our kids as early entrepreneurs: they have a small but growing baking business in town and even sell an occasional free-range egg or two from their chickens, Twinkle and Cotton Candy. Don’t worry – I handle their taxes.

I served as an elected member of the Falls Church City Council and currently serve on the Falls Church City Economic Development Authority. I have also held numerous positions on a variety of boards and commissions, including the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals, as well as other regional elected bodies like the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Birmingham-Southern College with a Distinction in Leadership Studies and hold an MBA with a specialization in Real Estate and Urban Development from the Kogod School of Business at American University.

Co-Founder/Partner

Heidi Gilbert

Since graduating Summa Cum Laude from the Robert H. Smith School of Business I have built a career in commercial real estate, advising asset managers and investors on the most effective property tax strategies to maximize portfolio value and minimize tax liability.

During that time, I helped lead the expansion of SC&H Group’s real estate tax service offerings into the Washington, D.C., area. We were successful in building one of the fastest growing state and local tax practices on the East Coast, ultimately being acquired in 2014 by Altus Group, a global real estate software and data company. I led teams responsible for managing institutional-level accounts, and built relationships across our industry – from investors, developers, and owners of commercial real estate to the state and local officials whose input is critical to delivering results.

I’m a numbers person, and I’ve found my passion helping investors with complicated assets reduce their single largest operating expense – property tax. I also have deep experience in due diligence, underwriting, and transactional matters involving diverse and complex national portfolios and entity structures. As a co-founder of Cavalry, I put those skills to work in a client-first model where technology and relationships drive the bottom line.

In my free time I enjoy working in my home garden and caring for my free-range chickens. I like to be active, whether it be working out at the local cross-fit gym with my husband or spending time outdoors hiking and backpacking with our dogs Ozzy and Shorty.

Director

Galen Sencil

I have more than a decade of experience analyzing and valuing commercial real estate. As an MAI appraiser I’ve valued thousands of properties, from gas stations to data centers and everything in between.

I began my real estate career at SC&H Group in Washington, D.C., focused on successfully lowering our clients’ real estate taxes. During that time, I was selected as the lead staff for the firm’s newly established appraisal group, and eventually moved to CBRE, where I focused my skills on valuing retail assets, hotels, and country clubs. I was recognized for outstanding performance in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore region in 2018, and in 2019, I relocated to the Atlanta area where my focus shifted to data centers, office buildings, and industrial properties.

Working in appraisal for nearly a decade has given me the opportunity to understand hundreds of different property types. As an appraiser, I have been uniquely situated within commercial real estate to digest the greatest amount of property information and property data. Like brokers or investors, appraisers evaluate hundreds of properties each year but unlike brokers or investors, appraisers are obligated to analyze and summarize each property’s data and synthesize it into a report that can be relied upon. As a high-volume appraiser with wider experience than most, I have a unique familiarity with real estate information, which is the basis of the technology products we are developing here at Cavalry.

When I’m not working, I spend time with my wife Atsumi, our three daughters, and our Corgipoo Dino (as in dinosaur, a topic of great interest to our eldest daughter when she persuasively suggested the name). We love taking the whole circus camping, hiking, and to visit with our family nearby in Georgia and abroad in Japan.

I received both my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Science-Real Estate from the University of Florida.

Director

Sean Radin, Esq.

I have spent the last twenty years developing a wealth of expertise as a commercial real estate professional. Serving as both a consultant and an attorney, I focus on property tax strategy, commercial real estate valuation, property tax appeals, and pre-development and pre-acquisition tax forecasting in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

Before my time in real estate and law, I served our country as a United States Marine. There, I honed my leadership skills, rising to the rank of Sergeant. While serving I received commendations for “personal initiative, unsurpassed dedication and steadfast commitment to excellence.” I try to embody these tenets and the core values of the Marines (Honor, Courage, and Commitment) in everything I do.

One interesting fact about me is that in addition to my legal career I spent ten years as a sports agent. I was a certified NFL contract advisor, negotiating contracts and navigating the intricacies of professional football as well as baseball.

I currently reside in Bethesda, Md., with my wife, Angel, and two children, Max and Mia. In between managing commercial real estate and fighting the good fight for property tax justice, I moonlight as the chauffeur to my kids’ tennis practices and other activities.

My educational background includes a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law and a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Towson University, where I was a college athlete and four-year member of the football team.

Head of Operations

Kendall Almaguer

While I have spent the last 15 years in the legal field, I am excited to begin a new journey in the commercial real estate space. Prior to joining the Cavalry and Taxonics team, my focus was in law firm management and operations, where I assisted clients in a wide variety of practice areas such as business formation and compliance, international trade, and litigation.

Most recently, I served as the Chief Operating Officer of a mid-size law firm in the Washington, D.C., area. There, I oversaw day-to-day operations and implemented policies, procedures, and new technologies to grow the firm. Before that, I worked in an Am Law 200 law firm focusing on international trade, mergers and acquisition, and national security.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Washington College and a Master of Science in Justice, Law, & Society from American University.

I live in Alexandria, Va., with my husband, two cats, and labradoodle. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, drinking wine, Philadelphia Flyers hockey, and searching for the perfect cup of coffee.

Counsel

Emily Halm Jenkins

I have been advising businesses and non-profit organizations in the D.C. area for the past 13 years. I am the founding partner of Halm Jenkins PLLC, and am thrilled to be serving as Counsel for Cavalry. I have experience in a broad range of legal matters, including business litigation, commercial real estate, negotiation and drafting agreements, and M&A deals. I mostly enjoy working as a strategic advisor, and look forward to working closely with Cavalry on day-to-day operational needs and strategic long-term planning.

Prior to forming Halm Jenkins, I chaired the Business Practice Group of my previous firm and oversaw the firm’s pro bono activities. I was also Associate General Counsel for a trade association in Alexandria, Va., and began my practice as a business litigator for a large D.C.-based firm.

I graduated from the George Mason University School of Law, where I was the Associate Executive Editor of the George Mason University Law Review. Prior to law school, I received my undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary and spent four years on the Cross Country and Track teams.

I currently live in Falls Church City with my husband, our four kids, and our ancient Chocolate Lab. I love to hike and travel, and you’ll often find me running on the W&OD trail or hiking in a National Park with all four kids in tow. I am active in our community, and currently serve as the Vice President of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Analyst

Sara Chepkoit

I thrive on positivity and I’ve always liked creating a positive and memorable experience for those I encounter. I’ve carried that with me through my college summers as a counselor for Montgomery County Recreation, for my families and coworkers, and through community volunteer work. I look forward to doing the same as I begin my career journey with Cavalry.

I graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Spanish. I had the opportunity to participate in study abroad programs in both Ecuador and Spain. During my undergraduate years, I was involved in various clubs and projects, having also run on the Track and Field/Cross Country team.

I interned my senior year with the Coalition on Human Needs, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., where I collected and monitored data for the Census, Child Tax Credit, and U.S. public education systems.

I love running on trails and training for races in the DMV area. I also enjoy cycling, traveling, and visiting new cafes and restaurants. I’m always willing to take a strong recommendation (points for great seafood).

Operations Administrator

Jackie Jones

Since my first summer job at age 16 as a Secretarial Assistant at the Department of Energy, I have had a passion for helping and supporting people and organizations achieve their goals. My career has allowed me to work in various industries, organizations, and government functions across the United States from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles.

At Cavalry Real Estate Advisors, I have come full circle and am able to use all of my experience to support the organization and our clients. I enjoy the opportunity to wear several hats in a single day and truly love supporting our team in providing unmatched client service. I like to say loving what you do is great, but knowing what you do has helped someone else is even greater.

I received my Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Education from Liberty University. Since then, I have learned that you don’t have to be in a classroom to be an educator. In everything you do, there is an opportunity to teach and to learn – and by using that in my professional and personal life means life for me never gets old or boring.