Leadership

Amy Michaelson Kelly

Principal

Amy Michaelson Kelly is a founding principal of Hatteras Sky. Ms.…Read More

Amy Michaelson Kelly is a founding principal of Hatteras Sky. Ms. Kelly manages the company and implements its strategic vision for developing best-in-class multifamily and hospitality assets in dynamic markets across the United States. As the chief executive of Hatteras Sky, Amy oversees the company’s development, asset management, landlord, hospitality operations and design, communications, and fund sponsorship functions.

Kelly frequently speaks on podcasts and at industry conferences and forums across the United States. Her thought leadership and insights on real estate and hospitality trends and development strategies are sought after by peers, investors, and policymakers alike. Kelly serves on several community boards, including the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s LIFT Fund committee, the executive committee for the Unified Recovery of the River Artist District, the board of directors for the Independent Boutique Lodging Alliance of Asheville, among others. In recognition of Hatteras Sky’s and Kelly’s contributions to the Asheville community through their award-winning hotels, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce named Kelly its 2024 Female Entrepreneur of the Year.

Prior to starting her career in real estate, Ms. Kelly was a decorated attorney in Atlanta. Ms. Kelly spent most of her career at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, an international Am Law 15 law firm. In private practice, Ms. Kelly represented large companies and government entities in complex litigation involving real estate development and other business ventures. Ms. Kelly’s legal representations included some of the most high-profile cases in Georgia at the time. Ms. Kelly also secured the release of a Georgia prisoner wrongly sentenced to the death penalty and the elimination of an unconstitutional infringement on voter rights.

A Nashville native, Ms. Kelly graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and graduated magna cum laude from the University’s College of Law.

Oz Friedmann

Principal

Oz Friedmann oversees all aspects of the development process for the…Read More

Josh Portnoy

Principal, General Counsel

Josh Portnoy serves as General Counsel for Hatteras Sky. In that…Read More

Marlie Davis

Controller, Chief Financial Officer

Marlie Davis brings more than 20 years of public accounting…Read More

Jackie Guillory

Director of Finance

Ms. Guillory has over 28 years of experience in accounting within…Read More

Eric Blevins

Director of Construction Management

Eric Blevins brings 19 years of Historic Preservation/ Construction…Read More

Katie Kinsella

Director of Communications

Katie Kinsella serves as the Director of Communications for Hatteras…Read More

Jacob Sessoms

Director of Operations, F&B

Jacob Sessoms is a born and raised Southerner with a verve for…Read More

Jacob Sessoms is a born and raised Southerner with a verve for exploring cultures and culinary traditions. His concepts (Table, The Imperial life, All Day Darling, El Gallo, Right There Bar, Cultura, and The Golden Hour), all located in Asheville, NC, are the result of channeling these influences into each of his endeavors. Throughout his tenure as a chef, Sessoms has earned an array of accolades, including being named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast in 2010, Rising Star Chef and 2013 Star Chef’s gala host.

The origin of his passion for hosting and cooking for guests stems from his own father, who was the household chef and party-thrower in Sessoms’ childhood home outside of Nashville, TN. Sessoms went on to start his own journey in the culinary world as a student at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina—with little more than dorm room provisions – and officially blossomed as a chef after he got married and started cooking for his family. To fuel his desire to learn more about the craft, Jacob enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, where he studied classical French cooking techniques and pastry. Upon graduating, Sessoms worked his way up in several high-profile New York restaurants, serving under Jonathan Waxman at Washington Park and Peter Hoffman at Savoy as a line cook, and as the sous chef to Chef Anthony Rose at Bread Tribeca, now an accomplished chef & restauranteur in Toronto.

With a growing family to support and in need of a locale where he could continue to grow within his profession, Jacob, landed back in North Carolina where he took on the role of sous & pastry chef at Reza Setayesh’s Reza’s in Asheville– become a role and mentorship that inspired Sessoms to launch his own concept. In 2005, he partnered with his wife, Alicia, to open Table, bringing to life his dream of melding inspirations from his roots, travels, and culinary training to create eclectic, seasonal cuisine. Since then, Jacob, alongside Alicia and other various partners, has opened Tod’s Tasties & To-Gos (a neighborhood sandwich and breakfast joint), The Imperial Life (a craft cocktail and charcuterie bar), and All Day Darling (an all-day bakery-coffee shop-café-wine bar). As Sessoms’ career has progressed, He has designed and opened Cultura with Wicked Weed Brewing, El Gallo with Luis Martinez (a casual Oaxacan MX concept), Right There Bar with the Table team. He and the Hatteras Sky team have worked diligently and in an on-going partnership to bring to life The Radical & Zelda Dearest projects, also in Asheville. Together the team has brought to life The Golden Hour, Afterglow, Pretty Vacant, the Roof at The Radical.

OUR TEAM

Amy Michaelson Kelly

Principal

Oz Friedmann

Principal

Josh Portnoy

Principal, General Counsel

Marlie Davis

Controller, Chief Financial Officer

Jackie Guillory

Director of Finance

Eric Blevins

Director of Construction Management

Katie Kinsella

Director of Communications

Jacob Sessoms

Director of Operations, F&B