Marni J. Nygard, Esq., President and General Securities Principal, joined AEI in 2005. She is responsible for the implementation of AEI’s real estate acquisitions and its investment objectives and strategies, as well as the management of disposition processes for AEI.

Prior to joining AEI, Marni was employed as an attorney at CI Title in St. Paul, Minnesota for its residential and commercial property departments.

Paula joined AEI in 2002 and works to drive corporate initiatives for the development, analysis, marketing, and management of AEI Capital Corporation and its alternative investment products. Paula is responsible for overseeing all activity relating to the capital raise and distribution of AEI’s Fund and 1031 offerings, and AEI’s marketing efforts.

Paula brings more than 30 years of Financial Industry experience to the AEI Team. Paula holds FINRA Series 7, Series 66, and Series 31 licenses.

Paula is an avid animal lover and passionately supports Humane World for Animals, ASPCA, and other national and regional non-profit organizations focused on the rescue and well-being of animals.

Keith Petersen, CPA, Chief Financial Officer, joined AEI in 2016. He is responsible for managing all AEI accounting and tax matters, including the preparation of SEC and investor reports.

Prior to joining AEI, Keith was employed with Pine River Capital Management as the Vice President of Tax compliance and with Deloitte Certified Public Accountants as a Senior Tax Manager.

Stacy McMahon, CCIM serves as the Senior Vice President of Asset Management for AEI Capital Corporation. In her role, Stacy is responsible for the financial and value enhancement of all AEI net lease properties under management, facilitating asset sales directly to property buyers or through real estate brokerage firms and serves as the lead professional responsible for tenant relations, lease renegotiation, and asset positioning.

Prior to joining AEI Capital, Stacy served as a Vice President of Asset Management overseeing a portfolio of homes for an affordable housing developer/owner. She was Director of Finance at a national, non-profit conservation organization where her focus was on the growth of urban parks and playgrounds programs in New York, Newark, Chicago and Philadelphia, including managing complex public-private funding joint ventures. During her career, Stacy has performed market and financial analysis for hotels, offices and residential developments, structured debt and equity financing packages for public and private entities and conducted negotiations and project evaluations on behalf of city agencies.

Stephanie Wallisch-Currier, Senior Vice President – Human Resources, joined AEI in 2014 and is responsible for AEI’s overall human resource function, ensuring legal compliance and implementation of the organization’s HR strategy. This position works closely with AEI’s Executive team to implement and manage effective employee relations, performance management, benefits, compensation, and talent acquisition practices.

Stephanie has more than 20 years of human resource experience. Prior to joining AEI, she was employed by USI and SPIRE Credit Union in their corporate human resources departments. She is certified through the Human Resource Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and through the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) as Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Matthew Johnson, Senior Vice President – Sales, joined AEI in 2013. Matt provides AEI Fund and DST sales and marketing education and support for Financial Professionals and Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), and their high-net-worth clients. Matt played a significant role in raising capital for the two largest Fund offerings in AEI’s history.

Matthew was previously employed as a Financial Professional at Ameriprise Financial. Matt was also employed with Capital Square, where he was responsible for DST sales in the North Central and Northeast regions. Matt holds his FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

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Lauren Behrns, Vice President of National Accounts and Sales, joined AEI in 2026. Lauren is responsible for Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Advisor relationship management and development. She brings over six years of experience in financial services, including five years at Allianz, supporting Financial Professionals and RIAs with annuity strategy, retirement planning, and portfolio implementation. Lauren is certified in Alternative Investments through Harvard Business School and is passionate about helping advisors thoughtfully integrate alternative solutions to support long-term client outcomes.

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Erin Ward joined AEI in 2025 as the Vice President of Investor Operations. She leads the firm’s investor operations strategy, cultivating strong relationships with investors, financial professionals, and RIAs while ensuring they receive timely, accurate, and insightful reporting on their AEI investments.

With more than 20 years of experience in financial services, Erin brings deep operational expertise and a strategic mindset to the AEI team. Prior to joining the firm, she led the Mortgage Investor Reporting team at Bell Bank, strengthening reporting processes and enhancing service delivery. Throughout her career, she has developed a strong command of operational strategies within the alternative investment space and is known for her creative, solutions-oriented approach to complex challenges.

Erin is a collaborative leader who empowers her teams to excel and leads by example. Her foundation in customer service, including experience with Walt Disney Company, a Fortune 500 company, has shaped her belief that exceptional service is central to long-term growth, impact, and organizational success.

Garrett Stephens, Vice President – Acquisitions, joined AEI in 2025. Garrett is a seasoned real estate investment professional with more than 15 years of experience specializing in healthcare real estate acquisitions. Over the course of his career, he has successfully closed transactions totaling more than $2.5 billion, with deep expertise in medical offices, outpatient/ambulatory care facilities, and specialty hospitals. Garrett brings comprehensive experience across the full investment lifecycle, including deal sourcing, underwriting, structuring debt and equity, negotiating purchase and sale agreements, and leading due diligence through closing. Throughout his career, Garrett has developed a reputation for thoughtful execution, strong relationships with brokers and capital partners, and the ability to navigate complex transactions in competitive environments. His focus is on identifying durable healthcare assets in fundamentally sound markets, structured to deliver long-term value and stable income. Garrett earned his degree in Finance with an emphasis in Real Estate from San Diego State University and is pursuing an MBA from USC Marshall School of Business.