NEW YORK CITY-Stephen Renna will take the reins as CEO of the CRE Finance Council effective May 1, the industry association said Tuesday. He succeeds John D’Amico, who has served as interim CEO while the group has searched for a successor to Dottie Cunningham. Cunningham resigned last October after serving as CREFC’s CEO for 12 years.

Renna brings more than 22 years’ experience in commercial real estate to CREFC. He served most recently as president of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers, whose members manage investment capital on behalf of third-party investors in commercial assets. Before his NAREIM tenure, Renna was SVP and counsel for the Real Estate Roundtable, a Washington, DC-based national public-policy organization.

In a statement, CREFC president Lisa Pendergast says, “We believe Steve’s extensive experience with major real estate associations, such as NAREIM, the Real Estate Roundtable and the National Association of Realtors—combined with his vast experience on Capitol Hill—make him the perfect fit to lead CREFC and address the key issues facing the industry.” Among the issues facing Renna as he takes the CEO chair at CREFC are federal rulemaking on CMBS and commercial real estate and helping to ensure that the market’s recovery in commercial real estate gains momentum.

Headquartered in New York City, CREFC has established six “forums” within its membership. These forums include investment-grade bondholders, issuers, multifamily lenders, securities and loan investors, portfolio lenders and servicers.