Swampscott resident celebrates 25 years with Cummings Properties

Swampscott resident Ernest “Ernie” Agresti, Jr. celebrates 25 years of employment at commercial real estate firm Cummings Properties this month. As vice president–administration, Agresti oversees all purchasing, sustainability, and design functions for Cummings’ 10 million-square-foot portfolio, as well as the development of all new properties.

Agresti and Purchasing Manager Jim Gillette, who recently reached the same quarter-century milestone, were honored by colleagues at an informal reception at the firm’s Woburn headquarters.

“I have known these men for more than half my life, and they have had a profound impact on me and the company,” remarked President and CEO Dennis Clarke. “What strikes me most about Ernie is his professional versatility.”

Agresti has held several positions at Cummings over the years, starting as a property manager in the Operations Department, rising through the ranks to become vice president of operations, and in 2007, shifting his focus to the design and construction side of the organization.

Clarke noted that Agresti has played significant roles in many key projects, such as negotiating the Middlesex County Superior Court lease at Woburn’s landmark TradeCenter 128 campus. Most recently, he has been instrumental in the company’s latest development, the Elliott Landing luxury residential condominiums in Beverly.

Agresti has also spearheaded the firm’s sustainability initiatives. After a company-wide retrofit, nearly all of Cummings Properties’ lighting uses high-efficiency fixtures. In addition, it has one of the largest corporate collections of solar arrays in the Commonwealth, totaling more than 9,000 panels capable of producing nearly three gigawatt-hours of clean electricity each year—enough to power about 400 typical Massachusetts homes.

“I’ve learned a lot from the senior-most people here, but just as much, if not more, from some of the least experienced staff,” Agresti told his colleagues during the reception. “You all have something to offer. Everyone has taught me something.”

A Rhode Island native, Agresti has a degree in Business Economics and Urban Studies from Brown University. He has worked in real estate his entire career, and held management positions with two northern New England development and management firms prior to joining Cummings Properties.

Agresti and his wife, Jennifer, who was a special guest at the reception, have two sons and twin daughters. A member of Swampscott Yacht Club, he is an avid boater and served on the Friends of Swampscott Sailing Board of Directors. He participated as a youth soccer coach for several years and now volunteers for North Shore Rovers.

One of the most financially stable commercial real estate firms in the country, Cummings Properties employs more than 360 people, who work together to design, build, market, manage, and maintain its portfolio. One hundred and thirty employees, more than one-third of its staff, have been with the company for 10 years or more.

PHOTO: Cummings Properties vice president–administration Ernie Agresti (left) and purchasing manager Jim Gillette (right) celebrate 25 years with Cummings Properties.