Our Team
CURT ROCCA
MANAGING PARTNER
Email: crocca@dcapartners.com
Curtis M. Rocca serves as Managing Partner of DCA Partners, responsible for all aspects of the organization, and also functions as a General Partner to the Firm’s affiliated private equity fund. Curt is a seasoned chief executive with a background in leading high growth organizations from inception to exit.
Prior to DCA, Curt was Chief Executive Officer of Dental Partners, Inc. During his stint at Dental Partners, he led the growth and operations of this multi–state healthcare consolidation from a standing start to over $30 million in revenues in 18 months, before driving negotiations for the Company’s sale in late 2000.
Prior to Dental Partners, Curt was President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Bio-Dental Technologies Corp. Under his leadership, Bio-Dental quickly became one of the nation’s fastest growing public companies. Prior to Bio-Dental, Curt served as Executive Vice President and Board Member of Celebrity Inc. Earlier in his career, Curt worked in various management functions with Marriott International, Inc. and Pacific Bell.
Throughout his career, Curt has served as a Senior Advisor and Board Member to a number of public and private organizations. Curt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Davis, where he graduated cum laude.
Non-profit involvement & professional affiliations: American Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, St. John’s Center for Real Change, Capital Region Family Business Center, Comstock’s Magazine, Financial Executives International, River City Bank Executive Forum, Vistage, Sacramento Capital Cup.
STEVE MILLS
PARTNER
Email: smills@dcapartners.com
Steven R. Mills serves as both a Partner in the Firm’s investment banking business as well as a General Partner of the Company’s affiliated private equity fund.
Steve brings more than 25 years of executive financial management and transactional experience to the Firm. Prior to joining DCA, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Responsys, Inc. Prior to Responsys, he was the Chief Financial Officer of AnyTime Access, Inc. Steve also served as a member of the Board, designated as a Financial Expert, and was the Audit Committee Chairman for Humboldt Bancorp (NASD: HBEK) for approximately two years prior to its merger with Umpqua Bank in 2004.
Prior to AnyTime Access, Steve was a Partner with Ernst & Young, LLP, where he specialized in consulting with technology companies and other organizations in various sectors concerning all elements of their financial and tax affairs. Steve started his professional career with Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Steve is an Attorney, holding a Juris Doctor of Law from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where he also earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Non-profit involvement & professional affiliations: Crocker Art Museum, Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy, Verge Center for the Arts, and Valley Vision.
CRAIG MITCHELL
PARTNER
Email: cmitchell@dcapartners.com
Craig Mitchell serves as a Partner, focusing on the Firm’s investment banking business and affiliated private equity fund. Mr. Mitchell brings to DCA over twenty years of finance, accounting and consulting experience across a broad range of industries, and has worked on over 40 transactions that have ranged in size from $1 million to over $5 billion.
Prior to joining DCA Partners, Craig was a Director at LP Capital Advisors, where he advised large, institutional investors with over $100 billion in private equity commitments. Craig has also held roles at Wachovia Securities, Banc of America Securities, Lids, Noodles & Co., TargetSmart, Epicor, and Ernst & Young. He has also owned and operated his own businesses, including Rainbow Tavern & Lodge and Triple Peak Beverages.
Craig earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Non-profit and professional affiliations: Junior Achievement; Berkeley-Haas Alumni Network of Greater Sacramento.
BRENT HAAPANEN
PARTNER
Email: bhaapanen@dcapartners.com
Brent is responsible for origination, evaluation, and execution of the firm’s investment banking business. He is an experienced advisor, leveraging his 15+ years of experience in capital markets to advise clients across all stages of M&A transactions. Brent has a broad range of experience representing both public and private companies globally, including complex corporate carve-outs, broad process sellside, and buyside engagements and negotiated transactions.
Recent deals include:
- Fore A Partner’s sale to Quest Technology Group
- Grow West’s acquisitions of Hammer Transport and Clark Trucking
- Tri HoldCo’s strategic investment in Quick Quack Car Wash
- Raley’s sale of Aisle 1 to Anabi
- Cascade’s sale to Ottobock
Before joining DCA, Brent worked as Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase, where he played a pivotal role in expanding Chase’s presence throughout the region. Prior to that, he spent eight plus years at Deutsche Bank, working with large-cap technology companies globally.
Brent earned an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and a BA from Pepperdine University. He is a Board member at The ARC of Placer County, the Placer County Sherriff’s Council and Haas School of Business Alumni Network.
CASEY LAYTON
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Email: clayton@dcapartners.com
Casey is a cornerstone of DCA. As Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for accounting, reporting, and compliance for all DCA and non-SBIC DCA entities. Casey is the hub for human resources and administration, as well as tax and audit-related functions. He also serves as an Investment Banking Vice President, focusing on financial analysis and modeling for M&A deals.
It should come as no surprise that Casey strives to over-deliver for DCA, its clients, and its Fund portfolio companies. His modeling skills are the envy of many finance professionals, honed through a delight for problem solving since joining DCA in 2005.
Casey is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of Financial Executives International. He serves as a Trustee for the UCP Foundation and has volunteered on the Capital Cup planning committee for six years.
Recent deals include:
- Several acquisitions by Flyers
- Hogan Mfg. Inc.’s acquisition of Murray Trailers
- Raley’s sale of Aisle 1 to Anabi
- Cascade’s sale to Ottobock
Prior to DCA, Casey worked for Resources Global Professionals, Sierra Office Systems, Dental Partners, The McClatchy Company, and others.
Casey earned his B.S. from CSU Fresno.
RON CRANE
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Email: rcrane@dcapartners.com
Ronald G. Crane serves as Managing Director and head of sell-side Mergers & Acquisitions for the firm. Ron brings more than 30 years of executive responsibility owning, managing, and selling companies. Ron is passionate about helping business owners receive maximum value for their years of hard work and sacrifice in building their business. Prior to joining DCA, he served as Managing Director at Vercor and Wall Street Ventures, both M&A firms headquartered in Sacramento. Ron worked primarily with privately held companies throughout the western United States, with a particular emphasis on the Sacramento and Central Valleys.
Ron has also served as President and CEO of Watson General; General Manager of ProData; and Partner at Sartoris, Inc.
As an entrepreneur or corporate executive, Ron successfully completed several M&A transactions, and has since helped dozens of successful business owners realize similar success and liquidity. The experience gained as a buyer or seller in these transactions gives him an owner’s unique perspective and insight: not only relative to the M&A process, but also to the emotional aspects inherent in this type of transaction.
Ron has been enthusiastically involved in many charities and volunteer organizations, including Make-A-Wish, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity and Shoulder to Shoulder.
RON FLAHERTY
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Email: rflaherty@dcapartners.com
Ron has over 35 years of investment banking experience, specializing in the agribusiness and food & beverage industries. His investment banking expertise includes financial advisory services, mergers & acquisitions, and capital raising. Ron has worked on private equity fund management, buy/sell side mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, restructurings and recapitalizations, as well as growth debt, mezzanine, and equity placements.
Prior to DCA, Ron was the Founder and Managing Partner of Flaherty Capital Markets. He was also one of the founding members of Cybus Capital Markets, LLC., a national investment banking firm and private equity fund manager specializing in the food and agribusiness industries.
Ron is a graduate the Kellogg Graduate School of Management’s Mergers and Acquisitions Executive Program, and earned B.S. degrees in Agricultural Business and Agricultural Economics from South Dakota State University. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for several companies and holds FINRA Series 24 (Principal) and Series 7 (Registered Representative) licenses. Ron is involved in several trade associations and addresses various industry groups throughout the food industry.
BRENDEN WILSON
PRINCIPAL
Email: bwilson@dcapartners.com
Brenden Wilson serves as Principal where he is responsible for leading the evaluation and execution of new investments for the firm’s affiliated private equity fund. Prior to joining DCA, Brenden held private equity positions at Kayne Anderson and K1 Capital, both in Los Angeles. In these roles Brenden was involved in evaluating and managing growth equity, structured debt and leveraged buyout transactions primarily in middle market growth stage companies across a broad spectrum of industries, with a particular focus on technology-based companies. Brenden has also held several board advisory and operational restructuring roles where he was responsible for implementing cost restructuring and system implementation programs.
Brenden graduated with a B.A. in political science from the University of Southern California.
CHRIS STEPHENSON
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Email: cstephenson@dcapartners.com
Chris is the Senior Vice President of Real Estate for the DCA Family Office. He oversees the identification, analysis, and due diligence of attractive real estate investments.
Prior to DCA, Chris was a Partner at Concrete Venture Capital, a London-based real estate, property, and construction technology investment firm. Chris also served as Managing Director at AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp, where he managed a multi-billion dollar real estate portfolio through partner relationships in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and India.
Chris earned an MA in Real Estate from Cornell University and a BS in Construction Management from CSU Sacramento.
TOM BRATKOVICH
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Email: tbratkovich@dcapartners.com
Tom is the Senior Vice President of Investments for the DCA Family Office. Tom oversees DCA’s investment strategy, portfolio construction, deal sourcing, and investment underwriting activities for DCA’s Family Office clients.
Tom has served as a senior team member at Wilshire Associates, where he was responsible for business development, new product launch, and deal sourcing for a $30 Billion AUM fund-of-funds platform allocating $2B/year to private equity, private credit, and private real assets investments. He also developed and managed a co-investment platform for tens of family offices. Prior to Wilshire, Tom worked at Longview Investment Partners and LP Capital Advisors and advised large institutional investors such as CalPERS, CalSTRS, and NY Common. He was also a venture capital investor early in his career.
Tom holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from UCLA, an MS in Aero/Astro Engineering from MIT, and an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School.
KHOLT MULDERRIG
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: kmulderrig@dcapartners.com
M&A clients on both the buyside and sellside benefit from Kholt’s financial analysis and project management expertise. Kholt works closely with clients on their buyside acquisition strategy, including establishing growth objectives, developing target lists, completing target outreach and thorough due diligence, and developing returns models. He works tirelessly on all stages of the sellside process as well, by preparing the company to sell, developing marketing materials, and managing the sale process through close.
Kholt joined DCA in 2016 and served on the Capital Cup committee for five years.
Recent deals include:
- Flyers Energy’s sale to World Fuel Services, Inc.
- Dental Savings International’s sale to iSmile Dental Products
- Flyers’ acquisition of Fleet Express
- Richmond’s growth capital investment from IMB Partners
- Flyers’ acquisition of Firebird Fuel
- Hogan Mfg. Inc.’s acquisition of Murray Trailers
- Flyers’ acquisition of Quick Fuel
- Development of a multi-asset class portfolio for a family office
- IES’ sale to Oaktree Capital
- Farmington Fresh’s sale to Arable Capital Partners
Prior to DCA, Kholt worked as a Project Manager at Cegment, Inc; Finance Budget Analyst at the California Department of Finance; and served in the Product Development department at the Rezolve Group, Inc.
Kholt earned an MBA from UC Davis Graduate School of Management and a BS in Economics from CSU Sacramento.
MICHAEL HODGKINSON
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: mhodgkinson@dcapartners.com
Michael serves at the Vice President of Residential Investments for the DCA Family Office. He focuses primarily on sourcing, analysis, due diligence, and negotiation of accretive residential equity transactions.
Prior to joining DCA, Michael worked with Aimco /AIR Communities (REIT) and Grosvenor Group, where he focused on sourcing, underwriting and due diligence, strategic planning, and portfolio analysis throughout North America.
Michael holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from CSU Chico.
ZAC SCHOLFIELD
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: zscholfield@dcapartners.com
Zac is the Vice President of Real Estate Asset Management. He oversees all aspects of real estate asset and portfolio management. Zac is responsible for implementing business plan objectives on real estate assets, as well as analyzing and reporting on the financial performance of each investment and the portfolio overall.
Prior to DCA, Zac served as Vice President at IHP Capital Partners, where his primary responsibility was asset management and deal origination in the company’s Northern California and Utah investments. Prior to joining IHP, Zac held positions with Lee Homes and Capital Group Research and Management.
Zac earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics with Business and Quantitative Emphasis from the University of Colorado Boulder.
SHAWN GREWAL
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: sgrewal@dcapartners.com
Shawn Grewal is a Vice President of Private Equity. He is responsible for leading the evaluation and execution of new investments for the firm’s private equity fund.
Prior to joining DCA, Shawn worked at Oak Hill Capital, a middle market private equity firm in the Bay Area, where he was involved in the evaluation and execution of leveraged buyout and growth equity transactions across the Media & Communications and Services industries. While at Oak Hill, Shawn supported the successful execution of four platform acquisitions along with several other add-on acquisitions for his portfolio companies. Prior to Oak Hill, Shawn was a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Morgan Stanley.
Shawn earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics, magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles.
ZEINA FAWAZ
DIRECTOR OF INVESTMENT UNDERWRITING
Email: zfawaz@dcapartners.com
Zeina Fawaz is DCA’s Director of Investment Underwriting. Zeina focuses primarily on identifying new opportunities, investment underwriting, facilitating negotiations, and overseeing due diligence and closing processes for commercial real estate transactions across asset classes, with a focus on hospitality products.
Prior to joining DCA, Zeina was part of JLL’s Capital Markets division in Boston where she focused on property dispositions, debt and equity placements for real estate investments, and new developments. She has also worked at HVS, a hospitality appraisals company, where she performed consulting and valuation work for existing and proposed hotels and resorts nationally.
Zeina earned her Bachelors degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Glion in Switzerland.
KRIS JONES
DIRECTOR OF INVESTMENT UNDERWRITING
Email: kjones@dcapartners.com
Kris serves as the Director of Investment Underwriting for the DCA Family Office. He focuses primarily on identifying and underwriting new investment opportunities, securing and negotiating debt for new investments, and overseeing due diligence and closing processes for commercial real estate transactions across asset classes.
Prior to joining DCA, Kris served as Vice President, Originations for PACE Loan Group where he originated financing throughout the United States on multifamily, office, retail, industrial, and hospitality properties. Prior to PACE Loan Group, Kris held positions with RealCrowd and Palmer Capital.
Kris holds a BA in International Relations from the University of San Diego and an MA in International Trade and Investment Policy from George Washington University.
MELODIE PUFFER
DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL PLANNING & ANALYSIS
Email: mpuffer@dcapartners.com
Melodie is DCA’s Director of Financial Planning & Analysis and focuses on instituting and managing FP&A programs across DCA portfolio companies. She is also involved with the implementation of modern software systems, managing strategic programs, developing best practices, and participating with the PE investment team at DCA.
Prior to DCA, Melodie held Director of FP&A roles in the software industry, most recently at health technology company Rethink First and before that at financial technology company Certent. In both roles, she led reporting efforts to private equity stakeholders as well as managed budgeting, forecasting, and other business analytics activities. Prior to her time in tech, Melodie spent 12 years at Union Pacific Railroad, holding various roles in Operations Finance, Financial Analysis, and Corporate Audit.
Melodie earned her MBA from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Nebraska Lincoln, majoring in Finance.
ASIM HASNAIN
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
Email: ahasnain@dcapartners.com
Asim Hasnain serves as our Senior Business Development Specialist, responsible for identifying opportunities for business growth and optimizing marketing strategies for both M&A and Private Equity. Asim’s skills in relationship management, research, database management, and project management have had signifcant results on DCA’s Private Equity and M&A pipelines.
Before joining DCA, Asim worked in business development at Asseta, a semiconductor company that has global reach.
Asim earned his B.A. from the University of Arizona.
FARHAN BILLAH
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
Email: fbillah@dcapartners.com
Farhan Billah is DCA’s Business Development Specialist, responsible for Private Equity & M&A deal sourcing.
Prior to joining DCA, Farhan was a commercial project management intern at Siemens. He focused on financial analysis for various light rail modernization projects in the U.S.
Farhan earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Santa Clara University.
LARS BECHERT
ASSOCIATE
Email: lbechert@dcapartners.com
Lars Bechert joined DCA from Zurich, Switzerland, where he worked at the investment banking firm Proventis Partners. As an Associate on the M&A team, Lars is responsible for supporting the execution of the firm’s investment banking engagements, from financial modeling and analysis, to target outreach, process management, and closing.
Lars earned a B.A. from University of Mannheim and an M.S. from Stockholm School of Economics.
TOM ARSTINGSTALL
ASSOCIATE
Tom joined the firm in 2021 and is primarily responsible for the sourcing, evaluation, and execution of DCA’s investment banking business. He has 5+ years of advisory experience within private equity, spanning a wide variety of investment strategies and sectors, as well as direct financial consulting experience within healthcare and technology.
Prior to DCA, Tom most recently worked at PowerSchool, where he was a Senior Analyst within FP&A, primarily focusing on annual budgets, quarterly reforecasts, and various ad hoc analyses for senior executives. Before PowerSchool, Tom was a Senior Associate within the alternative assets space of Mercer Consulting, where he advised large, institutional investors seeking exposure to private equity and co-investment opportunities.
Tom earned his B.S. in Finance & Accounting from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
BEN URBANEK
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Email: burbanek@dcapartners.com
Benjamin Urbanek is a Private Equity Associate, primarily focusing on performing financial modeling, forecasting, completing business due diligence, and supporting execution of buyout and structured capital investments.
Before joining DCA, Ben provided financial due diligence consulting for KPMG in their deal advisory practice, focusing on a wide array of industries with an EBITDA range of $1 million to $50 million.
Ben earned his Masters in Financial Management and Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas A&M University.
LOUIS SKIBICKI
ASSOCIATE
Email: lskibicki@dcapartners.com
Louis Skibicki is a Private Equity Associate, primarily focusing on performing financial modeling, forecasting, completing business due diligence, and supporting execution of buyout and structured capital investments. Prior to joining DCA, Louis worked for Mariani Landscape, a private equity backed commercial landscape services firm. Louis also spent three years at KPMG in the M&A transaction services group.
Louis earned his MBA and Bachelor of Applied Science in Accounting and Finance from Indiana University.
TREVOR STEPHENS
ASSOCIATE
Email: tstephens@dcapartners.com
Trevor Stephens is a Private Equity Associate, responsible for financial modeling, forecasting, completing business due diligence, and supporting execution of buyout and structured capital investments.
Prior to DCA, Trevor worked in the Technology Investment Banking Group at Jefferies, where he worked with software, internet, and semiconductor companies on a variety of M&A and capital raising engagements.
Trevor holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University.
LARRY EDGAR
CONTROLLER
Email: ledgar@dcapartners.com
Larry Edgar is our Controller. He has over 25 years of accounting experience including his roles at Hunt & Sons, Campora Propane, and the McClatchy Company. As the Director of Finance for Campora Propane, he was an integral part of the successful sale of the Company to Energy Distribution Partners.
Larry is a Certified Public Accountant and earned his BS from California State University, Sacramento.
FARA ELIZALDE
ACQUISITIONS PROJECT MANAGER
Email: felizalde@dcapartners.com
Fara Elizalde is DCA’s Acquisitions Project Manager. Her primary responsibility is to serve as the liaison between external General Partner sponsors, external professional service providers, and DCA. She also manages all legal, financing, and other documentation specific to Family Office transactions. Fara’s role is imperative to ensuring all transactions proceed as efficiently as possible.
Fara spent the majority of her career in Human Resources, most recently as the Director of Human Resources for Mindful Health Solutions in Rocklin.
Fara graduated with distinction from Duke University and holds an MBA from Boston College Carroll School of Management.
STEVEN HAGEL
FINANCIAL REPORTING SPECIALIST
Email: shagel@dcapartners.com
Steven Hagel is DCA’s Financial Reporting Specialist. He is responsible for the implementation of DCA’s asset-management software, as well as analysis of the existing assets in the Family Office’s growing portfolio. Steven provides essential reporting on the performance of these assets to stakeholders.
Prior to DCA, Steven gained valuable experience at VMware as a Senior Analyst, and at KMPG, as a Senior Audit Associate.
Steven earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Santa Clara University.
MEGAN KAHN
ANALYST
Email: mkahn@dcapartners.com
Megan Kahn is an M&A Analyst. Her responsibilities include conducting detailed business analysis, developing pitch materials, conducting outreach, and building financial models.
Prior to DCA, Megan gained experience at Aritzia Fashion Company and The Walt Disney Company.
Megan earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Political Economy from New York University.
JACK SA
INVESTMENT ANALYST
Email: jsa@dcapartners.com
Jack Sa is an Investment Analyst. His primary responsibility is to analyze Family Office real estate investments across asset classes of interest to DCA.
Prior to DCA, Jack gained valuable experience at Gallaway Commercial, Inc. as a Research Analyst, where he researched markets and created models for a tenant platform.
Jack graduated magna cum laude from San Jose State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Business Administration.
KAMRON BEHIZAD
INVESTMENT ANALYST
Email: kbehizad@dcapartners.com
Kamron is an Investment Analyst.
Prior to DCA, Kamron interned at Monument Square Investment Group, Hawke Media, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, and BC Environmental Insurance Brokers, Inc.
Kamron earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration & Management from University of Southern California.
BRIAN LARSON
SPECIAL ADVISOR
Email: blarson@halohospitality.com
Brian Larson is a Special Advisor in the Hospitality space.