Three Oaks Communities
Based in Plymouth, Michigan, Three Oaks Communities (“Three Oaks”) is the first private developer in the United States to build neuro-inclusive neighborhoods that include homes for sale to neurotypical homebuyers as well as adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities ("I/DD") and their families. Three Oaks' unique development concept also includes caregiving and support services that are organized by the families of our I/DD homebuyers. Our concept is also aligned with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service guidance for home and community-based housing and services, promoting greater independence, autonomy, choice, privacy, dignity, respect, and community integration for all of our I/DD homebuyers. The principals of Three Oaks are William J. Godfrey, John E. Zdanowski, and Bruce A. Michael.
William J. Godfrey
John E. Zdanowski
Bruce A. Michael
Meet the Team
Mr. Godfrey is a Partner and Co-Founder of Three Oaks Communities. He has substantial expertise in real estate acquisition, development, finance, leasing, and management. During his successful 38-year career in the real estate industry, Mr. Godfrey has been an investor, general partner, developer, asset manager, property manager, and senior executive for several real estate investment firms including his own. From 1985 - 1994, Mr. Godfrey served as a senior executive for Balcor-American Express (Chicago), The Related Companies (New York), and McKinley Associates (Ann Arbor). Related and McKinley are two of the fifty largest multifamily owners/managers in the United States. While at McKinley, Mr. Godfrey also formed One Eleven, Inc. in 1992 to acquire, renovate, and manage multifamily student housing next to the University of Michigan campus with his investment partners. In 2003, as their student apartment portfolio grew, Mr. Godfrey and two of his partners formed Three Oaks Group LLC to consolidate and expand their real estate investment portfolio. By the end of 2007, Three Oaks Group and its affiliates (the “Companies”) had acquired and/or developed more than 1,100,000 square feet of commercial and multifamily real estate in Michigan including the historic Waters, Trust, Ledyard, and Riverview Center Buildings in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. During 2010-17, the Companies sold most of its commercial portfolio while continuing to own and manage its residential portfolio and creating Three Oaks Communities to build inclusive neighborhoods such as Maple Oaks in Saline, Michigan. Mr. Godfrey earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1982.
William J. Godfrey –Partner
John E. Zdanowski ("JZ") – Partner
Mr. Zdanowski is a Partner and Co-Founder of Three Oaks Communities. He is also a Partner in Three Oaks Group LLC, where he has been active in real estate since 1998 as an investor, general partner, developer, asset manager, property manager and has led full scale renovations of numerous residential and commercial properties in Michigan. These efforts included recognition by the cities of Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, Michigan for his work on various historic renovation projects. Prior to joining Three Oaks, Mr. Zdanowski was employed by Microsoft Corporation for 11 years, retiring with distinction in August 2001. At Microsoft, Mr. Zdanowski successfully built, launched, and managed numerous business units as well as several high-level strategic development projects for the company’s largest corporate accounts, and received the Central Region Manager of the year award in 1997. Mr. Zdanowski earned his B.A. in Accounting and Financial Administration from Michigan State University in 1983 along with his CPA certificate in 1986.
Bruce A. Michael – Partner
Mr. Michael is a Partner and Co-Founder of Three Oaks Communities. He has over 40 years of experience in the residential and commercial real estate development industry, including leadership roles with some of the largest national apartment and home builders in the United States. Throughout his career, Mr. Michael has been directly responsible for all aspects of the development process, including feasibility analysis, due diligence, pre-development, architectural design, engineering, site planning, public entitlements, budgeting, finance, site acquisition, horizontal and vertical construction, property/asset management, and documentation. Including Maple Oaks, Mr. Michael has been directly involved in the development of more than 1,000 homes in Michigan. He earned his B.S. in Natural Resources Management in 1977 and his Masters in Urban Planning in 1980 from the University of Michigan.