Our Team
Philip D. Estep
Founder/President
Estep has over 30 years of experience in adaptive reuse of historic properties. A pioneer of loft conversion in New York City’s Soho district, in 1974 he served as Treasurer of a corporation that converted a 70,000 squarefoot warehouse into living lofts and art galleries using the J-51 Tax Abatement plan, and obtained the first oversize building variance that made Soho’s spectacular transformation possible.
Estep then spent 15 years in Paris, France, as an investor and design-builder working with 300-hundred-year old to new in-fill properties, some of which were featured in French architecture magazines. Since returning to the USA, Estep worked in Washington, D.C. as a real estate agent licensed in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, before returning 20 years ago to his native St. Louis where he formed Estep Real Estate Services, LLC and Historic Equity, Inc.
For two decades, Estep has been a consultant and partner in historic-tax-credit-eligible renovation projects throughout the United States.
Vice President
Elise L. Westwood
Westwood has a BA in Political Science from McKendree University and a BA in Accounting from Webster University.
Her responsibilities at HEI include business development, organizing and assisting with all phases of a historic tax credit project partnered with HEI, coordinating closings with partners and business professionals. research of individual state regulations, oversight of compliance, and oversight of day to day company operations.
Administrator
Mary H. Carpenter
Carpenter received her BA in Art History from Washington University in St. Louis and a MA in Valuation Sciences from Lindenwood University. She was an award-winning Senior Certified Fine Arts Appraiser and continues to instruct appraisal subjects at the college level.
Carpenter’s responsibilities at HEI involve billing and bookkeeping, collecting, and submitting tax reporting information, and supervising the daily activities of the business.
Account Manager
Jennifer H. Knobeloch
Knobeloch received a BA in Health Care Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2015.
Her duties at HEI involve project invoicing, collecting tax reports, compliance for state regulations, and developing relationships with partners as a point of contact for HEI.