Pete Chrzaszcz, CCIM, CCRM (pronounced “Shunz”) is a first generation American, speaking English and Polish fluently. Regarding his unusual last name, he says “It’s a tongue twister in Polish; just call me ‘Pete’.”

Pete grew up on the East Coast where he completed his undergraduate degree at Boston University on a full Air Force ROTC academic scholarship with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering.

His first Air Force assignment took him across the country to Mather Air Force Base (AFB) in Sacramento, CA to attend Undergraduate Navigator training. Upon graduation he was stationed at Tinker AFB, OK flying on the AWACS aircraft. Subsequently he became an Instructor Navigator while studying his pilot manuals. While deployed in Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield, Pete learned he was accepted to Undergraduate Pilot Training through the Air Force Reserve! Pete is one of maybe 10,000 air force pilots who left active duty to attend pilot training through the air force reserves. When asked how he accomplished that undertaking, he will tell you “pleasantly persistent, NO was not an option”.

Graduating from Pilot Training as the “Top Navigation Pilot” he subsequently trained on the C-141B – a cargo turbojet. Whence his Air Force academics were complete, he began his study of Real Estate and earned his California Real Estate Broker’s license during the summer of 1993. As his flying schedule permitted, he served as a loan officer for Princeton Silverado Mortgage Group where he earned the Superior Loan Originator and Salesperson of the Month awards. For six years he flew the C-141B for the 708th Air Reserve Squadron at Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA.

During those six years, he visited 69 different destinations around the globe. He was qualified as an Air Refueling Aircraft Commander. He has been to every continent except Antarctica and remembers the 708th as the greatest group of people one could have as colleagues. He still returns for reunions to stay connected.

After earning the prerequisite number of flying hours, he applied to all the major airlines and chose a position with Northwest Airlines. Starting as a flight engineer, he was quickly invited by the cadre to join their elite instructor pool. He served as an instructor on the B727 until the airplane was retired from Northwest’s fleet. Modern and more automated he was next trained on the Airbus 320, where he flew as a first officer until he decided to withdraw from his flying career.

Planning his next career, Pete began to pursue his interest in real estate with the same passion and enthusiasm as he had previously for flying. Knowing that formal education in the materials would be a quicker and less expensive approach to learning the field, he enrolled in the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) courses. He completed all their prerequisite academic course work before his last flight and is a CCIM Designee.

In 2007, Pete founded Commercial MasterMinds (CMM). CMM is a full service commercial brokerage, but operates in a newer, more efficient manner. CMM is unique in that every Advisor participates in a mastermind group that shares ideas in such areas as marketing, sales, investor trends and financial markets. Prior to founding Commercial MasterMinds, Pete served as an advisor for Sperry Van Ness specializing in the sale of multifamily property in Northern California. His office team closed over 19,500 apartment units at a value of over $1 billion.

Besides his passion for commercial real estate, Pete has a number of hobbies and interests. Pete is an outdoors person who enjoys mountain climbing, hiking, golf and sailing. One of his favorite destinations is Yosemite, where he travels at least once a year. When his schedule allows, he takes pleasure in visiting the wine country for new vintage release events in Napa and Sonoma. Alongside his interest in wine, he also enjoys cooking and pairing foods with wine. Complementing his interest in cooking, Pete is a gardener, and his garden always includes herbs and tomatoes that are fresh and ready for recipes.

Although he hasn’t had time recently, he has woodworking and carpentry skills and his office furniture includes several pieces that he has built. One of the ways he volunteers is through Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together (formerly Christmas in April). He very much enjoys giving back to the community and rolling up his sleeves to accomplish something for those who need the assistance.

Returning to Pete’s professional career, not only is he Broker and President of Commercial MasterMinds, he is also a real estate investor. Pete is a member of the 2008, 2009 and 2010 NCalCCIM Leadership Team. He is a CCIM designee and moderates the property marketing session for the Northern California chapter. Pete is also a member of the California Apartment Association and the Urban Land Institute.