Brookwood Financial Partners Leadership

Thomas Nicholas Trkla is the founding member, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Brookwood and Yesway. Tom directs all aspects of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s businesses, including managing operations, shaping and setting the company’s culture, values and principles, assembling and leading the senior management team, formulating and implementing investment and disposition strategies, and evaluating, structuring, and capitalizing the companies’ acquisitions. Tom is a member of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s Executive and Investment Committees.

Prior to founding Brookwood and Yesway, Tom was a senior executive with Winthrop Securities Co., Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winthrop Financial Associates, a Boston-based real estate investment and management firm. Before Winthrop, Tom was a Vice President at The Boston Company Real Estate Counsel, Inc., one of the first real estate investment advisors to large public and private tax-exempt pension plan sponsors in the United States. Tom currently serves as an Advisory Committee member of the Massachusetts Campaign for Children, a non-profit statewide child advocacy organization, a Director of the Princeton Association of New England, a Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education, a member of the Advisory Council for the James Madison Society at Princeton University, and a member of the Urban Land Institute.

Tom is a graduate of Princeton University and received a Master of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In 2004, Tom completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

Mark J. Daniels is a Managing Director and the Chief Strategy Officer for Brookwood and Yesway. Mark’s primary responsibility is to establish and review key strategic priorities and develop and execute a comprehensive strategic plan for each initiative. As part of this role, he is charged with identifying, evaluating, and recommending strategies and specific opportunities for investment. Mark is a member of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s Executive and Investment Committees.

Mark was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Field Theory, an international software company specializing in the applied numerical simulations of sports. In addition to designing and developing several key aspects of the software from inception to final release, he directed all aspects of the company’s organization, development, and administration; secured two rounds of private funding; achieved over 50% market share in the industry; and oversaw a team of almost 200 full-time employees, part-time employees, and volunteers. Prior to joining Brookwood, Mark was a senior operations consultant with Stroud Consulting, where his work leading client teams to drive process improvements resulted in millions of dollars in annual savings. At Stroud, he worked extensively for a multi-national oil producer, exporter, and retailer and a major food-service processer and manufacturer, where his specific areas of expertise were in the consolidation and roll-up of facilities, network optimization, capital-free cost reduction, and the optimization of capital projects. Mark serves as Secretary of the Board of The Princeton Tiger, Inc. He is an active member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, and the Canadian and American Mathematical Societies. Mark remains the Chairman of the Board of Digital Field Theory and serves on numerous executive and advisory boards.

Mark is a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University, and he received his Master’s degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton, where he graduated with the highest grade point average and academic standing across all programs.

Marcia G. Strouss is a Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, and Associate General Counsel for Brookwood. In her capacity as Chief Compliance Officer, Marcia oversees Brookwood’s compliance with laws, regulations, policies, and procedures relating to its investment offerings. She establishes policies and procedures to effect compliance, develops training programs, interfaces with regulators and audit teams, conducts assessments, and advises senior management on compliance program development. As Associate General Counsel, Marcia is responsible for corporate maintenance and works closely with the General Counsel and other departments on general corporate matters such as privacy and cybersecurity. She also assists asset managers and property managers, advising on leasing and other related matters.

Prior to joining Brookwood, Marcia was an Assistant Vice President and Staff Attorney at First Winthrop Corporation, where she was responsible for securities compliance and general corporate matters. Marcia is a member of the council for Montserrat College of Art. Previously, she served on the board of the Glen Urquhart School for seven years and on the board of LungStrong for three years.

Marcia is a graduate of Wellesley College, and she received an LLM from Boston University and a Juris Doctor from Franklin Pierce Law Center.

Aaron Everett is the Chief Information / Technology Officer for Yesway. Aaron’s primary responsibility is to make key architectural, application and infrastructure decisions pertaining to the technology and business plans for Yesway, while developing long range technology and product ideas to guide and structure the Yesway IT department to help grow the organization. He brings over 20 years of experience in leading technology teams across large and complex global organizations.

Prior to joining Yesway, Aaron most recently served as the CIO for Lucky’s Market, where he led all IT strategy, budgeting, and operational initiatives for the firm’s 75 stores across the U.S. Previously, he was a senior technology leader for Staples, where he directed IT, budgeting, and operational initiatives for B2B and retail ERP applications for users across 1,300 U.S. and 300 Canada locations.



Aaron has a bachelor degree in Information Technology and holds a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University. In 2020, he was awarded Colorado CIO of the year | Enterprise. Aaron is also Certified Scrum Master and ITIL V3 foundation certified.

Derek J. Gaskins is a Chief Marketing Officer - Yesway at BROOKWOOD FINANCIAL PARTNERS.

Ericka L. Ayles is a Managing Director and the Chief Financial Officer for Brookwood and Yesway. Ericka oversees all of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s financial operations, accounting, tax reporting, budgeting, audit, and cash management processes, as well as banking relationships and the implementation of financial and risk management strategies for Brookwood and its affiliated entities. Ericka analyzes the impact of acquisitions, potential sales, property re-financings and other upcoming capital requirements to make strategic recommendations for investor distributions while ensuring adequate levels of reserves. She also oversees the firm’s corporate financial planning function and quarterly financial reporting to its investors and is responsible for the development and maintenance of adequate internal controls. Ericka serves as the Company’s Financial and Operational Principal, overseeing Brookwood’s regulatory financial reporting. Ericka is a member of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s Executive and Investment Committees.

Prior to joining Brookwood, Ericka worked for JDJ Family Office Services, a private financial and administrative service company for high net worth families and individuals, where she was a client manager providing accounting, tax coordination and planning, estate planning, financial management, and business consulting services to a portfolio of clients. Previously, Ericka worked at New Boston Fund, Inc., where she was a Vice President of Portfolio and Financial Reporting. Ericka worked at New Boston Fund from 2002 until 2014, where she managed a staff of 25 property and portfolio accountants and was directly involved with property, portfolio, and fund accounting. Ericka began her career in public accounting at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP as an Associate and Senior Associate focusing on technology and higher education clients.

Ericka is a graduate of Bryant College. In 2017, Ericka completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Sa�d Business School. In 2019, she was recognized as a Senior Level Leader in the annual CS News “Top Women in Convenience” awards program.

Joyce M Moore is a CFO/Senior Managing Dir at BROOKWOOD FINANCIAL PARTNERS. She has worked as Manager:Operations at Uno Restaurants LLC. Joyce studied at Bentley University.

Thomas Nicholas Trkla is the founding member, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Brookwood and Yesway. Tom directs all aspects of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s businesses, including managing operations, shaping and setting the company’s culture, values and principles, assembling and leading the senior management team, formulating and implementing investment and disposition strategies, and evaluating, structuring, and capitalizing the companies’ acquisitions. Tom is a member of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s Executive and Investment Committees.

Prior to founding Brookwood and Yesway, Tom was a senior executive with Winthrop Securities Co., Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winthrop Financial Associates, a Boston-based real estate investment and management firm. Before Winthrop, Tom was a Vice President at The Boston Company Real Estate Counsel, Inc., one of the first real estate investment advisors to large public and private tax-exempt pension plan sponsors in the United States. Tom currently serves as an Advisory Committee member of the Massachusetts Campaign for Children, a non-profit statewide child advocacy organization, a Director of the Princeton Association of New England, a Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education, a member of the Advisory Council for the James Madison Society at Princeton University, and a member of the Urban Land Institute.

Tom is a graduate of Princeton University and received a Master of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In 2004, Tom completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

Thomas Nicholas Trkla is the founding member, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Brookwood and Yesway. Tom directs all aspects of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s businesses, including managing operations, shaping and setting the company’s culture, values and principles, assembling and leading the senior management team, formulating and implementing investment and disposition strategies, and evaluating, structuring, and capitalizing the companies’ acquisitions. Tom is a member of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s Executive and Investment Committees.

Prior to founding Brookwood and Yesway, Tom was a senior executive with Winthrop Securities Co., Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winthrop Financial Associates, a Boston-based real estate investment and management firm. Before Winthrop, Tom was a Vice President at The Boston Company Real Estate Counsel, Inc., one of the first real estate investment advisors to large public and private tax-exempt pension plan sponsors in the United States. Tom currently serves as an Advisory Committee member of the Massachusetts Campaign for Children, a non-profit statewide child advocacy organization, a Director of the Princeton Association of New England, a Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education, a member of the Advisory Council for the James Madison Society at Princeton University, and a member of the Urban Land Institute.

Tom is a graduate of Princeton University and received a Master of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In 2004, Tom completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

Mark J. Daniels is a Managing Director and the Chief Strategy Officer for Brookwood and Yesway. Mark’s primary responsibility is to establish and review key strategic priorities and develop and execute a comprehensive strategic plan for each initiative. As part of this role, he is charged with identifying, evaluating, and recommending strategies and specific opportunities for investment. Mark is a member of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s Executive and Investment Committees.

Mark was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Field Theory, an international software company specializing in the applied numerical simulations of sports. In addition to designing and developing several key aspects of the software from inception to final release, he directed all aspects of the company’s organization, development, and administration; secured two rounds of private funding; achieved over 50% market share in the industry; and oversaw a team of almost 200 full-time employees, part-time employees, and volunteers. Prior to joining Brookwood, Mark was a senior operations consultant with Stroud Consulting, where his work leading client teams to drive process improvements resulted in millions of dollars in annual savings. At Stroud, he worked extensively for a multi-national oil producer, exporter, and retailer and a major food-service processer and manufacturer, where his specific areas of expertise were in the consolidation and roll-up of facilities, network optimization, capital-free cost reduction, and the optimization of capital projects. Mark serves as Secretary of the Board of The Princeton Tiger, Inc. He is an active member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, and the Canadian and American Mathematical Societies. Mark remains the Chairman of the Board of Digital Field Theory and serves on numerous executive and advisory boards.

Mark is a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University, and he received his Master’s degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton, where he graduated with the highest grade point average and academic standing across all programs.