Inaugural Austin Women Leading Real Estate Event

Diana G. Zuniga is an Austin based developer, investor, and real estate broker. She recently completed the development of a 123,000 Sq. Ft. office building at 7th and Rio Grande Streets. The project called 701 Rio is now 100% leased to a major tech company. She was a development partner of the Spring Condominium, a 42-story residential point tower valued at over $120,000,000 located at the west end of the CBD in Austin, Texas. In that capacity, she was responsible for sourcing project financing, construction oversight, and marketing and sales of the project’s 252 units to sell out. She is also the President and Owner of Investors Alliance, Inc., a commercial real estate firm she founded in 1996, which specializes in investment property sales and acquisitions. As an investor, Ms. Zuniga is the managing partner of several real estate investment partnerships, which own and operate various real estate assets including multi-family and office properties in the Austin and San Antonio, Texas area. She has 35 years of experience as an investor, managing partner and real estate broker. She is a member of the Board of Directors of International Bancshares Corp., a $16 Billion bank holding company, a member of the Advisory Board of IBC Bank, Austin, as well as a member of the board of the Wilbarger Creek Municipal Utility District #1. She is past President, Board and Executive Committee Member of the Real Estate Council of Austin, past Board Member of the Central Texas Commercial Association of Realtors, and past President of the Austin Commercial Real Estate Society. Ms. Zuniga is also past President and current member of the Board of the Spring Austin Owners Association. She is a member of the Board of the Old Austin Neighborhood Association (OANA), a board member of Blue Lapis Light, an aerial performance troupe, and a former board member of Zachary Scott Theatre. Ms. Zuniga has received numerous awards recognizing her abilities. Most recently, she received the Austin Business Journal W. Neal Kocurek Award for Special Achievement in Commercial Real Estate. In early 2020 she received the Nash Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award from the Austin Commercial Real Estate Society. Ms. Zuniga was named one of only two Texans to receive the 2013 National Commercial Award from the National Association of Realtors. She was named Top Woman in Austin Commercial Real Estate for the decade 2002-2012 by CREW Austin, the local chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women. Other recognitions include CoStar’s Top Ten Power Broker for 2003 through 2007, Top Ten Commercial Broker for 2004 and 2005, and Texas Monthly’s 2005 Super Agent Award. She was a finalist for 2004 and 2013 Profiles in Power awarded by the Austin Business Journal. Ms. Zuniga is a CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member of the Commercial-Investment Real Estate Institute) and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. During her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, boating and all forms of cultural entertainment.

Emily Lee brings more than 20 years of experience to her role as principal of Pearlstone Partners. Beginning with Lee Properties in 1993, Emily has been involved in nearly every aspect of the real estate investment process, from property management to ownership to sales and leasing services. Emily’s first-hand experience with commercial and residential properties at different stages of the investment life-cycle allows her to bring a unique perspective to each project. Whether it’s an established single-family investment property or a multi-million dollar development, Emily has the tools and knowledge to give each investment the support it needs to succeed. Emily is a licensed Broker and Realtor®, and is a member of the Austin Board of Realtors, Texas Board of Realtors, National Board of Realtors, and the MLS.

Jennifer Wiebrand is Director of Development for Gables Residential overseeing new construction and investment activities in Austin. She has over a decade of experience in the field, the most recent 8 years with Gables. In her time with Gables, she has delivered over a thousand apartments and over 50,000sf of retail consisting of over $300M in market capitalization. Additionally, Jennifer is on the Board of Directors for the Downtown Austin Alliance, a partnership devoted to preserving and enhancing the value and vitality of downtown Austin.

As Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development, Marcy is responsible for overseeing the multifamily development platform for the South Central Region, leading teams through all aspects of the development process, including site selection, constraint analysis, due diligence, municipal approvals, design and construction coordination, and lease or sale negotiation. With 20 years of expertise in multifamily and mixed-use development and finance, she brings together multiple parties and countless details to accomplish a central goal. Motivated by teamwork, Marcy leads colleagues in creating detailed business plans that include everything from site location to design and the overall execution of successful development projects. Known for her ability to see the big picture and work through the details in navigating complex deals, she deftly collaborates with Ryan A+E, construction, management and capital market teams in bringing impactful multifamily developments to communities.

Vicki McDonald is the Chief Real Estate officer of Foundation Communities overseeing an extensive real estate portfolio consisting of 26 multifamily and three commercial properties valued in excess of $ 100M with annual operating budgets in excess of $40M. This oversight includes managing several departments to include Property Management, Asset Management, Sustainability, Risk and Safety and Compliance. Foundation Communities is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing, financial services and educational opportunities. Prior to joining Foundation Communities Vicki owned and operated Vista Properties a real estate firm specializing in the management, leasing and brokerage of income producing assets including multifamily, office and retail portfolios. Vista performed property management and asset management services for a variety of institutional and individual real estate owners with properties covering a six-state region. Vicki participated as a real estate Broker in the sale and leasing of over fifty million dollars of commercial real estate. At one time Vista Properties was listed by the Austin Business Journal as Top 25 Multifamily Management firms. Vicki was a finalist in the ABJ Profile in Power awards. She has served on the boards of Foundation Communities, CREW Austin, Commercial Investment Division of the Austin Board of Realtors, and the Open-Door Preschool.

Executive leader with broad experience managing large, complex organizations and achieving practical, on-the-ground results. Two decades of public service in two of the fastest-growing cities in the country; over 10 years as Texas regional director of the largest conservation organization in the world. Adept at seeing the entire playing field, crafting a vision and inspiring collaboration to accelerate progress toward results. Natural optimism and deep commitment to investing in, connecting to and empowering people to catalyze transformational action.

Results-oriented individual, primary strength in creative-problem solving; leading organizations from big picture strategy, through planning and execution. Considered a grounded voice of reason, while also willing to challenge the status quo. Connecting people across areas of expertise with commonalities, while being supportive and providing guidance to meet an individual’s and organizational goals. As a licensed landscape architect, working in the Finance Department at McCombs School of Business, I have a unique focus on the intersection of creating places to enhance people's lives with the financial requirements for successful real estate development of cities and surrounding communities – ultimately impacting societal change. I am honored to work directly with students, who are the future, supporting their efforts in career development, while strategizing with employers on the best ways to be competitive in their recruiting practices to hire the best and the brightest, propelling their companies forward. With a wide donor base in the commercial real estate industry, that donates both time and money to our student's success, I create opportunities for purposeful interactions between high-level executives, and students seeking real-world experience. In my prior role, in private industry, as Principal, Executive Committee Member, and Director of Operations at TBG Partners, I had broad experience managing human resources, succession planning, and transition to an ESOP; overhauled our recruiting process, and insured our compensation and benefits were competitive to hire the best and brightest. In addition, my passion is in the realm of marketing and strategic planning and implementation, to elevate our brand in the commercial real estate development industry, which has continued into my current role at The University of Texas, Real Estate Center. I hold a position on the Board of Directors for the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), a local, non-profit, advocacy organization, ULI Austin District Council Advisory Board, and serve on the leadership committee of the Small-Scale Development Product Council with ULI Global. In the past, I have served in various leadership roles with the ULI Austin District, including the Executive Leadership Committee, Program Committee, and Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI), among others.

Nikelle represents clients in all aspects of local government and real estate with an emphasis in land use and real estate development, public- private partnerships, procurement, and governmental affairs. Her work includes zoning, permitting, land use planning, development application processing and representation before local city councils, business development, relationship management, economic development, zoning boards of adjustment, planning commissions, local governing bodies and state and local agencies. In short, she helps clients navigate real estate development projects through governmental approvals.She also has vast experience in commercial transactions including purchases and sales, leases, public financing and general contracts. Before joining Husch Blackwell, Nikelle was a partner at Brown McCarroll. Nikelle is a member of the firm’s Executive Board.

Diana is a Executive Vice President for Brokerage in Austin, TX for the tenant representation division. As part of the Jones Lang LaSalle tenant representation team, Diana is responsible for representing clients in facility and site acquisitions. Her responsibilities include marketing, strategy implementation, coordination and review of market research with a special emphasis on financial analysis, leading lease review and negotiations. Her well-developed technical knowledge of the real estate process gives her a broad understanding of the important principles that must be incorporated into a transaction.

As Managing Director of the Stream Realty Partners’ Austin agency leasing team, Rachel Coulter specializes in representation of office properties for both existing and ground-up developments. Her clients include both local landlords and institutional owners. With transaction volume totaling 6.5 million square feet over the past twenty years, Rachel has a strong reputation as an energetic deal maker possessing exceptional market knowledge. Rachel’s portfolio has ranged from sophisticated Class A high-rise buildings to single user projects and has closed over 550 transactions, ranging from small leases to elaborate large single use buildings. Rachel is married with two young boys. She enjoys traveling with her family and being involved with her kids’ sports. She is passionate about teaching her kids to volunteer and get involved in the community.

Tiffany Lauchlan serves as Managing Director of Management Services and is responsible for the oversight of ECR’s property management service delivery. Tiffany brings to our team over 20 years of experience in property and construction management and a passion for building and leading teams to best serve the needs of our clients. Her strength and concentration lie in client-focused management with expertise in tenant relations, community-driven initiatives, and team management, which have all contributed to the driving force in her career. Previously, Tiffany oversaw and led a team responsible for over 5 million SF of commercial property management responsibilities in Silicon Valley, California. She has personally managed significant Class A office products, retail and industrial in Southern California, Northern California, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Tiffany has worked directly with MetLife, Prudential, Ellis Partners, Clarion ING, New York Life, Silicon Labs, GE Capital, to name a few. Tiffany is an IREM Certified Property Manager (CPM), the 2020 BOMA Pacific Southwest President, and a past Board member of BOMA & IREM Board of Directors.

DONNA D. CARTER, FAIA is President of CARTER DESIGN ASSOCIATES, an architectural, planning and restoration firm in Austin, Texas. Her practice is focused on projects combining revitalization, historic preservation and new construction within a complete community context. Ms. Carter's civic activities include service on numerous Austin planning and development task force committees and commissions. She has authored several master plan and guideline documents balancing preservation, economic viability and community development. Results oriented, she co-chaired a community led downtown revitalization implementation plan RUDAT A Call… to Action and was an original member of the Mueller Development Implementation Commission. Statewide service includes past service on the Texas Historical Commission, Past Chair of the State Board of Review and a Fellow of the Center for Heritage Conservation at Texas A&M University. As a civic leader she has held volunteer and board positions for non-profit health care providers and social service advocates since 1986, serving in board and board appointed positions for Austin’s Seton Family of Hospitals from 1996 until 2016 and Austin ECHO. She has recently finished 2 terms on the board of Huston Tillotson University and currently serves on the board of AIA Austin. Donna and her firm, have received numerous design and preservation awards including A TSA Design Award and Preservation Texas Award for the Restoration of the Texas and Pacific Terminal Waiting Room in Fort Worth. Donna is a Registered Architect and Interior Designer and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. She completed her Masters of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley and holds a B. A. from Yale University. She was a Ford Foundation Scholar at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

As Regional Managing Principal of Gensler’s South Central Region and a founding member of the firm’s Workplace Taskforce, Judy Pesek brings more than 35 years of design and client management experience. She earned a B.S. in Interior Design (Cum Laude) from the University of Texas at Austin and is a lifetime member of the University's Architecture Foundation Advisory Board. Elected to the International Interior Design Association's College of Fellows, one of the highest honors bestowed in the industry, she also received the IIDA's Leadership Award for Excellence. Under her leadership, Gensler Dallas earned "Corporate Citizen of the Year" honors from the Rotary Club in Dallas; and the Dallas Business Journal named her a top "Changemaker" for its Women in Business Awards. Judy was named 2018 Profiles in Power - Women of Influence in Central Texas by the Austin Business Journal, one of only five women selected from more than 100 nominees. Judy is a member of Gensler's Management Committee and serves on the firm's Board of Directors.

As Chief Executive Officer of STG Design, Sandra leads the largest integrated architecture, interiors, and planning firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, with additional offices in Nashville and Houston, serving the world's most innovative companies across the U.S. and internationally. She fosters seamless collaboration in architecture, interiors, and consulting disciplines. As an innovator in effective project delivery, Sandra has refined the way companies work with design firms by elevating design excellence, establishing efficiencies and consistencies through team composition and ideal delivery approaches, customized and scalable to each client’s real estate objectives. Her main objective at the helm of STG is growth for STG’s employee owners through expansion of services, project teams and the clients they serve. She holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University, as well as executive education certificates from the Harvard Design School Office of Executive Education and Columbia Business School Executive Education. She currently serves as Presiding Officer, Texas Military Department, Real Property Advisory Council. A member of AIA, Parét is licensed in 38 states, and she is a Registered Interior Designer. Prior to joining STG Design, Sandra Parét was Senior Vice President at AECOM, Global Commercial and Corporate Market Sector practice director. She led strategic planning for the market sector practice, working closely with regional leadership to align AECOM talent with client requirements. Her expertise relied on understanding clients’ business challenges and real estate assets and then focusing on consistent design and delivery across geographies and internal business structures. Prior to AECOM, during her 18-year tenure at HOK, Sandra held several leadership positions, including Managing Principal of the Dallas office and Global Strategic Accounts lead for corporate clients. Her thought leadership includes contributing to a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) publication: "Future Office: Next Generation Workplace Design,” as well as Future of Work research, publication and speaking engagements.

DeLea Becker is Founder & Broker for Beck-Reit Commercial Real Estate & Beck-Reit Asset Management. In addition, DeLea owns Beck-Reit & Sons, Ltd. – a company that has successfully been in business for 23 years. Beck-Reit & Sons is a Heavy Civil Contractor focusing on TxDOT Road and Bridge Repair. Her "Boots On The Ground" experience makes her the ideal Commercial Broker in Austin to work with in the sale/purchase of property or leasing commercial space. She works with clients using her own personal knowledge and skills learned in the market as a Buyer, Seller and Landlord. She specifically specializes in East Austin. Due to her 22 years of being immersed in the community handles many off-market sales on both the Buyer and Seller side. Her time is spent running the businesses, and she is always seeking and buying Commercial Properties that are income-producing or need to be gutted, rehabbed and repositioned in the market. This utilizies her 3 companies and creates a synergetic feedback loop. The majority of her holdings are in Austin, but Beck-Reit’s focus on Retail & Office properties spans across Texas. As Broker & Developer, DeLea utilizes her knowledge of Austin Real Estate and the City of Austin Development and Planning Department with her network of Lenders, Investors, Architects, Engineers, Inspectors, Appraisers, Attorneys, CPAs, and Contractors to supply her clients with a wealth of information concerning their commercial space and investment property endeavors.

Erin Morales is Principal and Managing Director of Avison Young’s Austin office. Erin brings over 22 years of experience in brokerage services with a focus in corporate occupiers in the technology sector and strategic real estate planning. Prior to joining Avison Young, she served as Senior Vice President with CBRE, where she was a founding member of and leader in the Technology & Media Practice. While at CBRE, Erin garnered consistent industry recognition as one of the top tenant representation professionals in the Austin MSA. Over the course of her successful career, Erin participated in lease and sale transactions totaling more than 4.5 million square feet. As part of Avison Young's continued global expansion, Erin will focus on the strategic growth of the Austin office, by developing new business and recruiting additional talent to enhance the firm’s service offerings in Austin and its neighboring cities.

Helen Jobes, CCIM, specializes in the sale and leasing of office, retail, and industrial property as well as investment sales in Central Texas, San Antonio, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley. During her 38-year career, Jobes has leased over 800,000 square feet of office space and sold more than 4.419 million square feet of commercial real estate, including office, office/warehouse projects, apartments, retail centers and land. Though skilled in all property types, Jobes focuses primarily on office investments and leasing. Jobes served as the investment sales broker at Trammell Crow (now CBRE) and was principal and founder of Gold Eagle Investments for ten years. She served as the Regional Director of Marketing and Investment Sales for Kennedy Wilson three years and is currently a partner with Capella Commercial LLC. Jobes served on the Board of Directors for the Real Estate Council of Austin for eleven years, which is a 2,200 member organization comprised of business and real estate professionals. She is currently a member and has also served on the Board and as past president of the Austin Commercial Real Estate Society, and is a member of the Central Texas Commercial Brokers Association, ULI and NAIOP of Austin. In 2009, Jobes was introduced to the China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce (CRECC) and along with the Mayor of Austin, the Chamber of Commerce and Opportunity Austin hosted a delegation of 30 investors who came to the United States to learn about investing in commercial real estate. In 2010, Jobes was a guest speaker at the 2010 International Forum of 50+ Communities held in Sanya, Hainan, China.

Laura Beuerlein joined Heritage Title in 1986 as a commercial marketing officer and became Senior Vice President of Marketing and owner/partner in 1989. With experience in all types of commercial property, it is through Ms. Beuerlein’s expertise in the multi-family investment arena that Heritage Title has become one of the premier title companies in the country to handle both single asset and portfolio transactions. Laura is a longtime board member of the National Multi-Family Housing Council and has served several terms on the NMHC Executive Committee as Chair of Membership and also, serves on the PAC. Laura also holds leadership roles on both a local and national level for the Urban Land Institute. She has served several terms as a Vice Chair of Programs and currently serves as Vice Chair for ULI's Multi-Family Silver Council while working for all 5 product councils. For the ULI Austin chapter, Laura serves on the Advisory Council. She served five terms on the Executive Committee of the Real Estate Council of Austin, including a Board of Directors position for 22 years and as secretary of the Board in 2001. Laura is a founding member of the Austin Chapter of CREW and is a former board member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Laura is also currently involved with the University of Texas at Austin and is serving in various leadership roles including the following: Executive Committee for the UT Chancellor's Council, Associate Council Member and programs committee member for the Real Estate and Finance Council (REFIC) at the McCombs School of Business, the Parent Council for the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) and the Board of Directors and Development Council for the UT Elementary School, a charter school in East Austin. Laura also serves on the President's Council for the Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas and The Board of Trustees for the Seton Fund.

Katie is a Senior Vice President in the CBRE Austin office, specializing in project leasing and business development with the Office Leasing Advisory Services division. She has over 17 years of commercial real estate experience. Katie’s scope of responsibilities include: negotiations encompassing all stages of the commercial transaction, identifying and accurately reporting market conditions, strategic client consulting, new business pursuits and securing current and future client relationships. Before relocating to Austin more than ten years ago and joining the Office Leasing Advisory team at CBRE, Katie was a leasing broker with Transwestern in Houston, Texas where she oversaw an office portfolio of approximately 2.5 million square feet in several major submarkets. Since 2005, Katie has completed over 700 lease transactions, representing over 4.5 million rentable square feet. With her strong leadership both within the community and the commercial real estate community, Ms. Ekstrom has been recognized as a Heavy Hitter in the Austin Business Journal multiple years.