Davon Barbour serves as the President & CEO of the Downtown Austin Alliance. His areas of

expertise include, public/private partnerships, business attraction, retail revitalization, and

community development. He has worked for private sector, public sector, and non-profit

organizations revitalizing urban communities across the nation including Baltimore, Miami, Orlando

and Los Angeles. Immediately prior to joining the Austin community, Davon served as the President

& CEO of the Downtown Development District, the nation’s first property-based assessment district,

where he was recognized twice as one of New Orleans’ Top 500 Business Leaders. Since joining the

Austin community, he has been recognized as one of “26 Austinites to Watch in 2026” by the

Austin-Statesman and one of “Texas 100 Annual List of Impactful Texans” by the Austin Business

Journal.

As Director of the Community & Economic Development Division for the Los Angeles County

Development Authority, Davon oversaw the county’s redevelopment initiatives, revolving loan

portfolio, construction administration, and the nation’s largest urban county district Community

Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. He played a lead role in developing and administering

more than $150M in COVID-19 economic recovery programs.

In his role as Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Downtown Partnership of

Baltimore, Davon led the organization to win an Award of Excellence in economic development

from the International Downtown Association (IDA) for its TechConnect business attraction

program. Davon considers his proudest professional achievement to date, the development of a

master plan and urban renewal legislation for an ambitious $2 billion mixed-use redevelopment

project that includes up to two million square feet of life sciences and technology space, new

mixed-income housing, park space and local employment opportunities to revitalize neighborhoods

that encompass the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital in his hometown of Baltimore, MD.

Additionally, as Director of the City of Hollywood’s Community & Economic Development

Department, Davon led the city to win three (3) consecutive annual awards from the National

Community Development Association.

Davon has served in numerous volunteer leadership roles throughout his career. He is extensively

engaged in the Innovative Commerce Serving Communities (ICSC) where he currently serves as a

member of its Board of Trustees. Davon also served a past Vice Chair of the International

Downtown Association. He has served on advisory panels and/or authored works for ICSC, IDA, and

the Urban Land Institute. Notably, he chaired a re-imagined ULI Advisory Panel for the Sankofa

CDC/Lower Ninth Ward for the revitalization of a neighborhood severely impacted by Hurricane

Katrina resulting in broad community support.

Frank leads on deal selection and capital structuring at MNO Partners. He previously worked as a project manager and financial analyst at Aspen Heights Partners and was involved in a variety of multifamily development projects at the Greylock Property Group. His experience includes development, asset management, capital markets and acquisitions. He graduated with an M.S. in Finance from Boston College and a B.S. in Economics from Wake Forest University. Frank also served as a Company Commander in the Texas Army National Guard and is a graduate of the US Army’s Ranger School

As Senior Vice President of Real Estate, Chris Zaiontz has been invaluable to the expansion and success of Pearlstone Partners. By focusing on the firm's business development and nurturing relationships with new and existing equity partners, Chris has been integral to the growth of Pearlstone Partner's development portfolio, presently comprising more than $600M in current and future projects. In his role as VP, Chris oversees all real estate operations and site acquisitions for future developments and manages the Brokerage partners that sell and/or lease development inventory.

An active Realtor in Austin since 2010, Chris began his career as a top producing agent specializing in residential investment and multi-family sales, transacting over $100M+. His understanding of underwriting properties and financials naturally led him to real estate development and his current position with Pearlstone Partners.

Chris holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Texas State University, is an active member of the National and Texas Association of Realtors, Austin Board of Realtors, and recently received his designation for CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member).

As an executive team member, Katy spearheads work on the redevelopment and expansion

project team, managing financial operations and partner relations.

Since March 2022, Zamesnik has held her current position, providing guidance and oversight for

the redevelopment and expansion of the Austin Convention Center, the department’s overall

budget, funding mechanisms, and debt services. She continues to oversee the administration of

ACCD’s community engagement and arts programs.

Zamesnik earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and International Affairs from

Florida State University, and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.

She enjoys outdoor activities, sporting events, and spending time with her beloved dogs.

Chuck Lipscomb is a Vice President at JE Dunn Construction, one of the largest commercial construction firms in the United States. Chuck’s responsibilities include business development, client advocacy and community relations for JE Dunn’s Central Texas operations. Since joining the firm in 2008, he has helped JE Dunn increase market share in numerous strategic markets including healthcare, multi-family, higher education, commercial office, cultural and government. Chuck successfully led JE Dunn’s business development efforts to secure the contract to build the new Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, a 520,000 SF academic medical center that anchors Austin’s emerging Health District.

Prior to joining JE Dunn, Chuck held various marketing and management roles in both the public and private sectors. Chuck has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication from Auburn University.

Chuck is active with local civic and philanthropic initiatives including serving as Chair of Opportunity Austin’s Economic Development Council and Chair of The Fifty, a volunteer committee the supports Dell Seton Medical Center at UT and its role in transforming healthcare in Central Texas.

Michele Rogerson Lynch is the Director of Land Use and Entitlements at Metcalfe Wolff Stuart & Williams, LLP, where she leads complex real estate development projects through all aspects of municipal approvals and entitlements. With more than 25 years of experience in land use planning, zoning, and development strategy, she has guided multifamily, office, retail, mixed-use, and large-scale planned unit developments from concept to completion.

Her career spans both public and private sectors, beginning in governmental relations with the Texas Association of Realtors Political Action Committee. She later held roles as a Development Planner with the City of Austin and City of San Marcos, Project Manager for the Austin Parks Foundation, Principal Planner with Drenner & Golden Stuart Wolff, L.L.P., and Director of Land Use and Entitlements at Metcalfe Williams, LLP.

Ms. Rogerson Lynch is recognized for her ability to balance technical expertise, regulatory navigation, and stakeholder engagement—working closely with city officials, environmental organizations, neighborhood groups, and development teams to achieve successful project outcomes.

She holds a Master’s degree in Land Development and Management from Southwest Texas State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography with a specialization in Environmental Science from Texas A&M University.

Active in the professional community, she was a member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (Austin/San Antonio Chapter) from 2009 – 2018 and a longtime member of the Real Estate Council of Austin and the American Planning Association.

Preston Patten is an Shareholder at Winstead PC. His current practice is focused on real estate development with an emphasis on structuring residential, mixed-use and office condominiums, and residential and mixed-use communities. Preston also represents developers in their creation and administration of property owner associations.

Kristin brings over 15 years of construction

management expertise with a very diverse project

background. Having started her career working

as a laborer in the field, she understands the

construction process from start to finish, and

draws on that knowledge to plan and execute

projects in the most cost effective manner. She is

focused on building and managing strong teams

and providing the oversight and direction that

ensures that the project exceeds expectations.

As Vice President of Construction Operations,

Kristin is involved with and responsible for

every phase of a project from preconstruction

through completion and turnover. This

includes coordination of cost estimating,

budget preparation, design development,

preconstruction and construction activities as

well as subcontractor negotiation. An efficient

and thoughtful leader, Kristin is well respected

for her keen ability to bring the right people

together to solve problems. She has a proven

track record of successfully delivering complex

projects on time, developing strong relationships

with customers along the way.

Matt Isbell is the President and Founder of EnvelopiQ, bringing over 20 years of experience in the construction and technology industry. Throughout his career, Matt has been instrumental in designing and implementing technology for some of the largest and most complex projects. For the past decade, he has focused on adopting a user and experience-driven approach to planning and integrating technology within the built environment. His expertise and dedication have positioned him as a leader in the field.

Matt and EnvelopiQ are currently involved in planning and connecting technology in iconic projects across the country. These include the $4.3 billion IU Health Downtown Hospital, OCVIBE in Anaheim, CA, COTA Turn 11 car condos, the $650 million+ Indiana School for the Deaf and Blind, Elanco Animal Health’s new global headquarters, and the Bottleworks District in Indianapolis.

A native of Indianapolis, where EnvelopiQ is headquartered, Matt also oversees an office in Austin, TX. His innovative mindset continues to drive EnvelopiQ’s success and influence in the industry.

Dan Longshore is Southwest Regional Director at JT Magen, a national construction firm specializing in preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting across a variety of industries. Based in Austin, Dan leads the company’s Texas region. He has more than 29 years of experience in construction management, commercial interiors for the corporate and retail sectors, as well as ground-up experience in the banking and QSR sectors.

Trae is passionate about serving clients who strengthen the community. He is an experienced builder of healthcare, private and charter K-12, higher education, and cultural & performing arts facilities. Trae’s focus is serving clients in the Central Texas region from pre-construction through occupancy. He has 15 years of experience in the construction industry, with 12 of those years working with Linbeck Group, LLC. Trae started his career as a project engineer and is now a vice president leading a team in the Central Texas region. He has led major projects in the Austin and Houston markets, including serving MD Anderson for 6 years on a variety of projects - from valve replacements under a JOC agreement to 600,000 SF buildouts in Design-Build deliveries. In Austin, he has worked with specialized clients, including radio compounding pharmacies, as well as complex imaging equipment upgrades. Outside of work, Trae enjoys chasing around his two young daughters and tooling around town in his vintage Mercedes.

Gian Michael Piano is Principal at Presidium, where he leads the firm’s mixed-use development efforts and drives expansion across core asset classes. Since joining in 2016, Michael has played a central role in Presidium’s growth, delivering successful ground-up multifamily projects and spearheading its move into large-scale, integrated developments. His leadership has been critical to launching three landmark Austin-area projects—River Park, The Row, and The Pecan District. With deep experience in multifamily, mixed-use, entitlement, and land development in Central Texas, Michael is known for navigating complex entitlements, executing transformative transactions, and building high-performing teams to bring ambitious projects to life.

Brett Pitt is President of Merriman / Pitt Anderson (MPA), an architecture and interior design firm specializing in Industrial/Manufacturing, Hospitality (Hilton & Marriott brands), Multi-Family, Commercial/Office, and Mixed-Use projects. With over 25 years of experience in the Austin architecture industry, Brett has led MPA's business development, client management, and project oversight since its inception in 2012. His diverse portfolio includes Corporate Office, Medical Office, Tenant-Improvement, Mixed-Use, Hospitality, Multi-Family, Schools, Retail, Financial, Civic, Religious, Energy, Transportation/Aviation, and Industrial/Manufacturing projects.

Brett's broad experience ensures optimal design value and construction feasibility for his clients' investments.

Cody joined the Gordon Highlander team with more than 25 years of industry experience. This experience has brought confidence and trust with new clients as he stepped into the role of Vice President for the new Central Texas office in Austin. He has built both a cohesive team and the Gordon Highlander reputation in this expanded market. In addition to his extensive professional experience, Cody holds a master’s degree in industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University. His use of industry experience and knowledge has been instrumental in growing the Central Texas market for Gordon Highlander