Austin Alvis is the President of NewQuest Properties, responsible for leading strategic initiatives and day-to-day management of NewQuest’s development, construction, and asset management activities. Austin joined NewQuest in 2015 and was previously Vice President of Brokerage and a Development Partner with NewQuest, where he was responsible for procurement and oversight of development projects in the Texas market. Prior to NewQuest, Austin began his career at BOK Financial (Bank of Texas), underwriting commercial lending relationships in Houston.

Austin is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Advisory Board of the Houston Region Business Coalition (HRBC), and the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Economic Development Council.

Austin earned a B.A. in Economics from Southwestern University and an M.B.A. from Rice University.

Myra has over 20 years of experience in real estate development in the Central

Texas Market. She has lead large-scale land development projects across

residential, mixed-use, and commercial sectors. As President of Benchmark

Austin, she provides strategic leadership and oversees projects at every stage from

site acquisition and entitlement to infrastructure planning and construction.

Myra is continually finding innovative ways to navigate the ever-changing market

demands. Specializing in land strategy, zoning and permitting, and contract

negotiations, with a proven track record of delivering high-impact communities.

Known for her strategic mindset and execution, she has been recognized as a

leading figure in developing the Austin area by The Austin Business Journal for

her work in Goodnight Ranch and by Austin Woman for playing a vital role in

developing the Austin area. Myra is passionate about shaping sustainable,

community-focused developments that drive long-term value for end users and

stakeholders.

Samantha is an architect and urban designer whose work spans the globe and is shaped by a passion for placemaking, promoting human wellbeing and connection. As Principal and Director of Urban Design, she leads transformative projects that range from downtown revitalizations and mixed-use developments to campus and park master plans and urban streetscapes. She is particularly focused on expanding TBG’s impact across all scales—from rural to suburban to urban and urban core—advancing holistic solutions that elevate the user experience. With a strong commitment to consensus-building through community engagement and collaborative partnerships, Samantha leads with an empathetic, client and community-first approach.

racy McMillan, PhD, MPH is a Principal leading the Austin office of Nelson\Nygard, a subsidiary of Perkins&Will, and co-leads the firm's Cities & Streets sector. Tracy has over 25 years of experience in transportation planning and health and enjoys helping communities find solutions that support the transportation needs of all residents and support the health and sustainability of the community. She leads projects on active transportation, transportation safety, multimodal planning & design, program evaluation and technical assistance in Texas, California, Arizona and Colorado. Tracy received a Masters in Public Health from Emory University and a PhD in Urban & Regional Planning from the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine.

Amber Autumn serves as Director of Business Development for Adolfson & Peterson

Construction (AP) in Central Texas, residing in their Austin office. A business

development and commercial construction veteran, Amber brings more than 26 years of

diverse experience in the built environment. In her role, Amber leads the development

and execution of growth strategies to expand AP’s footprint across Central Texas. Her

focus includes identifying new opportunities, cultivating lasting client relationships, and

ensuring growth aligns with AP’s mission and core values.

Amber is a University of Phoenix graduate and an active leader in the business

development community. Prior to AP, she served as Strategic Business Developer at

Summit Design + Build, LLC for more than 10 years, where she launched the business

development division and implemented the industry’s best practices. Under her

leadership, the business development program contributed to a $200 million increase in

annual bid opportunities. Amber’s experience also includes more than 15 years of direct

fieldwork, beginning her career as a superintendent and spending more than two

decades with a general contractor. Her passion for building began during her childhood,

assisting her father’s masonry company and exploring job sites as early as age six.

John Colglazier, Jr. is a Partner in Partners’ San Antonio office,

specializing in the lease and sale of industrial properties. John

has deep experience marketing the gamut of industrial product

types at the local, regional, and national level. His expertise is

in taking sites from greenfield, through entitlement, lease-up/

stabilization, and disposition.

Prior to Partners, John joined Colglazier Properties in 1996 and

has specialized in the sale and leasing of all types of industrial,

manufacturing and distribution products.

For his career, John has completed sale/lease transactions in

excess of $1.63 billion in total volume.

Since launching his career in 2018, Dax Benkendorfer has completed over 385 transactions, leasing more than 3,100,000 square feet of industrial space. Dax oversees all aspects of site selection, design, development, asset management, leasing, and underwriting acquisitions. His expertise includes leasing and disposition of industrial assets throughout Central Texas. With a strategic, hands-on approach and a deep understanding of market trends, he focuses on creating value-driven real estate solutions that maximize investor returns.

Prior to starting his career in commercial real estate, Dax graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.

Marci Hoxworth serves as Executive Vice President of Civilitude, where she leads the firm’s people, process, growth, and partnerships. Acting as the operational driver behind the firm, she works alongside leadership to scale performance, strengthen culture, and position Civilitude as a trusted partner in shaping Central Texas.

Marci operates at the intersection of development and infrastructure, bringing together public agencies, private developers, and community stakeholders to move projects forward in complex regulatory environments. She is particularly passionate about projects that create long-term civic value, from mixed-use districts to affordable housing and public infrastructure.

With deep Austin roots and an unwavering “do hard things” mindset, she believes thoughtful growth is both an economic and community responsibility.

A.J. Bingham is the Founder and CEO of The Bingham Group, LLC (Bingham Group) an Austin-based municipal government affairs firm. An Austin and Central Texas lobbyist with more than 15 years of experience, he advises companies, developers, institutions and nonprofit organizations navigating local government, public policy, regulatory matters, procurement and public-sector engagement.

Raised in Austin, A.J. has spent his career at the intersection of business, government and the civic institutions that shape Central Texas. His experience gives clients a practical understanding of how local policy is made, how public-sector decisions move forward and how organizations can engage government effectively.

Before founding Bingham Group in 2017, A.J. served as Director of Government Affairs for the Real Estate Council of Austin, where he represented a broad coalition of real estate, development and institutional stakeholders. Earlier in his career, he spent four years at an established Texas government affairs firm, ultimately serving as Legislative Director, and later worked as a consultant at a government procurement firm advising clients ranging from mid-sized companies to Global Fortune 500 firms.

A.J. holds a B.A. in Political Science from Wake Forest University and a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law. He is also a graduate of Austin ISD’s Science Academy at LBJ High School (now the Liberal Arts and Science Academy).