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.

Trey’s principal area of practice relates to public finance,

development, local government regulation, and state legislative

matters. He regularly represents special districts whose chief

purpose is providing water, sewer, drainage, roads, and parks.

Trey also represents developers in connection with economic

development agreements, tax increment reinvestment zones,

local government corporations, municipal management districts,

and other financing mechanisms used to facilitate development and financing of public

works and infrastructure. He serves as general counsel and bond counsel to special

districts. Trey works with developers to structure development agreements with cities

and other local government entities for public participation in commercial, residential,

and mixed-use developments.

Legislative Activities. Trey has worked to draft significant pieces of legislation and lobby

for their passage, including changes to Chapters 49, 51, 54, and 57 of the Water Code,

Chapter 375 of the Texas Local Government Code, and Chapter 311 of the Texas Tax

Code affecting the administration and operation of water districts; municipal management

districts, and tax increment reinvestment zones (TIRZ’s), respectively; and reforming the

process of granting “Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity” (CCN’s) by the

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)/ Public Utility Commission of Texas

(PUC) by providing greater rights to landowners. Trey works with the TCEQ to write and

adopt agency rules implementing legislative changes.

Educational and Professional Background. Texas A&M University, B.A., magna cum

laude, 1995; The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1998; Vinson &

Elkins L.L.P., 1998–2003; Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP 2003- Present. Admitted

to practice: Texas, 1998.

Member. State Bar of Texas; Urban Land Institute; National Association of Bond

Lawyers; Real Estate Council of Austin; Board of Directors, Texas Association of Business;

Chairman, Water Committee of the Texas Association of Business; Trustee, Houston

Realty Business Coalition; Capital Area Suburban Exchange; Advisory Council, Association

of Water Board Directors–Texas.

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.

Chuck McCallum, PE, QSD, brings 34 years of civil engineering and land development experience to his role as CEO + President of Kier + Wright (K+W) and co-founder of KWRE. He leads all aspects of K+W’s business operations and supports project teams across offices and market sectors, with a focus on aligning the firm’s strategy, culture, and long-term vision.

Throughout his career, Chuck has helped guide the planning and delivery of complex land development projects, including large-scale industrial business parks, corporate campuses, and high-rise office developments. His hands-on approach and focus on client service have been instrumental in expanding K+W’s portfolio and strengthening the firm’s long-standing relationships with developers, owners, and industry partners.

Chuck has served on the national ACEC HealthTrust Board and is a longtime sponsor of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He is also a member of NAIOP in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

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.

Emily Mathes is the Vice President of Economic Development for the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership. She oversees HCEDP’s responses to incoming inquiries and requests from clients, site selection consultants, partners, and other lead sources. As the first point of contact for visitors, from local guests to out-of-town corporate executives, Emily handles RFIs, economic impact analyses and data related to recruiting businesses to the Hays Caldwell region.

Prior to joining HCEDP, Emily facilitated commercial real estate transactions nationally and locally as a Tenant Representation Broker for The Retail Strategy. A native Austinite, Emily offers a wealth of local knowledge to the Central Texas market and has also worked extensively with the regional business community.

A public servant at heart, I have been in the public sector for more than 19 years. I began my career in municipal government in 2003 as a graduate intern in the City of Corpus Christi where I served for ten years, ultimately ending as the Assistant Director for Development Services. It was during a time of record- breaking development period in Corpus Christi; issuing over 20,000 building and development permits a year. I have extensive experience in both the private and public sector and believe this gives me a unique insight into not only the workings of local government, but also the business community.

In 2013, I was appointed as the Aransas Pass City Manager. I returned to Corpus Christi as the Assistant City Manager until 2019. From 2019 to the present, I have served as the City Administrator in Sunset Valley, a small community in S. Austin. During those tenures, I have achieved substantial savings in government spending and have consistently championed improving service to the public through transparency reporting and developing a competent, high-performance staff.

A product of public schools and community college, I was raised in inner city Corpus Christi, where due to my stepfather’s immigration status, my family often lived in the shadows of society. I learned to translate complex documents from English to Spanish at a very young age and feel this skill gives me the ability to break down complex ideas and thoughts to our residents in everyday terms they can understand and appreciate. Today, I am living the American dream and continue to pay forward the opportunities I have been provided through public service, and service to community and country.

As a young mother, I attended Texas A& M Corpus Christi, where I received a Bachelor's in Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration. In 2006, I received a Certified Public Manager (CPM) designation by the State of Texas. In 2019, I earned the Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM) designation by the International City County Manager’s Association (ICMA); a designation I wear proudly as one of only a handful of Latina women in the state who have earned the designation. I have presented and led educational sessions at several national conferences including the American

Planning Association and ICMA. Most recently, I presented at the 2022 Texas City Manager’s Annual Conference in a session called, “Here We Grow Again” right here in Bastrop. That was my first extended visit to Bastrop, and I fell in love with the community! I have 2 daughters, Bethany, and Megan, and 2 grandchildren, Jonathon, and Aleena. Bethany is a teacher in Northside ISD in San Antonio, and Megan will graduate in the fall from Arizona State University.

In my free time, I enjoy volunteering, remodeling, spending time outdoors, fishing or beachcombing; and of course, spending as much time as possible with the grandchildren and my longtime partner, Robert. I have a mini-Aussie named Jack who also likes to keep me busy! I am honored to become part of the fabric of the Bastrop community and continue to plan for aprosperous city for our future generations; a place we can all be proud to call HOME.

Victoria Vargas serves as the Director of Economic Development & Tourism for the City of Kyle, bringing nearly 18 years of experience in economic development and community growth. Her work has focused on attracting major employers and investment to the Kyle area, including companies such as Tesla, Plastikon, Simwon, ENF Technologies, FedEx, Sovereign Flavors and Amazon, while also supporting the growth of Kyle’s healthcare industry, strengthening workforce development, and advancing regional collaboration.

Victoria places a strong emphasis on relationship building and partnerships with businesses, educational institutions, regional organizations, and community leaders to support Kyle’s continued economic growth. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OU EDI) and was a member of the inaugural class to earn the Certified Texas Economic Developer (CTED) designation. She is also currently serving as Interim Executive Director of the Kyle Housing Authority, assisting the organization through a period of transition.

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).