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Gilley's Dallas

Gilley's Dallas

With over 100,000 square feet of event space, Gilley’s Dallas offers 7 different venues under one roof. The South Side Ballroom, Lonestar room, Brazos room, South Side Music Hall, Saloon, Loft and Bonnie & Clyde’s Speakeasy. Gilley’s is the ideal location for your next celebration. From a Texas style event to an upscale elegant evening to a business meeting or a wedding, we do it all. Gilley’s provides the finest in service, menus, décor and entertainment for groups large and small. Our knowledgeable Group Sales team will help you plan your celebration down to the finest details. We execute all aspects of your event with our personal attention to create a day full of wonderful memories!

For more information on Gilley’s Dallas and one of the many event spaces it has to offer, please contact us on our website at www.gilleysdallas.com or give us a call at 214. 421. 2021.

Recognizing Women in Senior & Executive Commercial Real Estate Leadership

Bisnow is excited to host our third annual Dallas Women Leading Real Estate (WLRE) awards. Last year we recognized rising stars in the industry. This year, our WLRE program will honor senior-level executives and leaders who are shaping commercial real estate from the top. (Nominations for 2023 have closed.) This yearly initiative brings awareness to the importance of improving the diversity of commercial real estate businesses, particularly as it relates to hiring and promoting women.  

Women still make up a fraction of C-suite positions in our industry. Companies that are leading the way on this front are not only breaking the glass ceiling but also offering the support needed to bring more women into the industry and help them progress and succeed.

The core purpose of this award program is to enhance the growth of women in commercial real estate and promote industry diversity more generally. Together with our sponsors, partners, and attendees, we aim to promote the importance of the employment of and development of viable career paths for women in CRE. This event will provide education, networking, and resources for professional development.

For any questions, sponsorship, or press inquiries, contact Sophie McCourt, our Director of Operations at sophie.mccourt@bisnow.com

To request disability-related accommodations, please contact shannon.dearaujo@bisnow.com no later than 7 business days prior to the event.

Speakers and Panels

2023 C-SUITES IN CRE HONOREES

Adrienne Akin Faulkner

Adrienne Akin Faulkner

CEO and Chief Creative Officer

Faulkner Design Group

Allison Brooks

Allison Brooks

CEO

B2 Design Co.

Amanda Moreno-Lake

Amanda Moreno-Lake

Partner, President of Redevelopment

Jim Lake Companies

Amy Pjetrovic

Amy Pjetrovic

Principal

Venture

Camille Barton

Camille Barton

CEO

Purdy-McGuire

Christy Ingle

Christy Ingle

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Lincoln Property Company

Cindy Simpson

Cindy Simpson

Co-Regional Managing Principal

Gensler

Conilee Hennersdorf

Conilee Hennersdorf

Partner

CODA Consulting Group

Cyndy Silverthorn

Cyndy Silverthorn

CFO and SMD of Portfolio Management

Crow Holdings Capital

Diana Lin

Diana Lin

Partner

Navi Ventures

Elizabeth Ponce

Elizabeth Ponce

President

Ponce/Picasso Contractors

Jan Gibbons

Jan Gibbons

President

REATA Commercial Realty, Inc.

Joanna Cloud

Joanna Cloud

President, Fort Worth Commercial Operations

Capital Title of Texas

Katy Slade

Katy Slade

Founder & Principal

Mintwood Real Estate

Keegan Smith

Keegan Smith

CFO

Bright Realty

Mandy Austin

Mandy Austin

Dallas Market President

Bank of Texas

Megan Knauss

Megan Knauss

Chief Financial Officer

S2 Capital

Rachel Schnitzius

Rachel Schnitzius

Principal & Director of Interiors

HOK

Sandra Taylor

Sandra Taylor

Managing Principal

SL Taylor Investments

Sheryl Troiani

Sheryl Troiani

Chief Administrative Officer

Granite Properties

Summer Gell

Summer Gell

Managing Principal, Relationship Manager

Partner Engineering & Science

Tanya Ragan

Tanya Ragan

President

Wildcat Management

Valerie Richardson

Valerie Richardson

Chief Operating Officer

ICSC

Victoria Malkin

Victoria Malkin

Regional President, Central

Cushman & Wakefield

Adrienne Akin Faulkner

CEO and Chief Creative Officer

Faulkner Design Group

Adrienne Akin Faulkner is the CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Faulkner Design Group (FDG), a fully integrated national interior architecture and design firm specializing in multifamily housing and senior living environments. Working with the largest developers, contractors, real estate investment groups, and management firms across the country for more than 28 years, Adrienne consistently blazes a path of leadership and innovation by understanding global social trends and advocating for the highest quality of living for all stakeholders.

Adrienne also serves as president of additional entities affiliated with FDG, including Architectural-Images, a unique art-line/collection, and Design Expediting Services International, a turn-key receiving, storage, warehouse, and installation company.

Her passion for design and architecture stems from her grandfather, George L. Dahl, FAIA, Chief Architect and orchestrator of the 1936 Centennial World’s Fair Exposition in Dallas, The University of Texas Austin Masterplan, and thousands of projects across the country. Adrienne considers herself a student of the world and connector of people, regularly traveling across six continents, including an annual trip to Salone del Mobile in Milan.

Adrienne shares her leadership acumen with multiple philanthropic organizations as an active board member of the Dallas Historical Society, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, and the Dallas International Film Festival. She is also a board member of Friends of Fair Park, AURORA, and EarthxFilm. Her passion for service started young while growing up at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church and continues today as a member at Highland Park United Methodist Church. She leads her companies in service by coordinating multiple volunteer opportunities per year for her employees. She is regularly involved with such charitable organizations as the Yellow Rose Gala, World Vision, CC Young, the North Texas Food Bank, and the Byron Nelson Annual Golf Tournament.

Adrienne graduated Cum Laude from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration double major in International Business and Finance. She also graduated with honors with an Associate Degree in Interior Design. Faulkner is NCIDQ certified, a Registered Interior Designer licensed in 22 states, a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers, IDEX, and a LEED Green Associate. She maintains memberships with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, International Interior Design Association, the Leadership Board of the National Association of Home Builders, and dozens of other national and local organization.

Allison Brooks

CEO

B2 Design Co.

A true exemplar of Texas’ enterprising spirit, Allison is an entrepreneur, a businesswoman, a visionary architect, and a designer in her own right. Allison’s discerning style and magnetic disposition are key to B2’s success. Her passion for keeping her team challenged and fulfilled in equal measure leads to frequent adventures (think neighborhood bike ride or all-team spin class) and spontaneous outings (think fabulous hotels, eateries or other local favorites). As the company’s captain and fearless leader, her treasured team would follow her into fire and back — or at least down a long stretch of the Trinity Trail in heels in high summer as long as her beloved dog Betty June is in tow.

Allison graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Architecture. She honed her skills in the Chicago area at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and A. Epstein & Sons and Good, Fulton & Farrell Architects in Dallas where she met many developers who still bear the dual distinction of friend and client.

In 2007, Allison founded B2 Design Co. A life-long learner and teacher, Allison serves as a mentor for The Real Estate Council, although she’ll tell you she learns just as much as she teaches from this experience. Allison is also involved in starting The Hockaday Real Estate group which serves to assist fellow alumni and current students interested in the real estate profession. Allison is a member of The University of Texas School of Architecture Advisory Council and part of the inaugural class of the Longhorn 100. Allison is also a proud member for YPO Lonestar Chapter.

When not in the office, Allison enjoys the great outdoors … well, from a patio somewhere in Oak Cliff, Chapel Hill, or Palm Springs with one hand on a martini and her eyes fixed on her young daughter. Her husband, Jeff Tucker, is sure to be close by refreshing the olives.

Amanda Moreno-Lake

Partner, President of Redevelopment

Jim Lake Companies

Amanda Moreno-Lake has been in the construction and real estate business for over twenty years. She is currently the President of Redevelopment at Jim Lake Companies and Partner in several investment partnerships.

Amy Pjetrovic

Principal

Venture

As a Principal, Amy's specialization is landlord representation. She has always believed in the importance of functioning as a team with her clients, treating their goals and objectives as though they were hers to achieve the best possible outcome for each client. Amy has more than 14 years of retail leasing and sales experience, focusing on new development, redevelopment, and mixed-use projects. Amy's passion for Commercial Real Estate has developed into a broad experience level that includes developing and implementing leasing strategies where she analyzes, negotiates, and executes transactions for her clients. Her Leasing experience consists of a wide variety of urban and suburban geographic markets. Amy has worked with many landlords, including but not limited to ShopCore, Brixmor, KDC, The Kroenke Group, United Commercial Development, Asana Partners, Invesco, Entertainment Properties Group Inc, 42 Real Estate, Crescent Communities, and Provident Realty Advisors.

Amy is currently working on the high-profile Hwy 380 & FM 423 new development project, a premier intersection that will serve the growing residential populations in Frisco and Prosper. Venture was involved in the intersection's growth, starting from the initial land transactions to United Commercial Development/Kroenke Group. Amy is involved in many aspects of the project, from merchandising and marketing to prospective shop tenants, pad users, anchors, and junior anchors, assisting with Pro-forma/budget projections and site planning. The intersection will be home to approximately 1 million square feet of retail space at full build-out.

Amy also worked on the redevelopment of Deep Ellum from 2013-2020 and has completed over 50 transactions by embracing Deep Ellum's natural charm and culture. Amy leased space to unique tenants in food and beverage, entertainment, and boutique retail, adding charm and character to the colorful neighborhood. Adding dynamic, relevant retail brands helped elevate values by multiples in the first five years of leasing in Deep Ellum. When Venture took on the redevelopment assignment, rents were in the single digit to low teens. Today rents range from $35-45 psf, with some tenants' sales volumes exceeding $1000 psf.

Camille Barton

CEO

Purdy-McGuire

Camille joined the firm in 2007 and assumed the CEO role in 2016. She designs proficiently in all three major disciplines, enhancing her account and project management role. She is a natural leader and incites confidence in her team. Camille designs and manages projects in various categories, including spaces for higher education, commercial, mixed-use, laboratories, housing, master planning, and recreational spaces. Her expertise crosses all market segments served by Purdy-McGuire. She is proficient in using current design technology, including AutoCAD, Revit, and BIM360. Her favorite part of the job is interacting with clients and building relationships.

Under her innovative leadership, Purdy-McGuire continues to prosper, working hand in hand with owners, developers, and architects to ignite the vision for their buildings by designing critical systems hidden in the walls and ceiling spaces, yet they are vital to the operation of any building. An active member of CREW Dallas, she currently serves as Membership Chair, has chaired the CREW Dallas Golf Classic Committee (with proceeds benefitting local nonprofits), and served on the CREW in the Community (CIC) Board. Additionally, she finds time to sit on the Engineering Advisory Boards for Kansas State University and Texas Christian University (her Alma Mater) and serves on the Board at her church, Good Shepherd Episcopal.

At home, she and her husband manage a bustling household with three fast-growing and active children.

Cindy Simpson

Co-Regional Managing Principal

Gensler

Cindy is Co-Regional Managing Principal of Gensler’s South Central Region and Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Dallas office, and a member of Gensler’s Board of Directors. Since joining Gensler in 2002, she has emerged as a visionary leader, inspiring confidence in her clients, respect among her peers and loyalty from her staff. In 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021, Cindy was named one of the Dallas 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas and Ft. Worth by D CEO Magazine.

A dedicated client advocate, Cindy serves on the Firmwide Client Relationships Management Committee, working across the firm to strengthen client partnerships. As both an accomplished project leader and designer, she offers her clients and project teams strategic solutions that also respect and advance design excellence. Cindy’s leadership style, breadth of experience, knowledge of the market, effective communication skills and intense focus on her clients’ business drivers have merited her a reputation as a strategic partner and trusted advisor. In 2019, Cindy was elevated to the International Interior Design Association College of Fellows (IIDA). The IIDA College of Fellows is the highest honor bestowed by the organization on members whose work has a significant influence on the profession of interior design.

Cindy graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Interior Design from Mississippi State University’s College of Architecture, Art and Design, and was named Alumnus of the Year by the College in 2010. In 2019, she was recognized as an Alumni Fellow, a lifetime honor, for her achievements in the design industry. Her professional certifications include membership in the International Interior Design Association; she’s also a LEED accredited professional committed to implementing sustainable design strategies.

Conilee Hennersdorf

Partner

CODA Consulting Group

Conilee brings more than 28 years of experience to CODA Consulting Group in due diligence, engineering and environmental services. Throughout her career, she has led due diligence assignments for investment companies throughout the United States. She has also advised on projects ranging from $10 million to more than $1 billion in transaction value. Coni's tenacity and attention to details drive her projects from beginning to end.

Cyndy Silverthorn

CFO and SMD of Portfolio Management

Crow Holdings Capital

Cyndy Silverthorn is the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Managing Director of Portfolio Management of Crow Holdings Capital, where she is responsible for real estate fund operations including investor services, performance analysis, and reporting and serves as a member of the CHC Investment Committee. Since joining Crow Holdings Capital in 2000, Cyndy has been actively involved in various investment-related processes including assisting in risk management, structuring, and overall fund management.

Cyndy’s prior experience includes serving as a Senior Fund Controller with CB Fund Services and real estate tax services with Arthur Andersen.

Cyndy received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Southern Methodist University, a master’s degree with concentration in accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Communities Foundation of Texas.

Diana Lin

Partner

Navi Ventures

Diana is a Partner and Co-Founder at Navi Ventures, where she is focused on acquisitions and asset management of existing value-add opportunities and ground-up multi-family developments in the Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico markets. Diana is currently working on a 150-unit ground-up multi-family development in Albuquerque, NM.

Navi Ventures is a real estate company that seeks to acquire and/or develop multi-family assets that will positively impact the lives of their communities and investors. The company has investments in 1,800 multi-family units (700 units as a general partner) for an aggregate acquisition value in excess of $215 MM (with currently $93MM AUM).

Diana is an AIA licensed Architect with over 10 years of experience working in New York, Texas, and China where she has designed and managed large scale award-winning buildings in office, multi-family, hospitality, and retail. Her design and technical background as an Architect uniquely position her to envision and identify real estate opportunities beyond numbers that are otherwise overlooked.

Diana received her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. She was the 2022 Dallas Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) Inaugural Cohort Member, a member of ULI Young Leaders Group Partnership Forum, and the AIA Dallas 2018 Emerging Leaders Program. Diana runs a local Dallas meet-up called Real Estate Ladies, which is focused on empowering and educating women to invest in real estate.

Jan Gibbons

President

REATA Commercial Realty, Inc.

Jan grew up in the insurance business as part of an independent agency started by her father in the late 1950s. She has been focused on insurance services for more years than she is willing to count.

Jan has worked for several independent insurance agencies in Plano and most recently worked for the international insurance brokerage firm Willis. Her specialty was commercial lines where she coordinated and managed comprehensive insurance services for large companies in the construction, real estate, public entity, and energy industries.

Jan has been an occasional part of REATA since its founding in 2004. In 2015, she left the insurance industry to solely focus on REATA. Jan is a licensed real estate sales agent. She graduated with a BS in Office Administration from Southwestern Adventist College.

Joanna Cloud

President, Fort Worth Commercial Operations

Capital Title of Texas

Joanna is a respected title industry veteran with almost 40 years of experience in Fort Worth. She specializes in closing and underwriting commercial accounts with expertise in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions. She possesses an astute knowledge of the most delicate closings, including REO, corporate bankruptcies, mergers and acquisitions, national acount work-outs and multi-site/multi-state transactions.

Joanna has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards that include: Region 2 “Outstanding Young Title Person” by the Texas Land Title Association (TLTA) and the Life Time Achievement Award from CREW Fort Worth (Commercial Real Estate Women). She is also a two-time President of CREW Fort Worth and a two-time President of the Executive Women’s Golf Association (now known as the LPGA Amateur Golf Association).

Keegan Smith

CFO

Bright Realty

Keegan Smith is the chief financial officer for Bright Realty. As chief financial officer, she is responsible for strategic planning, managing the finance and accounting operations, securing equity and debt financing for development projects, along with managing banking relationships.

She joined the company in 2008 and most recently held the position as executive vice president of finance. In her previous role, she was primarily responsible for real estate project analysis supporting the development and financing of over $442 million in commercial and residential projects, including but not limited to existing income-producing properties, multi-family project development and single-family residential lot development.

Prior to joining Bright Realty, Ms. Smith held positions with JLL (formally The Staubach Company), Lennox Industries and Ryan, LLC. Ms. Smith is a graduate of Texas A&M University where she earned a bachelor of science in finance from the Mays Business School and is an active member of CREW (Commercial Real Estate for Women). Ms. Smith is married with two young boys who keep her very active.

Megan Knauss

Chief Financial Officer

S2 Capital

Megan Knauss joined S2 Capital in 2015 and now serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Investment Manager and is a member of its Executive Management team. In this capacity, she is responsible for all debt, equity, tax and oversight of the accounting function for S2 Capital and its managed properties. During her tenure with S2 Capital, Megan Knauss has been involved in the acquisition and refinance of over $10 billion of transaction volume. Prior to joining S2 Capital, Megan was a manager in the transaction services advisory group at PwC and began her career in PwC’s assurance group. Megan is a Certified Public Accountant and graduated summa cum laude with both her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in accounting from Texas Tech University.

Rachel Schnitzius

Principal & Director of Interiors

HOK

Rachel leads HOK’s interiors practice in Dallas, with a focus on relationship management and work acquisition. A licensed interior designer with a deep portfolio of work, she has earned a reputation for delivering value-added solutions that ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Rachel collaborates with clients from early relationship development through project completion and beyond, delivering consistent and open communication throughout all phases of the project.

She is an active member of the International Interior Design Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the Dallas chapter of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), which introduces female students to careers in the profession.

Sandra Taylor

Managing Principal

SL Taylor Investments

Having performed all facets of CRE from the ground up, Sandra started her career as a property accountant before working her way up to project and construction management roles at CBRE, Hunt Development Group, and Prudential.

In her 28 years of experience, she’s held every title from portfolio manager to project manager to construction asset manager – a true jack of all trades in the industry who understands the nuances of each stage of development and redevelopment.

In between her corporate experiences, Sandra founded and operated a property management company in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She and her partner grew the company over seven years – eventually expanding the portfolio to 24 properties that totaled 1.5M square feet of retail, office, industrial, and flex space and a facilities management contract for 12 statewide banking facilities. Before taking a project manager role in new development at Hunt Development Group, Sandra and her partner represented, marketed, and sold the company for 2.5x EBITDA.

Before founding SL Taylor in 2016, Sandra managed a $2.5B portfolio for Prudential Asset Resources in Dallas, Texas. Now, she serves as the Principal of SL Taylor Investments – handling business operations and construction management. Sandra leverages her 28 years of experience across the CRE industry to manage operations, property acquisition, construction, new investor relations, and the redevelopment of B & C grade multifamily assets for the business.

Involved in real estate in many ways, Sandra is a passionate board member for CREW Dallas – an organization that focuses on advancing women’s careers in the commercial real estate world. She also serves on the Board of Trustees and as Director for CREW in the Community, the chapter’s philanthropic entity that helps Dallas women by creating pathways to success and economic independence. To date, Crew in the Community has raised and given back over $3.6M.

Sandra previously served as President of the Institute of Real Estate Management and as a member of the Board of Directors and Education Chairperson for the Commercial Association of Realtors of New Mexico.

Outside of real estate, Sandra gives back to the Dallas community through volunteer work at the Highland Park United Methodist Church, North Dallas Food Bank, the Housing Crisis Center, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Cancer Society.

Tanya Ragan

President

Wildcat Management

Wildcat president Tanya Ragan is an entrepreneur, activist, and leader of the movement to redevelop downtown Dallas. Her company, Wildcat Management, focuses on scaled, locally financed projects in up-and-coming urban areas. Ms. Ragan has led numerous efforts to revitalize downtown Dallas, including privatizing the city-owned Farmers Market, and relocating the Liberty State Bank building to a more business-friendly location. She is currently rehabilitating the Historic Purse Building; Dallas West End’s last undeveloped historic structure into a destination for retail, dining, and business. Ms. Ragan is committed to helping entrepreneurs achieve their full potential. Altogether, Ms. Ragan’s diversified experience, undeniable work ethic and disruptive energy has made her a go-to industry expert and a visionary leader in commercial real estate for the past 14 years. Ms. Ragan also takes great pains to practice responsible development and stewardship. A resident of Downtown Dallas herself, she is a tireless community activist and works to both understand and maintain the delicate balance between transforming and preserving the character of the city.

Valerie Richardson

Chief Operating Officer

ICSC

Valerie Richardson has served as the chief operating officer of the International Council of Shopping Centers, commonly known as “ICSC,” since February 2021. ICSC is a professional trade organization that serves the retail marketplaces industry. Since 2004, Richardson has been a member of the board of trustees of ICSC and was elected as ICSC vice-chairperson for the 2017 to 2018 term and as chairperson for the 2018 to 2019 term. She also served on the board of the ICSC Foundation from 2011 to 2019, and as a trustee at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center — Plano from 2010 to 2016.

She previously served as the vice president of real estate for The Container Store, Inc., where she led its real estate team for more than 20 years, from September 2000 until February 2021. Prior to her tenure with The Container Store, Richardson served as senior vice president of real estate and development for Ann Taylor, Inc., where she administered the company’s store expansion strategy for Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft, and as vice president of real estate and development with Barnes & Noble, Inc., the nation’s largest retail bookseller.

Richardson began her real estate career at Trammell Crow Company, a Dallas-based real estate developer, where she became a partner in its Shopping Center Division. Additionally, since 2018, she has served as a member of the board of directors for Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE: KIM), North America’s largest publicly traded owner and operator of open-air, grocery-anchored shopping and mixed-use centers, where she also serves as a member of its audit, executive compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees.

Richardson earned her Master of Business Administration in real estate from the University of North Texas and a bachelor’s degree in education from Texas State University.

Victoria Malkin

Regional President, Central

Cushman & Wakefield

As Regional President, Central, Victoria Malkin oversees Cushman & Wakefield’s business in local markets, including Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis and St. Louis. In this role, she is responsible for growth planning, client care, brokerage talent development and performance management for the Midwest.

Victoria joined the firm in 2016 and has held multiple leadership positions. Most recently, she served as SVP of Marketing & Research for the Americas and was responsible for driving growth in the region through thought leadership, business development, lead generation and reputational strategy. Prior to that, she was VP of East Region Marketing & Communications. Before Cushman & Wakefield, Victoria worked at JLL and JMB Realty in a variety of marketing roles.

Victoria received a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Panel Discussion

Lynn Peters, CPM©

Lynn Peters, CPM©

Vice President, Global Operations

Retransform

Jihane Boury

Jihane Boury

Vice Chairman

Savills North America

Lynne Meers

Lynne Meers

Director of Business Development

CRB Group

Melanie French
HONOREE

Melanie French

CEO

RREAF Residential

Tamela Thornton
HONOREE

Tamela Thornton

Executive Director

ULI DFW

Michaela Dollar
Moderator

Michaela Dollar

Assistant City Manager

City of Richardson

Lynn Peters, CPM©

Vice President, Global Operations

Retransform

Lynn leads the Global Operations from the Dallas office. She is highly experienced in the

commercial real estate industry, asset and property management, leasing, real estate project

development/re-development and detailed financial analysis. Lynn specializes in anticipating

business requirements for our clients as well as managing projects to ensure that customer

expectations are exceeded. Lynn holds the CPM© designation and is a member of IREM and ICSC. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Northern Illinois University. She enjoys reading, traveling and music.

Jihane Boury

Vice Chairman

Savills North America

Jihane Boury is Vice Chairman in the Dallas-Fort Worth office and is responsible for leading the tenant representation group. She advises corporate office clients through every stage of the real estate life cycle, from initial planning to final implementation.

Jihane brings a wealth of diverse experience and skills to her role. She has successfully developed, negotiated, leased, expanded, and renewed over six million square feet of transactions throughout her real estate career. Prior to joining Savills, Jihane was Senior Vice President in CBRE’s Dallas office, where she focused on office occupier clients. Her experience in brokerage also includes Colliers International as part of the tenant representation team, where she was recognized as a top 10% producer. Jihane began her real estate career at Harwood International, where she would spend 13 years.

Jihane is also a registered Interior Designer, which results in an added dimension and a deeper understanding of her corporate clients’ needs. Her 18 years of experience in programming, master planning, and all phases of architectural design and construction enables her to assist clients with envisioning and creating an ideal work environment.

Awards Achievements and Activities

Jihane has been recognized for her professional accomplishments over the years, including being inducted into the prestigious Everest Club as a top 10% producer nationally in 2019. She was also included in the Top 10 Colliers International Women list in 2019. D CEO Magazine has consistently featured Jihane over the years as one of Dallas’ Power Brokers. Jihane was also a DFW Women’s Network Field Delegate in 2022.

Lynne Meers

Director of Business Development

CRB Group

Lynne serves as a Director of Business Development for CRB where she enjoys cultivating connections to help clients in the Life Sciences sector discover best-in-class solutions to fit their design and construction needs.

Prior to CRB, Lynne spent over 12 years as the Director of Business Development for The Christman Company, formerly MEDCO Construction, where she focused primarily on Healthcare and Life Sciences. Her interest in Life Sciences motivated her to dive deeper into this market sector and join CRB in early 2022.

In addition to her experience in the Life Sciences market, Lynne is well-versed in the insurance and risk management industry.

Lynne is an active member of ISPE, Urban Land Institute, and life science trade associations in multiple cities. She also serves on the Board for BCLC Church Lending.

Lynne, a native Houstonian, currently lives in Dallas and is a Texas A&M graduate.

Melanie French

HONOREE

RREAF Residential

Melanie is a seasoned and well recognized expert in multi-family management, strategic planning, human capital, organizational development, and executive leadership. Her diverse and impressive background includes having held executive level positions for more than 16 years with leading public and privately owned industry game changers including Cortland, AIMCO and DLP Capital.

Stepping into the role as RREAF Residential’s first Chief Executive Officer, she is responsible for all operational aspects of the organization. Focused on scaling and substantially growing the size of the business, Melanie understands that the desired growth is only possible by hiring and developing top talent to ensure the more than 30,000 residents living on RREAF managed communities are happily nesting and enjoying their rental homes each day.

Prior to joining RREAF Residential, Melanie held the position of Managing Principal and President for DLP Capital’s real estate management arm where she was a member of the investment committee in addition to having full responsibility for building and leading property management, asset management, construction redevelopment, sales, marketing, and due diligence for more than 20,000 units.

Melanie is proud of the growth and property management platform that she helped to build during her almost 6 years at Cortland where she was the Executive Vice President responsible for all aspects of property management and performance where she grew the management platform from 9,000 units to more than 50,000 units while also overseeing the completion of more than 45,000 interior and exterior unit renovations on billions of dollars in real estate.

AIMCO was Melanie’s work home for more than 13 years where she began as an RVP responsible for more than 18,000 units in 5 states, before being promoted to EVP of Learning & Organization for the entire organization of several thousand employees and more than 200,000 apartment homes spanning the nation.

For more than 15 years, Melanie has held designations and certifications as an IREM CPM (Certified Property Manager), SPHR (Senior Professional of Human Resources and a Master Trainer & Facilitator certified by DDI. She has regularly participated as a speaker, panelist and contributor to numerous industry events, articles, and conferences.

Melanie developed her passion for operating communities, learning the intimate importance and details of ensuring that apartments become true long term “homes” to residents from her early years of working as a leasing consultant. She is known and appreciated by all who have worked for her or with her as a partner who develops future all-star leaders, by offering guidance and leadership as a passionate, detail oriented, gritty but approachable leader.

Melanie understands that the key to success is hiring dynamic team members and she enjoys celebrating the teams that make success possible. Melanie and her husband of more than 35 years enjoy spending time boating, fishing, and playing with their grandchildren.

Tamela Thornton

HONOREE

ULI DFW

Tamela Thornton brings her 35-year experience in real estate growth strategies, analytics, and development to

her roles within the E Smith companies. As President of E Smith Communities, and Head of Client Services for E

Smith Advisors, Tamela is responsible for new business development, strategic market planning, site selection

and transaction management. She is a founding partner of the company.

In her leadership of E Smith Communities, Ms. Thornton focuses on identifying and developing those catalytic

uses such as grocery stores, educational facilities, wellness uses and other commercial services which serve as

pivots for community expansion or redevelopment. As a leader in the full-service real estate advisory practice,

Tamela brings expertise to national and global clients with a wide range of services, including developing go-to-

market strategies, site selection, national roll-outs, global portfolio advisory, and negotiating and executing

complex transactions.

Her unique background has evolved from a variety of assignments with PepsiCo / YUM! Brands and Starbucks

Coffee Company, private developers, and public agencies. Tamela brings an exceptional knowledge and

understanding of real estate development challenges, effectively utilizing her insight to deliver relevant and

cost-effective business solutions to the client to maximize their return on investment.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designee

• Licensed real estate salesperson, Texas

• City Director, The REAP Program – DFW

• Board Member – Trust for Public Land and the Dallas Zoo Board; HERitage Giving Fund

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michaela Dollar

Moderator

City of Richardson

Michaela Dollar joined the City of Richardson July 11, 2022, after previously serving as the Economic Development Director for the City of Georgetown. She managed the City’s economic development program, which encompassed business retention, business recruitment, workforce development, downtown development, small business development, tourism, and arts and culture.

Before joining Georgetown in 2016, Dollar held positions in economic development for the Round Rock Economic Development Partnership, the City of Dallas, the Cedar Hill (TX) Economic Development Corporation, and the Bay County (FL) Economic Development Alliance. In her nearly 17 years of economic development experience, she has worked on projects totaling approximately 7,250 jobs and over $2 billion in capital investment with companies including Holt Caterpillar, Kalahari Resorts, Costco, CelLink and Titan Development.

In addition to economic development, Dollar also has experience in downtown redevelopment, tourism, and arts and culture in multiple communities across Texas and Florida. She oversaw these areas in Georgetown, which included an award-winning Main Street initiative, an active public art and events program, and the annual Red Poppy Festival that brings approximately 75,000 people to downtown Georgetown each year.

"I am extremely honored and excited to join the City of Richardson's leadership team,” Dollar said. “Richardson is an incredible city with a ton of momentum. My family and I are really looking forward to becoming part of the community and its bright future."

She holds a master’s degree from The University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.

Agenda

Time Activity
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
Coffee, Breakfast and Networking
5:00 PM
5:45 PM
Panel Discussion: The Women Transforming CRE - How Is The Industry Evolving?
5:45 PM
6:15 PM
Award Ceremony: DFW'S C-Suites In CRE
6:15 PM
6:30 PM
Closing Networking