Registration Questions

Call: 202-684-2034
Email: eventregistration@bisnow.com

Request Speaker Information

Speaker Topics

Tell us a Little More

Presented By

Speakers and Panels

Montgomery County's Growth Trajectory

The Intersection of Innovation, Biomanufacturing, and Education

Justin Brasell

Justin Brasell

Executive Managing Director

Transwestern

Dr. Alisa White

Dr. Alisa White

President

Sam Houston State University

Patrick Stites

Patrick Stites

Vice President, Strategic Investments

The Howard Hughes Corporation

Jon Lambert

Jon Lambert

Chief Executive Officer

The Cannon

Dr. De'Reese Reid-Hart

Dr. De'Reese Reid-Hart

Vice President, Instruction

Lone Star College-Montgomery

Jason Cramer
Moderator

Jason Cramer

Shareholder

Winstead

Justin Brasell

Executive Managing Director

Transwestern

Justin serves as Executive Managing Director of Transwestern’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Advisory Services Group and leads the Houston Healthcare & Life Sciences Brokerage Team. With 16 dedicated professionals, the Team leases over 8 million square feet of clinical & lab space, more than any other local firm, and has transacted over 2,000 lease and building sales in the last 5 years. The team specializes in agency leasing, tenant representation, investment services and strategic account management.

Justin has been with Transwestern since 2007 and specializes in providing real estate solutions within this niche space to investors, developers, end users and VC firms. His expertise in leasing, investment services, development, construction and asset management, allows him to apply a holistic lens to any real estate opportunity, resulting in optimal outcomes for Transwestern clients

Dr. Alisa White

President

Sam Houston State University

Dr. Alisa White is president and professor of mass communication at Sam Houston State

University, located in Huntsville, TX. Ranked the number one university in Texas in social

mobility, Sam Houston State offers its nearly 22,000 students a transformative educational

experience. Sam Houston State operates three campuses in Huntsville, Conroe, and The

Woodlands, Texas, and has the only College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Texas.

White serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and

Universities (AASCU), teaches in AASCU’s New President’s Academy, is past president of the

Tennessee College Association, serves as vice chair of the Council of Public University

Presidents and Chancellors (TX), served as a director for the Council for Adult and Experiential

Learning, has twice served on the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division I

Presidential Forum, and serves as vice chair of Conference USA. She has been honored as a

Trailblazer by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

White’s leadership is characterized by her commitment to building strong teams, empowering

leaders, and forging positive relationships with internal and external communities.

Sam Houston State University’s Motto is “The measure of a life is its service,” and the University

takes it to heart. The University’s Center for Community Engagement was the first recipient of

the American Association of State Colleges and University’s We the People Award presented by

the American Democracy Project.

Prior to joining Sam Houston State in 2020, White served as president of Austin Peay State

University in Clarksville, TN.

Patrick Stites

Vice President, Strategic Investments

The Howard Hughes Corporation

HHC is a Master Planned Community Real Estate Developer. My role supports Central Region leadership on the Strategic Development team. The team plans, entitles and develops commercial land holdings within HHC communities. Activities include managing land sale and ground lease contracts, underwriting and due diligence of new investments, generating financial models, creating investment memorandums and preparing board materials.

Jon Lambert

Chief Executive Officer

The Cannon

Lambert brings over 30 years of organizational and operational leadership across the public and private sectors. Prior to joining The Cannon, Lambert served in a number of leadership roles with KPMG, including four years as Executive Director of Investment Operations for KPMG Capital, providing oversight to a diverse portfolio of global investment companies. Earlier in his career, Lambert played key roles in the formation and growth of a number of startup entities and M&A-driven rapid growth companies, and will bring a depth of operational experience to The Cannon as it continues to expand to additional locations in 2020.

“I am thrilled to join this exciting and fast-growing company as we continue to create and serve vibrant entrepreneurial communities across Houston and beyond,” said Lambert. “Lawson and his team have done an incredible job taking The Cannon vision and making it real. I’m happy to be part of the positive momentum and energy they have created. There has never been a better time for startups to enter the market, but achieving success has never been more challenging. The Cannon is playing a unique role in helping evolving companies navigate and accelerate their way through this journey.”

Gow echoed Lambert’s excitement for The Cannon’s expansion. “We are lucky to be able to bring someone with Jon’s extensive experience to our company. Our team has done an amazing job getting us this far, and Jon’s background and operational expertise will be a difference maker to help take us to the next level.”

Dr. De'Reese Reid-Hart

Vice President, Instruction

Lone Star College-Montgomery

Dr. De’ Reese Reid-Hart, a native of Chicago, assumed the presidency of Lone Star College-Montgomery on

Sept 1, 2023. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Eastern Illinois University and her doctorate

from National Louis University. Dr. Reid-Hart is the 5th president of Lone Star College-Montgomery.

As president, she is tasked with inspiring, innovating, and strategically leading Lone Star College-Montgomery

which includes Conroe and University Center.

With a distinguished career marked by dynamic leadership in higher education, Dr. Reid-Hart brings a wealth of

experience in areas ranging from instruction and student services to strategic budget planning and program

development. Dr. Reid-Hart's passion lies in cultivating programs that foster student success, making a tangible

impact on the communities served.

Deeply committed to the college's tradition of academic excellence, career development, and community

engagement, Dr. Reid-Hart is always looking for ways to exceed expectations and address the needs of students,

faculty, and staff. With her keen vision and innovative approach, she plans to introduce new programs and

strengthen bonds between the college and the community to ensure that everyone has access to the best possible

experience at Lone Star College-Montgomery.

For Dr. De' Reese Reid-Hart, education is not just a profession, but a calling to uplift communities through

strategic leadership and student-centric programs. With a track record of excellence in higher education

administration, Dr. Reid-Hart chose Lone Star College Montgomery for its culture, community reputation, and

student-first approach. Follow your passions, celebrate your successes, and never stop learning - that's Dr. Reid-

Hart's motto.

Jason Cramer

Moderator

Winstead

Jason Cramer is a member of Winstead’s Corporate & Tax Practice Group. He represents both public and private companies in matters relating to securities regulation, capital markets and corporate finance, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions and other commercial transactions. Jason regularly works closely with members of Winstead’s prominent Real Estate Development & Investments Practice Group to advise on corporate and capital raising matters. He is an active Partner Delegate in The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership and is a volunteer in his local church. Jason lives in The Woodlands with his wife and three children.

Navigating Development In Today's Market

Key Projects, Navigating Regulations, Zoning, and Innovations Shaping Montgomery County's Future

James Koch

James Koch

Director of Transportation Planning and Development

Texas Department of Transportation

Jeff Dewese

Jeff Dewese

President, Land Division

The Signorelli Company

Nathaliah Naipaul

Nathaliah Naipaul

CEO & Partner

XAG Group

Duane Heckmann

Duane Heckmann

MSA Advisor

Land Advisors Organization

Kevin McKenna
Moderator

Kevin McKenna

Senior VP Business Development

Centric Infrastructure Group

James Koch

Director of Transportation Planning and Development

Texas Department of Transportation

Currently oversee the Planning and Development of all TxDOT projects in the Houston District of TxDOT and for the Houston Galveston Area Council (MPO). Responsible for oversight on planning, funding, environmental, right of way, design and agreements for generating $1B of construction lettings per year.

Jeff Dewese

President, Land Division

The Signorelli Company

With more than two decades of real estate experience, Jeff leads The Signorelli

Company’s land development operations. His oversight includes acquisition, planning,

construction management, landscape architecture, reimbursement entity and HOA

management and development. Since joining the firm in 2017, Jeff has overseen the

development and operations of more than a dozen communities, including Granger

Pines, which was named the Greater Houston Builders Association Developer

Community of the Year in 2021, Cielo, a 265-acre community in Conroe and Austin

Point, a 4,700-acre, regionally transformative development in Fort Bend County.

Experience:

Prior to joining The Signorelli Company, Jeff gained invaluable experience in

construction, purchasing, sales, land project management and leadership working for

various reputable local and national builders. Jeff has collaborated with numerous

Houston-area municipalities, local governments and school districts to balance

developer goals with municipal requirements and create master planned communities

that benefit residents, the city and county.

Education and Affiliations:

 Texas A&M University – BBA in Marketing

 The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M – member

 Leadership Montgomery County - Active alumnus

 Angel Reach – Volunteer

 Cub Scouts – Leader and volunteer

Nathaliah Naipaul

CEO & Partner

XAG Group

Nathaliah Naipaul is the driving force behind XAG Group, a diversified real estate development

organiza

Duane Heckmann

MSA Advisor

Land Advisors Organization

Duane Heckmann is a greater Houston area advisor with more than 35 years of raw land and residential lot brokerage experience in Houston and the surrounding counties. He has developed extensive knowledge regarding utilities, drainage, surface control and other unique development issues, as well as a comprehensive working knowledge of land values and overall market trends. Duane has very strong relationships with developers, homebuilders, banks, funds and investors that are active in the Houston market, and also assists and advises a large number of owners with their respective land holdings.

He has assisted most of Houston’s master planned community developers, commercial developers, lot developers and landowners with their raw land needs as well as selling land and lots to homebuilders, commercial/mixed use developers, industrial developers and investors. Duane has also completed extensive work for national, regional and local banks including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Enterprise Bank, assisting them to analyze their real estate holdings and disposition of various assets.

Prior to joining Land Advisors Organization, Duane ran his own commercial real estate company for 15 years. He is a member of the West Houston Association, Urban Land Institute, Houston’s Commercial Real Estate Network (CREN), The Greater Houston Partnership and is a board member of FiveTwo Network, a nonprofit organization.

Duane received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston State University and has held his Texas Real Estate Broker’s license since 1988.

Kevin McKenna

Moderator

Centric Infrastructure Group

Mr. McKenna serves as Vice President, Business Development at Centric, where he focuses on the company’s strategic growth initiatives and the management of key developer & builder relationships. Kevin manages and oversees the Business Development, Customer Acquisition, Customer Experience teams.

Most recently prior to joining Centric, Mr. McKenna served as Managing Partner at Teleios Commodities in The Woodlands, TX, where he managed operations, business development, and investments during a period of strong growth. Before Teleios, Mr. McKenna was VP of Business Development at a Houston-based oilfield technology company serving the upstream E&P space in North America.

Kevin has over twenty years of experience in business development and executive management helping privately held businesses increase revenues, margins, and market share. In his role as head of business development, customer acquisition, and customer experience, Mr. McKenna ensures that Centric delivers value to its customers which leads to sustainable growth for the firm.

Mr. McKenna holds a MSc in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado in Denver and a BS in Geology from Trinity University. He is an active volunteer in Boy Scouts of America and serves on the Board of Directors for the North Houston FCA. Mr. McKenna lives in The Woodlands, TX, with his wife and three children, and enjoys mountain sports, golf, and running.

Montgomery County's Economic Momentum

Unveiling Growth Opportunities, Trends and Market Insights

Danielle Scheiner

Danielle Scheiner

Executive Director

Conroe Economic Development Council

Scott Fikes

Scott Fikes

SVP

JLL

Gil Staley

Gil Staley

Chief Executive Officer

The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership

Rachel Steele

Rachel Steele

Executive Director

Magnolia, Texas EDC

Kyle Watson
Moderator

Kyle Watson

Shareholder

Winstead

Danielle Scheiner

Executive Director

Conroe Economic Development Council

As Executive Director of the Conroe Economic Development Council, Danielle is responsible

for marketing Conroe to new and expanding businesses. In the last year and a half she has

attracted 6 new projects or expansions to Conroe generating a capital investment of over $240M

and 447 jobs. She received a B.S. from Texas A&M University and is a certified Professional

Community and Economic Developer (PCED). Danielle is a graduate of both Community

Development Institute (CDI) and OU Economic Development Institute (EDI). She was named a

2018 Top 50 Economic Developer in North America by Consultant Connect.

Danielle’s professional memberships include the International Economic Development Council,

the Texas Economic Development Council (where she serves on the Board of Directors), Team

Texas (where she serves on the Advisory Council), the Texas Economic Development

Corporation and a host of other commercial real estate organizations (NAIOP, CoreNet, and the

Commercial Real Estate Association of Montgomery County). She was also recently appointed

to the Houston Galveston Area Council Gulf Coast Workforce Board and to the Greater Houston

Women’s Chamber of Commerce Board.

Danielle was recently honored with the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural

ATHENA Award, honoring professional excellence, community service and active mentorship

of women. She was also named a 2018 Trailblazer by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of

Commerce. Danielle has been honored with a Woman of Distinction Award twice by the

Montgomery County Women’s Council of Organizations – once for her work with Leadership

Montgomery County and once for her work with the Executive Women’s Alliance.

Locally, Danielle was recently elected to return to the board of directors for Leadership

Montgomery County. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Conroe Regional Medical

Center and is the Board representative to the HCA Gulf Coast Advisory Board. As the parent of

a special needs child, Danielle is especially proud of her current involvement on the Board of

Directors for New Danville, serving special needs adults. She also enjoys serving the food

insecure in the community on the Board of Directors for Montgomery County Food Bank.

Danielle is an ex-officio director for the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce and is a

member of Executive Women’s Alliance.

She has previously served as a Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Conroe/Lake Conroe

Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery County United Way, Executive Women’s Alliance and

Leadership Montgomery County (where she is an active alumni association member).

She and her husband Stacy live in Woodforest with their two boys and a menagerie of pets.

Scott Fikes

SVP

JLL

Scott Fikes is a Senior Vice President within JLL Houston’s Agency Leasing group, where he is responsible

for leasing commercial office properties throughout the Houston metropolitan area. He focuses on the

strategic positioning of his clients real estate assets to maximize value. Scott brings a holistic perspective

to the negotiation process, having represented tenants for almost 14 years. Scott successfully combines

his expertise in project management, sales and marketing, and finance to achieve quantifiable results

for his clients. Because Scott values partnership and collaboration, he is recognized by his colleagues

and the industry as a consummate relationship builder.

Prior to joining JLL in June 2018, Scott was a Vice President at Avison Young, where he was a member

of the firm’s Tenant Representation and Agency Leasing group. While at Avison Young, he managed

numerous global, national and local accounts and completed lease and sale transactions with an

aggregate value of more than $180 million. He also helped manage the office’s “Young Guns” program to

recruit, train and mentor new associates. Before his time at Avison Young, Scott was an office tenant rep

broker at Grubb & Ellis, where he served on the Houston office’s Board of Directors and was a consistent

top ten producer.

Gil Staley

Chief Executive Officer

The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership

Gil Staley has been with The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership for

over 18 years and serves as Chief Executive Officer. In this position, he is responsible

for recruiting new businesses to the South Montgomery County area as well as directing

the business retention and expansion program. Gil also oversees the operational

aspects of the EDP while maintaining the financial integrity of the organization.

Prior to joining the EDP, he was the District Sales Director in Houston for Delta Air Lines.

In this role, he was responsible for marketing, corporate sales and community affairs for

Central & South Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Gil was with Delta for over

26 years.

Gil is a 2009 Center for Houston's Future Business/Civic Leadership Forum graduate, as

well as a 2006 Leadership Montgomery County graduate. He serves on numerous

community boards including The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, Gulf Coast

Workforce Board and Conroe North Houston Regional Airport Advisory Board. Gil is a

member of the Texas Economic Development Council, the International Economic

Development Council and Commercial Real Estate Association of Montgomery County.

Gil is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.B.A. degree in Business

Management.

Rachel Steele

Executive Director

Magnolia, Texas EDC

Rachel Steele is the Executive Director of her hometown EDC. Magnolia, Texas is a rural 5-square mile town in southwestern Montgomery County, and amid a tidal wave of double-digit residential growth. For the past four years Ms. Steele has worked as the Magnolia 4A and 4B Corporations Executive Director, facilitating both boards in evaluating, planning and implementing economic and community development projects. As executive Director, the corporations have undertaken critical infrastructure projects, initiated planning on a local industrial park and supported the city with key planning activites. Ms. Steele is a seasoned developer in rural communities with high growth rates given her previous tenure in west Fort Bend County and the ten-county region surrounding Austin. When she’s not storyboarding her next development idea, Ms. Steele enjoys a BBQ road trip to one of Texas’s small quaint towns.

Kyle Watson

Moderator

Winstead

Kyle Watson is a shareholder in Winstead’s Business Litigation, Energy, and Financial Services Litigation

Practice Groups. He joined the firm in September 2004 and practices primarily out of Winstead's The

Woodlands, Texas office. Kyle represents clients locally, regionally and nationally in a wide variety of

complex litigation matters in state and federal courts. He also practices before the American Arbitration

Association.

Kyle has considerable experience representing both individuals and business entities in a varied range of

commercial and civil disputes with an emphasis on contracts, business tort litigation, energy litigation,

product liability disputes related to drilling equipment and oil country tubular goods, real estate, lease

and property disputes, business divorce, construction and development disputes, and financial services

and lending disputes. Kyle’s experience includes all phases of litigation including bench and jury trials as

well as subsequent appeals. He has tried multiple bench and jury trials as first and second chair counsel.

Because many cases do not or should not proceed to trial, in addition to being a zealous advocate, Kyle

acts as a trusted advisor and counselor to solve his clients’ problems efficiently and achieve their goals

short of trial or formal litigation.

Why You Won't Want To Miss This Montgomery County TX Commercial Real Estate Event

What You’ll Learn about the Future of CRE in The Woodlands, Conroe and Magnolia:

  • In what ways will Montgomery County culture stay intact with the approval of the conservation districts?

  • How does Market Street, the mixed-use development in the Woodlands bringing in more high-end luxury brands, shape the future of the area?

  • What trends should developers pay attention to as the County sees an increase of renters within its wealthiest zip codes?

  • Despite a 12.5% nationwide decrease in the issuing of single-family building permits year over year, The Woodlands-Houston-Sugar Land market issued the highest number of home builder permits across the country. This still reflects a 9% permit decrease year over year locally, so will there be enough housing available in the future?

  • What does the future of Montgomery County development look like with the region being ranked 6th in the state of Texas for incoming investments?

How You’ll Do More Business: Explore the future of Montgomery County and its developments with a focus on conservation districts, mixed-use developments, rental trends, housing availability and investments. Gain insights into how these factors shape the cultural integrity, economic landscape, and housing market of Montgomery County, Texas. There’s a lot of excitement brewing in the different cities within this County. Hear from top owners, developers, tenants and investors as they talk about the things taking place locally. Find out development happenings and what makes these cities unique to other regions of Greater Houston.

Key Projects & Resources From Our Panelists:

Who You'll Network With At This Conference: Brokers, owners, developers, investors, construction, designers, architects, financial professionals, government officials and more CRE decision-makers!

Why You Should Attend This Session: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to identify opportunities, build your network and expand your business. With the largest audience of CRE professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than we do.

For questions, recommendations, comments or press inquiries please email our event producer, Richeler Aladin at Richeler.Aladin@bisnow.com

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

Venue

The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center
1601 Lake Robbins Dr
The Woodlands, TX 77380

Ballroom: Waterway Ballroom 5, 3rd Floor


Complimentary Self Parking for All Attendees located in the Town Center Garage with sky bridge connecting directly to 3rd Floor Meeting Space

Click here for Parking Map Directions

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
Breakfast & Networking
2:00 PM
2:45 PM
Montgomery County's Economic Momentum

Unveiling Growth Opportunities, Trends and Market Insights

2:50 PM
3:35 PM
Montgomery County's Growth Trajectory

The Intersection of Innovation, Biomanufacturing, and Education

3:35 PM
3:50 PM
Networking Break
3:50 PM
4:35 PM
Navigating Development In Today's Market

Key Projects, Navigating Regulations, Zoning, and Innovations Shaping Montgomery County's Future

4:35 PM
5:00 PM
Closing Networking

Sponsors