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Speakers and Panels

Trends Transforming Property Management

Exploring Facility Operations, Lease Management, Best Practices, and Cost Optimization

Kelly Wheeler

Kelly Wheeler

SVP & Director of Operations & Strategy

Transwestern

Meredith Cress

Meredith Cress

Senior Vice President, Management Services

Hines

Mack Armstrong

Mack Armstrong

SMD, Property Management

Greystar

Michael Kasmiersky

Michael Kasmiersky

VP, Property Management

Lincoln Property Company

Seth Eslami
Moderator

Seth Eslami

COO

Stellar International Commercial Real Estate

Kelly Wheeler

SVP & Director of Operations & Strategy

Transwestern

Kelly serves in multiple capacities as the Asset Services team leader for Transwestern’s Houston office and Central Texas Region. She is the single point of contact for select clients - ensuring consistent, elevated service delivery across geographies, supporting strategic property initiatives, capital planning and deployment, amenitization and tenant experience programs, and tactical property operations.

Kelly strategically focuses on differentiating Transwestern by leveraging the power of the family of companies across the firm to provide clients with unsurpassable real estate solutions.

Kelly has 18 years of experience in commercial property management in the Houston area. She has managed noteworthy properties such as 5 Houston Center, 1000 Main, Bank of America Tower, and the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical campus. Kelly built and led the Transwestern team that commissioned Bank of America Tower in 2019.

Kelly is currently engaged as a national single point of contact for Beacon Capital Partners across all Transwestern-managed assets and supports multiple teams in a range of asset classes, including office and life sciences real estate.

Meredith Cress

Senior Vice President, Management Services

Hines

Meredith is responsible for Southwest Region Management Services which includes property and facility

management, engineering, and maintenance services for over 39 million square feet of commercial office,

residential, industrial, life sciences, medical and retail assets under management. Meredith is also

responsible for the diversification strategy and growth of her property management business into different

sectors of real estate.

In her role, Meredith is responsible for operational oversight of all asset types in Texas, Colorado, and

Arizona, leading a talented team of approximately 400 employees. She was responsible for starting up

Hines’ new multifamily property management arm, Hines Living formerly known as Willowick Residential,

in the Southwest Region, scaling from one property of 224 units under management in late 2019 to nine

properties at over 4,200 units by year-end 2023. Meredith believes providing exceptional service and

support to our clients, as well as our valued employees who serve them, is paramount to Hines’ success.

Meredith brings two decades of experience in leading real estate property and facility management teams

with an expertise in Class A commercial office space. Having joined Hines in 2004, she has contributed to

the industry through the Houston chapter of the Building Owners & Managers Association, where she

served on the board of directors for six years, including the role of president in 2016. Additionally,

Meredith participated as a board member for Texas BOMA, as well as the University of Houston’s Bauer

College of Business Advisory Board.

Meredith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Texas Tech University. She

enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her husband, two kids, and French bulldogs.

Mack Armstrong

SMD, Property Management

Greystar

Mack Armstrong is a Senior Managing Director and leads the Central South division of the Property Management business. Mack oversees the operations, construction services, and business development activities of the 50,000 unit, 160-property management portfolio of assets under management in the Houston and Louisiana markets. In addition, Mack provides oversight of the national construction services and maintenance programs.

Prior to joining Greystar, Mack served as a Financial Management Officer in the United States Air Force, where he reached the rank of Captain and was selected as the Officer of the Year for the Strategic Air Command. After working at Greystar for six years, Mack worked at Greystone Management Services, where he served as Executive Vice President before re-joining Greystar in 2008. Mack is actively involved in the Houston Apartment Association, where he served as President in 2015, and currently serves on the Board of Directors. He received his designation as a Certified Property Manager by the Institute of Real Estate Management. Mack earned a bachelor's degree in Communications and Economics from Texas A&M University.

Michael Kasmiersky

VP, Property Management

Lincoln Property Company

Michael Kasmiersky has 28 years of commercial real estate experience. He enjoys all aspects of property management, with emphasis in tenant retention/relations, construction management, and budgeting. He honed and established a strong construction management background while overseeing Sage Plaza and Post Oak Central. Projects ranged from tenant improvement work of less than 1,000 sq. ft. to multiple floor buildouts, including several capital projects. During his tenure in real estate, he has managed various commercial and retail properties and portfolios ranging from 60,000 to 2 million sq. ft.

Leading up to his career in real estate, Michael worked within the hospitality industry with ClubCorp, which provided a strong base from which to produce his current customer service skills. One of Michael’s strengths is maintaining strong tenant relations, which in turn over time has led to higher tenant satisfaction and retention.

As Vice President Property Management for Lincoln Property Company, Michael has responsibility for all aspects of property management in Houston, including client relations, third-party business development, review of asset performance and business planning, budgeting, operations, strategy, staffing, and leadership.

Michael promotes a team-oriented workplace and strives to motivate all employees to succeed. He encourages a positive and collaborative environment and understands that the success of the team is imperative to the success of the portfolio managed.

Seth Eslami

Moderator

Stellar International Commercial Real Estate

Seth Eslami serves as Chief Operating Officer at Stellar International and Asset Manager for 1225 Investments, where he oversees portfolio strategy and operational execution. He is also the Founder of ClarityCastle, a venture focused on innovative real estate solutions.

With a background in civil engineering and professional experience spanning three continents, Eslami brings a globally informed perspective to the built environment. His career is defined by a focus on efficiency—both in financial structures and construction methodologies. Notably, he structured and managed the first PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) project in Texas, a milestone that demonstrated how innovative financing can drive energy-efficient development. To date, he has closed more than $20 million in commercial real estate transactions.

Eslami's approach is rooted in practicality. He advocates for the adoption of prefabricated, modular, and smart space solutions as a means to reduce construction waste, shorten project timelines, and lower environmental impact. He views sustainability not merely as an environmental goal, but as a direct contributor to net income and long-term operational success.

In addition to his operational roles, Eslami is deeply engaged in industry leadership. He serves as Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Gulf Coast Region. He is also a Board Member of the BOMA Foundation and a member of the Legislative Advisory Board for BOMA Houston, where he contributes to shaping policy, education, and standards for the commercial real estate sector.

Beyond The Lease

Tenant Retention Strategies, Amenities and Enhancing the End-User Experience

Cindy Magouirk, CPM®, RPA®

Cindy Magouirk, CPM®, RPA®

Senior Property Manager

MetroNational

Jen Suddreth

Jen Suddreth

VP

JLL

Janet Shipley

Janet Shipley

Director, Property Management

CBRE

Renee Boutelle

Renee Boutelle

Associate Vice President, Real Estate Management

NexCore Group

Leslie Atkinson
Moderator

Leslie Atkinson

Marketing Manager

Allied Fire Protection

Jen Suddreth

VP

JLL

Jen Suddreth is Vice President with JLL. She oversees the downtown office

portfolio for JLL, providing mentoring and support for iconic properties like

Pennzoil Place and brand new, state of the art properties like 1550 On The

Green. She is actively involved in team training, strategic planning, and

Client Relations. Her real passion lies in PropTech; Jen has become a

subject matter expert in digital innovations as she brings new technology to

her portfolio to improve real estate processes and enhance the Tenant

experience.

She has a love of learning and has shared that with the BOMA community

as an active BOMI Instructor for Houston RPA and SMA candidates for

over 8 years. And, she was President of the Houston Building Owners and

Managers Association in 2010.

Jen began her career in commercial real estate as an Admin in 1998. As

she learned the industry, she worked her way up to Vice President and has

now been with JLL 13 years. Her portfolio consists of Class A, downtown

properties varying in age from 3 months new to 50 years old. With over 20

years experience, Jen continues to develop her team through training,

encouragement, and a true passion for commercial real estate. She has

brought AI solutions to her portfolio and has launched many innovative

solutions utilizing technology to improve property performance.

Janet Shipley

Director, Property Management

CBRE

Janet L. Shipley is the Director of Property Management for the Houston market. She

directs day-to-day operations and provides Property Management leadership support

for office, life science, industrial and retail properties totaling 35 million sq. ft.

Her responsibilities have included team leadership, strategic planning, recruiting,

employee engagement, performance management, complex financial analysis, business

development, key metrics, technology systems, marketing, construction management,

tenant and client relations. Janet began her commercial real estate career in 1990 in

Houston with her involvement in the management of commercial office portfolios as well

as developing and managing an executive suite operation.

Janet has broadened her property management and accounting experience with the

preparation of financial statements, cash flow analysis, proforma preparation, due

diligence, annual budget projections, construction management, receivership

transitions, sustainability, and LEED projects. Janet utilizes her abilities to develop the

professional and teamwork environment required for a successful business. Maintaining

a positive relationship and high retention levels with all Clients, Employees and Tenants

Renee Boutelle

Associate Vice President, Real Estate Management

NexCore Group

Renee Boutelle is a Certified Property Manager with over 15 years of experience in the Commercial Real Estate Industry. She has been privileged to manage a variety of asset classes, including high-rise office, industrial, mixed-use, residential, and most recently, healthcare real estate. Her passion for exceeding client expectations, and her drive to provide top-of-class facilities for her tenants, patients and visitors, has helped lead her to excel within the field of Medical Office Building management. Since recently stepping into her new role as Associate Vice President of Real Estate Management at NexCore Group, she has been able to utilize her varied knowledge and skills to help oversee a portfolio of nearly 30 assets across 10 states. She is also heavily involved in Houston CRE community, and is currently serving on the Houston BOMA Board of Directors.

Leslie Atkinson

Moderator

Allied Fire Protection

Leslie Atkinson is the Marketing Manager for Allied Fire Protection. The Texas Lutheran

University Alumnae recently celebrated 22 years in the Fire & Life Safety Industry and

12 years as part of the Allied Fire Protection team. She began her career on the

security side of the business, working for a DVR manufacturer and camera distributer.

During that time, she was introduced to the fire alarm side of the industry and made the

move over in 2006. After spending 4 years focused on alarm, she had the opportunity to

move over to fire sprinkler and jumped at the opportunity. She immersed herself in

learning the Inspection and Service side of the business. In 2018, Allied transitioned

Leslie into her current role as Marketing Manager. In addition to being a proud member

of Team Allied, she also serves on the Executive Board of Directors for Houston’s

Chapter of National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). Personally, Leslie

enjoys time with her family and friends and giving back to the community. She currently

serves as Captain of the Calf Scramble Arena Committee for Houston Livestock Show

& Rodeo, where she has been a volunteer for 17 years. In May, Leslie completed her 6 th

JJ Watt Charity Classic, where she served as Volunteer Coordinator for the JJ Watt

Foundation, which she has proudly volunteered with for the last 10 years.

Why You Can't Miss This Property Management in Houston Event

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN 

  • How are property management professionals in Houston addressing rising costs in the current market, and what cost-effective strategies are proving successful?

  • In the face of growing tenant demands, what innovative approaches are property managers adopting to enhance tenant satisfaction and retention?

  • How are developers and property managers evolving their amenity offerings to keep pace with the changing demands and priorities of occupants?

  • How are property managers navigating the complexities of lease management, and what tools or technologies are they leveraging for optimal outcomes?

  • Considering the evolving landscape, what role does technology play in shaping the future of property management practices in Houston?

  • What challenges do Houston property managers foresee in delivering today's solutions, and how are they proactively addressing these challenges?

  • How can property managers effectively collaborate with top operators and owners to confront tomorrow's challenges and ensure sustainable success in the industry?

  • Considering the current market complexities, how are property managers adapting their strategies to accommodate the changing dynamics of remote work and its impact on tenant preferences?

  • What role does collaboration with other real estate leaders play in staying ahead of trends, and how can property managers actively engage with industry experts for mutual benefit?

HOW YOU'LL DO MORE BUSINESS: Amid a complex market marred by rising costs and growing tenant demands, Houston's leading property management experts are working harder than ever to achieve success for their buildings and those that occupy them. Join Bisnow for an in-depth exploration of critical facets such as facility operations, lease management, tenant relations, and cost optimization. Industry leaders will discuss what lies ahead in delivering today's solutions, how the region's top operators and owners are confronting tomorrow's challenges, and connect with other real estate leaders as they lend insight on what trends to watch for in Houston and beyond. 

WHO YOU'LL MEET: Owners, developers, investors, brokers, business consultants, architects, engineers, designers, lawyers, accountants, bankers, and public officials

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND: 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 commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than us. Join Bisnow as we jump into the market to analyze its strengths and strategize on its areas of opportunity. You don't want to miss this event!

Questions about your ticket purchase or interested in sponsoring? Reach out to customerservice@bisnow.com for customer support.

For questions, recommendations, comments, or press inquiries please email our Director of Operations Sophie McCourt at sophie.mccourt@bisnow.com.

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

Houston Property Management News & Stories

Venue

The Westin Houston Memorial City
945 Gessner Rd
Houston, TX 77024

Ballroom: 2nd Floor - Magnolia Ballroom (Program), Magnolia Prefunction (Networking)


$12 Event Valet//$8 Event Self-Parking/ Standard Overnight rate

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
Coffee, Breakfast and Networking
2:00 PM
2:45 PM
Trends Transforming Property Management

Exploring Facility Operations, Lease Management, Best Practices, and Cost Optimization

2:45 PM
3:00 PM
Networking and Coffee Break
3:00 PM
3:45 PM
Beyond The Lease

Tenant Retention Strategies, Amenities and Enhancing the End-User Experience

3:45 PM
4:00 PM
Closing Networking

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