Paul H. Layne is President, Central Region for The Howard Hughes Corporation. He is responsible for the master planned communities of The Woodlands, Bridgeland, and The Woodlands Hills in Houston, Texas and the office development at 110 North Wacker in Chicago, Illinois. He also provides strategic oversight for Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada and Columbia, Maryland along with other smaller assets within the

HHC portfolio. For more than 30 years, Mr. Layne has been a vital leader in Houston’s commercial real estate community as well as in national and international real estate.

Mr. Layne received a bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Houston and attended South Texas College of Law. He currently serves on the boards for the University of Houston Graduate Real Estate Program, the Board of Trustees for Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston, advisory board member for Houston’s Urban Land Institute and Catholic Charities. He previously served on the boards for the Houston Downtown Management District, the Central Houston Association, the University of St. Thomas, Lone Star College Foundation, Houston’s Coalition for the Homeless and Houston’s Center for Hearing and Speech. He also serves as a Trustee for the Scanlan Foundation, a moderator and advisory board member for the Houston Business Ethics Forum and the South Texas College of Law Real Estate Conference and is a member of the Serra Club. He is President Emeritus of the Houston Downtown Management District Board and the Christian Community Service Center Board of Directors. Mr. Layne has been a speaker at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Business Ethics Conference.

Brant Smith joined the Austin mortgage banking office of Berkadia Commercial Mortgage as branch manager in February 2010. Prior to moving to Austin Mr. Smith spent a number of years in the Houston office of Capmark Finance Inc the predecessor company of Berkadia.

Since joining Capmark in November of 2005, Mr. Smith has originated in excess of $1 billion in debt financing and equityplacement for commercial properties across the United States. Mr. Smith has been named a “Top Producer” by the company in 2007 and 2008. Mr. Smith was previously a Director in the Houston office of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler (“HFF”) where he began his carrier in commercial mortgage banking in March of 1998, and originated over $500 million in commercial real estate financings. Prior to his tenure with HFF, Mr. Smith was an investment advisor with Fidelity Investments where he obtained his Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.

Mr. Smith is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He is active in the Mortgage Bankers Association, the National Multi-Housing Council and the Urban Land Institute. Mr. Smith and his wife, Lesli, reside in Austin and have two children: Shepherd (age 13) and Braden (age 11).

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Peter McStravick manages the development and implementation of entrepreneurial and business development opportunities (new and existing) for the corporation.

Previously, he was Houston First's point person in implementing corporation strategy at the Hilton Americas-Houston.

He was responsible for all aspects of the Houston Convention Center Hotel Corporation's operations, from 2001 to 2011, and was deputy director of the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, deputy city controller for public finance, and an assistant director in the city's Finance and Administration Department.

He received a degree in finance from the University of Houston.

Rand Stephens is Principal and Managing Director of Avison Young’s Houston

office. He founded the office in 2010 and has guided it into one of Houston’s largest

commercial real estate brokerage companies, as recognized by the Houston Business

Journal. Rand also spearheaded the firm’s Texas expansion with the opening of offices

in Dallas and Austin by acquiring Dallas-based Dillon Corporate Services, Inc. and

Austin-based Commercial Texas.

As Avison Young increases its presence in the Houston market, Rand continues

expanding service lines with the recruitment of quality professionals, as well as

strategic acquisition and organic growth.

During his distinguished career, Rand has completed more than $5 billion in office,

industrial and land transactions. He is a well-respected and highly accomplished

commercial real estate professional with more than 30 years of experience in leasing,

sales, development, acquisition and disposition.

Rand Stephens

Principal and Managing Director

Credentials and professional affiliations

− Dartmouth College - Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science

− Past President, Society of Industrial Office Realtors (SIOR) - Gulf Coast chapter

− Past Board Member, Houston Office Leasing Broker Association (HOLBA)