Houston State of the Market

Acho Azuike manages DC Partners' real estate development and investment activities including compliance with all EB-5 Program requirements. Mr. Azuike has over 12 years of experience in the real estate industry with experiences ranging from real estate finance to real estate development. He graduated from The University of Texas with BA in Economics and received his MBA from Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business.

Heather Nguyen is NewQuest Properties Development Partner. With over 23 years of diverse real estate experience, Nguyen spearheads development opportunities and the re-positioning of retail assets – creating ‘internet-proof’, regional destination of unmatched values. Nguyen’s impressive development portfolio includes: The Shops at Pearland Parkway, Carrollton Town Center, Frisco Ranch Shopping Center, Marketplace at Ninety-Six, The Shops at Katy Grand, and most recently – Chandler Ranch Shopping Center located in Chandler, Arizona. Carrying through a philosophy of persistence, tenacity, and patience, Nguyen brings a unique combination of client focused development and leasing knowledge. Her work and expertise proves to deliver the highest level of results. Over Nguyen’s career, she has produced more than $6.5 billion in real estate transactional value. Nguyen joined NewQuest Properties in 2000 and has since won multiple accolades: Top Producer Awards at NewQuest Properties, H Texas Magazine Women in Business Award, 2018 Women in Real Estate, and routinely named to Houston Business Journal’s Heavy Hitter list. Nguyen served on the board of Commercial Gateway, Midtown Redevelopment Board, and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Nguyen, along with her husband Dr. Shawn Taher, are involved in a number of charity organizations. Through The Body Balance Foundation, their efforts range from delivering Christmas toys to the children of Houston to organizing fundraisers, benefiting Texas Children’s Hospital.

Experienced Vice President, Acquisitions with a demonstrated history, working for over twenty five years in the multi-family investment industry purchasing over 30,000 units valued at over $3B nationally. Skilled in Real Estate Acquisitions, Finance, Dispositions, Asset Management and Development. Strong real estate professional with a BA in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Chris Reyes is a partner at SHOP Houston focusing on tenant representation on a local and national level with a strong emphasis on restaurant and entertainment work. Some of his clients include: Barcelona Wine Bar, Bar Louie, Barton G, Bluestone Lane, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Earl’s Kitchen + Bar, Front Burner Brands, JoJo’s Shake Bar, JuiceLand, King Ranch, Milkshake Concepts, MOD Pizza, Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken, Parachute Home, PNC Bank, Rooftop Cinema Club, The Halal Guys, The Puttery, Velvet Taco, and other local independent and national concepts. Prior to joining SHOP, Chris was a Vice President at Transwestern Retail where he was integral in the planning and execution of multiple client market rollouts. Chris brings over 14 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Upon graduation, Chris began working as a manager for Pappas Restaurants, where he spent almost five years before leaving to open his own restaurant concepts. He then decided to bring his in-depth restaurant knowledge to the commercial real estate industry, accepting his first real estate position with Page Partners. Chris has received both national and regional recognition, named on Chain Store Age’s “Ones to Watch” broker list and ranked as a Commercial Real Estate “Heavy Hitter” by the Houston Business Journal in multiple years. Chris is a licensed Texas Real Estate Salesperson and a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Chris received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University with a minor in Business Administration.

Elan K. Gordon – Principal - is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania with a focus in Economics, Real Estate & Urban Studies. He has spent 17 years as an acquisition and asset management specialist acquiring over $2.8B of commercial real estate on the principal side. Elan has a reputation as a reliable investment analyst, able to quickly aggregate information into relevant decision-making investment metrics. He provides meticulous attention to detail, identifying untapped value, driving increased cash flow and maximizing profits. Though his track record & experience involves office, retail, industrial, storage and other asset classes, Elan has now focused on multifamily rental after moving to Texas. During his short time in Texas he has closed over $750MM of value-add multifamily acquisitions. Recent market opportunities have pushed Elan to grow SHIR’s Hotel-to-Multifamily conversion portfolio and gain a unique set of knowledge on entitlements and physical upgrades needed to take advantage of misaligned building uses versus marked needs throughout the USA. Elan leads the SHIR Capital team and oversees all day-to-day operations of the Company.

Ian M. Rosenberg founded INFILL Planning & Development in 2003. He has been managing planning, design, construction, and operations and maintenance of complex projects for over 20 years. Mr. Rosenberg has worked closely with many public agencies and has been instrumental in the planning and execution of projects for The Federal Reserve Bank, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Memorial Park Conservancy and Main Street Coalition. Prior to founding INFILL, Mr. Rosenberg spent 14 years in various positions at the Federal Reserve Bank, Houston Branch. During his tenure, Mr. Rosenberg has either been responsible for or participated in a multitude of large and small real estate projects culminating in the design and construction of the Branch’s new $95 million, 314,000 sf facility on Allen Parkway. Mr. Rosenberg’s experience with the Federal Reserve qualified him for the team hired to design the world’s largest cash management center for the Peoples Bank of China in Shanghai, China. Mr. Rosenberg was responsible for the project’s overall planning and conceptual design. Additionally, Mr. Rosenberg is actively involved in a professional capacity in several organizations whose missions are centered on the betterment of Houston. First, Mr. Rosenberg served as Main Street Coalition’s Director of Planning. Mr. Rosenberg has served as a Project Manager for the Buffalo Bayou Partnership since 2003. In that role, Mr. Rosenberg has overseen the development of the $15 Million Sabine to Bagby Promenade, $10 Million International Coffee Building and real estate development for the Partnership. Mr. Rosenberg’s purchase and renovation of a historic buildings into 13 celsius and Mongoose versus Cobra have been recognized and earned a Good Brick Award and ULI Development of Distinction Awards. Mr. Rosenberg has also served on the Board of the Midtown Management District, Legacy Community Health Centers and is the Past Chairman of the Fifth Ward Community Development Corporation. He currently is a member of the Houston Planning Commission. Mr. Rosenberg received a Bachelor of Architecture from the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston in 1996. He also attended the Centre d’Etude d’Architcture et d’Urbanism, Saintes France in 1995 and the Rice University Graduate School of Management for Advanced Project Management Program in 2001.

Hadi (Andrew) Nurcahya is a real-estate developer and software developer. I began my real-estate experience right out of high school buying, repairing and selling foreclosure houses (known today as flipping houses). Entered commercial real estate about 10 years ago. Currently working on The Dryer (repurposing an Historic Landmark - Old Rice Dryer - City of Katy) into an entertainment venue with museum, beer garden, food court, co-working offices and family entertainment areas. For this project I had the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Katy, Katy Chamber of Commerce and Katy Heritage Society.

As Managing Director of the Houston studio, Diana provides strategic, executive, and financial leadership while supporting excellence in design. She has over 25 years of experience working with academic medical center and community hospital clients and an extensive background in the design, planning, and delivery of healthcare projects. She brings a special interest in Lean planning and evidence-based design to her work, paired with a commitment to improving the healthcare environment for caregivers, patients, and families. As Principal and Healthcare market sector leader for the Houston practice, Diana has planned projects for all healthcare market sectors, including academic medical centers, community hospitals, and regional health delivery systems. Her experience includes all aspects of project delivery, from conceptual planning and programming to project management and contract documentation.

Christopher Nichols has a very versed background in the business of real estate and land use law. As the prior founder and managing principal of his own firm, The Nichols Firm, PLLC., he carries a unique skill set of interpreting the law while understanding the fundamentals of business. Both trades pair very nicely as he aligns himself and his practice with the goals outlined in some of the biggest real estate transactions and economic development projects in the city and state. Chris assists Wilson Cribbs + Goren clients with matters relating to municipal and administrative law, economic development, property and homeowner associations, real estate development, and land use law. Prior to joining the firm, he managed his own local government and real estate firm for over six years, practiced nine years at the Randle Law Office Ltd. LLP., and spent five years with a Houston-based product liability and mass tort litigation firm. With such broad experience over 20+ years, Chris understands both the transactional and litigation aspects of complex law practice. Chris is a native Texan, born in Texarkana and raised in the piney woods of northeast Texas. Chris completed his undergraduate studies at Baylor University in May 1996 and received his JD at Texas Tech University School of Law in December 2001. Chris now calls Houston home and lives with his spouse and their rescue pup, Huck, in League City. When not in Houston, Chris and his spouse love to travel.

Shellye joined Memorial Park Conservancy in 2013. Since then, Shellye and the Conservancy leadership team have grown the organization from 3 employees to over 30 and from a $500,000 annual budget to over $30 million in operating and capital expenses. Working closely with partners, Shellye and the Conservancy developed a long-range Master Plan for Memorial Park in 2015; initiated capital improvements and transitioned management and operations of 1,100 acres of Memorial Park to the Conservancy in 2016; and in 2018 secured approval for a plan to deliver over $200 million of capital improvements in Memorial Park by 2028. Fundraising is underway for this Ten-Year Plan for Memorial Park, with catalyst funding from the Kinder Foundation. This is one of the largest urban park restoration efforts underway in the U.S. Project Partners in this public-private partnership include the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Memorial Park Conservancy, Kinder Foundation, and Uptown Development Authority. The team is focused on: · Restoring the Park’s ecological systems and creating greater resiliency · Reconnecting the Park’s land, waterways, trails, and people · Consolidating compatible uses together in appropriate areas · Tending to the land and the Park’s cultural history, maintaining balance through responsible management · And enhancing the overall Park experience and amenities Shellye brings a background in executive leadership and change management from her nearly 20 years at Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq Computer Corporation and McKinsey & Company. Having studied public policy, Shellye spent the first part of her career with the Texas State Legislature, the Texas Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. She previously worked as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru delivering public health programs and speaks Spanish fluently. Shellye holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master in Public Policy from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School. As a native Houstonian, Shellye cares deeply about Houston’s parks, bayous, green spaces and the wildlife that inhabit them. Shellye volunteers in animal rescue and from 2011 – 2019 served as a leader for Girl Scout Troop 21, the nation’s only Girl Scout troop composed of women with differing learning abilities.

Nate Newman leads a team of highly qualified advisors specializing in the sale of retail shopping centers, office buildings, industrial business parks, and single-tenant net leased assets. Nate began his career in commercial real estate in 2007 with a small commercial real estate brokerage company in The Woodlands, TX. His timing coincided with The Great Recession, which taught Nate valuable lessons in humility, determination, and how to hustle. After five years and 65 transactions of various sizes, Nate joined Marcus & Millichap in 2013 to open The Woodlands office. During his tenure at Marcus & Millichap, Nate was very successful in representing some of the largest investors and developers in Houston. Nate has sold in excess of $400,000,000 of properties and he and his team have personally underwritten/valued billions of dollars worth of assets as a service to their clients. Nate also has extensive experience as a developer, specializing in build-to-suit development and working through entitlement challenges for large land tracts. Since 2014, Nate has successfully developed three retail build-to-suits, one medical office building, and one large scale mixed-use development of 107 acres. Nate is currently developing three industrial business parks totaling 400,000 square feet and 5 mixed-use projects on 200+ acres totaling over one million square feet. Nate’s approach to investments is unique because he is able to leverage his transactional investment brokerage experience to generate capital, source deal opportunities, and have the knowledge base to work through challenges. Nate is a graduate of Baylor University and is happily married to Marifer Newman. Marifer and Nate have two children. When not working, Nate enjoys spending time at his ranch, playing golf, serving in church, sailing, reading, and traveling with his family.

Mr. Elijah J. Williams serves as the Executive Director of The Energy Corridor District leading efforts to shape initiatives in the areas of economic development, transportation, infrastructure, public safety, and urban design in one of the Houston region’s most important business centers. Williams has spent his career solving critical challenges at the intersection of government, business, community, and policy. He has successfully advocated for policy issues and funding appropriations at all levels of government. Williams’ career has included a distinguished tenure in federal government at NASA and the SBA, including service as a Presidential Appointee. He has also served as a Committee Director in the Texas House of Representatives and founded two consulting firms specializing in business development and contracting. Williams currently serves on the Board of Directors for City Park TIRZ 12, the Advisory Board for the Houston Land Bank, Legislative Policy Council for the Transportation Advocacy Group – Houston Region, and the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Advisory Committee. Formerly, he served on the Board of Directors of numerous organizations including the Houston Area Urban League (HAUL), the Gulf Coast Rail District, and Leadership Houston. Williams is a graduate of Leadership Houston - Class XXX, the President’s Leadership Workshop (The White House), a NASA Leadership Development Program, and Leadership Huntsville-Madison County.