Marty Wieder became Executive Director of the Arlington Economic Development Corporation in February 2024. Prior to joining the Arlington EDC, he served as the City of Grand Prairie’s Director of Economic Development for almost 8 years—and also previously worked with the City of Colleyville as Director of Economic Development, GSBS Architects as Director of Marketing, Planning & Project Development, as well as either Director, President or in economic development-related positions with the City of North Richland Hills, the Northeast Tarrant and Arlington Chambers of Commerce and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).

Marty grew up in Arlington—where he observed the work of (and early in his career got the opportunity to work with) longtime Mayor and then-Congressman Tom Vandergriff, who is known for attracting the General Motors Assembly Plant and a Major League Baseball franchise that became the Texas Rangers. Marty attended the University of Texas at Arlington, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communication (1983) and later a master’s degree in urban affairs (1988). He taught as an adjunct professor in the Master of Public Administration program at UT Arlington’s College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs from 2021 to 2023.

Marty is a member of the International Economic Development Council, Urban Land Institute, and the International Council of Shopping Centers and its Community Advancement Advisory Committee. He’s been a Director on the North Texas Commission (NTC) Board of Directors and is a Class 4 (2012-13) graduate of the NTC’s Leadership North Texas program. He served as the first Board Chairman of the North Central Texas Economic Development District.

The Fort Worth Business selected Marty to its “Top 40 under 40” List in 1994. The Texas Career and Technology Council & Vocational-Technical Education Foundation of Texas recognized him and other NRH officials in 1999 as "Best in Texas" for supporting the Birdville ISD. The Northeast Tarrant Chamber granted him Chairman’s Awards in 1994 and 2001 for fostering economic development programs (which the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives recognized in 2001 as “Best in the State”) and its Gertrude Tarpley Director of the Year Award in 2003. UT Arlington selected him to be among the Recognized Alumni of the School of Urban & Public Affairs in 2013 and the Colleyville Area Chamber of Commerce granted him their Leadership Award in 2015.

Marty and his wife Bonnie have four children and five grandchildren (with the sixth due in the Summer of 2025).

Since joining the firm in 1995, Andrew Bennett has been a creative force behind BOKA Powell’s full range of architectural and interior design services. Andrew helps foster BOKA Powell’s atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration, planning mock design exercises that hone the team’s creative skills. Prior to joining BOKA Powell, Andrew spent several years designing projects in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Sydney, Australia, and took a 30-country world tour to visit significant architectural landmarks. This international experience helped Andrew evolve his foundation in regionalism into a design approach he now terms “global regionalism” – a belief that context and the vernacular of a place can be accentuated by the broader reach of today’s society, especially through materials sourcing and construction technologies. As a Design Principal, Andrew rolls up his sleeves and participates in all facets of the broader spectrum of design phases, whether by providing leadership and steering a project’s concept, or by facilitating the amazing collaboration among the whole diverse talented team toward a truly iterative and narrative-driven design process.

Steven Upchurch is a Principal and Co-Managing Director of Gensler Dallas, and a practice area leader for the firm’s hospitality practice. With over three decades of design, planning, management, and real estate development experience, Steven actively grows and diversifies Gensler’s various practice areas with a focus on the firm’s culture, its people, and platforms. He applies his knowledge of local, regional, and international markets to deliver impactful and memorable experiences to owners, developers, operators, and brands.

Glenn is the COO of Lone Star PACE in charge of day-to-day operations. Lone Star PACE serves

as Program Administrator for city and county Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs in Texas. C-PACE provides financing for commercial, industrial and multifamily projects that support economic development and resource conservation in Texas communities. C-PACE is designed to overcome the barrier of significant upfront costs for energy efficiency and water conservation projects by offering attractive financing to commercial property owners.

Glenn has more than 35 years’ experience in the commercial real estate industry. He holds the Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) designation and is the current chair of the DFW chapter. Glenn is also an MAI Member of the Appraisal Institute and is a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser in Texas.

In addition to his role at Lone Star PACE, Glenn is president and founder of KLM Realty Advisors, where his team has underwritten more than $18.8B in loans for B-Piece investors of Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities.

Glenn is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University, where he received a master’s degree in Land Economics and Real Estate and a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics. He and his wife Lori (also an Aggie), reside in Plano and have two daughters.

Channing Henry joined the PKF hospitality group in 2019 as Managing Director | Head of US, leading the US consulting practice from the New York office. With more than 15 years in hospitality development and consulting, she brings a development perspective to the firm’s extensive advisory work. Channing advises hotel developers and owners on highest and best land use analyses, capital strategies and fundraising services, brand positioning and negotiation, and planning and development services in the US, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

Channing co-developed the 148-key Downtown LA Proper Hotel, a historic rehabilitation project, in partnership with the Kor Group. She also partnered with BV Resorts on a 1,500-acre luxury resort master plan in Baja Mexico and a New York consortium on a 400-acre sustainable master plan in Dominical, Costa Rica. Channing has led the pre-development and performed extensive advisory work for urban hotels in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Fort Worth, and Todos Santos, Mexico, for brands ranging from Aman Resorts to Bunkhouse and Soho House. Channing previously worked as a development manager for the Kor Group, where she helped expand the Viceroy and Tides brands in Latin America and Miami. She began her career in real estate as a consultant with Robert Charles Lesser (RCLCo) in Los Angeles, where she performed market and feasibility studies for public and private sector developments across all land uses.

Channing was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Argentina and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Yale’s School of Management.

Channing is on the Leadership Committee for ULI’s Recreational Development Council and an Executive Committee member of the South Park Business Improvement District (BID) Board in Downtown Los Angeles.

Jennifer Picquet-Reyes began her career in 2000 and has managed projects in a wide variety of sectors which involve new construction, renovation processes, restoration as well as LEED certification. As a team leader, Mrs. Picquet-Reyes collaborates with our clients and consultants to coordinate all parts and phases of a project, from the early stages of programming, planning and schematic design through construction documents, construction administration and project closeout, and delivers a thorough, well designed and sustainable building.

Jennifer is currently working on several hotel projects, including the adaptive reuse of multiple historic buildings. Dallas/Fort Worth renovation experience includes the Butler Brothers Building, Allen Building, Mercantile Commerce Building, 211 N Ervay in Dallas and the Sinclair and Sanger Buildings in Fort Worth. Current Historic tax credit projects include the Gospel Lighthouse Church conversion to a Dream Center, The El Tropicano Hotel in San Antonio, as well as several other projects in various cities. Renovation experience outside Texas includes the First National Bank building in Oklahoma City, which includes residential and an Autograph by Marriott. Jennifer is also working on the Jefferson Building in St. Louis, which is being renovated into residential and an AC Hotel by Marriott. Jennifer’s new construction multi-family and hotel recent projects include A 2o acre mixed use development in Fredericksburg, TX, 3111 Sunset on Lake Grapevine, Springs Ranch in Colorado Springs, CO, the Galleries at Park Lane in Dallas, Amelia Farmer’s Market Residential in Dallas, The AC/Moxy Dual Brand in Uptown, AC by Marriott Hotel in Fort Worth, Embassy Suites in Amarillo, and The Delta by Marriott in Southlake, TX, renovation of the Hyatt Regency Hill Country and The Woodlands Resorts.

Jennifer’s work with prior firms includes the project management of the historic Thurgood Marshall US Courthouse, 35-story building housing 23 courtrooms in downtown Manhattan. The project included MEP and life safety upgrade for the entire facility, new courtrooms, as well as numerous preservation efforts and LEED certification. Also, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in New York seamlessly integrates both new infrastructure systems and design interventions within the historic building. Jennifer also has experience in Washington DC working in the US capitol building on a HABs project for the Old Supreme Court Chamber and several on-call projects with the Architect of the Capitol. Jennifer’s previous experience also includes multi-family residential, hotels, libraries, schools, transit, radiation facilities and tenant finish outs.

With these projects has come a knowledge of and experience with historic preservation, LEED certification, adaptive reuse, design, construction schedule, document coordination and construction administration. These projects have taken her to environments all over the country.

Note: Some of the projects listed above were performed by Mrs. Picquet-Reyes while she was employed at another firm.

Peyton’s pursuit as an architect is to create unique and

unforgettable experiences. She views the process of

achieving this as a conversation and mutual education

between architect and client. Peyton specializes in the

design of hospitality, commercial office and mixed-use

projects in various parts of the world. She is experienced in

a wide range of architectural disciplines, including mas-

ter planning, conceptual design, schematic design and

the interface of design development.