D. Alex John Jr is a Vice President and Senior Designer with the Dallas-based architectural firm HKS. While he currently specializes in design leadership and business development efforts within the Commercial Studio, he has a varied background of experience. This expertise extends to the Hospitality, Mixed-Use Development, Residential and Urban Design studios. Mr. John has a portfolio that boasts projects from all around the world with more than 250 projects project over his 18 years with HKS. He has lead design teams in Dallas, Miami, DC, Atlanta, San Francisco, London, Shanghai, and Mexico City to highlight a several. Mr. John was also the Studio Director of the HKS New York Hospitality Studio before returning to the Dallas office in 2019. He now leads the firms efforts into the municipal arena where he helps the firm partner with cities and other entities in North Texas to reshape their communities with equitable projects that support all citizens.

Mr. John is a proud Prairie View A&M University alum of both the Bachelor and Master’s program. He regularly engages in student mentorship from his alma mater as well as other institutions of higher education.

Mr. John is currently serving on the Real Estate Council’s Board of Directors after his term on their Executive Board ended in 2021. He also serves on the steering committee for the TREC ALC Committee, TREC Public Policy Committee, and the CitizenHKS Steering Committee. CitizenHKS aids the local community with architectural services and design direction they would otherwise not be able to afford as well as his local church community at Fellowship Church.

Jennifer Scripps, a Dallas native and long-time civic leader, joined Downtown Dallas, Inc. as president and CEO in April 2022. She took the helm of the 90-employee organization at a time when Downtown Dallas is experiencing historic growth, including $6 billion in planned or ongoing development, thousands of new residents, and a string of high-profile corporate relocations.

Jennifer’s focus is on guiding DDI’s strategic 360 Plan and overseeing major projects expected to get underway in the coming years, including Field Street District on the north, One Newpark to the south and the nearby redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, to name a few. In her first year as CEO, DDI was one of the leaders in a city-wide coalition that championed a $1.5 billion ballot initiative to fund the convention center expansion and major improvements to Fair Park. Dallas voters approved the measure in a landslide.

Jennifer previously served for six years as the director of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. In her prior role at Dallas City Hall, she oversaw a series of significant initiatives that elevated the arts throughout Dallas and across the country. Prior to her time with the City of Dallas, she served in multiple roles with the Perot Museum of Nature & Science, including overseeing the day-to-day construction and business planning of the museum just north of the Central Business District.

Scripps graduated from Ursuline Academy of Dallas in 1995. She has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She and her husband, Andy, and their two young sons are residents of the White Rock Lake area in East Dallas.

"Patrick Todd serves as a Partner with Todd Interests, a commercial real estate investment and development firm established in 1990. Patrick currently focuses on deal structure, lease negotiations and urban design.

Patrick joined Todd Interests in 2015 with a strong background in finance. He was previously a debt and equity analyst for Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P. (HFF) (NYSE: HF), the nation’s top real estate intermediary. While at HFF, Patrick developed capital relationships with public and corporate pension funds, foreign and domestic banks, Freddie Mac, insurance companies and their advisors and investment banks. He leveraged these relationships to execute joint ventures, preferred equity raises, construction loans, fixed-rate loans and bridge loans.

Prior to joining HFF, Patrick managed office and industrial space along the east coast for Allegiancy in Richmond, Virginia.

Patrick is a graduate of the University of Virginia and was an All-American member of the Wahoo’s Track and Field Team. During his collegiate career Patrick became the second athlete from Dallas-Ft. Worth to run a sub 4-minute mile. Patrick and his wife, Cori (also an NCAA All-American), are actively involved at Watermark Community Church where they serve in Merge, Watermark's premarital ministry. Patrick is an active member of The Real Estate Council and a member of TREC’s 2019 Associate Leadership Class."

Wildcat president Tanya Ragan is an entrepreneur, activist, and leader of the movement to redevelop downtown Dallas. Her company, Wildcat Management, focuses on scaled, locally financed projects in up-and-coming urban areas. Ms. Ragan has led numerous efforts to revitalize downtown Dallas, including privatizing the city-owned Farmers Market, and relocating the Liberty State Bank building to a more business-friendly location. She is currently rehabilitating the Historic Purse Building; Dallas West End’s last undeveloped historic structure into a destination for retail, dining, and business. Ms. Ragan is committed to helping entrepreneurs achieve their full potential. Altogether, Ms. Ragan’s diversified experience, undeniable work ethic and disruptive energy has made her a go-to industry expert and a visionary leader in commercial real estate for the past 14 years. Ms. Ragan also takes great pains to practice responsible development and stewardship. A resident of Downtown Dallas herself, she is a tireless community activist and works to both understand and maintain the delicate balance between transforming and preserving the character of the city.

John has been an indispensable member of the MAA team since graduating in 2004.

His contributions as a designer, director, and leader have been instrumental in developing and advancing MAA's architecture, interior architecture, marketing, and graphic finesse since its inception. John remains actively involved in the local architecture community, and his nomination and completion of the Emerging Leaders program at the Dallas chapter of the AIA are a testament to his expertise and leadership in the field.

John's work is not limited to his own designs. He also provides a positive learning experience for other team members and clients through each daily process. He is responsible for keeping the firm at the forefront of 3-D and visualization technology and sharing his knowledge and skills with colleagues and clients.

John's design and project contributions span the globe, including the United States, Nigeria, and China. His experience includes corporate architecture and interiors, multi-family and single-family residential, retail, mixed-use, and hospitality. Recently, John spent time in China collaborating with other designers in architecture, 3-D imagery, and master planning. His portfolio includes several master plans and architectural designs, including projects in Niamey, Niger, and Abuja, as well as Dallas, Texas.

John's experience, client interaction, design skills, and overall understanding have placed him at the forefront of MAA's design progression, determination, collaboration, and vision for the future. He continues to think at all scales and in all areas, inside and outside the box. John's goal is to provide all MAA's clients with the experience of seeing the vision before it becomes a reality.

Focused on the financing of thriving communities; looking to deploy ~$2Bn in 2025 with experienced sponsors toward the development of multifamily, build to rent, master planned communities, manufactured housing and land development across Texas and the Southeast.

DLP Capital is a faith-forward, vertically integrated impact investment company with:

20,000+ residences owned

5,000+ residences in development and construction

800 team members across the DLP Companies

$5.25B+ AUM

$11B+ Invested In the Building of Thriving Communities

$6B+ Loans Funded

$5B+ of Communities Developed and/or Acquired

3,500 investor families

Brian Luallen has more than 20 years of experience in destination tourism and experiential events. His career has been

dedicated to developing and delivering impactful experiences that drive lifelong memories, re-launching and activating

visitor attractions, and growing public-private partnerships.

Select past projects include Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta Georgia, the historic Queen Mary in Long Beach California,

and the Witte Museum in San Antonio Texas. Brian’s work transforming concepts into reality has been featured in Time

Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and numerous other national media outlets. He holds

degrees in Education and Pre-Law from Georgia State University and enjoys living in Dallas with his wife, Tina.

Terrence Maiden is widely recognized for his executive leadership and

vision in the commercial real estate development industry. With nearly

two decades of experience, Terrence has poured his energy, creativity

and expertise into the development /project leasing of over two-million

square feet of retail. As Executive Vice President of Development at

Corinth Properties, he is at the forefront of implementing the growth

strategy for the company, as a real estate owner and developer.

Terrence’s most notable projects to date are Glen Oaks Crossings, The

Canyon in Oak Cliff, Red Oak Crossings, and the redevelopment of

Southwest Center Mall.

Terrence Maiden began his real estate career with The Woodmont

Company, spending several years project leasing and developing projects

throughout Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and North Dakota. He subsequently worked within corporate real estate

at two well recognized companies, Panda Restaurant Group (Panda Express) and Panera, LLC (Panera

Bread/Paradise Bakery). During Terrence’s three-year tenure with Panda, he was the top producer, accounting for

over 60 restaurant openings. Terrence was also the recipient for the 2004 Panda IMPACT Award, 2004 Most Store

Openings Award, and 2005 Most Store Openings Award. At Panera Bread, Terrence served as the Director of Real

Estate, responsible for managing Panera’s real estate development efforts and opening over 95 company/franchise

cafes throughout the central United States, including 11 states.

Terrence Maiden received a Bachelor of Science and Engineering degree from Texas Christian University, where he

and his identical twin brother were standout football players for the Horned Frogs. He is actively involved in several

professional and civic organizations in Dallas and Fort Worth, including Mayor Star Council, Coalition of African

American Professionals and Organizations (Co-Chair), Real Estate Council (Board of Directors), Urban Land

Institute, Texas Christian University National Board (Former Vice President – National Alumni Board), Texas

Christian University Legacy Committee, International Council of Shopping Centers, Dallas Black Dance Theater

(Board Member), and many more. In 2005, Terrence co-founded Two-Wins Foundation with twin brother Tim. Two-

Wins Foundations is a non-profit organization that invests thousands of dollars within inner communities through

educational and community revitalization programs.

Terrence has been named to the distinguish list of D CEO Power Broker for seven consecutive years (2012-2017).

In addition, he was awarded “Minority Business Leader of the Year” (Dallas Business Journal-2009), a finalist for

“2011 One Man Dallas”, Dallas top executive under the age of forty (Dallas Business Journal- 2013), Tomorrow’s

Leader – Texas (Real Estate Forum Magazine - 2014) . In 2014 Terrence was the recipient of the Thomas L.

Houston Award for his community service and 40 under Forty by Dallas Business Journal. In 2015, he along with his

identical twin brother were inducted in Texas Christian University‘s Hall of Fame. Both Terrence and Tim were

recognized by WFAA (ABC News) and Cadillac for Shaping DFW. Terrence is also a featured writer for D

Magazine’s CEO Real Estate Daily.

Craig T. Davis is President & CEO of Visit Dallas, the city’s sales and marketing organization. He directs and manages all of Visit Dallas’ strategies, operations, activities, and staff as the organization works to achieve its mission to market Dallas globally to benefit our community and visitors. Tourism is big business in Dallas and drives more than $5B in economic impact and supports more than 65,000 jobs.

Davis has worked in the hospitality industry for more than three decades and began his tenure as President & CEO of Visit Dallas in January 2020. Prior to Visit Dallas he served as President & CEO of VisitPittsburgh. During his 19-year career at VisitPittsburgh, Davis also served as Executive Director of Convention Sales and Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Davis’ extensive background in the hospitality industry also includes experience in marketing and sales at hotels in Pittsburgh, Chicago and Toronto.

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Davis became a U.S. citizen in 2001. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. In 2002, Davis became a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) and now serves as a course instructor for its leadership program. The CDME status is recognized within the convention and visitors bureau industry as its highest educational achievement. He has served as the Chairman of Destinations International Association as well as the Destination International Foundation. He is a private pilot and resides in the City of Dallas with his fiancée Kathleen.

Arthur Santa-Maria is Vice President of Real Estate at Hoque Global and is responsible for the firm’s real estate investments, developments, and pursuits. His role involves working with development partners, architects, contractors, city officials, clients, and tenants to advance the company’s real estate projects.

Prior to joining Hoque Global, Arthur held positions at leading national and global real estate firms including Trammell Crow Company, CBRE, and JLL. Arthur is active in the community as a current member of the CityLab High School Foundation Board, The Real Estate Council’s PAC Board, and the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee. He has also previously served on the Dallas Cultural Affairs Commission and the board of the Achieve Center for Adults with Disabilities. Arthur has an MBA and bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas.

As Principal and CEO of OMNIPLAN, Tip Housewright FAIA has led the charge throughout the country, and in DFW in particular, to create memorable spaces that connect with their communities using innovative and inspiring design solutions. Tip is the firm’s Citizen Architect, previously serving on Dallas City Plan Commission and as President of the Dallas Center for Architecture. Deciding to relocate OMNIPLAN’s offices to Uptown nearly 20 years ago and DCFA’s nearly 10 years ago, Tip has a longstanding commitment to Dallas and is passionate about its future.

Tamela Thornton brings her 35-year experience in real estate growth strategies, analytics, and development to

her roles within the E Smith companies. As President of E Smith Communities, and Head of Client Services for E

Smith Advisors, Tamela is responsible for new business development, strategic market planning, site selection

and transaction management. She is a founding partner of the company.

In her leadership of E Smith Communities, Ms. Thornton focuses on identifying and developing those catalytic

uses such as grocery stores, educational facilities, wellness uses and other commercial services which serve as

pivots for community expansion or redevelopment. As a leader in the full-service real estate advisory practice,

Tamela brings expertise to national and global clients with a wide range of services, including developing go-to-

market strategies, site selection, national roll-outs, global portfolio advisory, and negotiating and executing

complex transactions.

Her unique background has evolved from a variety of assignments with PepsiCo / YUM! Brands and Starbucks

Coffee Company, private developers, and public agencies. Tamela brings an exceptional knowledge and

understanding of real estate development challenges, effectively utilizing her insight to deliver relevant and

cost-effective business solutions to the client to maximize their return on investment.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designee

• Licensed real estate salesperson, Texas

• City Director, The REAP Program – DFW

• Board Member – Trust for Public Land and the Dallas Zoo Board; HERitage Giving Fund

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

A registered architect with 32 years of experience, Ann Noble is a retired Vice President at HKS, now focusing her passion on serving and helping others. As a leader within the Steering Committee of Citizen HKS, HKS’ public-interest design initiative, Ann works to make a positive impact in underserved communities through socially responsible design, community engagement, and philanthropy. She has helped raise over $125,000, donated to populations in need.