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Speakers and Panels

The State of Retail

Herbert Weitzman

Herbert Weitzman

Executive Chairman

Weitzman

Ray Washburne

Ray Washburne

President and CEO

Charter Holdings

Edward Marek

Edward Marek

Manager

West Bay Capital

Mark O’Briant

Mark O’Briant

Managing Director

Henry S. Miller Realty Services

David Simmonds

David Simmonds

Founder

Retail Solutions

Tony Callaway
Moderator

Tony Callaway

CEO

Callaway Architecture

Herbert Weitzman

Executive Chairman

Weitzman

Herbert D. Weitzman is Executive Chairman of Weitzman. In 1990, after nearly 30 years in the real estate business, Weitzman founded the company, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm that now ranks as one of the largest retail-focused real estate services firms based in Texas. On the brokerage side, Weitzman leases a retail portfolio of approximately 44 million square feet in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. As a property manager, Weitzman is responsible for managing a statewide portfolio of more than 22 million square feet of retail and commercial properties.

Edward Marek

Manager

West Bay Capital

Since starting in the real estate business in 1979, Mr. Marek has built a track record of success as an investor, developer, broker, lender, and manager of commercial real estate. After working at the Charles Dunn Company for seven years and a brief stint with Sycamore Financial Group, Mr. Marek, along with Mr. McBride formed Capital Lending Resources (“CLR”) and Capital Real Estate Advisors (“CRA”) in 1994. Since the formation of these two companies, Mr. Marek has participated in over $1 billion dollars worth of real estate and finance transactions. Additionally, Mr. Marek has been actively involved in numerous real estate investment and development projects as an owner and managing partner. Mr. Marek’s broad range of experiences in both the investment and financing arenas provide him with a unique and balanced perspective when analyzing and structuring loans. Mr. Marek’s clients include such national firms as Rite Aid Drug Stores (as a preferred developer), Chicago Title, American Golf, Regency Centers, and Wachovia Securities (now Wells Fargo Bank).

Mr. Marek is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Urban Land Institute (ULI), California Mortgage Association (CMA), and Rainmaker U. His charitable affiliations include the California Heart Center Foundation, Maryvale, Catholic Big Brothers, and his alma mater Crespi High School, where he previously served on the Board of Directors. Mr. Marek resides in Westlake Village with his two children. Mr. Marek has an undergraduate degree from California State University, Northridge, and a graduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Tony Callaway

Moderator

Callaway Architecture

CEO Tony Callaway, A.I.A, founded and launched Callaway Architecture to serve a regional and national client base. He leads a talented team comprised of highly skilled architects and specialized consultants with the expertise and commitment to understand and accomplish the goals and objectives of each project. Tony brings a diversified wealth of experience from Operations and Business Development to Project Management and Development Services. He is passionate about accomplishing client goals by defining and executing the appropriate process for project success while providing custom tailored design solutions. Tony’s mantra of “Enjoy the Journey” reflects his commitment to create positive relationships with our clients as well as team and firm members. Callaway provides the professional expertise our clients deserve and expect while making the experience an enjoyable and profitable one. Tony continues to enjoy a career in architecture that began at The University of Oklahoma and

has spanned over 30 years.

Development Update

Michael Ablon

Michael Ablon

Principal

PegasusAblon

Robert Dozier

Robert Dozier

EVP

Lincoln Property

Alan Shor

Alan Shor

Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

The Retail Connection

Derek Alley

Derek Alley

CEO

VCC Construction

J. Tipton Housewright

J. Tipton Housewright

CEO

OmniPlan

Raymond Kane
Moderator

Raymond Kane

Director

Kane Russell Coleman Logan PC

Michael Ablon

Principal

PegasusAblon

Michael Ablon is the founding partner of PegasusAblon, a multidisciplinary developer

and investor focused on the integration of emerging markets and evolving

demographic trends. Combining this strategy with nationally recognized institutional

capital and private capital, PegasusAblon focuses its practice specifically in the

Dallas/Fort Worth area–where they have developed a commanding understanding of

the growth patterns and demographic shifts.

Mr. Ablon has completed numerous noteworthy projects in the course of his pursuit of

a cutting edge ethos. He is fortunate to have led the redevelopment of the Dallas Design

District from a warehouse/showroom district of the 1950’s-­‐1970’s into a vibrant

neighborhood with showrooms and galleries, unique restaurants and local retailers,

and lofts and apartments while maintaining the history, vibe, and character of the

district’s past. In addition to the Design District, PegasusAblon has aggregated a

dominant presence in the Preston Center Office Submarket, which has the highest-­‐

average rent and occupancy of any office submarket in Dallas/Fort Worth. Mr. Ablon’s

multifamily experience includes the creation of highly innovative developments in the

high-­‐growth Frisco submarket and the Design District, among others.

PegasusAblon has a reputable award-­‐winning focus on quality and is honored to have

been recognized for Best Multifamily Design Projects, the Dallas Regional Chamber

Momentum Award- Community Investor, Best Deal Award for Best Public/Private

Partnership, 100 Fastest Growing Companies, and named the #1 Best Place to Work

in DFW for small companies. Mr. Ablon’s work within PegasusAblon has led to the

completion of over a $1 billion of investment transactions in DFW since its inception

in 2007.

Mr. Ablon received his Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Architecture degrees

at the University of Texas at Austin, and earned his Master’s Degree from Harvard

University. Early in his career, Ablon worked as an apprentice under the world-

‐renowned theorist and architect Robert Venturi in Philadelphia and has been a

visiting lecturer at multiple universities including Harvard and Yale.

Prior to founding PegasusAblon, Mr. Ablon held senior positions at Hillwood

Development, CarrAmerica, Cousins Properties, and The Retail Connection.

Among other awards and recognitions, he is a recipient of a Lloyd Warren

Travelling Fellowship in Europe for the Paris Prize Competition, a two-­‐time

finalist for the Fulbright United States Scholar Fellowship for architectural theory,

named one of the 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas/Fort Worth, and

the first recipient of the Pioneer Award for Real Estate Impact in Dallas.

Mr. Ablon is heavily involved in the community, including being the founding Chairman

of the Trinity River Corridor LGC, focused on the development of a great new central

park for Dallas - The Harold Simmons Park, Chairman of the TREC Foundation, Vice

Chair of The Real Estate Council, Vice Chair of Legacy Senior Living, and on the

Advisory Board of the Coalition for a New Dallas, and on the Dallas Advisory Board of

BBVA Compass Bank.

Alan Shor

Co-Founder & Co-Chairman

The Retail Connection

Alan P. Shor, a co-founder of The Retail Connection, serves as its President and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors. Alan is involved in TRC’s strategic direction, oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and leads its investment and merchant banking business. He also serves as an operating partner with leading private equity firms which have deep experience in retail investments. Alan is an investor in and a Board member of multiple high growth retail chains.

Prior to launching The Retail Connection, Alan served as President, Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Zale Corporation, at that time North America’s largest specialty retailer of fine jewelry with 2,300 retail locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. As President, he was responsible for all support and operating areas of the company including real estate, construction and design, technology, legal, human resources, distribution, loss prevention, credit and customer service. Alan joined Zale in 1995 as its Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.

Prior to joining Zale, he spent 12 years with Troutman Sanders, a national law firm, where he built a strong track record of advising the senior management teams of Fortune 1000 companies. Alan was the Managing Partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office at the time he left to join Zale.

Alan has been active in a number of professional and charitable organizations. He was a member of the Board of Directors of The Real Estate Council and currently is a Board member of ChainLinks Retail Advisors and the Folsom Institute for Real Estate at Southern Methodist University. Alan has also served on the Board of Directors of UPLIFT Education, a Texas based charter school initiative, and served as an adjunct Professor in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center of Dallas from 2009-2011 and he is a member of the Maverick Chapter of the World President’s Organization (YPO/WPO). Finally, Alan has been named one of the Dallas 500 for both 2022 and 2023, recognizing him as one of the most influential business leaders in North Texas.

Alan graduated with honors from both the University of Georgia and University of Georgia School of Law.

Derek Alley

CEO

VCC Construction

As CEO of VCC, Derek Alley is the senior officer responsible for implementing the strategic plan for the Company. After growing up in Little Rock and learning many roles on jobsites and projects, Derek went to Stanford University to earn his BS in Management Science and Engineering, Derek then started his career in investment banking. Afterwards he moved to BlackRock, Inc in their Private Equity Real Estate Acquisitions Group based in San Francisco, CA. Under his guidance, VCC is consistently listed in the top 100 contractors by the Engineering News Record, largest contractor in Arkansas, a top 15 multifamily contractor, and recognized as the largest retail contractor in the Country. Derek is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, ICSC, ULI, the Texas Real Estate Council and sits on multiple boards including the Encore Bank Board of Directors and the Variety Charity of Texas.

J. Tipton Housewright

CEO

OmniPlan

In his role as Principal, he leads a wide variety of project types including regional retail and mixed use projects as well as innovative contemporary churches and higher education projects. To each project he brings a commitment to client service and innovative cost-effective solutions. His work is characterized by his passion for creating memorable spaces that connect with their communities. Tip earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas and a Masters of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Tip has served as President of the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and President of the Dallas Center for Architecture. He is also active in the Texas Society of Architects. He was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2010 and is an active Board Member and volunteer at the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Society. In his own time, Tip leads various community planning initiatives in his North East Dallas neighborhood where he lives with his wife Lana and their new dog, Mavrick.

Summary

The world of commercial real estate is ever changing, especially when it comes to Retail. With the days of mega malls and shopping centers quickly fading, we are having to change the paradigm of what we deem to be a "successful retail development," but there is no one size fits all solution. 

How can retailers combat the ease of online shopping? Who is investing in DFW, and where? Can the retail sector continue to sustain its growth, or is there a threat of a downturn in consumer activity looming on the horizon?

Join us as we answer these questions and more in what promises to be an interesting and exciting morning complete with breakfast and networking.

Venue

Dallas Marriott City Center
650 N Pearl St
Dallas, TX 75201

Ballroom: Plaza Ballroom
Floor Level: 3rd Floor


Valet: $17
Self-parking: $18 Plaza of Americas parking garage

Agenda

Time Activity
7:30 AM
8:30 AM
Breakfast and Networking
8:30 AM
9:15 AM
State of Retail
9:15 AM
10:00 AM
Development Update
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
Post Event Networking