Keynote: Growth at the Edge of DFW

Denton County’s growth outlook, the forces shaping its commercial real estate market, and what current development, investment, and infrastructure activity signals for the county’s future

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  Andy Eads

  Denton County Judge Andy Eads is a native Texan and fifth generation resident of Denton County. “It’s been the greatest honor to serve the citizens of this county; first as County Commissioner of Precinct 4 and now as County Judge. Public service is a calling that our family takes very seriously.” said Judge Eads. Eads and the Denton County Commissioners Court have continued to deliver efficient services to residents while staying within budget and maintaining low taxes. Denton County remains one of the lowest tax counties in the state and is financially sound as reflected by its AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor’s. “Keeping taxes low has been a priority of this Court and we provided property tax relief to our taxpayers with a senior tax freeze and adopting a homestead exemption.” Eads continued “I am proud of the work we have done to provide permanent tax-relief for our homeowners.” Eads continues to make transportation and good roads a priority and works closely with state and federal officials to keep projects on schedule. While in office, Eads has invested funds from the 2008 bond election to ensure nearly every state highway in the county has either been expanded, is currently under construction or plans are in place to be improved. As the past Chairman of the Regional Transportation Council and the current Chairman of the Board for DCTA, he has played a leading role in advancing major mobility initiatives across North Texas. “Good roads are a family value by allowing people to spend more time at home instead of sitting in traffic. Anytime TxDOT needs a partner to improve a state highway, farm-to-market road or interstate highway in Denton County, we stand ready to do our part to keep projects moving forward.” After graduating from Liberty Christian School, he earned his BBA from Howard Payne University and his Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Texas. Eads believes in partnerships with our local non-profits and has been heavily involved in numerous civic organizations for decades, serving in leadership roles with organizations such as the Charter President of Cross Timbers Rotary Club; President of the Flower Mound Rotary Club; President of the Lewisville ISD Education Foundation; United Way of Denton County Board Member; President of Denton County Housing Finance Corporation; Board of Directors and Chairman Emeritus of the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce; Metroport Cities Partnership; Trustee of The Mound Foundation in Flower Mound; Serve Denton Advisory Board; Board of Directors Speedway Children’s Charities; President of the Communities in Schools of North Texas; President of the Denton County Historical Park Foundation; Greater Lewisville Family YMCA Board Member, District Governor Rotary District 5790. Judge Eads began his public service career at the Town of Addison where he worked in the City Manager’s Office, Budget Office and Human Resources. While in Addison he researched and authored the book “Addison, Texas: A Pictorial History.” Prior to elected office, he was a top-producing agent with RE/MAX DFW, where he earned the Rookie of the Year Award and was repeatedly voted one of the Best Realtors in DFW by D Magazine. Judge Eads and his wife, Ginger, live in Flower Mound where they raised their three children.

  Denton County Commissioners Court

  County Judge

  Keynote

  Andy Eads

  County Judge

  Denton County Commissioners Court

Denton County's Momentum Moment

High-level growth and finance trends and why companies, developers, and investors are betting on this market

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  Jimmy Archie

  Jimmy Archie joined Realty Capital in 1997 and has been an integral part of land acquisition and development for a number of the company’s commercial properties. In 2011, Jimmy became a partner in Realty Capital and currently serves as one of its three Managing Directors. Over his twenty-eight-year career with Realty Capital, Jimmy has developed over 65 office, medical, and mixed-use buildings totaling over 1.3 million square feet. Most notable projects are The Village at Colleyville, a planned 600,000 square foot mixed-use development in the City of Colleyville, which is home to Colleyville City Hall and the Colleyville Public Library and Lakeside DFW, a mixed-use development on Lake Grapevine in Flower Mound, Texas, consisting of 2,200 medium to high density residential units and 500,000 square feet of commercial space. Jimmy has served as a development consultant for third-party owners including Stardust Celebrations, Luxor Jewelers and Jack Prewitt Aviation. His passion is developing mixed-use projects that provide a great quality of life for residents and creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams of owning a business in a thriving mixed-use environment. After attending Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, Jimmy graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics, where he served as co-captain of the 1996 football team. He volunteers as an Advisory Board Member for Christ the King Catholic School in Dallas and serves as a board member of the Jesuit Alumni Association.

  Realty Capital

  Managing Director

  Jimmy Archie

  Managing Director

  Realty Capital

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  Adrienne Bain

  Adrienne loves competition, so capital markets is the perfect career for her. As Managing Director of Capital Markets, Adrienne is responsible for origination and recapitalization efforts for JPI, which includes identifying, sourcing, and advising on debt and equity capital for multifamily investment opportunities. As someone who naturally loves cultivating relationships and helping others, this role fits her personality perfectly. Adrienne has spent over two decades in real estate debt capital markets, so she thoroughly understands how many debt providers underwrite projects, as well as their reporting requirements and regulatory constraints. In addition, Adrienne has been a multifamily investor for many years, so she understands that side of the business as well.

  JPI

  Managing Director

  Adrienne Bain

  Managing Director

  JPI

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  Greg Johnson

  Greg founded VERUS Commercial in 2010 based in Denton, Texas. Prior to VERUS, Greg started and managed a number of successful real estate companies, with experience in all facets of commercial real estate from ground-up development to investment-grade leased assets. As a previous corporate slave, Greg brings a unique perspective as a business executive and has a closet full of suits and ties if you need to borrow one. He also invests his own money in deals, so he thinks like an owner. Greg loves to say, “until you take risk yourself, you can’t underwrite risk for someone else!" Having studied at “Harvard on the Bayou”, Greg is a graduate of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA where he captained the football team, which explains the short-term memory issues. He is very community oriented, spending much of his “free time” (in this crazy business there isn’t any) serving on a variety of charitable boards. Greg loves people so come by and chat with him sometime… but make sure you have a couple of hours because the man LOVES to talk!

  SVN VERUS Commercial

  Managing Director

  Greg Johnson

  Managing Director

  SVN VERUS Commercial

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  Glenn Silva

  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.

  Lone Star Pace

  COO

  Glenn Silva

  COO

  Lone Star Pace

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  Brittany Sotelo

  Brittany Sotelo serves as the Economic Development Director for the City of Denton, where she leads strategic initiatives to support business growth, investment, and long‑term economic vitality. Before joining Denton, Brittany was the Vice President of Business Retention and Expansion for the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation building programs to grow and retain businesses in the Coastal Bend. She previously worked for the City of Arlington’s Office of Economic Development as an Economic Development Specialist, supporting private-public partnerships. Earlier in her career, Brittany managed the business retention and expansion program for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce and served as a Business Consultant for the UT Permian Basin Small Business Development Center, where she advised entrepreneurs on launching and scaling their businesses in the Permian Basin. Brittany holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

  City of Denton

  Economic Development Director

  Brittany Sotelo

  Economic Development Director

  City of Denton

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  Zach Sams

  Zach Sams joined Kensington Vanguard in November of 2016 after serving as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Fidelity National Title’s Dallas/Fort Worth division from 2012-2016. Zach is focused on expanding KV’s footprint in the D/FW, Texas, Arizona and National markets. From selling real estate for to business development roles at prominent local and national title insurance companies, Zach has been active in the in the real estate market since 2005. Prior to the title industry, Zach attended The Golf Academy of America in San Diego, then spent two years playing professional golf on various mini tours in Southern California. Zach is a Veteran of the US Army. Zach lives in Argyle, TX with his wife Amber and their two boys 11&13. In his free time Zach enjoys playing competitive amateur golf and traveling with his wife and kids.

  Kensington Vanguard National Title

  EVP

  Moderator

  Zach Sams

  EVP

  Kensington Vanguard National Title

Designing Denton County’s Next Chapter

How major projects and new construction are shaping a distinctive growth story

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  Jennifer Bartkowski

  Jennifer Bartkowski is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX), where she has served since 2009 in roles including Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer. Jennifer is driving a bold reimagination of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas with an innovative, community-centered strategy designed to serve more girls in more communities in more inclusive ways. With a focused commitment to southern Dallas and East Texas, she has advanced new models of community engagement, expanded resources, and introduced relevant programming that is building trust in non-traditional Girl Scout communities. The opening of the first two DreamLabs in Texas – including the Dallas County DreamLab powered by Eddie Bernice Johnson – reflects GSNETX’s commitment to meeting girls where they are and providing spaces where they can lead, grow, and show up as their authentic selves. A national leader in STEM education for girls, Jennifer led the creation of the national Girl Scout STEM initiative, grounded in the success of GSNETX’s $15 million STEM Center of Excellence. This 92-acre living laboratory in southwest Dallas, opened in 2018, is transforming the North Texas workforce pipeline by inspiring girls to pursue STEM careers. Under her leadership, GSNETX has accelerated mental health programming, deepened its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, and revitalized outdoor leadership experiences. She has championed strategic efforts to ensure equitable access to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience by reimagining program delivery and volunteer engagement to create a sense of belonging and relevance for today’s girls. Jennifer holds a Master of Public Administration from Texas A&M University and previously worked with organizations including United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the American Lung Association of Texas, and as a nonprofit consultant. She is a graduate of Leadership Dallas and the Stagen Social Change Leadership Program. Jennifer serves on the boards of the Dallas-Fort Worth Urban League (Inaugural Board), the Aggie Women Network, Slalom’s 2025 Client Advisory Board, and the SMU Tate Lecture Series. She is also a founding board member of Carson’s Village. Her past leadership roles include Chair of the Leadership Dallas Alumnae Association and President of The Dallas Summit, and she is a member of the Dallas Assembly. Jennifer is also a member of the International Women’s Forum Dallas Chapter. Her leadership has earned wide recognition. Jennifer is a 2025 Maura Women Helping Women Award recipient from the Texas Women’s Foundation, was named a 2023 Most Admired CEO by the Dallas Business Journal, and is featured in D CEO Magazine’s 2023, 2024, and 2025 Dallas 500.

  Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

  CEO

  Girl Scout DreamLab

  Jennifer Bartkowski

  CEO

  Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

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  Teague Griffin

  Teague Griffin’s real estate career began in 2001 with Collin County Land Company. By 2004, he had joined Mohr Partners, specializing in tenant representation, and the following year transitioned to Property Tax Advocates, where he spent 15 years negotiating complex tax liabilities on large-scale real estate projects. In 2006, Teague co-founded Brown & Griffin Real Estate, where he played a key role in helping a national company acquire more than 10,000 acres and led multiple development projects across Collin, Denton, and Grayson Counties. In 2020, he co-founded Old Prosper Partners, a firm dedicated to land acquisition, entitlement, and development. Since its launch, the firm has acquired over 6,000 acres, successfully guided numerous entitlement processes in partnership with local governments, and today manages approximately $1.5 billion in assets. With more than two decades of experience in land investment and development, Teague combines professional expertise with a seventh-generation connection to Collin County—reflecting both a deep personal commitment to the region and a clear vision for its long-term growth and prosperity.

  Old Prosper Partners

  Partner

  Craver Ranch

  Teague Griffin

  Partner

  Old Prosper Partners

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  Andrew Pieper

  Andrew Pieper, Senior Vice President of Hillwood Communities, has over 16 years of experience in residential real estate development. He manages the Landmark project, a 3,200-acre master-planned community in Denton, TX. Previously, he oversaw Pecan Square in Northlake, TX, a 3,000-home community named DFW Masterplan Community of the Year and People’s Choice Community of the Year in 2021 and 2023 and National Masterplan Community of the year in 2025. A Southern Methodist University finance graduate, Andrew serves on SMU’s Folsom School of Real Estate associate board and the Dallas Builders Association's Board of Directors, where he was president in 2022.

  Hillwood Communities

  SVP

  Landmark by Hillwood

  Andrew Pieper

  SVP

  Hillwood Communities

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  Kirk Wilson

  Kirk Wilson is a distinguished leader in land development, leveraging deep industry roots and extensive governmental experience to drive exceptional service and facilitate high- quality projects. His expertise in navigating complex bureaucratic and financial landscapes positions him as a trusted partner for both public and private sector developments. A native of North Texas, Kirk graduated from the University of North Texas before embarking on a career in public service. He served as County Commissioner and later as County Judge, where he was instrumental in helping found the North Texas Tollway Authority. This role allowed him to help shape the regional transportation framework essential for supporting the rapid growth of North Texas, where he continues to support strategic development along these cri2cal corridors. Transitioning to entrepreneurship after nine years in government, Kirk focused on entitlement work and special district financing. He has been pivotal in developing innovative financial mechanisms that provide essential gap funding for developers, ensuring the feasibility of complex land development projects. His comprehensive understanding of both public and private sectors enables him to guide municipalities toward sustainable growth and eJective long-term planning. A significant achievement in Kirk's career was assisting with the passage of Texas legislation enabling assessment-based financing in 2005. As a key advocate for this legislation, he helped establish the foundation for Assessment Districts statewide. His notable accomplishments include: • Supporting the passage of the 2005 legislation by the Texas Legislature that allowed for large-scale Attorney General approved capital assessment-based financing. • Petitioned for the creation of the first capital financing Public Improvement District (PID) under the new legislation. o Closing of the first Attorney General approved capital financing PID bonds was The Highlands at Trophy Club on December 20th, 2007. • Contributing to subsequent legislative amendments in following years. • Advancing the formation of Municipal Management Districts (MMDs) with Assessment Authority. • Created the Development Mortgage-Backed Securities (DMBS) financing vehicle to provide capital repaid by future project revenues. • Pioneered loans and sales against reimbursement agreements, and monetizing revenue streams including Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) revenues, impact fees, and capital recovery fees. At T. Wilson, a culture of collaboration, integrity, and innovation drives the team's success. Kirk fosters an environment where every team member is empowered to contribute their ideas and expertise, ensuring that clients receive not only exceptional service, but also creative solutions tailored to their unique needs. As the firm continues to expand, Kirk remains dedicated to enhancing relationships and services, including initiatives in private debt and equity to provide clients with comprehensive capital solutions.

  T. Wilson

  Founder and President

  Balancing Public Goals with Private Capital

  Kirk Wilson

  Founder and President

  T. Wilson

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  Ross Martin

  Ross Martin focuses his practice on public finance, special districts and public law. He serves as general counsel and bond counsel to special districts, including municipal utility districts, fresh water supply districts, special utility districts, municipal management districts, water control and improvement districts, and other improvement districts providing water, sewer, drainage, roadway and transportation infrastructure for master-planned developments, commercial developments and mixed-use developments. He also serves as bond counsel to cities and counties in all facets of public finance, with a focus on cities in areas experiencing rapid growth. Ross has also served as counsel on PID creation and special assessments and as bond counsel on PID assessment revenue bonds, combination contract revenue and special assessment bonds, and the refunding of those obligations. Ross has represented and created special districts before the Texas Legislature and federal, state and local agencies, and has provided municipal law and economic development counsel to counties, cities and developers. He also regularly counsels developers in land use and development issues, including the negotiation of development agreements and CCN and utility matters.

  Winstead

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Ross Martin

  Shareholder

  Winstead