Innovations In Houston Construction & Development

As Chief Innovation Officer for the Howard Hughes Corporation, Jesse oversees the strategy and operation of the company’s innovation and technology platforms across the firm’s national portfolio of large-scale master planned communities (MPCs) and mixed-use properties. Jesse is a member of the CIO Executive Council; Real Estate Cyber Consortium (RECC); Cyberhouston.org; and WiredScore Smart Building Council. He serves on the Advisory Boards of Realcomm International, Quest Oracle Community, and the Houston Baptist University College of Science Engineering (COSE), and as President of the Houston Chapter of Society for Information Management (SIM), and serves on the board of Genesys Works – Houston.

Responsible for managing all aspects of due diligence design and construction of new speculative and build-to-suit industrial projects. Sean Nolan was most recently responsible for the day-to-day performance of the design and construction team working on the new rail served bulk distribution center for The Home Depot in Conroe, Texas. Sean, along with other TCC team members and stakeholders of The Home Depot as the tenant, managed all aspects of safety, quality, delivery and cost associated with planning, design and construction of the new facility on behalf of the landlord.

Tadd Tellepsen is CEO of Tellepsen Corporation, a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated business founded in Houston in 1909, and is a leading pre- construction and construction services firm with a full- time employee base of around 2,300. Tellepsen is involved in the delivery of Commercial, Petrochemical and Power & Energy distribution complexes. The company is widely recognized for leadership in pre- construction, virtual construction, scheduling, cost control, safety and quality. Over the past 109 years, Tellepsen employees have built many landmarks that shape Houston’s skyline and industrial landscape, while enhancing the quality of life in our communities. Mr. Tellepsen is a part of the fourth generation of ownership and started in the construction industry in 1992. He has served in a variety of positions and responsibilities of management and leadership in the company and industry. Mr. Tellepsen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Southern Methodist University and a Masters of Business Administration from Houston Baptist University. In addition, he serves on numerous corporate and civic boards in the Texas community and was honored by HBU’s 2005 recipient of the HBU “Volunteer of the Year” and 2019 recipient of the HBU “Distinguished Alumnus” award. Mr. Tellepsen is a long-standing member and chapter leader of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and currently serves in directorship roles at Houston Baptist University, YMCA of Greater Houston, Associated General Contractors, Houston Technology Center, and the Episcopal Diocese. Mr. Tellepsen and his wife, Jennifer, have three daughters – Braden, Brooke, Ellie. Tadd enjoys hunting, fishing, tennis, and photography.

Michael G. Scheurich’s passion for construction originated with a love of architecture and how buildings are designed. After growing up in the small town of Beaumont, Texas, he entered the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University with a vision to become an architect, quickly realizing he wanted to build. This led him to obtain his bachelor’s degree in construction science from Texas A&M University. His construction career began in Dallas and continued in Houston, where he served for three of the nation’s top 20 general contractors. This was the incubation period for Scheurich’s vision to launch his own construction company. Scheurich understood that, to achieve this entrepreneurial dream, he needed more than a degree in the science of how to build. He also needed to understand the science of how to operate a company, so he obtained a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. With an MBA in tow, he established Arch-Con Corporation in 2000 as a resource for the local commercial real estate community in the areas of office and industrial design-build construction. Today, the business also operates in the markets of retail, healthcare, corporate interiors, community, hospitality and multifamily construction. The company has offices in Houston, Dallas, Austin and Denver with more than 200 employees and an annual revenue of more than $500 million. Additionally, Scheurich utilizes his design and construction relationships to team with strategic partners to develop high-quality assets. Arch-Con’s headquarters was developed by Scheurich and constructed by Arch-Con. He is experienced in leveraging the latest, cost-efficient technologies and strives to stay on the cutting edge of the industry. Scheurich serves on the Greater Houston Partnership Board of Directors, the National NAIOP Forum, the University of St. Thomas Buildings and Grounds Committee, and the Annunciation Orthodox School Building and Grounds Committee. He recently served on the Wallis State Bank Board of Directors, served nine years on the Houston NAIOP Board of Directors, and three years on the National NAIOP Board of Directors. He donates his time and resources to vital organizations including Hermann Park Conservancy, SEARCH Homeless Services, Bo's Place, St. Anne Catholic Community, Christian Community Services Center, among others.

Senior Vice President Scott Clarke joined the Harvey-Cleary team in 2003 after completing his Construction Science degree from Texas A&M University. During his nearly 20-year tenure at Harvey-Cleary, he has utilized his passion for innovation to navigate strategic planning and foster company growth while prioritizing client satisfaction. Scott has ensured focus on daily operations while also overseeing some of Harvey’s most impressive Houston and Austin projects such as 609 Main, BG Group Plaza, ExxonMobil’s campus and many more. Outside of the office, Clarke is a member of NAIOP, St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, and the Greater Houston Partnership’s Life Sciences Committee as well as a Board Member and Executive Committee member for the nonprofit Rebuilding Together Houston.

As CIVE®’s President & CEO, Mr. Domloj has over 20 years of experience in Civil & Structural Engineering, Construction Management and Design. Mr. Domloj has driven the company's growth starting from a small engineering consulting firm to its existing state of being a Design Build firm, providing top-down design, engineering and construction services to Commercial, Industrial and Community sectors. He is now responsible for developing, designing, coordinating, reviewing and evaluating projects and ongoing work of the engineering and construction division at CIVE. Under his leadership, the company has expanded into international markets by establishing presence in Doha, Qatar, while also establishing CIVE Ready Mix in Houston and A2Z Building Material in Dubai, UAE as part of the company’s long-term vision. CIVE continues to receive recognition and accolades by independent publishers both at local, regional, and national level. He has also been appointed by the Mayor of Houston, and Councilman Ed Pollard to serve the Houston community as member of Board of Directors to TIRZ #1 - a redevelopment initiative by the Houston City Council.

Angela Caffey focuses on construction law, including construction defects, alleged design defects, and complex, multi-party cases in state and federal court. She has represented design professions (including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, MEP engineers), general contractors, and subcontractors. She also has experience representing a wide variety of other professionals, including attorneys and real estate professionals. She is known for her aggressive representation of clients. She excels at collecting a team of experts, and effectively managing that team to defend design professionals. She is always prepared, and recognizes that many times a case is won or lost in a deposition. She has been described by her peers and clients as a “tiger” in expert depositions, and understands the nuances of construction defect and design litigation. Prior to joining Thompson Coe, Angela was an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas County where she was able to hone her excellent oral advocacy skills. Angela gained First Chair and Second Chair trial experience in over 25 jury trials, with numerous other trials before the Court. Representative Experience Defended architect and structural engineer, jointly, in a federal court lawsuit by owner of large retail shopping center seeking over $20 million dollars. Managed a team of experts, including a geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, civil engineer, architect, damage expert, broker, and appraiser. After expert depositions, filed a motion to strike plaintiff’s experts and multiple motions for summary judgment. The case ultimately resolved by mediation resulting in a confidential settlement agreement. Obtained summary judgment based on a mary carter agreement entered between the plaintiff and co-defendant in state court. Negotiated several voluntary nonsuits of structural engineers that required no consideration on behalf of clients. Obtained very favorable settlement in arbitration on behalf of architect in a multi-party, complex construction dispute brought by condominium owners association and general contract seeking over $35 million for alleged design and construction defects. Defended subcontractor at center of plaintiff’s allegations involving commercial sports complex. Played critical role in obtaining alternative repair bid that ultimately assisted in reaching a confidential settlement at mediation. Defended general contractor in a residential construction defect suit that arose after Hurricane Harvey. Obtained favorable settlement at mediation. Obtained dismissal on behalf of all defendants based on special exceptions. Court upheld dismissal, despite a motion for new trial. Negotiated settlement for sole design professional sued in complex construction defect suit in which the owner sought more than $3 million from multiple defendants. Defended general contractor against suit brought by subsequent purchaser of residential property that included allegations of negligence and fraud. Obtained favorable settlement in mediation after motion for summary judgment was filed. Experience in complex engineering defect cases, including alleged defects in the design of a water treatment plant and distribution system.

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.

JoBeth Prochaska, a real estate professional experienced in many aspects of commercial / retail real estate, is Senior Vice President - Development and Asset Management with the Houston office of Weitzman. In this position, Prochaska is responsible for overseeing the development of new and expanded retail centers in the greater Houston area, as well as overseeing asset management, including day-to-day operations, lease negotiation, management, finance, capital improvements and construction, for a portfolio of retail centers in the Houston area. Prochaska serves as the day-to-day decision maker on behalf of ownership clients on all project-related needs and regularly report to ownership on project performance. She current is directing development of Manvel Town Center, one of the largest-ever open-air projects planned for the Greater Houston area. Upon completion, Manvel Town Center will incorporate approximately 1 million square feet of retail and commercial space. As part of the Manvel development, Prochaska’s duties have included directing the creation of the Municipal Utility District for the site, as well as implementing capital improvements and infrastructure for the project. Her other duties include negotiating tenant leases and lease amendments from inception of LOI to lease signatures and other project-related duties. Prior to joining Weitzman, she worked in development for a retail developer. Prochaska is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and is active with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). She is president of the Pearland Municipal Management District No. 2 and a licensed Texas real estate broker. She volunteers at the Houston Food Bank and the Fort Bend Women’s Shelter and serves as a Girl Scout Troop leader. rochaska received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

As President of Boxer Property Management Corporation, Justin Segal oversees operations, marketing, leasing, and technology for a portfolio of commercial property across the country. Justin takes the lead on analytics, enterprise data and process engineering. Thanks to his contributions, Justin was instrumental in the creation of the company's reputation as a national leader when it comes to the use of tech for designing, implementing, managing and supporting business decisions, operations and goals. Justin is associated with a number of affiliated entities, acting as director or principal. Among them are Boxer Finance (commercial real estate lending), CasAlegria (residential sales and lending) and Tidewell Energy (natural gas). Before joining Boxer, Mr. Segal founded a real estate financial accounting software company, Stemmons Software. He also spent several years offering counsel to early-stage venture-funded startups in Silicon Valley. Justin serves on the boards of the RealComm CIO Advisory Council, the Houston Education Research Consortium, the Governing Body of the Houston CIO Leadership and YES Prep Public Schools, where he chairs the Technology & Operations Committee. He is also a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, which manages the Webby Awards. Justin attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelors. He received a Juris Doctor from the New York University School Law.

Alex is a design professional whose work and collaboration across the AEC industry span several years. Exploration, curiosity, and due diligence have been essential in his commitment to perpetually improve as a designer. Prior to his roles in construction project management, his career began in practicing traditional architecture, where he worked in industrial, commercial, mixed-use, civic, and institutional real estate projects. He believes that architecture lifts the human spirit and is a champion of goals that lead to knowledge diversification, consensus-building, and effective strategies that result in profitable, healthy projects. Bridging the worlds of architecture and construction led him to develop passion and build knowledge in steel design and construction. He is happy to share this passion to derive viable design options in steel with his community of project stakeholders to best position for the delivery of healthy projects. His accomplishments in his profession have garnered several industry awards, including recent recognition by Engineering News-Record 2022 Top 20 Under 40 Texas & Louisiana, The American Institute of Architects Houston Presidential Citation, and the Building Design & Construction 2021 40 Under 40 Award. As a firm believer of the “it takes a village” adage, Alex has championed the development of career mentorship programs in his industry, including within the teams and firms with whom he has been a part. He is an alumnus of Texas A&M's College of Architecture and currently serves as Associate Director on AIA Houston's Board of Directors as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the Building Enclosure Council Houston.

Ken Mendez started in the built environment solutions in 1996, and has worked in several capacities in the Architecture & Design industry. Gaining expertise from a multitude of teams and manufacturers, he has served as a District Account Manager for both Kimball and Teknion, then moving on to Vice President of Sales for both Office Pavilion, and Workplace Solutions. For three years, Ken was the Regional Director for Knoll for the Houston Region. He currently utilizes his expertise in the multifamily market at Division Six and CORE Office Interiors in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His bold approach puts people, process, and technology at the forefront of his go-to-market strategy. Ken excels at his job because of the care and growth he provides for his clients and employees to maximize their potential and ensure they each have the solutions and tools they need to succeed.

Robyn is the Founder and CEO of Blueprint Power, a NYC-based technology company that generates and monetizes flexible energy capacity across portfolios of commercial buildings while shrinking carbon footprints. Blueprint was acquired by BP plc in September 2021. Robyn has a track record of taking sophisticated climate and clean energy-related technical concepts and transforming them into commercially-oriented strategies that lead to impact, scale and results. She began her career in 2004 at Google in Mt View, CA, reporting directly to the co-founders working on strategic initiatives as they took the company public. Robyn went on to found Google's first business unit focused on incorporating clean energy generation across the company's global operations. In this capacity, she oversaw and catalyzed Google’s first clean energy initiatives, including large-scale clean energy procurement for data centers and the development and installation of a 1.7MW rooftop solar installation at the Mountain View HQ. Since then she has built, invested in, and raised $50M+ for new ventures and programs for Vestas Wind A/S in Copenhagen, Dean Kamen at DEKA R&D, and NRG Energy. Prior to launching Blueprint she was an executive at Lennar Corp, where she built the firm’s first corporate venture platform while incubating Blueprint Power Technologies. Robyn was named Ernst and Young’s NY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020. Robyn holds both a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an MBA from Stanford University.

David Hightower presently serves as Executive Vice President at Midway Companies. He has been involved in the ownership, development and/or management of over 6,000 acres of commercial, residential and agricultural land investments and developments. He has primary responsibility for marketing, sales, project planning and development activities for the firm’s real estate assets, as well as new investment acquisitions. He is also responsible for regulatory approvals and other governmental related activities. He is active in various community and civic activities, and is presently serving on the boards and committees of several organizations that deal with issues affecting the real estate industry and overall community development, including the West Houston Association, the Urban Land Institute – Houston District Council, the Greater Houston Partnership’s Real Estate Advisory Committee and the Houston Real Estate Council. Mr. Hightower is a member of a number of other real estate-related organizations including: the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute , NAIOP – The Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Counselors of Real Estate, Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, and Houston Association of Realtors. He has represented several of these organizations in serving on a number of City and County committees addressing a wide range of issues impacting the real estate industry. He is also a founding director and current President of Harris County Improvement District No. 4 (The Energy Corridor District). Mr. Hightower has earned the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) designations and is a licensed real estate broker and licensed professional engineer . He is a life member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and has served on several committees. And, he is a member and past vice president of the Leadership Houston Association.

Chris Lewis is a co-managing principal at Lee & Associates- Houston. Chris specializes in landlord and tenant representation in the office sector of the Houston commercial real estate market. With over 25 years of real estate expertise, coupled with his extensive knowledge in tenant relocation, tenant expansion, lease negotiations, market analysis and property marketing, Chris has proven himself to be highly respected in the brokerage community. He utilizes a hands-on approach to oversee the needs of his diverse client portfolio, which allows him to successfully negotiate deals to procure office space and/or execute complex lease transactions. Over the past four years alone, he has completed over 300 transactions at $250,000,000 in transaction value. Upon completion of college, Chris started a career in real estate with Griffin Partners, Inc. as an analyst. Chris was eventually promoted to Vice President of Brokerage Services for Griffin Partners, Inc., and grew the brokerage arm of the company to lease millions of square feet of space in the Houston area. Chris remained with Griffin Partners for 14 years, until he was offered the opportunity to start the 55th office for the California based national real estate company, Lee & Associates, in 2014. Chris has grown Lee & Associates from 8 brokers to nearly 45 brokers in the past four years; putting the company on the map as one of the top 10 brokerage houses in the city of Houston. Chris was nominated for Best CEO of a small company in 2017 by the Houston Business Journal for his efforts. In addition, he has also led and participated in various professional speaking engagements and has been published in a multitude of high-profile business periodicals.

Komal is the firm-wide sustainable design leader for health, well-being and equity and a project manager based in HOK’s Houston studio. She has led sustainable design efforts for more than two million square feet of space, including a net-zero project and one million square feet of LEED and WELL Platinum projects. Komal is passionate about the intersection of health, equity and climate change. She is a trusted advisor to clients, helping develop more intentional design strategies and key metrics for human sustainability and community resiliency. She uses intentional design strategies to enhance human behavior and promote physical, mental and emotional well-being. Komal has served on the AIA Houston Board of Directors, the Texas USGBC Regional Council and the USGBC’s Greenbuild Program Committee. A strong advocate for equity and inclusivity, Komal has served on HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council and is a member of HOK’s Management Board

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.