Austin

Current Responsibilities
As Senior Development Manager, Stephen is responsible for executing existing projects and sourcing new development opportunities. Stephen directly manages the development process from investment feasibility, land planning & entitlement, architectural design, financing, and lease-up through overseeing construction with key project stakeholders. Stephen collaborates with consultants, contractors, and partners on every project to result in the optimal outcomes for end-users and investors while concurrently making decisions to ensure risks are mitigated.

Past Experience
Prior to joining United Properties, Stephen worked at Cypress Real Estate Advisors as Acquisition & Development Associate and then Development Manager, whereby Stephen executed and oversaw commercial office and multi-family development projects in Austin, TX, Nashville, TN, and Denver, CO. In 2022, Stephen secured entitlements for 1,150 rental units in Nashville, TN for a multi-phase master plan, which involved eighteen months of heavy community engagement, design feasibility, and coordination with public officials.

Professional and Community Involvement
Stephen is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and has served on multiple committees within the organization, including the Young Leaders Steering Committee from 2020 to 2023, and served as the Chairperson of the Young Leaders’ Mentorship Forum for a two-year period from 2021 to 2023. Stephen was named ULI Austin’s Young Leader of the Year in 2022. Stephen has also served as Member and Chairperson of The Trail Conversancy’s Redbud Steering committee from 2020 to 2022. Stephen is also an active member of the University of Texas Real Estate Center.

Education
Stephen received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin after transferring from Auburn University.

Current Responsibilities

Janelle MacLean leads the growth and development of United Properties’ Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, collaborating closely with business leaders to identify, measure, and enhance ESG practices, risks, and opportunities within the organization. She works in close partnership with executive and functional leaders to craft and implement the company’s comprehensive ESG strategy.

Janelle chairs United Properties’ ESG Advisory Group and UNITED Together, the company’s DEI Committee. She also leads six working groups focused on ESG.

Past Experience

Janelle joined United Properties in 2018 as a Senior Investment Analyst, bringing over a decade of commercial real estate experience. In this role, she conducted investment analyses and collaborated closely with asset management teams for both the Operating and Development portfolios.

Previously, she served as an Asset Manager at CSM and Welltower, where she managed a medical office portfolio valued at $750 million and made strategic decisions in Joint Venture partnerships. Janelle also has extensive experience in Property Management and Operations.

Professional and Community Involvement

Janelle is a dedicated advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the commercial real estate industry. She actively contributes to various organizations and initiatives focused on driving positive change such as the Real Estate Racial Justice Committee, Racial Equity in Real Estate Stakeholders, Downtown Minneapolis DEI Executive Round Table, and the Commercial Real Estate Diversity Collaborative (CREDC).

Additionally, Janelle serves on the board for ROHO Collective and is a member of the planning committee for the annual Avant Garden event, working in collaboration with the Walker Art Center.

Education

Janelle earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and her Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of St. Thomas. She also holds the professional designation of Real Property Administrator (RPA) from the Building Owners and Managers Institute.

Current Responsibilities

As senior vice president and market leader, Victor is responsible for directing the development and investment activities of all commercial properties, including office, industrial, and mixed-use in Central Texas.

Past Experience

Victor joined United Properties in 2022. With an established background in real estate development, he most recently served as a principal at Cypress Real Estate Advisors where he specialized in multi-family, office, and mixed-use developments.

Prior to that, Victor launched Greenbelt Commercial, the real estate acquisition and development company behind properties such as the award-winning SXSW Center in downtown Austin. He was also a development partner at Capital City Partners, Inc. and a commercial real estate broker for Aquila Commercial.

Professional and Community Involvement

Victor is a member of ULI Austin and previously served on the board of the Pease Park Conservancy. He is currently serving on the board for Juiceland, a Texas-based health food chain with over 40 locations. Victor actively supports several local nonprofit organizations including the Texas Book Festival and the West Austin Youth Association. 

Education

Victor is a Texas native with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University (where he played football) and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Current Responsibilities

As Development Director for United Properties – Austin, Brenda Studt is responsible for leading and executing multiple development projects including securing new opportunities, land acquisitions, underwriting, entitlements, land planning, architectural and design decisions, financing, marketing strategy, lease-up and all other aspects of development. She works collaboratively with several teams to ensure project tasks are completed timely and risks are mitigated.

Past Experience

Prior to joining United Properties in 2020, Studt spent over eight years in senior marketing roles, most recently as Senior Vice President/Creative Director at Excelsior Creative (an affiliate of The Excelsior Group), overseeing all facets of agency operations. She has also held leadership positions with Architectural Alliance and Stahl Construction.

Professional and Community Involvement

Brenda is an active member of NAIOP, currently serving as the Austin Chapter President as well as on the NAIOP Austin Board of Directors.

Education

Brenda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and business from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Current Responsibilities

Chris works closely with the development team to evaluate potential deals, focusing on construction cost estimates, utility availability and other constraints. He also manages all consultants and maintains live budget throughout construction, identifying all potential cost exposures to accurately forecast contingency usage. Chris facilitates coordination amongst the design team and general contractors to minimize scope gap and conflicts as we approach full construction documents.

Past Experience

Chris joined United Properties in 2021. Prior to that, he served as Project Director at Kushner Companies in New York City where he led all phases of company’s ground-up multi-family residential, hospitality, office and retail projects from inception through completion. Projects include Wave Resort, a 67-key oceanfront boutique hotel in Long Branch, NJ and One Journal Square, a pair of 60-story towers with 1,700 apartment units and 40,000 SF of retail in Jersey City, NJ.

He also worked as a Project Manager at Turner Construction Co where he managed construction of over $2 Billion of new medical facilities and commercial high-rise developments. Projects include the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care and 7 Bryant Park, the 2016 ENR New York Project of the Year. Chris served as a Structural Engineer at McLaren Engineering Group focusing on design of waterfront structures. Projects include the World Financial Center ferry terminal and the Northside Piers redevelopment in Brooklyn.

Professional and Community Involvement

Chris has served as a mentor in the ACE Mentor Program of America which trains high school students interested in pursuing careers in architecture, engineering and construction.

Education

Chris earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer.