Holt Lunsford Commercial (HLC) announces the promotion of Lizza Connor to Senior Vice President of Client Services. Connor will be instrumental in driving strategies to maximize client satisfaction, loyalty, and retention across HLC’s service lines, and she will continue to lead marketing, PR, and business development.

Her responsibilities include client care, property management and property accounting service lines, plus marketing, PR, and business development.

“Lizza brings an innovative approach to client service,” said Holt Lunsford, founder and Executive Chairman. “Her experience casts a fresh perspective and leverages our ability to maximize value for owners, tenants, and investors.”

Prior to joining HLC in 2024, Connor oversaw marketing for Istation, bringing over 20 years of experience.

Adolfson & Peterson Construction hired Amber Autumn as Director of Business Development for Central Texas in its Austin office. A business development and commercial construction veteran, Autumn brings more than 26 years of diverse experience in the built environment.

In her role, Amber will lead the development and execution of growth strategies to expand AP’s footprint across Central Texas. Her focus will include identifying new opportunities, cultivating lasting client relationships and ensuring growth aligns with AP’s mission and core values.

Amber is a University of Phoenix graduate and an active leader in the business development community. Prior to AP, she served as Strategic Business Developer at Summit Design + Build, LLC for more than 10 years, where she launched the business development division and implemented the industry’s best practices. Under her leadership, the business development program contributed to a $200 million increase in annual bid opportunities.

Amber brings over 26 years of construction industry experience to AP, including more than 15 years of direct fieldwork, beginning her career as a superintendent and spending more than two decades with a general contractor. Her passion for building began during her childhood, assisting her father’s masonry company and exploring job sites as early as age six.

Aprio has named Nuwandi Trahan Partner and Southwest Real Estate Leader. She brings more than 18 years of experience in real estate audit and advisory, with a focus on multifamily housing, LIHTC, HUD compliance, and financial reporting. Trahan previously helped launch and grow affordable housing practices at a global firm and serves as a founding advisory board member of the Women’s Affordable Housing Network (Texas Chapter).

Brenda Studt has joined Opus as director of real estate development. In this role, Brenda is responsible for helping Opus establish a strong Austin presence by sourcing and pursuing industrial and multifamily development opportunities. Brenda has more than 20 years of industry experience and is credited with developing over 850,000 square feet of industrial real estate and over 500 multifamily units in the last five years.

Anyone who talks to Gina can quickly hear she is a Texan. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a BBA in Risk Management and Insurance, she has spent the last 30 plus years in commercial property & casualty insurance and has earned the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Education, technology, and efficiency are natural strengths which made her working on the operations a natural fit.

Gina joined Patterson & Associates Insurance in 2023 as the Commercial Insurance Department Manager and has now recently been promoted to Agency Operations and Department Manager.

She is involved with the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas (IIAD) where she serves on the All-Industry Day committee and has led other insurance groups and committees throughout her years in the insurance business.

Dunaway is pleased to welcome Shannon C. Bearden to our Fort Worth team. Shannon joins as a Vice President and Associate Principal, bringing over 20 years of experience leading multidisciplinary teams. In her role, she will help to oversee the successful delivery of large-scale projects while serving as a strategic partner to key clients. Shannon will leverage her architectural background, collaborating with leadership and cross-functional teams, to ensure design excellence across disciplines.