We are excited to announce R. Scott Crain has joined Garrison Construction Group, LLC as Vice President of Construction. With more than 25 years in construction, corporate real estate, and international management, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success to our team.

In his new role, Scott will lead complex construction initiatives, leveraging his expertise in marketing, business development, budgeting, value engineering, and operational excellence to drive growth and innovation. Known for managing complex projects and delivering exceptional results, Scott is a great addition to our team.

Scott also serves as Board Chair for ACE Mentor Houston, mentoring high school students into architecture, construction, and engineering, and supports the American Heart Association, inspired by his son’s congenital heart defect.

Business advisory and accounting firm Aprio is expanding its real estate practice with the addition of James Lockhart as a real estate tax partner based in its New York City office.

Lockhart is a widely recognized leader in the industry and will play a key role in Aprio’s expansion throughout the Northeast region of the country.

With more than 20 years of experience in real estate, hospitality and construction, Lockhart brings knowledge in accounting and law to his new position. He has a deep understanding of complex real estate transactions and the ability to help clients minimize tax liabilities through creative structuring strategies.

Before joining Aprio, Lockhart worked as a real estate tax partner and real estate national leader at other top-100 firms.

 JLL has named Kevin MacKenzie as president, Americas Capital Markets, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

MacKenzie will succeed Jody Thornton in this position, who will assume the role of Executive Chairman, Americas Capital Markets, continuing oversight of various initiatives.

MacKenzie began his career as an analyst in the Dallas office in 2004 and was promoted to a role in production just one year later. He held various roles (at HFF and JLL) across the company, first moving to co-head the Orange County office in 2011, followed by overseeing the Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest offices, then later, head of the West region.

He was added to the executive committee (HFF) in 2018 and was pivotal in the growth of national initiatives such as strategic transactions and private capital. Most recently, he held the position of Head of Production for JLL Capital Markets.

As part of the player coach model, MacKenzie has been a top producer for 10+ years, executing in excess of 925 transactions totaling more than $35 billion, across all property sectors and regions of the U.S. MacKenzie consistently originates and leads complex transactions across debt, equity and sales. In his new role he will continue to work with clients on capital markets transactions while assisting in the strategic growth of their businesses and objectives.

KAI Design hired Nicholas “Nic” Simmerman as project manager at its Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, office.

Simmerman brings over 18 years of experience in the architecture industry, having worked on a diverse range of projects, from large healthcare renovations and adaptive reuse of warehouse spaces to luxury multi-family hospitality and modern office developments.

In his role as Project Manager, he is responsible for ensuring overall project profitability and customer satisfaction. He will manage owner relations and oversee the performance of subcontractors and KAI personnel.

Prior to joining KAI, Simmerman owned and operated a boutique firm, High Architecture, where he designed projects in nine states. He was also a Partner and Director of Commercial at Type Six Design & Development Services in Arlington, TX, and a Project Architect and Manager for SBL Architecture in Arlington, TX.

Transwestern Real Estate Services added Ravi Bajaj as Manager of Sustainability and ESG in its Houston office.

Collaborating with Asset Services, Bajaj will build and implement comprehensive environmental programs that enhance the performance and value of client and investor assets. This includes outlining objectives and tactics, establishing policies and KPIs, and engaging internal and external stakeholders to promote successful ESG initiatives.

Before joining Transwestern, Bajaj was the founding principal of Citadel EHS’s ESG & Sustainability Practice Area, overseeing ESG and GRESB consulting, WELL Building Standard certification performance testing, and IEQ assessments for sustainability and health and wellbeing building certification programs. He also served as a program manager at UL Solutions, a testing, inspection, and certification services company (known as Healthy Buildings prior to acquisition by UL).

Bajaj’s experience includes collaborative project management with GRESB, WELL, LEED, BREEAM, Fitwel, and Living Building Challenge rating systems.

SPERRY announced that veteran commercial real estate professionals Al Karmali and Ian O’Connor are joining the firm as an affiliate under the name Sperry-MTX Commercial.  The new affiliate will be based in Houston, Texas.

Led by Karmali who serves as owner and O’Connor who serves as managing director, Sperry-MTX Commercial specializes in leasing and investment sales of commercial real estate in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas areas.

Karmali and O’Connor are prominent figures in the Texas commercial real estate industry.  Kamali also currently serves as President and CEO of DFW Hospitality Group, LLC, Texas Energy, Inc., Sterling Global Resources / Sterling Equity Partners, Alyah Holdings, Inc., and Karmali Holdings, Inc.  O’Connor previous worked in real estate development and brokerage for firms including Shamrock Rental Properties LP and The Woodmont Company.