Industry-Leading Experts

Discover the leaders, dreamers, and visionary thinkers that guide our team at SLC.

  • Tim Downey

    Founder & Chief Executive Officer

    Tim Downey

    Founder & Chief Executive Officer

    Since founding SLC in 1986, Tim has been the visionary and driving force behind everything SLC does. His mission: create the extraordinary and cultivate joy. Tim has built a legacy in Tennessee, first and foremost, and today that legacy grows as SLC’s footprint expands across the U.S.

    Tim’s entrepreneurship began in college when he started a janitorial service. At the time, he already had a deep appreciation for and interest in thoughtful design, architecture, and horticulture. As Tim took on more real estate development clients with his janitorial business, some of them began giving him minor building repair projects followed by real estate assignments, providing Tim with unique opportunities to learn more about the industry. It was only a matter of time until Tim combined his longstanding interests with his initial real estate development experience and launched Southern Land Company in 1986.

    Inspired by Walt Disney’s conviction that creativity, innovation, and team interaction create incredible results, Tim established a vertically integrated business model that enables direct communication between design, horticulture, construction, planning, operations, and hospitality professionals. Tim’s career with SLC has resulted in extraordinary, enriching single-family, multifamily, and mixed-use communities in 10 markets across the U.S.—with more on the way. He has built a reputation for SLC that is anchored by creativity, quality, and kindness.

  • Brian Sewell

    President & Chief Operating Officer

    Brian Sewell

    President & Chief Operating Officer

    Brian has been with SLC since 2002. He continuously demonstrates his invaluable skills as a leader in his role as President and Chief Operating Officer by overseeing all development activity from ideation to construction to ownership, including single-family residential, multifamily, and commercial projects nationwide.

    Brian also steers corporate administrative functions; SLCCC, the company’s in-house commercial construction group; architecture and design; property management; infrastructure; horticulture; SLC Homes, the company’s in-house homebuilding group; and sales.

  • Alex Fisch

    Chief Financial Officer

    Alex Fisch

    Chief Financial Officer

    As Chief Financial Officer, Alex is responsible for all facets of accounting, financial reporting and analysis, strategic planning, capital markets, underwriting, and investor relations activities for SLC and all of its projects nationwide. He is also a member of SLC’s Investment Committee and plays a key role in strategic initiatives and the acquisition, development, and disposition of multifamily and residential assets. Alex first joined SLC in the mid-2000s and returned in 2015 as Senior Vice President – Capital Markets, followed by a promotion to Chief Investment Officer.
    Alex has more than 20 years of experience in investment banking and corporate finance, having worked with several firms, including KPMG, Houlihan Lokey, and Guggenheim Securities. During his career, he has completed more than 80 transactions totaling more than $8.5 billion, including placements of debt and equity, mergers and acquisitions, and financial restructuring transactions. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

  • Dustin Downey

    Chief Investment Officer

    Dustin Downey

    Chief Investment Officer

    Dustin started his career at SLC in 2005. He spearheads efforts to identify new markets for future SLC projects and directs and supports the acquisitions team in obtaining new assets in each region nationwide. Additionally, Dustin leads the development of new projects through the early stages of design by overseeing the financial visibility of each development and managing budgets through the design process. He also oversees SLC’s in-house IT team.

    Previously, Dustin oversaw the  company’s development of multifamily communities in the northeast region. Of note, Dustin served as the acquisitions manager for the site of The Laurel Rittenhouse Square, SLC’s 48-story, ultra-luxury condominium tower on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia.

  • Brontë Prins

    Chief Legal Officer

    Brontë Prins

    Chief Legal Officer

    As SLC’s Chief Legal Officer, Brontë uses her impressive depth of knowledge and swift, comprehensive ability to absorb new information to provide expert counsel to the company’s executive team while simultaneously leading the company’s in-house legal team and managing outside counsel. She is responsible for the entirety of the company’s legal affairs nationwide, including acquisitions, litigation, intellectual property, construction law, community interest law, and tax law, among many others.

    Brontë joined SLC in 2019 as Associate General Counsel. She was quickly promoted to Vice President, Legal, and then Senior Vice President & General Counsel. Prior to SLC, Brontë was in private practice at Clifford Chance US LLP in New York City followed by Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC in Nashville.

  • Faye Bedell

    Chief People Officer

    Faye Bedell

    Chief People Officer

    Faye leads the People and Culture team to help shape SLC employees’ overall experience at the company. Faye oversees the development and execution of initiatives designed to equip employees with tools and resources to evolve their careers. She ensures the company offers compensation systems that reward performance accordingly and is comprised of an engaged, agile workforce that can meet the demands of the business today and in the future. Within the first few months of her time at SLC, Faye oversaw the launch of SLYOUniversity, SLC’s in-house learning and development initiative that promotes and offers ongoing learning for employees.

    Prior to joining SLC in 2022, Faye accumulated more than 25 years of experience in human resources and professional development between her time at Coca Cola Bottling Company Consolidated and Lendlease Americas, both of which enabled her to bring experience with best in class people initiatives,  and apply those perspectives at Southern Land Company.

  • Dan Gilbert

    President, SLC Homes - Tennessee

    Dan Gilbert

    President, SLC Homes - Tennessee

    Dan oversees all aspects of SLC Reserve, SLC’s newest venture focused on delivering meticulously crafted homes on larger homesites in the Nashville market. He is responsible for all aspects of product development and delivery including purchasing and estimating, sales, and overall day-to-day operations. Through Dan’s leadership, SLC Reserve ensures all homebuyers are treated to a genuine and positive building experience.

    Since joining SLC in 2005, Dan has been a part of the construction of more than 800 homes in four different SLC master-planned communities in the Nashville market.

  • Dan Hutts

    President, SLC Homes - Texas

    Dan Hutts

    President, SLC Homes - Texas

    Dan heads SLC’s expanding homebuilding footprint in Texas Hill Country. In his role, Dan will oversee future land acquisitions and lead development and home building efforts. Since joining SLC in 2021, Dan has helped facilitate the acquisition of the site for SLC’s first Texas Hill Country development, a luxury home community in Dripping Springs. Before joining SLC, Dan built a successful multimillion-dollar luxury custom homebuilding business in Dallas, Texas, in which he built several single-family homes and multifamily units.

  • Marty Posthauer

    President, Preconstruction Services

    Marty Posthauer

    President, Preconstruction Services

    Marty serves a critical role providing preconstruction services for both SLC’s development team and third-party general contractors. Using his ability to provide careful thought and crucial oversight to each project, Marty oversees a team of project engineers, estimators, and accounting personnel to determine key factors leading up to the beginning of construction, specializing in high-rise and mixed-use developments nationwide.

    Since joining the company in 2017, Marty has been an important player in the early stages of RÊVE in Boulder, Colorado, and has been heavily involved in several SLC multifamily and commercial developments, including Vertis Green Hills in Nashville, Tennessee; Bespoke in Denver, Colorado; Nové at Knox in Dallas, Texas; Morada Plano in Plano, Texas; Deco 969 in Fort Worth, Texas; Carlow in Hauppauge, New York; and Society at Laurens in Charleston, South Carolina. He is currently focused on  SLC’s forthcoming mixed-use projects in Charlotte, North Carolina; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Sacramento, California.

    Marty brings 38 years of experience to his role, including management of significant projects in the commercial and residential sector and building 180 buildings worth more than $8 billion.

  • Karla Cavazos

    Executive Vice President, Development

    Karla Cavazos

    Executive Vice President, Development

    As EVP Development, Karla works with all SLC groups to achieve high quality and design, reduce costs, and accelerate delivery of SLC’s multifamily projects across the U.S. She is the trusted leader of SLC’s Development, Multifamily Interior Design and Design Management Divisions.

    Karla is passionate about efficiency and effectiveness, and always looks for ways to deliver both. An essential part of her role is creating and regularly updating sets of company standards to help ensure SLC’s high quality, high design, and exceptional resident experience are attained with every project. As SLC’s multifamily portfolio continues to grow, Karla’s company standards also improve internal and external processes, communication flow, and brand consistency.

    Karla holds AIA, CSI, and CDT designations.

  • Erik Krupp

    Executive Vice President, Construction Operations

    Erik Krupp

    Executive Vice President, Construction Operations

    Erik oversees field construction operations for all current and future projects in which SLC’s commercial construction group acts as the general contractor. Since Erik joined SLC in 2021, he has assisted in getting RÊVE in Boulder, Colorado, to completion and is currently working on projects in Hauppauge and Garden City, New York; Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; and Northglenn, Colorado.

    Erik is highly skilled in coordinating construction in urban settings and has more than 16 years of construction project management experience with high-end and high-rise projects primarily in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, and Maryland. His project history includes the world headquarters of a Fortune 500 company, a renowned history museum, private schools, residential towers, and more. Prior to joining SLC, Erik served as Senior Project Manager at INTECH in Philadelphia.

  • Ben Crenshaw

    Senior Vice President, Design

    Ben Crenshaw

    Senior Vice President, Design

    Ben leads SLC’s mission to create memorable environments. Whether leading the design of a new community, planning a mixed-use development, or creating a sanctuary in a rooftop garden, he ensures no detail is overlooked. His particular focus is the seamless integration of urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture to create unique, evocative places. By managing the efforts of SLC’s in-house and consulting design teams, Ben delivers function and form to every project.

    Ben brings more than 25 years of experience to his role, including work recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Urban Land Institute. He is certified by the Council of Landscape Architecture Registration Boards (CLARB) and is registered in many states throughout the country. Prior to joining SLC in 2003, Ben worked in all scales of design, from master planning, urban design, and resort design to civic space and residential garden design for several firms in Atlanta and Nashville.

  • Danny Lane

    Senior Vice President, Design

    Danny Lane

    Senior Vice President, Design

    Danny is instrumental in leading the design process for SLC’s signature single-family neighborhoods, as well as its portfolio of multifamily and mixed-use communities. Using his keen eye for aesthetics and function, Danny establishes the baseline for SLC’s product platform which is then incorporated into each project’s program. Through a collaborative effort with SLC’s in-house design teams and consultants, he guides the process that ultimately delivers SLC’s diverse and unique single-family streetscapes and innovative multifamily units and public spaces.

    Prior to joining SLC in 2002, Danny gained a broad base of experience in residential design and  neighborhood planning with Looney Ricks Kiss Architects in Memphis, Tennessee. In this role, Danny designed, documented, and reviewed homes in many high-profile traditional neighborhoods throughout the Southeast.

  • Ron Cryer

    Ron Cryer

    Senior Vice President, Development & Construction

    Ron Cryer

    Senior Vice President, Development & Construction

    In his role as Senior Vice President of Development & Construction, Ron oversees the many facets and stages of all single-family development projects in Middle Tennessee. Since joining Southern Land Company in June 2021, he has played a crucial role in the Westhaven master-planned community in Franklin, Tennessee, and Storyvale, the upcoming master-planned community in Nolensville, Tennessee. Ron’s background in building development, infrastructure and utilities, and general contracting has set him up for success in this hybrid role in which he leads teams in community engagement, finance and accounting, construction operations, due diligence, and design and engineering.

    Ron has been in the construction industry for more than 30 years, having worked in several different roles both in the field and corporate setting. He has played an instrumental role in  substantial projects, including a $2.7 billion casino and resort. Prior to coming aboard at Southern Land Company, Ron spent 10 years at Brad Cole Construction Co., Inc., where his knowledge and expertise escalated him from senior project manager to president.

  • Ronan Kearney

    Senior Vice President, Head of Property Management

    Ronan Kearney

    Senior Vice President, Head of Property Management

    As Senior Vice President, Head of Property Management, Ronan is key in strengthening SLC’s strong property management division to increase operational efficiency and support our goals in owning and operating exceptional, high-quality communities. In his role, Ronan taps into his asset and property management prowess within the luxury mixed-use and multifamily sectors to meet financial goals, recruit, and retain each community’s onsite team, as well as bolster operations.

    Based in SLC’s New York office, Ronan brings more than 15 years of property management and operations leadership experience from his roles with prominent New York City developers. Prior to joining SLC, Ronan served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Beam Living, a Blackstone-owned portfolio company, where he oversaw daily operations for an 11,250-unit residential community in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and served on the company’s executive leadership team.

  • Alex Cauchon

    Vice President, Hospitality

    Alex Cauchon

    Vice President, Hospitality

    As Vice President of SLC’s newly created hospitality division, Alex oversees efforts to curate the best food and beverage offerings for SLC mixed-use communities that feature restaurant and dining components. To establish SLC as a leader in hospitality, Alex uses his comprehensive background in the industry to tailor food and beverage options within each of SLC’s mixed-use communities that will best suit residents’ and visitors’ lifestyles.

    Alex brings more than 25 years of experience to this role, most recently as an independent consultant, where he advised various restaurants, fine-dining establishments, and hospitality groups on operations, food and beverage programming, design, and recruitment. Before working as a consultant, he spent 12 years in various roles with BR Guest Hospitality, ultimately overseeing operations of 25 locations in five states with a total annual revenue of $140M.

  • Brian Emmons

    Vice President, Business Development

    Brian Emmons

    Vice President, Business Development

    In his role as Vice President of Business Development, Brian is responsible for the growth of SLC’s footprint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the mid-Atlantic region. He manages the sales teams for projects such as The Laurel Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, handles the acquisition and entitlements of proposed and upcoming projects, identifies new opportunities for SLC in existing and growing markets, and works with SLC’s design teams to ensure each building incorporates impeccable design and is reflective of the surrounding neighborhood.

    In addition to The Laurel Rittenhouse Square, Brian works on SLC’s other current and upcoming Philadelphia developments, including mixed-use projects at 1620 Sansom Street and 5th and Spring Garden Streets.

    Brian joined SLC in 2017. He previously worked for Pennsylvania-based real estate developer Toll Brothers, where he built approximately 1,300 condos and single-family homes in the Philadelphia area.

  • Heidi Majerik

    Vice President & General Manager – Westerly

    Heidi Majerik

    Vice President & General Manager – Westerly

    Heidi manages SLC’s Erie, Colorado, master-planned mixed-use development, Westerly. Since becoming part of the SLC team in 2018, Heidi has been fully ingrained in the Westerly project. Her work has included successfully annexing, zoning, and planning the community, forming a taxing district and issuing bonds to fund infrastructure construction, contracting lots to third party builder partners, commencing infrastructure construction of the first 300 lots, and selling model lots to the home builders. Upon completion, the development will include 1,200 single-family homes, paired villas, and townhomes as well as 35,000 square feet of commercial space.

    Prior to SLC, Heidi worked with a Denver home builder handling land acquisition and lending, preceded by 14 years with Forest City redeveloping Denver’s former airport, Stapleton, now known as Central Park. Central Park is one of the largest Traditional Neighborhood Developments built in the country over the last 30 years and occupies more than 4,700 acres. Heidi currently serves on the Denver Planning Board, having been appointed by Denver’s Mayor, Michael B. Hancock, in 2021.

  • TJ Montoya

    Vice President, Construction & SLC Homes - Colorado

    TJ Montoya

    Vice President, Construction & SLC Homes - Colorado

    Based in SLC’s Mountain Region office in Denver, Colorado, TJ is responsible for the development of the homebuilding operations for Westerly, SLC’s master-planned community in Erie, Colorado. TJ oversees the value engineering of newly designed products. Additionally, he focuses on developing relationships with construction trade partners, estimating, bidding, contracting for vertical construction, and building and supervising the homebuilding team.

     

    TJ came to SLC from a Colorado-based builder, with nearly 10 years of experience as a high-paced production builder in the Denver area, five of which were specifically focused on Erie, Colorado, and where he was recognized as the company’s 2013 Rookie Builder of the year and the 2015 Builder of the Year. Additionally, TJ earned the 2017 Major Achievement in Marketing Excellence award, given by the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver.

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