North Texas Commercial Real Estate enters a new chapter this week with the appointment of Jamie Jolly as the newest CEO of the Real Estate Council (TREC).
The organization is a public policy investment, community investment, and career development agency. Among its major projects, TREC is implementing the $3 million Dallas Catalyst project. The project is an initiative launched in 2018 that focuses on neighborhood revitalization. The project has recently focused on the Mill City area.
Jolly’s appointment follows the retirement of Linda McMahon, who was selected as the first CEO of the Dallas Economic Development Corporation. The appointment is a full circle for Jolly, who first joined TREC in 2007 as director of communications and programs after a brief stint with the Collin County Association of Realtors. During his first role at TREC, Jolly managed the management of the Klyde Warren Park project. After finishing his career with the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, Jolie became president and CEO of the Plano Chamber of Commerce, a position he held for nearly nine years. She then moved on to a position as senior executive director of the Plano ISD Educational Foundation.
Mr. Jolly resigned from his position to run for the Texas House of Representatives in the 2022 election before becoming president and executive director of Uptown Dallas. Her appointment to the TREC post was announced this week.
Two days after joining the company, Jolly spoke with D CEO about his journey so far, TREC’s goals, and what opportunities lie ahead in Dallas’ commercial real estate scene.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
D CEO: Tell our readers a little about your career journey and how it got you here.
Jolie: “One of my first jobs out of graduate school was working for a membership organization, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and it was really not the career I had imagined for myself. But once I joined the membership organization, I understood the work they were doing and the role they played, and I fell in love with it and became serious about making it my career. I concentrated on
“And from there I ended up moving back to Texas. I’m from Dallas, so my dad called me one day and said, ‘Okay, let’s go back to Texas and get a job here.’ . So I ended up working for the Collin County Association of Realtors, and from there I actually ended up working at my first job at TREC.
“Twenty years ago, I was on staff as Director of Communications and Programs for the Real Estate Council. I had the opportunity to learn about the organization and work with what was then called the Real Estate Council Foundation. and was working on a project known as the “Woodall Rogers Deck Park.” And of course, it’s now known as Klyde Warren Park, and it’s been a real catalyst here in North Texas. So it was very exciting to be on the ground floor when we were working on that project 20 years ago. And again, I fell in love with this organization and what they stand for and the work they do.
“I also met some great people who are members of The Real Estate Council, who have been involved in my career since I was at TREC.
“I really enjoy working with member organizations. People come to me because they’re passionate about something, they want to get involved in a particular initiative, they want to network with colleagues or people in their industry. I am truly honored to have this opportunity. Most recently, I have worked with Uptown Dallas. and served on the board of directors for the Uptown Public Improvement District.
“This opportunity with The Real Estate Council is truly a great opportunity as I have continued to be involved in the commercial real estate industry. So I was very excited when the opportunity came.”
D CEO: What short-term and long-term goals does TREC have?
Jolly: “I think our short-term, immediate goals revolve around the Dallas Catalyst project. Last year, we started in Mill City and some projects are starting to come to fruition. Through our work with our community partners, we’re really going to start to see some changes and some good outcomes, and we’re going to see that really start to take shape in the coming months. I’m looking forward to it.
“I think the most important thing is to be very thoughtful in getting to know the members of TREC and getting to know the leadership, but also understanding their concerns and some of the issues that we face as an industry. Because, first and foremost, The Real Estate Council is a membership organization that represents over 90% of the commercial real estate professionals and organizations in the Dallas area when it comes to development in the North Texas area. I think it will be important for me to understand what the problem is.
“I am also very excited to be joining the TREC team. We have a dedicated staff that helps lead the various initiatives that we are involved in as an organization. We will spend a lot of time getting to know them, their role within the organization, and how we best work together.
“Long-term, I think TREC’s heritage speaks for itself. We have a 30-year history in North Texas and the Dallas area, representing, advocating for, and doing good work in the commercial real estate industry. My goal is to build on that tradition and make sure we’re working together to address some of the big challenges we have here in Dallas. , work with partners.
D CEO: What opportunities do you foresee in the future, not only for the commercial real estate scene in Dallas, but also for TREC?
Jolie: “I think affordable housing continues to be a challenge in our city. We believe that lasting affordable housing means working with the community, not just leading the community. So we at TREC want to be that partner and certainly work together, especially with the recent news with Forward Dallas, the strength we have established over the years. We believe there are opportunities ahead to build on our strong community partnerships and strengthen our efforts and impact in these diverse communities, particularly in the area of affordable housing.
“We are also working to launch a community land trust. We are developing real estate project management resources to address the lack of talent and experience in real estate development. But I hope we can better prepare our industry to address big challenges like affordable housing in our communities, which is really important for TREC and for the industry to focus on. I think that’s true.
“I also think we need to work with the City of Dallas to make sure the permitting and planning process is effective and efficient. I’m very excited to see the changes that have made working in commercial real estate and development easier in the City of Dallas. She is consolidating several departments and streamlining processes. So we want to know what changes are coming and how they will impact our members’ ability to travel and do business in the City of Dallas going forward. We will continue to work collaboratively with our staff and city leaders.”
D CEO: You sat in the front row of Klyde Warren Park, one of the most important projects in Dallas. What lessons did you learn from that, and what lessons are you taking with you to your new role at TREC?
Jolie: “I think one of the biggest things we learned along the way was that we had no idea what real impact it was going to have on our community. We had a vision, we had a visionary team and people who were passionate about the idea, and we had to really sell it to the community.
“As you can imagine, telling people you wanted to build a park on top of a freeway wasn’t something that was done back then, so we really had to rally support. And I think that’s true for any project. I think you need to approach it with big goals and dreams, and you also need to understand that you need to build that coalition and support the project. And, as we saw with Klyde Warren Park, we hope the results far exceed expectations. Perhaps most exciting is the comparison to 20 years ago when we envisioned this park above the freeway. And I think looking at how the community has really changed today.
“And when we do projects like Klyde Warren Park, or even the projects we’re doing today, we want to engage and work with the community. We want to direct change. We’re not there to help, but we’re there to facilitate these projects.”
