Leadership

Austin Alvis is the President & Chief Development Officer of NewQuest, responsible for leading strategic initiatives and day-to-day management of NewQuest’s development, construction, and asset management activities. Austin joined NewQuest in 2015 and was previously Vice President of Brokerage and a Development Partner with NewQuest, where he was responsible for procurement and oversight of development projects in the Texas market. Prior to NewQuest, Austin began his career at BOK Financial (Bank of Texas), underwriting commercial lending relationships in Houston.

Austin is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Advisory Board of the Houston Region Business Coalition (HRBC), and the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Economic Development Council.

Austin earned a B.A. in Economics from Southwestern University and an M.B.A. from Rice University.

Steven D. Alvis is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of NewQuest. He began his real estate career in 1985, taking a leave of absence from Texas A&M University’s Veterinary School to launch Quest Properties at the onset of the savings and loan crisis. During this period, he specialized in acquiring and selling REO portfolios from failed institutions, ultimately amassing a portfolio of approximately 40 shopping centers across Texas.

Leveraging his growing expertise, Alvis transitioned into retail development, spearheading projects such as the region’s first 24 Hour Fitness and Cinemark’s inaugural all-stadium seating theater in 1993. Today, NewQuest continues to represent Cinemark, maintaining a relationship that spans over three decades.

In 2001, Alvis partnered with Jay Sears to establish NewQuest Properties, focusing on the development of grocery-anchored and power centers. The firm quickly became Albertson’s largest developer in Texas. Following Kroger’s acquisition of Albertson’s locations, NewQuest emerged as Kroger’s single largest developer in the state. The company continues to develop Kroger-anchored centers throughout Texas and Louisiana, alongside projects featuring major national and regional tenants such as Target, Walmart, HEB, Dick’s Sporting Goods, EoS Fitness, and TopGolf. With a portfolio exceeding $4.5 billion in developed shopping centers, NewQuest is recognized as the largest privately held shopping center developer in Texas.

Alvis holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO Gold), the Chief Executives Organization (CEO), and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). His public service includes appointments by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick to the Texas Facilities Commission in 2018, and by Governor Greg Abbott as Chairman of the TFC. In March 2023, Governor Abbott further appointed him to the Texas Transportation Commission.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Alvis is a principal owner and developer of The Clubs at Houston Oaks. He has two sons, Austin and Andrew. Austin, a Rice University MBA graduate, joined NewQuest in 2015 and currently serves as President. Andrew, a graduate of LSU, joined the firm in 2017 and now holds the role of Senior Vice President. The Alvis family enjoys spending their leisure time skiing in Colorado and managing their cattle ranch in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Josh Friedlander has been active in the retail real estate industry for over 20 years and joined NewQuest in 2010. He currently serves as Director of Leasing and is a Development Partner.

Josh’s expertise includes retail project leasing, tenant representation, land brokerage, investment sales, and project development. Over the course of his time at NewQuest, he has completed more than 500 transactions, reflecting both his experience and his commitment to delivering results.

He earned a Finance degree from The University of Texas in 2004. Outside of work, Josh enjoys spending time with his family, watching the Astros and Longhorns, and traveling.

Leona Hammill joined NewQuest in 2015 and has served as General Counsel since 2021. As General Counsel, Leona provides guidance on all legal functions for the company, including acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing, property management, brokerage, litigation and general corporate matters.

Prior to joining NewQuest, Leona worked in both private practice and in-house positions focusing on both domestic and international commercial real estate development, leasing and finance.

Leona earned her B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.Ed. from The University of Texas at Austin, and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. Leona is Board Certified in Commercial Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Jeff has over 20+ years of experience in executive leadership and real estate investment. Jeff’s background includes overseeing multibillion-dollar real estate portfolios, leading cross-functional teams, and partnering with leaders within and outside an organization. Jeff has a record of impactful contributions to bottom-line profit, top-line revenue, and operational success. He spent the first 10 years of his professional career with The Royal Bank of Canada. His last position with RBC Capital Markets was as the Chief Financial Officer of RBC Real Estate Finance Inc. When Jeff left RBC, he founded Lamplight Capital & Asset Management through a leveraged buyout and developed real estate in 12 states nationwide for 6 years. After selling off the Lamplight assets, Jeff moved to JLL as the Managing Director of Financial Strategy, advising large corporate occupiers, REITS, and accredited real estate investors on capital structures for real estate transactions.

Prior to joining NewQuest, Jeff was the President & CFO of Medistar, a real estate development and investment management company focusing on healthcare single-tenant, retail, and multifamily real estate development. Jeff has a BA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in Corporate Finance and Real Estate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Caitlin Jones serves as the Director of Marketing for NewQuest, where she brings more than 20 years of experience aligning marketing strategy with real estate performance. In her role, Caitlin leads corporate marketing and communications for NewQuest while directing all asset-based marketing initiatives across the firm’s owned portfolio and third-party properties. Her approach is rooted in leveraging marketing as a catalyst for leasing activity, transactions, and long-term value creation.

Drawing on her background in retail real estate development and leasing, Caitlin partners closely with development, leasing, and leadership teams to position assets competitively, accelerate tenant demand, and support transactions at every stage—from ground-up development to stabilization and disposition. This integrated perspective allows marketing to function not as a support role, but as a strategic driver of revenue and portfolio performance.

Prior to her current role, Caitlin worked extensively in retail real estate leasing and development with NewQuest and other commercial real estate firms, giving her a firsthand understanding of market dynamics, tenant decision-making, and the realities of closing deals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing with a minor in English from Texas Woman’s University and maintains an active Texas real estate salesperson’s license.

Steven M. Karp is a Senior Managing Director overseeing Asset & Property Management, with responsibility for portfolio-wide operational performance, asset strategy, and execution across retail and mixed-use commercial assets. Steven oversees all property management and asset management functions, providing strategic and operational leadership across the portfolio. 

Steven brings more than 28 years of commercial real estate experience, including 18 years with NewQuest, with a career spanning property operations, asset management, redevelopment, and institutional portfolio oversight.  Prior to joining NewQuest Properties, he served as Vice President of Property Management for the Texas operations of Global Realty and Management, where he led all property management functions and ownership communications for the Texas region. He also served as Vice President of Property Management for Equity One, Inc., a former public REIT, overseeing all property management operations, office personnel, and maintenance teams for their grocery-anchored retail portfolio in Texas and Arizona. 

Steven earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas A&M University and an Associate of Arts from Blinn College. Steven brings a proven ability to drive operational excellence and asset performance, delivering disciplined execution and long-term value creation across NewQuest’s portfolio. 

Dean Lane joined NewQuest as a Partner in 2003. He plays a critical role on NewQuest’s development team, working on the design, tenant-mix, and construction of over 75 projects. With a portfolio comprising more than five million square feet of gross leasable area over the last several years, his major projects include town centers such as Sherman, Cy-Fair, Brazos, Victory Lakes, Hutto, Creekside, Stone Hill, Stone Park, Pflugerville, and Aliana.

The primary focus of Dean’s career has been on retail tenant representation, representing companies such as Kohl’s, Oshman’s/Sports Authority, Eye Masters, Ross Dress For Less, Sears Specialty Group, PETSMART, Petco, J.C. Penney, Ulta Cosmetics, CompUSA, Toys R Us, Golf Galaxy, Robins Bros. and The Gap Concepts. During his tenure at Dick’s Sporting Goods, he was named “Master Broker” for his successful track record managing several of the company’s major city markets including Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

During his career, Dean has completed numerous lease transactions for his clients, ranging from 5,000 – 150,000 square feet. One of Dean’s largest transactions completed in recent years was the 138-acre tract of land sale to CBL REIT for the 800,000-square-foot Pearland Town Center Mall that opened in 2008. Previously a Vice President and Partner of Boyd Page & Associates from 1991 – 2003, Dean’s career started in the real estate industry with CB Commercial Real Estate Group in 1984. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and a graduate of Texas A&M University. In his spare time, Dean is with his wife Regina and their two daughters, Halle and Jesse, and volunteers for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Kyle brings 20 years of legal real estate knowledge and experience to NewQuest. As a partner, he is responsible for coordinating legal affairs. He participates in all aspects of new projects, including land acquisition, creating the structure of ownership/development entities, solving development issues, negotiating tenant leases, and negotiating construction and permanent financing for projects.

Prior to NewQuest, Kyle joined Quest Properties in 2001 as Senior Partner focusing on all legal aspects of the firm’s real estate transactions. Before joining Quest Properties, Kyle spent nine years at the Houston law firm of Nathan, Sommers, Lippman, Jacobs & Gorman as a Partner, and prior to that, he worked in the Houston office of the Dallas-based law firm of Winstead, Sechrest & Minick under the same title.

Kyle received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University in 1977, specializing in Real Estate Finance, and received his J.D. degree from the University of Texas Law School in 1980.

As a former practicing lawyer, Kyle is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, and the Houston Bar Association. In addition, he is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, as well as past President and member of the Board of Directors for Lakeside Country Club.

With over 25 years of leasing and development experience in the commercial real estate industry, David Meyers has been an integral part of NewQuest since its inception in 2001. As Leasing Director, David manages a team of 30 brokers and oversees each of NewQuest’s project’s tenant mix. In addition, as Development Partner, David has been directly involved in the construction of over 60 projects totaling more than eight million square feet, including several major town centers: Stone Hill Town Center, New Braunfels Town Center at Creekside, Brazos Town Center, Grand Morton Town Center, and Shops at Katy Reserve.

Over the course of his career, David has completed numerous lease transactions ranging from 1,200 to 100,000 square feet.

A graduate of Texas Christian University with a degree in Economics, David is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and finance advisory board of Monarch School. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing an occasional round of golf.

With an objective to bridge the gap between data science and strategy, Chris Myers, Director of GIS & Research at NewQuest Properties, guides real estate professionals towards making informed, data-driven decisions about strategy and business development utilizing GIS and research techniques.

Since joining NewQuest in 2021, Chris has built a GIS and Research department that leads all company-wide mapping and research capabilities in-house. The department helps the brokerage team leverage the power of GIS and research and collaborates with other NewQuest departments to produce impactful deliverables and broaden strategic horizons as the company continues to expand.

Prior to NewQuest, Chris led the CBRE Houston GIS program for 2 years and published an article in the African Geographical Review assessing the impact of electrification infrastructure on rural communities in Kenya. He received his undergraduate degree in Geography from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and soon after earned his master’s in geography & GIS from Miami University in Ohio.

Overall, Chris enjoys taking on new challenges and solving problems for those that seek answers about GIS, data, and technology. Learning from industry professionals and exploring new resources motivates him to create and provide the best practices for his clients.

Heather Nguyen serves as Managing Director of Asia Pacific Advisory Services, Executive Vice President, and Development Partner at NewQuest. With over 30 years of diverse real estate experience, she spearheads development initiatives and the strategic repositioning of retail assets—transforming them into resilient, high-value regional destinations by curating international tenant mixes and introducing global concepts to U.S. markets.

Her notable development portfolio includes high-profile projects such as The Shops at Pearland Parkway, Carrollton Town Center, Frisco Ranch Shopping Center, Marketplace at Ninety-Six, The Shops at Katy Grand, and most recently, Chandler Ranch Shopping Center in Chandler, Arizona; Abbott’s Bridge in Johns Creek, Georgia; The Mosaic at Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale, Arizona; and NPV Market Center in Naperville, Illinois.

Driven by a philosophy rooted in persistence, tenacity, and patience, Nguyen offers a distinctive blend of development insight and leasing expertise with a strong client-first approach. Over her distinguished career, she has facilitated more than $10 billion in real estate transactions, consistently delivering exceptional results.

Since joining NewQuest in 2000, Nguyen has earned numerous accolades, including multiple Top Producer Awards, the CoStar Community Impact Award, HBJ’s Women Who Mean Business, H Texas Magazine’s Women in Business Award, and the 2018 Women in Real Estate honor. She is also routinely on the Houston Business Journal’s Heavy Hitters list.

Nguyen has served board positions with Commercial Gateway and the Midtown Redevelopment Authority and remains an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Together with her husband, Dr. Shawn Taher, she is deeply committed to philanthropy through their nonprofit, Toys Fore Kids Foundation. Their charitable efforts support a range of community-focused organizations, including Texas Children’s Hospital, Kidz Harbor Foster Care, Driscoll Children’s Hospital, and the Houston Area Women’s Shelter.

Matt joins NewQuest with more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, specializing in tenant representation throughout the Houston market. Known for his relationship-driven approach and deep market expertise, he helps clients develop and execute strategic real estate plans that align with their business objectives.

Before joining NewQuest, Matt was a tenant representation broker with JLL, where he advised local, regional, and national retailers on site selection, market analysis, lease negotiations, and growth strategy. He also played a key role in supporting the rapid expansion of a large medical organization across the Houston area. Prior to JLL, Matt spent 15 years at CBRE, completing numerous lease and sales transactions and building a strong track record of success.

Matt began his commercial real estate career with Phillips Edison & Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he managed leasing strategies for several million square feet of retail properties throughout the Midwest. His performance consistently ranked among the company’s top producers before relocating to Houston in 2010 to continue growing his career.

At NewQuest, Matt leverages decades of industry experience, market knowledge, and a client-focused mindset to help retailers and businesses identify opportunities and achieve long-term real estate success.

As co-founder and Managing Partner of NewQuest, Jay K. Sears focuses on growing the NewQuest platform through new development, acquisitions, and strategic opportunities, alongside managing key client relationships.  A 40+ year veteran of the commercial real estate industry, Sears has actively been involved in the building of over 130 retail projects throughout Texas and the Southwest.

In 1996, Sears founded Sears Realty Company, a commercial brokerage and development firm that developed, managed, and leased numerous grocery-anchored shopping centers throughout the greater Houston area. Sears Realty was formed in response to the site selection and development needs of Sears’s grocery and retail clients, brokering or developing numerous transactions involving Albertsons, HEB, Kroger, Walgreens, Petco, Rice Epicurean Markets, 24 Hour Fitness, among many others. The company flourished and in 2001, Sears merged with Quest Properties, forming NewQuest Properties.  Today, NewQuest is the largest privately-held shopping center developer in Texas, having developed over $4.5 billion in retail and shopping center projects.

Sears received a B.B.A. from Baylor University in 1982. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), a member of the Urban Land Institute, and a member of the Rice Design Alliance.  Aside from real estate, Sears has spent many years working on micro-finance, community development and water wells in Africa through Opportunity International and Living Water.  Currently, Sears is focused locally and principally on education by providing scholarships to under-served students at Liberty High School and Eight Million Stories, in addition to supporting local organizations AVDA, Brighter Bites, Toys Fore Kids, TEAM Catapult, and The Forensic Center of Excellence (TXFNE).  Sears enjoys traveling extensively and is a bit of a fitness nut, competing in Masters Track & Field.

Katie joined NewQuest in 2013 and has built deep, hands‑on experience through a variety of finance and leadership roles.

As Executive Vice President of Finance, Katie oversees the financial backbone of the company’s development platform, guiding everything from draw administration and project budgeting to funding accuracy and liquidity planning. In addition to this work, she leads the teams responsible for construction accounting, financial analysis, and the company’s Controller functions, including property accounting, corporate accounting, treasury, tax, and investment accounting. This integrated structure allows finance, development, and accounting to stay closely aligned throughout the project lifecycle.

A proud graduate of Texas A&M University, Katie holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and a Master of Real Estate and Finance from Mays Business School. Katie also maintains an active Texas real estate salesperson’s license.

Outside of work, Katie enjoys life with her husband and two children, and also loves reading, being outdoors, and staying connected with family and friends.

Kevin Sims serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Leasing at NewQuest Properties. With nearly 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, Kevin brings deep expertise in project leasing, tenant representation, land brokerage, and both development and redevelopment.

Throughout his career, Kevin has closed thousands of transactions, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in value for his clients. His deal experience spans a wide range of transaction types, including purchase and sale agreements, build-to-suits, reverse build-to-suits, ground leases, and both anchor and non-anchor leasing for new and redeveloped projects.

Kevin is a frequent recipient of the CoStar Power Broker Award and has been recognized at NewQuest with Top Producer and Highest Number of Transactions honors. His approach is grounded in persistence, transparency, and a commitment to creating win-win outcomes.

He holds a degree from the University of Houston’s Business School and is a licensed real estate agent in the state of Texas. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys tournament fishing, college football, cheering on the Houston Astros, and spending time with his wife Jamie and daughter Avery.