This week marked a new chapter for North Texas Commercial Real Estate with the appointment of Jamee Jolly as the newest CEO of The Real Estate Council (TREC).
The organization is a force for public policy investment, community investment, and career development. Among key projects, TREC is in the midst of carrying out its $3 million Dallas Catalyst Project, an initiative launched in 2018 focused on neighborhood revitalization. The project most recently focused its efforts on the Mill City neighborhood.
Jolly’s appointment follows the departure of Linda McMahon, who was selected to be the Dallas Economic Development Corp’s first CEO. The appointment is a full-circle one for Jolly, who first joined TREC as director of public affairs and programs in 2007 after a short stint with the Collin County Association of Realtors. During her first position with TREC, Jolly managed the administration of the Klyde Warren Park project. A career stop at the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association followed before Jolly became president and CEO of the Plano Chamber of Commerce, a post she held for almost nine year. She then moved on to a senior executive director position with the Plano ISD Education Foundation.
After departing the post and running for a Texas House position in the 2022 election, Jolly took on the role of president and Executive Director of Uptown Dallas, Inc. Her appointment to the TREC post was announced this week.
Two days into the job, Jolly spoke with D CEO about her journey, her goals for TREC, and what opportunities are ahead for Dallas’ commercial real estate scene.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
D CEO: Tell our readers a little bit about your career journey and how it’s gotten you here?
JOLLY: “One of my first jobs out of grad school was working for a membership organization. It was the Florida Institute of CPAs, and really, it’s not a career that I had imagined for myself. But once I got involved with a membership organization, I understood the work that they were doing and the role that they played, I fell in love with the work and just really focused in on making that my career.
“And so from there, I ended up moving back to Texas. I’m a native Dallasite, so my dad called one day and said, ‘Okay, it’s time to come back to Texas and find a job here.’ And so I ended up working with the Collin County Association of Realtors, and from there, I went over and really did my first stint at TREC.
“So 20 years ago, I was on staff at The Real Estate Council as their director of Public Affairs and Programs. I had the opportunity to learn about the organization and had the opportunity to work hand in hand with what was at the time called The Real Estate Council Foundation, and we were working on a project known as ‘Woodall Rogers Deck Park.’ And of course, that now is known as Klyde Warren Park, and has become a true catalyst here in North Texas. And so it was exciting to be on the ground floor as we were working on that project 20 years ago. And again, I just fell in love with the organization and what they stood for and the work that they were doing.
“I also met wonderful people that were part of the membership of The Real Estate Council, and those people kind of had been involved in my career since I was at TREC.
“I just really enjoy working with membership organizations. People join a membership because they’re passionate about something, they want to be involved with a certain Initiative, or they want to be able to network with colleagues and people that are in their industry. I just really feel privileged that I’ve had that opportunity. I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous organizations. Most recently, I was with Uptown Dallas, Inc. and worked with that board of directors, with the Public Improvement District there in Uptown.
“This opportunity with The Real Estate Council really is a full-circle opportunity for me, because I have continued to stay involved in the commercial real estate industry. I’ve continued to track TREC’s progress over the years and the different work that they’ve been doing in our community. So I was very excited when the opportunity came up.”
D CEO: What short-term goals and long-term goals do you have for TREC?
JOLLY: “Short term and most immediate goals, I would say, revolve around our Dallas Catalyst project. Last year we kicked off in Mill City, and so some of the projects are starting to come to fruition. And through our work with community partners within Mill City, we will really start to see some changes and some good work, and I’m excited to see that really start to take shape in the next few months.
“Most importantly, I think, is getting to know the membership of TREC, getting to know the leadership, but also being very thoughtful about understanding their concerns and some of the issues that they’re facing as an industry. Because first and foremost, The Real Estate Council is a membership organization that represents over 90 percent of commercial real estate professionals and organizations in the Dallas area. And so I think it’s going to be important for me to understand what those issues are that they’re facing when it comes to developing and in the North Texas region.
“I’m also very excited to join the TREC team. We have a professional staff that is helping to lead all the different initiatives that we’re involved in as an organization, and so I plan to really spend a lot of time getting to know them, their role within the organization, how we work best together, and how I can best support the team in my role.
“Long term, I think TREC’s legacy really speaks for itself. We have 30 years of history in North Texas and in the Dallas area, doing good work and representing and advocating for the commercial real estate industry, and my goal is just to continue to build on that legacy and make sure that we are working hand in hand with our partners to address some of the big challenges that we have here in Dallas.
D CEO: What opportunities do you foresee in the future, both for Dallas’s commercial real estate’s real estate scene, but also for TREC?
JOLLY: “I think affordable housing continues to be a challenge in our city. We understand that permanent affordable housing means working side by side with communities, rather than just directing them. And so I think TREC wants to be a partner in that and make sure that we’re working together. Especially with the recent news with Forward Dallas, we see an opportunity ahead to build on the strong community partnerships that we’ve established over the years and to strengthen our efforts and impact in those different communities, and especially in the areas of affordable housing.
“We also are working to stand up a community land trust. We’re developing real estate project management resources to address the lack of staff and experience in real estate development. So again, I think just better preparing the industry to help address some of the bigger challenges like affordable housing in our community, I think that’s something that will really be important to focus on, for TREC and for the industry.
“Also, I think working hand in hand with the city of Dallas to make sure that the permitting and the planning process is effective and efficient. We’ve been very excited to see some of the changes that Interim City Manager Kim Tolbert has made. That has made the job of commercial real estate and development easier in the city of Dallas. She’s combined a few departments, she’s streamlining the process. So we’re eager to see what changes are in place and how those impact the ability of our members to go out and do business in the city of Dallas. We’ll continue to work in partnership with city staff and city leadership in those regards.”
D CEO: You had a front-row seat to one of the most pivotal projects in Dallas, which was Klyde Warren Park. What were some learning lessons that you got from that, and what learning lessons are you taking into your new role with TREC?
JOLLY: “I think one of the biggest things we learned during the process, we had no idea what type of real impact that was going to have on our community. We had a vision, we had a team of visionaries and people that were passionate about the idea, and we had to go out and really sell it to the community.
“As you can imagine, telling people you want to build a park over a freeway…back in that day, it was not something that was done, and so we had to really build support. And I think that’s with every project. I think you need to go into it with big goals and big dreams. And you also need to understand that you need to build that coalition, that support for the project, and then hopefully, like we saw with Klyde Warren Park, the results far exceed your expectations. I think that’s probably the most exciting thing is just to see how it’s really changed the community today compared to what it was 20 years ago when we were envisioning this park over the freeway.
“Also, when we do a project like Klyde Warren park, or even the projects we’re doing today, we want to come in and partner with the community. We’re not there to dictate change, but we’re there to help facilitate these projects.”