Trails and Urban Development Conference
Join The University of Texas at San Antonio and Great Springs Project for an engaging half-day conference dedicated to fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing and networking among land use practitioners, urban planners, trail enthusiasts and community stakeholders. This event is designed to strengthen connections, advance urban trail development and explore the benefits of public-private partnerships regarding trails and urban development.
Cultivating Connections in Urban Trail Development
Panel Discussions
Learn about projects and plans for connecting people and places downtown, using trails for greater connectivity throughout San Antonio, and carrying out UTSA’s vision for its growth and sustainability.
Topical Presentations
Hear from community leaders about trails as support and enhancement for public and private development.
Networking Reception
Connect with urban developers, planners, trail users, and community leaders to share experiences and explore potential partnerships.
Mary Hernandez
Mayor Ron Nirenberg
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai
UTSA Vision for Growth and Connectivity
Corrina Green
Senior Associate Vice President, Real Estate and Property Management at the University of Texas at San Antonio
Corrina Green is the Senior Associate Vice President for Real Estate and Property Management (RPM) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She holds over 25 years of experience in design, construction and development, with a Bachelor of Architecture from Drexel University. As Senior Associate Vice President, Corrina oversees the core services consisting of management of the university’s property, campus planning, design, plan review, campus renovations, inspections, and new construction. She has a broad background in design and project management, as well as expertise in land acquisition, financial modeling and project funding strategy for complex real estate development projects. Prior to joining the UTSA team, Corrina was Director of Development for Zachry Hospitality. Corrina is actively involved in the San Antonio community and the Urban Land Institute both locally and nationally.
Joshua Gerken
Associate Vice President of Asset Management at the University of Texas at San Antonio
Joshua Gerken is an Associate Vice President within UTSA’s Real Estate & Property Management division. He leads a team responsible for Asset Management, which includes overseeing the offices of Facilities Operation & Maintenance, Sustainability, Campus Standards & Planning, and Space Management. Throughout his career, Josh has held various roles, contributing to the successful delivery of $1 billion+ in design and construction projects. He earned his BS in Construction Science from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Before joining UTSA in 2016, Josh served as the Vice President of Operations for a local General Contracting firm, working extensively across the state of Texas with another national general contracting firm. In 2023, Josh was named in the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 under 40, and he currently serves as an Honorary Commander for the Air Force’s Special Warfare Training Wing.
Quick Talk: Economic Benefits Report
Dr. Matt Patton
Executive Vice President at AngelouEconomics
Dr. Matt Patton oversees the day-to-day operations of AngelouEconomics. He works with the CEO to coordinate short- and long-term growth strategies. Matt utilizes 15+ years quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research experience. He has ten years’ project, program, and community leadership experience. Previously, Matt was faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Among his specializations, Matt excelled in service learning which bridged Omaha’s private sector with university students. Prior to that, he was a researcher and project coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Matt’s research focuses on the regional aspects of economic development, GIS analysis, and workforce development. His academic contributions include over fifty invited talks, conference presentations, and publications. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Geography at Texas State University, his Master of Science in Geographic Information Sciences from Central Michigan University, and his Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Ashland University (OH). Matt blends each of these experiences to gain a holistic understanding of the economics of various regions. Community and people-driven, he is a mentor to current Texas State undergrad and graduate students.
Panel 1: Activating the Urban Core
Moderated by Corrina Green
Lori Houston
Assistant City Manager
Lori Houston was appointed Assistant City Manager in July of 2015. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she oversees the Center City Development and Operations Department, Department of Arts and Culture, Office of Historic Preservation, Department of Human Services, Neighborhood & Housing Services Department, World Heritage Office, and the Alamo Redevelopment Plan. These 6 departments have 650 employees and a combined $250M operating budget and a $500M capital budget. Ms. Houston started her career in municipal government with the City of San Antonio in 2002. Prior to her appointment as Assistant City Manager, she served five years as the Director and Assistant Director of the Center City Development Operations Department. She also served 9 years in various capacities within the City’s Public Works Department and City Manager’s Office providing administrative support and managing numerous economic development projects. During Lori’s tenure with the city, she led the development of major economic development projects such as the San Antonio River Improvements Project, numerous multifamily housing projects that will yield over 12,000 multi-family affordable housing units, the expansion of the University of Texas San Antonio’s downtown campus, and the Alamo restoration and development. She also led the creation and development of the Emergency Housing Assistance Program that provided rental, mortgage, and utility assistance to over 200,000 individuals impacted by the COVID pandemic and the establishment of the City’s Homeless Response System that addresses homelessness through a collaboration among multiple agencies and partners.
Trish DeBerry
President and Chief Executive Officer of Centro San Antonio
Trish Deberry is a native San Antonian with a degree from Trinity University. Previously, as a Centro Board Member, Trish helped shepherd three transformational downtown projects to voter approval as part of the 2017 City Bond. As Chair, she oversaw Centro’s implementation, guidance, and community involvement as the projects broke ground and reached completion. Her return as Centro Board Chair coincided with another period of accelerated growth downtown, exemplified by the passage of the 2022 Bond Program, projects like the UTSA Downtown Campus, San Pedro Creek, and Alamo Plaza, as well as by the increase in residential units in the core. As the current President and CEO of Centro San Antonio, Trish has catalyzed a resurgence in downtown San Antonio by fostering new collaborations among city partners.
Frates Seeligson
Executive Director of the San Antonio River Foundation
Frates Seeligson graduated from Duke University in 1992. Upon returning to Texas, he studied ranch and range management at Texas Christian University. A fourth-generation rancher, he has managed agricultural operations across South Texas for over three decades, with a specific focus on native habitat management and restoration. In 2005, Frates joined the board of the San Antonio River Foundation. Over these years he actively participated in the San Antonio River Improvements Project. In 2016 Frates joined the staff of the River Foundation as Director of Confluence Park. In this role he managed the fundraising, construction and programming of Confluence Park, a one-of-a-kind venue for environmental education along the banks of the San Antonio River. In July of 2019, Frates took over the Executive Director position for the River Foundation.
Randy Smith
Co-Founder & CEO Weston Urban
Randy Smith teamed with Graham to form Weston Urban in 2012. Randy is responsible for all aspects of the company’s investing and development. Prior to founding Weston Urban, he was Vice President of Real Estate at Rackspace, leading the cloud computing company’s global portfolio from 2007 to 2011. Randy earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and a J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia. Randy serves as the Chairman of Greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership, the ULI Advisory Board, and is the Chairman of the Valero Alamo Bowl Board of Directors. He is also a Co-Founder of Designated Bidders, LLC, which acquired the Texas League’s San Antonio Missions baseball team in 2022 and serves on its Board. Randy loves old buildings, old cars, any sport that keeps score, neon signs and above all his wife Rachel and three children: Duncan, Benjamin and Zelia.
Quick Talk: ActivateSA – Complete Streets
Joey Pawlik
Executive Director of ActivateSA
Joey Pawlik is a native San Antonian and bike commuter, transit user, and walker who is passionate about building a safer, more protected, equitable, connected, and comfortable active transportation and transit network across San Antonio for people of all ages and abilities. Joey serves as the Executive Director of ActivateSA and has nearly a decade of diverse professional experience in constituent advocacy, community engagement, policy, nonprofit development, and transportation planning. He has a M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from UTSA, B.S. in Sociology from Texas A&M, and is a Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellow. Joey serves as the mayoral appointee on the City of San Antonio Transportation Advisory Board and as a member of the ULI San Antonio Mobility Local Member Council.
Panel 2: Trails for Greater Connectivity
Moderated by Garry Merritt
Garry Merritt
Chief Executive Officer of Great Springs Project
Garry Merritt brings a unique combination of business development savvy, real estate law expertise, government service, and longstanding commitment to conservation of Texas’ natural resources as CEO of Great Springs Project. A former Real County Judge, Real County Attorney, and corporate counsel, Garry’s legal expertise includes real estate transactions, real estate finance, water rights, business development, and contract negotiations. He is Board Certified in Farm and Ranch Real Estate Law, a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and holds degrees from Rice University and The University of Texas School of Law. After a stint as a corporate and real estate attorney in Houston and Team Counsel for the Houston Rockets, Garry returned to the Texas Hill Country to practice law and engage in public service in his rural hometown of Leakey. Garry has served as Board Chairman of the Hill Country Alliance, the Middle Rio Grande Development Council, and the Southwest Area Regional Transit District. Prior to joining Great Springs Project, Garry served as General Counsel and Legislative Director of the Texas Association of Counties which represents all 254 counties in Texas with over 2,500 elected officials.
Connie Gonzalez
Chief Strategy Officer of Brooks
Connie Gonzalez is responsible for establishing strategic direction, leading business development, public affairs, community engagement, and project management initiatives. Connie is also the Executive Director of Brooks Gives Back, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves as the vehicle by which all members of the Brooks community can invest in nonprofit initiatives impacting people in the neighborhoods surrounding Brooks. An advocate for community involvement, Gonzalez serves as the Immediate Past Chair for the South Texas Business Partnership Board of Directors, formerly known as the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Connie is an Executive Committee member of the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) Foundation, CAST Med High School Advisory Board of Directors, and the Texas A&M University – San Antonio Mays Center Community Advisory Council.
Andres Andujar
Chief Executive Officer of Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation
Andres Andujar is the driving force behind the community vision for the Hemisfair area redevelopment: to create one of the world’s great public places. This is being done by the transformation of the ’68 World’s Fair site into an urban district of multiple parks, residences and local businesses. Hemisfair is becoming sustainable, self-funded and filled with events authentic to San Antonio. In addition to his work on the Hemisfair district, Andres helped develop a vision and coined River North for an area north of our downtown surrounding the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk extension that resulted in a 400-acre urban rezoning and the creation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. For that volunteer effort, Andujar was given an honorary title from the American Institute of Architects. Andres was named 2006 Downtowner of the Year by the Downtown Alliance and was selected as one of San Antonio’s Visionaries in 2008. In 2017 the San Antonio Express News selected Andres as a Texas Powerbroker, and in 2018 Visit San Antonio recognized Andres with the Con Corazon award for his dedication and passion for making San Antonio a better place. Andujar received his bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. His 30-year career in the private sector before Hemisfair includes design, construction, development and management experience of several billion dollars’ worth of projects around the US and abroad.
Mesha Millsap
Chief Executive Officer of Pearl Real Estate Company, LLC
Mesha Millsap is the Chief Executive Officer of Pearl Real Estate Company, LLC. She joined Pearl in 2007 and has played an integral role in building the business over the past 17 years. Millsap began her career at Pearl as a part of the accounting team and eventually moved into roles that supported the early phases of development and real estate operations, including management of the Stable, a well-loved event venue that until 2020 was home to over 300 events per year. Mesha moved into her new role as CEO of Pearl Real Estate as of January 2022. This role allows her to deepen her focus on the vision of making Pearl the pioneering plazamaker of North America through creating places and experiences to cultivate human connectedness.
Derek Boese
General Manager and CEO of the San Antonio River Authority
Derek Boese is the General Manager and CEO of the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), a 300-person organization responsible for ensuring the river remains safe, clean and enjoyable from the headwaters in Bexar County down through Goliad County. He is responsible for a $380M annual budget, including design and construction of the $300M San Pedro Creek Culture Park, oversight of the $240M Bexar County Creeks and Trails Program, serving as local sponsor for the Westside Creeks Ecosystem Restoration Project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the multi-million dollar expansion of SARA’s Wastewater Treatment Plants in eastern Bexar County. His oversight includes the Mission Reach and Museum Reach parks along the San Antonio River. Mr. Boese is a graduate of Leadership San Antonio Class 47 and serves on the boards of the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA) and the National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA). Mr. Boese has a B.A. in Civil Engineering from Rice University, an M.S. in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a J.D. from Loyola University School of Law, New Orleans. He is a licensed attorney in Louisiana and is also an Adjunct Professor teaching Critical Infrastructure at the Tulane University School of Professional Advancement, Emergency and Security Studies Program.
Sponsors
Parking
Limited free parking will be available for event attendees in the Dolorosa Parking Lot, located at 702 Dolorosa Street. To avoid construction, we encourage you to refer to the map for an alternative walking route.
Additional parking and transportation options nearby include:
- ParkMobile hourly parking at UTSA Downtown Campus Garage
- Courthouse Parking
- Bexar County Parking Garage
- City Tower Parking Garage
- On-demand ride options with VIA Link allow customers to request a ride from anywhere in the VIA Link Downtown Zone by using the VIA Link mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play
