Governance

The Las Colinas Association is governed by non-compensated, volunteer board members, with equal representation for residential and commercial properties, and one Declarant representative.

The bylaws now provide for staggered terms and term limits. Directors are elected for three-year terms on a rotating basis and are limited to two consecutive terms plus any preceding partial terms resulting from an appointment to a vacated position.

Directors

Danny Opitz, Chairman

Danny Opitz has been an integral part of the development of Las Colinas with over 40 years of involvement in the management of the Las Colinas Development with the Las Colinas Corporation, Faison-Stone, Cousins Properties, and Hines. Mr. Opitz is currently Vice President of Construction for Hines.  His responsibilities have included land planning and entitlement of land, preparation of land use documents as a representative of the Declarant, and oversight of design and construction of project infrastructure. As part of the Hines Land Team since 2006, he has been involved in the development of over 3,000 single-family lots in the Las Colinas development and Irving.

He has been a member of the Architectural Control Committee at the Las Colinas Association for fourteen years. He has served on many civic and municipal committees in Irving, including the Development Ordinance Rewrite Committee, Storm Water Drainage Committee, Comprehensive Land Use Committee, and the Citizen’s Transportation Committee.  He was a board member of the Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District from 2001 to 2019.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University.

Danny and wife Nancy have been residents of Las Colinas for 19 years and currently reside in La Villita. 

Harry Lake, Vice Chairman

Harry Lake serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Koa Partners and is responsible for the overall strategy of the privately held firm. In this capacity, Mr. Lake leads a character-driven team focused on delivering real estate solutions to clients it is called to serve.

Prior to founding Koa Partners, Mr. Lake was the Chief Investment Officer for Neal Richards Group (NRG) and was responsible for the investment strategy of the firm as it organically grew its diversified portfolio beyond $1 Billion in asset value. Mr. Lake oversaw acquisition, asset management, disposition, and capital market activities as the firm interfaced with individual and institutional stakeholders.

Prior to joining NRG, Mr. Lake served ten years with the Trammell Crow Company (TCC) and was the Principal responsible for the US acquisition strategy for the firm, a wholly owned development-and-investment subsidiary of CB Richard Ellis (CBRE). Mr. Lake led a central team to manage the investment of acquisition capital on behalf of TCC and its partners across 15 nationally distributed offices. Mr. Lake was also responsible for supporting the capital markets function within TCC in order to raise debt financing and deploy programmatic capital focused on commercial real estate development.

Mr. Lake has worked in the real estate investment industry since 1998 and honorably served six years in the Hawaii Army National Guard. Mr. Lake is a triple- major graduate from the University of Hawaii (UH) and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS). Mr. Lake was recently named DCEO’s Top 500 and previously named 40 under 40 by both the Dallas Business Journal and the Urban Land Institute independent of each other.

Mr. Lake is active in the communities that he serves. He is active in the Urban Land Institute, The Real Estate Council (TREC), and the Chamber of Commerce. He has served as a member of the American Red Cross of North Texas Board and advances other social causes through the firm’s Koa Canopy initiatives. Mr. Lake is a graduate of the Associate Leadership Council (ALC), Leadership Dallas, and Leadership SoCal. Mr. Lake is a licensed broker in Texas and is a LEED Accredited Professional focused on advancing sustainable real estate practices.

Kenneth Gwyn, Secretary

Kenneth H. Gwyn has led an accomplished career overseeing and directing large public organizations. In September 2014, he retired from the City of Dallas after thirty years to pursue the next phase of his career.

During his tenure with the City of Dallas, Kenneth quickly rose through the ranks to lead several major departments. Much of that time was spent leading the Department of Aviation. As department director, Kenneth was responsible for the overall management and operation of Dallas Love Field Airport, Dallas Executive Airport and the Dallas Vertiport/Heliport.

As Assistant Director of Human Resources and as Director of Strategic Customer Services, Kenneth had responsibility for over 13,000 employees.

With decades of experience, Kenneth is an “Accredited Airport Executive” (A.A.E) and shares his aviation knowledge through published writings and training workshops. He has contributed to several major publications on the subjects of airport management, leadership, strategic planning and customer service.

Kenneth currently serves as an adjunct professor of political science for Dallas College where he has taught for nearly 40 years. He received a master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from The American University in Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Mary Scott-Gwyn, live in University Park Estates. In his spare time, Kenneth enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, playing golf and snow skiing.

Michael Brigance, Treasurer

With over 25 years of experience in real estate investment, Michael Brigance serves as the Executive Vice President for Capital Commercial Investments (CCI). In this role, he oversees the performance of the firm’s Dallas portfolio and leads negotiations for CCI’s largest leases in the region.

Before joining CCI, Michael was a founding partner at Corporate USA Real Estate, a management firm that has successfully managed over 30 million square feet of space for clients such as Mellon Investment Management and Mutual of New York. The firm has also leased more than 23 million square feet and overseen the construction of over 52 million square feet since its inception.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Oklahoma and holds a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.

Sushil Patel

Sushil is the President at State Bank of Texas, a family-owned bank. He joined the bank in 2004 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2000.  SBT has consistently ranked as one of the top-performing community banks in the country year after year.  Sushil has been instrumental in the growth of the bank from a $100 million asset bank in 2004 to a $1 billion asset bank which is now the largest Indian community bank in the nation.

Sushil also serves as a Principal of CBP Holdings, the Patel family office, which develops and operates hotels and other real estate in New York City and the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Through the bank and CBP Holdings, Sushil oversees $1.8 billion in assets in which the family holds a majority ownership stake. Prior to joining State Bank of Texas, Sushil worked as Senior Analyst at Bank of America Securities in the Global Corporate & Investment Bank.

He holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Sushil had served 7 years on the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Irving including the role of Chairman and recently served on the Citizen’s Bond Task Force. Sushil is also the current Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Surti Leuva Patidar Samaj of DFW, a community organization of over 900 “Patel” families in the DFW Metroplex.

Mark A. Williams

Mark A. Williams is a Partner and Executive Vice President at HKS, where he serves as the firm’s Global Venues Director. In this role, he leads HKS’ Sports & Entertainment, Culture, and Aviation practices, collaborating with clients to create iconic projects that elevate experiences for sports fans, entertainment enthusiasts, art patrons, and travelers worldwide.

Mark has played a pivotal role in designing some of the most recognized venues globally, including SoFi Stadium, AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Cosm, U.S. Bank Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. His international work spans projects such as Mosaic Stadium, Chengdu Sports Center, Estadio Corona, Maracanã Stadium, Es Con Field, and Auckland Stadium. He has also been instrumental in reimagining major events like the Super Bowl, World Series, NCAA Final Four, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement.

In recognition of his contributions to architecture, Mark was honored as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the highest distinction of AIA membership. He also holds the LEED Green Associate credential, awarded by the Green Business Certification Institute (GBCI), reflecting his commitment to sustainable design.

Erica Gretzler

With nearly 17 years of experience in property management, Erica Gretzler has built her career with AMLI Residential, working extensively throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Currently, she oversees the operations of seven apartment communities, four of which are located in Las Colinas. Erica’s role encompasses budgeting, revenue and financial management, marketing, team building, leadership, and capital projects, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of how to successfully manage and grow a business.

Since 2022, Erica has served as a member of the Las Colinas Architectural Control Committee. Through this involvement, she has gained valuable insight into the operations of the Las Colinas Association and a deep understanding of the community’s architectural standards and code requirements.

Having also lived in Las Colinas for 10 years, Erica brings a personal connection to the community and a unique perspective on its dynamics and needs.