The hard work and dedication of our members forms the bedrock of The Real Estate Council’s efforts to catalyze community investment in Dallas, influence public policy, propel careers, and develop the commercial real estate leaders of tomorrow.
Each month, we are spotlighting TREC members who have made significant volunteer contributions to our community investment initiatives and continue to push the limits of what our organization and its partners can accomplish for our city.
This month, we are proud to recognize Marcy C. Helfand of Marcy C. Helfand, P.C., Patrick Ray of Brasfield & Gorrie, and Travis Crawford of Marisol Capital!
Marcy C. Helfand, Marcy C. Helfand, P.C.
Marcy is a member of the Cornerstone Community Development Corporation (CDC) real estate team, responsible for legal matters pertaining to projects the team is developing, including reviews of title, construction contracts, leases, deeds, surveys, and loan documents. She has previously served on TREC’s Public Policy Committee, its Affordable Housing Subcommittee, the City of Dallas Land Bank, and the City of Dallas Housing Policy Task Force. “I appreciate the opportunity to use my professional skills to benefit the community,” she says. “I have done volunteer work all of my adult life, and it brings so many rewards, including the chance to meet people who you wouldn’t meet otherwise. I have learned that people who volunteer their time to help others are caring and thoughtful, and volunteering gives me the chance to count them as friends and colleagues.”
Patrick Ray, Brasfield & Gorrie
Patrick is a project manager for our Cornerstone CDC real estate team, synergizing the vision of our Cornerstone Baptist Church partners with the advice and real estate expertise of his fellow team members. “The construction company I work for, Brasfield & Gorrie, has many employees who have participated in different TREC initiatives over the years,” he says. “When I moved to Dallas [three years ago], I expressed interest in finding a community to serve. Given TREC’s stellar reputation and previous collaboration with B&G employees, the search didn’t take very long! So far, the experience has been very rewarding. The energy and passion the Cornerstone group has to impact and serve their neighborhood is inspiring, and working with the TREC project team has been a great learning opportunity. I’ve been humbled by the knowledge each TREC member brings to the group and how eager they are to give their time to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
Travis Crawford, Marisol Capital
As a member of the St. Philip’s School and Community Center real estate team, Travis has helped analyze the feasibility of developing affordable housing units near the St. Philip’s campus in the Forest District by building a proforma and underwriting model for possible financing options. “The DCED project has provided not only an opportunity for me to give back to the community, but also the ability to gain direct experience for the purpose of informing my own views on the issue of affordable housing,” he says. “I have really enjoyed working with the St. Phillips team, which is made up of professionals from different areas of expertise, and I have learned significantly more about affordable housing development than when I started. The project is rewarding because our team is able to leverage our experience and skillset to do something good in our city.” Travis joined TREC a few years ago as a Young Guns member and has participated in Breakfast Groups, the Mentorship Program, and various TREC Community Investors initiatives, including the CRE Accelerator program, where he provided professional services support on market feasibility and underwriting. He also regularly attends TREC events like Speaker Series and Young Guns About Town.