Scott is a seasoned real estate veteran with over 20 years of experience in leasing, development and investment across all product types, with a particular focus on the industrial sector.

As Chief Operating Officer, Scott oversees Live Oak’s investment and development activities and is responsible for the firm’s strategic direction.

Scott holds a B.S. in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin and remains involved with many industry and educational organizations including the University of Texas Real Estate Center and the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA) where he was a past board chair. He is active in many non-profits focused on equity issues in the Central Texas Region and currently chairs the Social Equity Committee at the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO).

Doug Thomas serves as  Partner with Live Oak and Director of Leasing, where he manages portfolio leasing as well as planning and strategy. Doug joined the industrial leasing division of Live Oak - Gottesman in 2007 as Vice President of Industrial Leasing and was responsible for securing new business and day-to-day leasing transactions. During his tenure in commercial real estate, Doug has closed over 500 deals totaling over five million square feet.

Prior to Doug's tenure with Live Oak, he was focused on landlord representation for the Trammell Crow Company (TCC) and CBRE industrial teams, and tenant representation transactions with Hill Partners Corporate Services.

Education

• Bachelors of Business Administration, Finance - St. Edward's University

Affiliations

• Member, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
• Member Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA)
• Member, Commercial Brokers Association (CBA)

Mike Joyce serves as Chief Operating Officer of Live Oak where he is responsible for leading the operational aspects of the company. Mike joined Live Oak as the director of retail leasing in April 2013.Mike was Principal and Director of Operations with AIM Real Estate Group from January 2012 until joining Live Oak as Director of Retail Leasing in April 2013. Prior to joining AIM, Mike was with Harrison Pearson Associates from June 2002, leaving as Director of Operations in December of 2011.

Since beginning his real estate career in 2002, Mike has negotiated the purchase/sale and/or lease of 90+ bars, restaurants, and nightlife locations in Austin including Uchiko, Rain on 4th, and The Library. Mike represents numerous local tenants including Skandinavia Contemporary Interiors, Tiff's Treats, The Park, Firehouse Animal Health Centers and Intergalactic Restaurant Group (Galaxy Cafe and Top Notch Hamburgers). Mike was also instrumental in the acquisition, redevelopment, tenanting, and/or disposition of ten properties in Austin's urban core for Central Austin Management Group and its affiliates from 2004 through 2012.

Mike's Austin entrepreneurial real estate career includes:

Acquisition/redevelopment partner

• Lavaca Street Bar - August 2001/PresentStar Bar - July 2009/Present
• Mean Eyed Cat - December 2013/Present
• Lala's Little Nugget - September 2015/Present
• Dive Bar - September 2020/Present

Development Partner

• Gibson Bar - August 2009/Present
• The Wheel - January 2015/Present
• Lavaca Rock Rose - February 2016/Present
• Lavaca South Lamar - November 2016/Present
• Stagger Lee - March 2018/Present
• Dumont's Down Low - March 2019/Present

Operating Partner

• South Austin Short Stops - October 1996/December 2000

Affiliations

• Member - Real Estate Council of Austin
• Member - Board of Directors, Tiffs Treats Holdings
• President/Treasurer - Cambridge Tower - COAV
• Veteran of The United States Army, 1984-1988

Education

• Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, 1988-1992

Rhonda Jaquez, CPM®, serves as Partner, Director of Property Managment for the Austin and San Antonio offices of Live Oak. Rhonda oversees a staff of 25 property managers and maintenance personnel responsible for day-to-day operations for 140+ industrial, office, and retail properties totaling more than 8 million square feet. Rhonda is also responsible for administration and implementation of new business operations, development, and construction management for the division.

Rhonda began her career in commercial real estate with Trammell Crow Company in 1985, where she served as Vice President of Asset Services. During her 22-year tenure with Trammell Crow Company, Rhonda was involved in all aspects of commercial property management, facility management, construction management, and leasing. In 2007, shortly after the acquisition of Trammell Crow Company by CB Richard Ellis, Rhonda and her property management team, along with the industrial leasing team, merged with Live Oak Development and The Gottesman Company to form Live Oak-Gottesman.

Affiliations

• Member, Institute of Real Estate Management
• Member, BOMA
• Member, Real Estate Council Austin
• Member, Austin Board of Realtors

Education

• Certified Property Manager ®
• Licensed Texas Real Estate Agent

Career Summary
Dax Benkendorfer serves as Vice President of Leasing with the industrial leasing division of Live Oak where he is focused on procuring lease transactions for both project leasing and tenant representation, sales, acquisitions and business development. Since joining Live Oak in 2018, Dax has completed 285 transactions totaling more than 1.9M square feet. He has been involved in sourcing 40 acres of land for future industrial development.

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Dax joined Live Oak full time after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin. His prior experience includes an internship at Live Oak in the summer of 2016 and 2017 while attending the University of Texas at Austin.

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Education

• Bachelor of Science in Advertising - University of Texas at Austin
• McCombs Real Estate Finance and Investment Certificate Program
• McCombs Business Foundations Certificate Program

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Mary Lou Bodenman serves as Director of Accounting & Partnerships for the investments division of Live Oak, where she is responsible for accounting services for construction, acquisition, and development projects.

Mary Lou has over 30 years of accounting experience, including six years with the former Gottesman Company as Controller and Assistant Controller. Mary Lou's prior experience includes accounting positions with independent management practices, nonprofit organizations, and private investors. Along with real estate development, her additional areas of accounting experience include forecasting and government grant writing, human resources, and tax reporting oversight and resource management.

Education

• Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting - University of Texas at Austin

Carolyn Griffin is a Senior Property Manager for Live Oak. Carolyn is responsible for the direct management of 121,700 square feet of office and over half a million square feet of industrial property.  Prior to working with Live Oak, Carolyn worked for Trammell CrowCompany managing an office and industrial portfolio.   Carolyn's responsibilities include owner relations, contract execution and administration, vendor relations, tenant relations and customer service  issues. She represents both institutional and individual owners.  Carolyn offer strong management skills with a focus on identifying client needs while achieving owner objectives and maximizing the investment.

Affiliations

• Member - Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
• Member - Institute of Real Estate Managers (IREM)
• Certified Property Manager (CPM) Designation

Education

• Texas Real Estate Salesperson License
• Licensed Life and Health Insurance Agent in Texas/40 non-resident states

Clark Grigsby serves as Junior Associate of Leasing with the industrial and office leasing divisions of Live Oak where he is focused on procuring lease transactions for project leasing, tenant representation, and business development.

Clark joined Live Oak full time after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. His experience includes an internship with LiveOak in the summer and fall of 2023 while attending the University of Texas where he earned a BBA from the McCombs School of Business.

Education 

BBA – Marketing - The University of Texas at Austin

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Cordy Hadenfedlt serves as Chief Engineer for Live Oak. Cordy offers over 26 years of building engineering experience with expertise in maintenance, personnel management, LEED Gold building operations and complex HVAC and building operating systems.

Cordy currently oversees a team of 10 engineers and approximately nine million square feet of commercial product for the Austin and San Antonio property portfolios of Live Oak.

Affiliations

• Member - Austin Association of Facility and Maintenance Engineers (AAFAME)

Designations

• Systems Maintenance Administrator (SMA)
• LEED Green Associate
• Certified C.E.R.T. Team member - Austin O.E.M. Department
• Certified Universal CFC Refrigerant Recovery License
• Medical Facilities Emergency Power Supply Systems Certificate

Jennifer Hilgenberg serves as a Senior Property Manager for Live Oak, where she is responsible for a 492,000 square foot office, retail, and industrial portfolio in San Antonio and San Marcos. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, including office, retail, and industrial property management, capital improvement projects, annual budget preparation and construction management. Jennifer’s responsibilities include ensuring the successful management and financial stability of the San Antonio and San Marcos properties, direct management of employees, budget preparation, construction management projects, monthly financial reporting to owners and annual expense reconciliations.

Jennifer began her career in commercial real estate with Cencor Realty Services in Austin, Texas in 2001, assisting with the management of a 2.5 million square foot retail portfolio. During her twenty-year tenure in property management she has worked for privately owned portfolios as well as RREEF, TA Associates Realty, National Real Estate Advisors, and HPI.

Affiliations

• Member, Institute of Real Estate Management

Education

• Licensed Texas Real Estate Agent

Shelley Lamoglia serves as a Senior Property Manager for Live Oak where she is responsible for a 630,000 square foot office and industrial portfolio in Austin, Texas.  Shelley has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, including office, retail, and industrial property management, with responsibilities of capital improvement projects, annual budget preparation, monthly financial reporting to owners, rent collection, annual expense reconciliations, and mentoring employees.

Prior to joining Live Oak, Shelley has represented  privately owned portfolios, tenants-in common (TICs) ownership groups and institutional owners.

Affiliations

• Member, Institute of Real Estate Management

Education

• Licensed Texas Real Estate Agent
• Real Property Administrator (RPA) Certification
• Certified Property Manager (CPM®) Certification

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Steve Mattingly serves as Partner with Live Oak where he focuses on development and investments, primarily in office and industrial properties.

Steve's work at Live Oak covers diverse assets and transactions, but much of it has centered on master planned developments in Metric Center and in TechRidge, where his build-to-suit projects as development partner have included HID Global Headquarters and significant facilities for Applied Materials, Pearson Education, and logistics providers.

Steve has over three decades of experience in commercial real estate including brokerage, leasing, development, and asset management, working with virtually all property types.  From 1998 until the formation of Live Oak-Gottesman, Steve was a Principal with The Gottesman Company and for 15 years prior he served as a Principal and various other positions with Trammell Crow Company in Austin and Price Waterhouse in Dallas, Texas.

Affiliations

• Economic Development Committee, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
• LifeWorks (Former Board Member & Treasurer)
• Real Estate Council of Austin (Former Board and Executive Committee)
• Austin Commercial Real Estate Society
• Austin Commercial Brokers Association (Former President)

Education

• MBA, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
• BBA, University of Texas at Austin

Brent Ramirez serves as Partner with Live Oak, where he is responsible for the successful delivery of all construction management assignments in the Central Texas region.

Brent has over thirty years of development and construction experience spanning multiple product types, including large industrial, light manufacturing facilities, office, and retail. Brent also manages the New Orleans office for Gottesman, Inc. overseeing property management, leasing, and construction.

Brent began his career as a Project Manager for the Tribble & Stephens Company in Houston prior to joining the Trammell Crow Company in New Orleans in 1986 as Director of Construction for Louisiana. In 1999, he became Construction Manager at The Gottesman Company, where he served until the merger with Live Oak.

Current and Most Recent Development Projects

• McAllen Customs and Border Patrol Station $22.0 M
• Houston Department of Homeland Security Forensic Lab $20.2 M
• HID Global World Headquarters $20.2 M
• Cedar Bend Professional Center $18.0 M
• 34th @West - Medical Professional Center $ 6.3 M
• WJE Office Building - Build to Suit $ 3.7 M‍

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Education

• B.S. in Construction Management, Louisiana State University

Affiliations

• Licensed Louisiana Realtor

Ellen Smith joined Live Oak in 2015 and serves as Senior Property Manager. Ellen is responsible for the direct management of 209,000 square feet of medical office, office, & retail properties. Prior to working with Live Oak, Ellen worked for The Weitzman Group assisting with the management of a downtown office portfolio. Ellen’s responsibilities include tenant and owner relations, lease administration, rent collection, property maintenance, service contract management, preparation of annual budgets, monthly financial reporting, & annual expense reconciliations. She represents both institutional and individual owners.

Affiliations:

Member – Institute of Real Estate Managers (IREM)

Education:

Bachelor of Science – Fairmont State University

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Don Vaglica serves as Senior Property Manager for the industrial division of Live Oak. Don is responsible for the management and oversight of over 2,500,000 square feet of industrial flex and manufacturing/bulk space in Austin, Texas.  Don is also responsible for daily departmental operations and procedures and coordinating owner relationships, customer issues, and special projects.

Don's thirty-eight years of real estate experience include property management, construction management, and commercial real estate appraisal. His strong property management, analytical, and personal skills assist in identifying and meeting both clients' and tenants' needs, as well as solidifying tenant and owner relationships.

Education

• Texas A&M University – Masters of Real Estate and Land Economics
• Texas A&M University - Bachelors of Business Administration - Finance

Affiliations

• Texas Real Estate Salesman
• License Member - Institute of Real Estate Management - IREM
• Former Member of The Appraisal Institute - MAI Designation

Ryan Whalen is a Partner at Live Oak and serves the Leasing & Investments divisions, where he is focused on leasing, industrial development, and acquisitions. Ryan has completed over 100 lease transactions totaling over 2 million square feet. He has also been involved in five value-add acquisitions totaling 250,000 square feet and two industrial developments totaling 250,000 square feet.

Ryan's prior experience includes being a member of the National Football League as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and Cincinnati Bengals.

Affiliations

Member-Commercial Brokers Association (CBA)

Member-Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA)

Member-Stanford Professionals in Real Estate (SPIRE)

Member-Urban Land Institute (ULI)

Member-Former Players Network (NFLPA)

Education

Bachelor of Arts

Science, Technology, and Society - Stanford University

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Ben Williamson serves as Senior Associate of Leasing with the office and industrial leasing division of Live Oak where he is focused on procuring lease transactions for both project leasing and tenant representation, sales, acquisitions and business development. Since joining Live Oak in 2021, Ben has completed 125 transactions totaling more than 300K square feet.

Ben joined Live Oak full time after graduating from The University of Alabama. His prior experience includes an internship at Live Oak in the summer and fall of 2021, where he earned a degree in mathematics and a minor in electrical engineering.

Affiliations

• Member - UA Alumni
• Member - Commercial Real Estate Development Association - NAIOP•
• Member - Commercial Brokers Association (CBA)

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics - University of Alabama
• Minor in Electrical Engineering - University of Alabama

Steve Younkman currently serves as Partner and Chief Financial Officer. He is also responsible for all financial and accounting aspects of the Services Division.

Steve has been involved in every facet of the real estate business, including managing hundreds of lease transactions on behalf of landlords and tenants, handling numerous investment sales and acquisitions, financing and refinancing multi-million dollar loans, and overseeing project management and development.

Steve has almost four decades of experience in public accounting and auditing. In 1993, Steve joined Live Oak Development and played an integral part in the merger between Live Oak and The Gottesman Company to ultimately form Live Oak-Gottesman.

Affiliations

• Certified Public Accountant
• Certified Internal Auditor
• Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
• Member, Financial Executives International
• Board Member, Austin Sunshine Camp Foundation
• Former Board and Advisory Member, Austin Parks Foundation
• Former Member American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Institute of Internal Auditors
• Member, Real Estate Council of Austin (former Board Member)

Education

• B.S., Business Administration, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

Sari Zuhn, who joined Live Oak in 2014, has over 18 years of commercial real estate experience. She is responsible for the daily operations of a mixed-use portfolio in Austin, including monthly financial reporting, annual budget preparations, rent collection and delinquency issue resolution, and much more. Sari is also responsible for obtaining bids for capital funding and tenant improvement projects.

Prior to joining Live Oak, Sari served as a property manager with Transwestern and managed a mixed-use portfolio of over half a million square feet of office and industrial projects in Austin. During her 10-year tenure with Transwestern, Sari also worked as a marketing associate for the Development Services and Agency Leasing divisions and played an integral role in the closing of over 1 million square feet of office and industrial development.

Sari has built relationships and earned the trust of national and international clients, including Buchanan Partners, RLA Advisors, TriGate Capital, Digital Realty Trust, and Prologis.

Affiliations

• Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM)
• Licensed Texas Real Estate Agent
• Certified Property Manager (CPM®).

Education

• Bachelor of Science - The University of Texas at Austin
• Licensed Texas Real Estate Agent
• Certified Property Manager (CPM®)