Dallas-Fort Worth Personnel Shifts Continue

The addition of a Finance & Capital Markets Group in Dallas is a follow-through of a plan set in motion long before the merger talks began, Richard Cole Jr., the new employee tapped to lead the team, tells GlobeSt.com. The difference between then and now is that only one more is being hired at this time for the initial push instead of two to four loan origination officers and two to four financial analysts. All that Cole will say about his teammate, who starts this week, is that it is a financial analyst.

Cole began at New York City-headquartered Insignia in January as senior managing director, leaving a vice president's post with Minneapolis-based NorthMarq Capital Inc.'s Dallas office. The 20-year veteran's new duties represent a plan put in motion a year ago by Paul Dougherty, Insignia's finance and capital markets' national director headquartered in Washington, DC, to add teams to all Insignia offices in major markets.

"It's business as usual," Cole says of his plans to build the office despite the merger talks with I/ESG's Los Angeles-based competitor. The relationship with lenders and clients must be nurtured, regardless of the flag that's flying, he emphasizes.

The Dallas-based PO'B Montgomery & Co. named Jimmy Grisham as executive vice president and partner. His 20-year track record, mostly retail projects, has put him in charge of acquisition, development and operation of neighborhood and community shopping centers in Texas and the Southeast US. He most recently operated Grisham Group Inc. in Dallas.

At Arledge/Power Real Estate Group, Elaine Orlando was hired as director of business development. Her focus at the Dallas-based firm will be aimed at national and local clients for office, industrial and call center operations.

LJ Melody & Co, headquartered in Houston, hired Greg Greene as a loan origination officer. About three months ago, Randy Fleisher and Jay Wagley replaced longtime leader Robert Frank as the office's top executive. Frank remains on board, according to Wagley. Greene most recently was capital markets senior manager for Ernst & Young's Dallas office.

The Phoenix-based Opus West Corp. added David S. Gruber, president of Dallas' MetroAmerican Developers LLC, to its board of directors. The well-known executive in development circles is a member of such prestigious groups as the Chief Executives Organization and World Presidents Organization.