Correction: Former Exec Returns as President, COO, Sets Up New Group

FORT WORTH-The Woodmont Co. has returned a former teammate, who left nine years ago, to its fold as the replacement quarterback for the president and COO roles for property and asset management. The slots have been open nearly six months.

But, the return of Frederick J. Meno to fill Stephannie Mower's old slot also takes the locally based Woodmont in a new direction. Meno, a retail pro, will set up a separate Mall Management Services group to court outlet center and mall owners in tertiary markets, Meno tells GlobeSt.com.

In the coming weeks, Meno hopes to add two senior-level executives in leasing and investment sales. The new leader is talking to former employees of his previous employer, the Baltimore-based Prime Retail Inc., to build the Woodmont team. Meno was a senior vice president of operations and marketing for five years for Prime Retail until last year's sale. He was tasked with operations, outdoor advertising, specialty leasing and construction management for a 12-million-sf package of outlet centers.

"We feel the way that we're approaching this that we're going to be a formidable competitor going forward," Meno says. He's also in the midst of talks with another retail leasing exec from his days at the now-defunct Insignia/ESG Inc. Meno was an I/ESG executive director with oversight of management leasing, construction management and business development for a 10-million-sf enclosed mall portfolio in the US and its Dallas/Fort Worth office, industrial and non-enclosed retail properties.

Meno says the new division will be rolled out at ICSC's May convention in Las Vegas. "We will be showcasing our abilities," he says. The plan is to offer a full-service lineup for marketing, leasing, management and investment sales for outlet and enclosed mall owners.

Woodmont currently owns and manages a five-million-sf portfolio in 20 states of predominately retail space. That too is expected to change, according to Meno, who left Woodmont's team in 1996 after a 10-year run and rising to president of Woodmont Property Management Co.

Mower and her team broke from the Woodmont ranks to set up a new group in North Texas for Houston-based PM Realty Group. The division officially launched in January.