The Lone Star State has weathered the Great Recession and financial meltdown better than most others, and its job growth prospects are bright. As a result, Texas is at the top of many developers' and investors' wish lists. But then there are the state's commercial real estate stalwarts; the men and women who have been through the booms and busts of the Texas economy for the past several decades. These household names have all helped to shape the local commercial real estate market into what it is today.

In addition to serving as Weingarten Realty Investors' chairman,Stanford Alexander is also on the Houston-based firm's board oftrustees. Weingarten acquires, develops, redevelops and managesneighborhood and community shopping centers in major metro markets.Alexander joined the firm in the early 1950s and, following severalpromotions throughout the company's expansion, was named presidentof its real estate arm in 1962. In 1997, Weingarten became chairmanand CEO. (He stepped down from the latter position at the end of2000.) In 1987, Alexander was named one of the 25 people whochanged Houston from a sprawling prairie to the nation'sthen-seventh-largest metropolitan area. He's also made theBusinessWeek Corporate CEO List threetimes: in 1988, 1989 and 1992.

Monty Bennett helped launch Ashford Hospitality Trust's IPO inAugust 2003 (with his father, Archie Bennett) and a portfolio ofsix hotels valued at $130 million. Today, the Dallas-based REIT hasmore than $5 billion in assets and invests in the hospitalityindustry across all segments and at all levels of the capitalstructure. Founder, director and CEO of Ashford, Bennett alsoserved as president of Remington Hotels LP (which eventually becameRemington Holdings), which he joined in 1992. Bennett is a memberof the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Industry RealEstate Finance Advisory Council and the Urban Land Institute'sHotel Council and is a life member of the Cornell HotelSociety.