Karanges joins Innovative Developers
Nick Steven Karanges has joined Innovative Developers Inc. as senior vice president of real estate services.
A Texas Christian University graduate, Karanges has experience in commercial and residential real estate, ranching, insurance, mortgage lending, publishing and eye care. He most recently was senior account executive for the Fort Worth Business Press and was an executive with the paper from 2010 to 2017.
“We are very excited about having Nick on our IDI team and look forward to having his incredible experiences and history to help develop and build properties and relationships,” said IDI President Glen Hahn.
Karanges has been a civic leader with a long list of networking successes and alliance building.
He has been a licensed Texas real estate agent since 2010. While with Transwestern Commercial Real Estate, he dealt with office leasing, industrial sales and residential sales.
Karanges was co-owner/operator of 1st Eye Care in Arlington from 1991 to 2009 and co-owner/operator of Southern Star Ranch in Fort Worth from 2001 to 2009. He established a multi-level horse operation, including breeding, raising, training, showing and selling American quarter horses for competitions of the National Cutting Horse Association and the American Quarter Horse Association. He is also a member and judge for the NCHA.
He is a member of the TCU Communication Advisory Board and a board member of the Greatest Gift Catalog. He is a member of the Texas Real Estate Commission, the United States Sail and Power Squadron and the Eagle Mountain Classic Boat Club.
He received a bachelor’s degree in 1981 and a master’s degree in 1983 from TCU.
Marker to lead Arcturis’ Texas efforts
Rachel Marker has been named as the principal to lead architecture and design firm Arcturis in its work in Texas, opening an office in Fort Worth.
“Rachel has extensive knowledge of business development, client relations and architecture/design,” said Traci O’Bryan, president and CEO of St. Louis-based Arcturis. “She will manage Arcturis operations and projects throughout the Southern region and work directly with our clients, creating collaborative professional relationships that are at the core of our practice.”
Previously, Marker was the managing director and owner of EMRAES Consulting, a firm providing strategic business consulting services to domestic and international architecture clients. Before that, she worked for Hahnfeld Hoffer Stanford, Linbeck and NELSON, an international architecture firm.
Marker is the founder and past president of the Fort Worth Society for Marketing Professional Services, an adjunct professor at Tarleton State University’s Fort Worth campus, a member of the Downtown Fort Worth Rotary, past board chairman of the Ryan Family YMCA, and a board member of Downtown Fort Worth Inc. and Texas Health Resources Foundation.
BANKING AND FINANCE
Ryan Richardson has joined Southwest Bank as vice president, mortgage loan originator. He has more than 10 years of experience in the finance industry, including as vice president, lender at Community National Bank & Trust of Texas (previously Star Bank of Texas), located in Burleson. Before that he was a credit analyst and special assets associate for Sterling Bank in Houston. Richardson will office in Fort Worth, but will continue his focus on Johnson County and surrounding areas.
Richardson holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Texas A&M University. He serves on the Burleson Independent School District board and is a graduate and member of the Burleson Chamber of Commerce Young Executive Alliance. He’s been a member of the Chisholm Trail 100 Club since 2014 and is also a member of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, where he serves in the leadership division.
Eli Mercado has been promoted to senior vice president and personal trust market manager for the Fort Worth and Dallas markets of Bank of Texas.
Mercado joined Bank of Texas in 1998 in the Dallas market and then shifted to the Fort Worth market eight years later to lead the personal trust group. He has more than 25 years of experience in personal financial wealth management. He serves on the board of Big Thought-A Learning Partnership, is a committee member for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and former board member for Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Marcia Kurtz was recently awarded one of the highest honors from the Jewish Federation of Tarrant County, the Manny & Roz Rosenthal Spirit of Federation Award, which is given to Tarrant County residents in recognition of their dedication and service over the years.
“I feel overwhelmed and honored to receive this distinguished award,” said Kurtz. “I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment over the last 50 years helping raise money for organizations in my community which are dear to my heart.”
Kurtz is a resident of The Stayton at Museum Way.
The Rosenthal award was established April 7, 2016, to recognize and honor the devotion and investment made by the Rosenthal family to ensure the future of the Tarrant County Jewish community.
LAW
Tawanna Cesare, Laura Hallmon and David Speed have been elected equity partners at Cantey Hanger LLP.
Cesare was a law clerk for the firm while in law school during 2002 and an associate attorney with the firm from 2003 to 2007. She returned to the firm as a contract partner in 2015. Hallmon joined the firm as a contract partner in 2015. Speed was a law clerk at the firm while in law school in 2007 and 2008 and joined the firm as an associate attorney in 2009.
Mark F. Maples has joined the law firm of Brackett & Ellis. His practice is primarily in the area of estate planning and probate.
RETAIL
Holly Conner was recently promoted to area director of marketing and now oversees marketing programs for Firewheel Town Center in addition to North East Mall and University Park Village by Simon. Conner will work to develop the overall strategic marketing direction of all three centers. She is responsible for marketing initiatives and events, along with maintaining community, tenant and public relations.
Conner began her career with Simon in 2005 as the director of marketing and business development at Irving Mall. In 2011, she transitioned to North East Mall in Hurst.
Tandy Leather Factory Inc. has named Tina L. Castillo chief financial officer and treasurer of the company. Castillo replaces Shannon L. Greene, who had had those positions since May 2000. Greene has also been CEO since February 2016 and will continue in that role.
“I’m thrilled to have Tina join our executive team,” Greene said in a statement. “As we move forward with our goal to improve our performance through organic growth and expansion of our retail footprint, I expect that her experience in financial discipline and leadership will add value as we continue to face challenging retail headwinds.”
Castillo, 46, has been Tandy’s controller since February 2016. Prior to joining Tandy, she had held various senior financial leadership roles since 2009, including as CFO at another publicly traded company in Fort Worth.
Castillo began her career in 1994 in the audit practice group at Ernst & Young LLP. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in professional accounting from the University of Texas. She is a Texas certified public accountant.
– FWBP Staff
Send newsmakers to Robert Francis at rfrancis@bizpress.net.