Creating New Home Communities Through Expertise & Leadership

President of Hillwood Communities since 1992, Fred Balda provides strategic leadership and oversight of operations and performance including acquisitions, design, and development. Mr. Balda has played an active role in the development of more than 100 single-family master‐planned communities across 13 states and two countries.

Continually expanding and redefining the business plan to satisfy everchanging homebuyer demands and market opportunities, Mr. Balda's focus is on designing and delivering innovative, vibrant and healthy communities that offer a sense of belonging and enduring value to homeowners through a simple corporate philosophy – "Do right by the people and the planet. The rest will take care of itself."

Mr. Balda began his real estate career with Trammel Crow and joined Hillwood Communities from ClubCorp. Mr. Balda is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. He is passionate about sharing his industry knowledge, insights, and expertise through his role as a board member serving on the Mays Business School Master of Real Estate Advisory Board at Texas A&M and involvement with real estate industry organizations such as the Urban Land Institute and Dallas Builders Association.

His strong leadership and accomplishments have been recognized by D Magazine, Dallas Business Journal, and as a Distinguished Graduate Award from the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from Texas A&M.

Drawing upon his years at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and as an officer in the U.S. Army, Brian has both the breadth of knowledge and depth of technical expertise to effectively manage the diverse aspects of residential community development.

As senior vice president of acquisitions, Brian is responsible for evaluating and acquiring some of the most intriguing investment opportunities in our company’s history. Brian serves in several capacities at Hillwood Communities — overseeing acquisitions and new investments with an emphasis in expanding the company’s breadth in all Texas markets, and managing multiple investments in the southeast and northwest United States. He also manages site selection, planning, engineering, marketing, homebuilder relations, financial analysis, government relations, entitlements, partnership structuring, and financing.

Brian has been with Hillwood Communities since 2000, following his time with Carter & Burgess. Before serving in the U.S. Army, Brian earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering management from West Point. He later earned his master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla. When he’s not busy managing acquisitions and new investments, Brian enjoys snow skiing, fly fishing, and capturing powerful moments through photography.

Angie spent her formative years in Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles — major metropolitan areas in which the local economy and the surrounding communities are constantly redefining each other. Today, she oversees the development of master-planned residential properties that are creating community in new, relevant ways throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

As senior vice president of operations and project management, Angie handles the overall operation of the Hillwood Communities division and provides insightful senior project management leadership to the DFW team. Since joining Hillwood Communities in 1992, Angie has managed the development of several master-planned communities, promoted tract sales, and assisted in feasibility and due diligence of land acquisitions. Prior to joining the company, she was with Fidelity Investments in Las Colinas and Continental Bank in Chicago, managing loans to real estate developers and homebuilders in the western United States.

Angie holds a business degree from the University of North Texas and is a member of the Texas Association of Home Builders, the Dallas Builders Association, and several local chambers of commerce. After hours and on weekends, there’s a good chance you’ll find Angie reading, watching basketball, or laughing it up with up-and-coming comedians at area comedy clubs.

As a senior vice president, Elaine oversees residential developments in a portfolio of mixed-use master-planned communities — many of which include public/private partnerships and entitlements for the use of bonds to reimburse the owner for infrastructure costs. She has extensive experience in evaluating new business opportunities, preparing and analyzing the due diligence for prospective deals, working with potential joint venture partners and lenders, and processing land use entitlements with municipalities.

Elaine received her CPA license and joined Hillwood Communities in 1997, serving as the residential controller for eight years before assuming the responsibilities of project manager. She managed the division’s overall accounting, financial structure, and reporting. She also managed loan activity by preparing new loan packages, making presentations, negotiating loan terms, and coordinating advances and payment. Before joining the Hillwood Communities family, Elaine held accounting positions with Trammell Crow Residential and Crow Family Holdings.

Elaine was born in Waco and graduated from Duncanville High School before going on to Austin Peay State University. There, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in accounting and finance. She currently serves on the board of directors for Patriot Paws Service Dogs and the Dallas Builders Association and has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. She enjoys reading, being outdoors, traveling, and volunteering in her community.

In his role as senior vice president, Danny manages the acquisition, entitlement, underwriting, and financing of land for residential development. He is also responsible for joint ventures with third-party developers and the management of certain investments. Since joining Hillwood Communities in 2008, Danny has been instrumental in the investment of dozens of properties representing more than $1 billion in value at sellout.

Prior to joining the company, Danny served as assistant director of development for Faison & Associates in Washington, D.C. He started his career as an investment banking analyst in Houston with UBS Investment Bank and Dain Rauscher Wessels, now RBC Capital Markets. Danny’s extensive background in both investment banking and multi-family/commercial real estate not only equips him with strategic financing insights — it also continues to shape his approach to responsible development.

Danny, a Houston native, holds a BBA in finance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and serves on the ULI Community Development Council. In his spare time, Danny enjoys playing golf, running, traveling, and spending time with his wife and two boys.

Tom is the creative force behind the company’s Live Smart^SM initiative — a holistic approach to creating master-planned communities that reflects the values and priorities of today’s homebuyers. From the walkable, sociable design of our neighborhoods to the future-focused integration of technology, Live Smart communities are intentionally designed to foster personal connections, a sense of well-being, ongoing enrichment, stewardship, and convenience.

Tom joined the Hillwood Communities team in 2004 and provides industry leadership as a vice chair of the Urban Land Institute Community Development Council and a member of the North Texas Urban Land Institute Community Development Council. Before becoming a developer, he began his career as a land planner and landscape architect for TBG Partners in Austin, Texas.

Tom is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture with Sigma Lambda Alpha honors. In his spare time, he enjoys fly fishing in the great outdoors, cooking for family and friends, and playing guitar.

Gwen joined Hillwood Communities as controller in 2005, providing oversight for all aspects of reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and financial processes for the company’s residential communities. She also manages reporting and compliance to lender and joint venture partners.

Gwen is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas. Prior to joining Hillwood Communities, Gwen gained experience overcoming obstacles and maximizing opportunities in various facets of the real estate industry. She worked for FSLIC/FDIC for a decade during the banking crisis, providing accounting and asset-management support for the commercial and multi-family properties of failed institutions. She also worked for Hines, Dallas Galleria — a privately held family business similar to Hillwood. Other positions have included director of accounting for Insignia/ESG and controller for Archon/Goldman Sachs, where she was instrumental in transitioning the accounting operations from New York City to Dallas.

Gwen earned bachelor’s degrees in both accounting and business management from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. A Seattle native, she became a Texan by choice in 1989. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, bicycling, and spending time with family, friends, and her chocolate Labrador, Benn.

Christina's marketing and brand development experience includes some of the most legendary companies in the nation — making Hillwood Communities a natural fit for this Texas native who sees the company as a strong brand with even stronger opportunities ahead.

As the Director of Marketing for Hillwood Communities, Christina oversees brand development, leads the strategic planning, and manages the execution of multi-channel marketing programs and public relations initiatives. Her work encompasses the brand at the corporate level, as well as individual brands at the community level.

Christina's previous marketing experience ranges from consumer goods companies to luxury travel providers, including such well-known brands as Frito-Lay, the Walt Disney Company, ABC Radio Networks, STA Travel, CBS Radio, and Viking Cruises.

Having relocated from Los Angeles to Dallas, Christina enjoys the satisfaction and discovery of being a tourist in her own city. Her favorite pastimes are those that focus on expression and exploration — whether she's redesigning a room, discovering new music, or immersing herself in another country or culture through world travel.

Christina holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and French from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in marketing from Texas Christian University. She is a member of the DFW chapters of the Interactive Marketing Association and the American Marketing Association.