Honorees for the 2026 North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame induction ceremony have been announced, with two of the region’s most respected leaders in commercial real estate—Michele Wheeler, president and CEO of JacksonShaw, and Brian O’Boyle, Sr., vice chairman of Newmark—named as inductees.

The event will be held on April 29, 2026, at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas.

In addition, Sinacola brothers James, Michael, and Joseph—whose father founded Mario Sinacola & Sons Excavating Inc. (now known as Sinacola) six decades ago—will receive the 2026 Industry Service Award, NTCAR announced. That honor recognizes individuals whose contributions have significantly advanced the commercial real estate industry while working outside its traditional business sectors.

Hall of Fame Executive Committee member Kathy Parmenter is chair of the 2026 event.

Wheeler began career at Rosewood

Wheeler began her career in 1987 at Rosewood Property Co. and joined JacksonShaw in 2005. Over the past 20 years, she has played a pivotal role in every facet of JacksonShaw’s commercial real estate development, the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors (NTCAR) said.

Now president and CEO, Wheeler is a driving force across the firm’s markets, sourcing new business opportunities and guiding major projects from concept to completion. Wheeler helped establish JacksonShaw’s national platform for industrial, hospitality and lot residential development.

Her leadership has been instrumental in advancing a number of significant real estate developments, including Lakeview Business District, Chisholm 20 and the AC Marriott Hotel Fort Worth Downtown, NTCAR said.

The organization said that Wheeler’s accomplishments have earned her wide recognition within the industry. For example, D CEO magazine named her “Commercial Real Estate Executive of the Year” in 2020. She is a director of the TREC Foundation and a member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).

Wheeler serves on the board of the JacksonShaw Foundation and previously was on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. Her work on the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas earned her the Outstanding Director Award by the Dallas Business Journal.

“Michele Wheeler is a highly respected leader who not only inspires and motivates but also delivers exceptional value for investors and partners across the firm’s diverse portfolio – from industrial and hospitality to residential developments nationwide,” Lynn Dowdle, Hall of Fame Executive Committee member, said in a statement. “Her stellar reputation and proven success make her an outstanding role model for the next generation of commercial real estate professionals, both women and men.”

O’Boyle entered apartment brokerage business in 1980

O’Boyle grew up in Ardsley, New York, graduated from Ohio University, and moved to Dallas in 1975 to work for Owens Corning Fiberglass.

Five years later, he entered the apartment brokerage business and in 1982 launched O’Boyle Properties Inc., NTCAR said.

In 2003, he joined forces with Apartment Realty Advisors, which grew into one of the largest multifamily brokerage firms in the nation. He founded the ARA offices in Dallas, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City, and co-founded offices in Austin and Washington, D.C.

O’Boyle also helped establish ARA’s national platforms for student housing, manufactured housing and seniors housing.

His career was highlighted by the sale of ARA to BGC, which became Newmark in 2014. After the sale, O’Boyle shifted from investment sales to raising equity for ground-up multifamily projects, NTCAR said. A longtime member of NTCAR, O’Boyle has been named Investment Broker of the Year multiple times, received the prestigious Stemmons Service Award in 2002, and was honored with the Red News Texas Icon Award in 2023.

O’Boyle has also prioritized community service.

He coached Special Olympics basketball for 20 years, served on the Catholic Charities Board, and was instrumental in opening shelters for the homeless. O’Boyle helped establish the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store and serves on the board of the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, which distributed more than 103,000 free prescriptions last year. His work earned him the Spark of Hope Award, NTCAR said.

“Throughout his career, Brian O’Boyle has elevated everyone around him—whether young brokers, senior executives, underserved children or promising teens,” Jack Gosnell, Hall of Fame Executive Committee member, said in a statement. “His generosity of spirit sets a high standard for colleagues and for the many projects he touches. That’s why he is both admired and respected—a tribute to his success.”

Sinacola brothers

Left to right: James Sinacola, Joseph Sinacola, Michael Sinacola [Photo: EM Corporate]

In 1966, Mario Sinacola founded Mario Sinacola & Sons Excavating Inc., now called Sinacola, that continued a family construction legacy dating back to the early 1900s.

At first, the company specialized in underground utility work in the Detroit area, but as Michigan’s economy declined in the late 1970s, the family looked to Texas, where growth was surging. In 1979, Sinacola began work on its first Texas project, a major waterline for the City of Dallas, and soon relocated all of its operations to the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

NTCAR said that over the years, Sinacola expanded organically beyond utility work to become a leading heavy/civil construction firm with services including excavation, paving, transportation and concrete structures. Based in Frisco, the company handles projects across Texas in both public and private sectors.

Its work ranges from city infrastructure, highways, airports, railways, mining and stadiums to commercial, industrial and residential development projects, as well as large-scale data centers.

In May 2017, the company transitioned to a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and rebranded as Sinacola, ensuring its legacy as a family-founded but employee-driven enterprise. Sons James, Michael and Joseph Sinacola continue to serve on the board, mentoring leadership and guiding the company’s future.

“For over 45 years, the Sinacola family has built a reputation as the premier construction company in the DFW area,” Rex Glendenning, owner of REX Real Estate and 2023 NTCAR Hall of Fame honoree, said. “Their hands-on approach, attention to detail and unwavering commitment to excellence make Sinacola the standout leader in the construction industry and a major contributor to the excellent infrastructure our area continues to see. Sinacola’s professional culture results in work of the highest quality. Reputation is everything, and I can confidently say that recommending Sinacola means my clients are in the best possible hands.”

The Hall of Fame was launched in 1987, when the first six distinguished real estate recipients were Trammell Crow; Lyn Davis; Henry S. Miller, Jr.; John M. Stemmons, Sr. and his brother, L. Storey Stemmons; and Angus G. Wynne. Later additions to the roster included, among others, John Carpenter; Roger Staubach; Henry S. Miller Company; Jerry Jones; Ross Perot, Jr.; Gerald Hines and Jeff Hines; and Ray L. Hunt.

The most recent Hall of Fame inductees for 2025 were David Craig, founder and CEO of Craig International, and Mike Rader, president of Prime Rail Interest, LLC and Prime 45 Development LLC. Last year’s recipient of the Industry Service Award was Linda McMahon, CEO of the Dallas Economic Development Corp. and former CEO of The Real Estate Council (TREC).

The North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Committee was co-founded by Darrell Hurmis, Chris Teesdale and the late Robert Grunnah. In addition to Hurmis and Teesdale, other committee members are Greg Cannon; Kathy Permenter; Lynn Dowdle; The Honorable Bill Cox, Mayor of McKinney; Jack Gosnell; Teri Abram Wold; Scott Morse and Kim Vincent Butler.

Holland Morris is executive director of NTCAR and Real Estate Professionals.

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