The North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame will welcome two visionaries in 2023, Ray W. Washburne, president of Highland Park Village, and Rex Glendenning, founder and owner of Rex Real Estate.

Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price will receive the Industry Service Award for her contributions advancing the commercial real estate industry through her efforts in economic development, mobility, infrastructure and private-public partnerships.

Washburne is the current owner of America’s oldest shopping center, a national real estate investor and a famed restauranteur. Glendenning is a leader whose bold vision resulted in the move of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters to Frisco and the development of the surrounding multi-use project, “The Star.”

The pair will be inducted into the 2023 North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame in cooperation with NTCAR, on Wednesday, May 3, at the Arts District Mansion, 2101 Ross Ave in downtown Dallas. The event begins at 5 p.m.

Chris Teesdale, a NTCAR Hall of Fame co-founder, is the 2023 event chair.

”We started the North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame in 1988 to honor those individuals who have made a significant impact on the commercial real estate industry of North Texas,” said Teesdale. “I am extremely excited about our two honorees this year and the opportunity to recognize former Mayor Betsy Price for her leadership that has made a significant impact on the Fort Worth area.”

Washburne is president of Highland Park Village, the oldest shopping center in the United States. It is highly regarded as Dallas’ premier open-air shopping and dining destination.

Washburne bought the 80-year-old property in 2009 with his wife, Heather, along with Elisa and Stephen Summers. Washburne also is president and CEO of Charter Holdings, a private Dallas-based real estate investment company, and co-founder and co-owner of M Crowd Restaurant Group, which owns and operates Mi Cocina and The Mercury restaurants with locations around the nation.

“Ray Washburne is not only a dynamic leader but also a savvy entrepreneur who brings success to every endeavor with which he’s involved,” Darrell Hurmis, Hall of Fame co-founder and committee member, said in a statement. “We also greatly appreciate the time he’s given in service to his college, community, and country.”

Washburne was the former president and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corp., a self-sustaining U.S. government agency that helps American businesses expand into developing markets, serving until February 2019. He then served on the President’s Intelligence Agency Board (PIAB) from May 2019 to January 2021 and on an advisory board for the U.S. Military Southern Command.

Washburne is an SMU graduate and served as an adjunct professor at the SMU Cox School of Business. He’s chairman of the board at Sunoco LP, World Presidents Organization, The Real Estate Council, the International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute, SMU Cox School of Business, SMU Tower Center, and Baylor Health Care System.

Glendenning was born into a fourth-generation Celina family of Scottish descent and was raised on family farms. He has memories of chopping endless rows of cotton, the hall of fame said in a statement. That depth of understanding and his personal approach to business relationships has led to Glendenning brokering land transactions in one of the country’s most important and prestigious growth corridors, the Hall of Fame said.

“Rex’s prodigious creativity, work ethic, and negotiation skills have contributed greatly to the strong growth north of Dallas,” Robert Grunnah, Hall of Fame co-founder and committee member, said in a statement.

Glendenning has orchestrated many of Dallas-Fort Worth’s highest-profile projects, such as Frisco Bridges, Granite Park, Viridian, Trophy Club, The Gates of Prosper, and others. One of his most notable concepts was moving the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters from Irving to Frisco, creating the iconic mixed-use development called The Star.

After playing football at the University of North Texas, Glendenning returned to his hometown of Celina where he and his wife, Sherese, founded REX Real Estate and raised their three children.

During his more than four decades of brokering nearly every piece of land in North Texas at least once, Glendenning often has been recognized in industry publications. Dallas Business Journal has listed his firm’s projects in its “Best Real Estate Deal” numerous times since 2000, including the top three places in each of the last two years.

Price, the 2023 Industry Service Award recipient, was a mayor whose leadership brought significant improvements to Fort Worth. She serves as senior executive of business development for the Overwatch Fund, a private real estate investment firm with 20 years of expertise.

After running her own business for 17 years, Price turned to public service and was first elected in 2000 to serve as Tarrant County’s Tax Assessor.

After a decade as Tax Assessor, Price was elected as mayor of Fort Worth in 2011 and served through 2021. As Mayor, Price’s vision was often ambitious, working to improve the basics of any growing city – public safety, mobility, fiscal responsibility, and job growth.

She focused on mobility and improving municipal infrastructure investment.

With the regional, statewide, and North American trade picture in mind, she supported public/private partnerships that helped advance major highway expansion projects, filling a gap left by state funding. She also was a cheerleader for regional approaches to improve mobility, including light rail expansion, ridesharing innovation, and others.

The Hall of Fame was founded in 1988, 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 inductees include John Carpenter; Roger Staubach; Henry S. Miller Co.; Jerry Jones; Ross Perot, Jr.; Gerald Hines and Jeff Hines; Ray L. Hunt; and others.

The most recent Hall of Fame inductees for 2022 were Tim Headington, founder and CEO of Headington Companies, and Bill Cawley, chairman and CEO of Cawley Partners. David Gleeson, sole owner of GRAA Investments, LLC received the Michael F. McAuley Lifetime Achievement Award.

Established in 1995, NTCAR is a trade association that exists to enhance the business opportunities of its members through real-time access to critical real estate information, education, recognition, and networking events.

The media partner for the 2023 Hall of Fame event is D CEO magazine.

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