Our Leadership

Land Tejas is led by a team of professionals experienced in both residential and commercial development. The depth of our experience includes site selection, feasibility analysis, creation and management of utility districts, infrastructure development, amenity development, and home owners association planning.

Al Brende

Owner & Co-Founder

James Henrie

COO/Partner

James Henrie
COO/Partner

James Henrie joined Land Tejas in 2001 after working with Eagle Mortgage Company based in Las Vegas. There he acquired the expertise needed for all aspects of real estate financing, including loan analysis, investor relations and real estate liquidation. During his tenure with Land Tejas, Mr. Henrie has worked as Project Manager overseeing the development of some of the company’s largest master-planned communities and as Director of Land Acquisition and Development. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Henrie oversees a number of responsibilities, including feasibilities, proformas, budget management, construction oversight, investor relations, operations, sales and marketing activities, and the overall growth of the company.

Melanie Ohl

CFO/Partner

Melanie Ohl
CFO/Partner

Melanie Ohl brings nearly 30 years of experience to the Land Tejas team. Since joining Land Tejas in 2005, Ms. Ohl has served as Controller with direct responsibility for all accounting, payroll, office management, cash management and financial matters. Now as Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Ohl’s duties now include all financial planning, financial reporting and banking relations. In her prior experience, Ms. Ohl served in capacities such as Controller, Accounting Manager and Supervisor for a variety of businesses in the Houston Metropolitan Area.

Uri Man

Executive Vice President of Mixed-Use Projects & Commercial Land

Uri Man
Executive Vice President of Mixed-Use Projects & Commercial Land

Uri Man is Executive Vice President at Land Tejas, focusing on Mixed-use Projects and Commercial Land Sales. As a member of the company’s loan committee, Mr. Man is jointly responsible managing overall resources in optimizing project profi tability. He oversees amenity design and construction and is the Land Tejas spokesperson for matters pertaining to investor proposals, government officials, builders and the media. Mr. Man previously led Crystal Lagoons® US Corp., a company that licenses its patented technology to land developers incorporating their amenity. He has been entrenched in real estate development since 2002, primarily in the development of apartments and mixed-use projects. Additionally, Mr. Man has served on the Urban Land Institute (ULI) National Community Development Council. He received a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.


Collin Campbell

Senior Project Manager

Collin Campbell
Senior Project Manager

Joining Land Tejas nearly 20 years ago, Collin Campbell is responsible for all aspects of project management. These include cost analyses, project projection, budget control, contract administration, local, state and federal approvals and construction supervision. Prior to working for Land Tejas, Collin served as development director for large organizations, including McCord Development Communities, Kaufman & Broad and Glenn Loggins, Inc.

Jeff Sheehan

Amenity Development Manager

Jeff Sheehan
Amenity Development Manager

Jeff Sheehan is responsible for the conceptual development, design, and installation of each community’s amenities. At Land Tejas, Mr. Sheehan has personally overseen the installation of more than $20 million of community features, including recreation complexes,  guard gates, landscaping and parks. Before joining Land Tejas, he served as golf course developer for Renditions Golf Group and Landscapes Unlimited. Mr. Sheehan is a life member of the PGA of America where he has served as General Manager, Director of Golf and Golf Course Superintendent.

Susan Brown

Marketing Director

Susan Brown
Marketing Director

Having worked for Houston's top real estate advertising agencies as both account supervisor, writer and graphic designer, Susan Brown brings valuable marketing experience to the Land Tejas team. Ms. Brown’s impressive client list has included leading builders and developers such as Friendswood Development Company’s Kingwood, Cinco Ranch and Greatwood. Her primary focus is advertising and marketing for each Land Tejas community as well as the Land Tejas corporate branding strategy. In 2018 Ms. Brown received the Marketing Director of the Year Award from the Greater Houston Builders Association Sales and Marketing Council.

Tim Johnson

Director of Community Sales and Marketing

Tim Johnson
Director of Community Sales and Marketing

Tim Johnson has worked in the new home building industry for over a decade.  He is also an award winning television producer and marketing professional.  He has significant experience in creating unique marketing and advertising plans to help promote new home communities to Houston’s home shoppers.  At Land Tejas, Mr. Johnson helps oversee client relations and deliver customer support to the new home builders that currently sell homes in Land Tejas communities.  He also helps oversee current marketing efforts and give direction to future initiatives.  Tim Johnson graduated from Baylor University with bachelor’s degree in communication.

Josh Wadley

Project Manager

Josh Wadley
Project Manager

Josh Wadley recently joined Land Tejas as Project Manager, with a focus on land acquisition. He brings nearly 10 years of experience, most recently with one of the nation’s largest homebuilders. There he built critical relationships with brokers, developers, engineers, planners, as well as with other builders across the Houston area. His expertise includes both market and financial analysis and a deep understanding of the local market environments across Houston.

Shamar O'Bryant

Project Manager

Shamar O'Bryant
Project Manager

Shamar O’Bryant is the Project Manager for new Land Tejas development acquisitions. He has more than 13 years of experience in residential land sourcing, due diligence, creative financing, feasibility modeling and lot purchase and sale contracts. A licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas, Mr. O’Bryant has extensive experience in engineering and architectural design management, as well as budget and construction management. Mr. O’Bryant formerly held the positions of Vice President of Land at SeD Home Texas, Vice President of Land at Signorelli Company and Project Manager at Friendswood Development Company. Mr. O’Bryant holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Daniella Franco

Marketing Coordinator

Daniella Franco
Marketing Coordinator

Daniella Franco brings more than a decade of real estate experience to the Land Tejas marketing and HOA management team. Most recently, she worked as an Architectural Review Specialist and served as the Events Coordinator at Harmony in Spring, Texas. Daniella’s significant knowledge and expertise in marketing, advertising, social media, Realtor® Relations, Builder relations and HOA oversight brings a variety of knowledge to the Land Tejas team.