Off The Record
Get up-close-and-personal with some of the most dynamic and engaging real estate and land use leaders who are making things happen in Houston. Join these leaders for an intimate dinner with other ULI members.
We’re looking for ULI members with:
- A desire to learn from real estate business leaders and fellow ULI members in a small-group setting that encourages discussion;
- A keen interest in sharing ideas, best practices, and inspiration; and
- A hunger to share food, drink, and a side of candid conversation with like minded professionals.
Spring 2024 Hosts:
Tricia Brasseaux
Director of Planning and Development, Bridgeland
Howard Hughes Holdings Inc.
Tricia Brasseaux is the Director of Planning and Development for Bridgeland in Cypress, TX, an award-winning master planned community for Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. Since 2006, Brasseaux has overseen successful projects in Bridgeland from conception to completion. Using her 20+ years of experience, she leads teams to create timeless places and memorable experiences—building community while driving sustainable, long-term growth and value for shareholders.
It’s fulfilling for Brasseaux to see her vision realized when a parcel of land turns into a park that inspires people to commune together and with nature, enriching their lives. Her passion for creating lifestyles for communities extends from her love of the outdoors. She seeks to focus first on pedestrian corridors and then on vehicular circulation. Her visions for inventive uses of outdoor spaces, such as Josey Lake, Treehouse Park and the Cypress Creek Corridor, have garnered numerous industry awards for Bridgeland. Incorporating public art and creating parks with creative architecture are other ways she puts her signature on custom-designed areas. Her efforts of envisioning unique uses of space and creative amenities have aided Bridgeland in becoming the top-selling community in Houston.
Brasseaux received her MLA from Texas A&M University in 2000 after earning a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Horticulture from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. She is originally from Louisiana, but resides in Katy, Texas, with her husband and two boys.
Tricia was the idea behind HB-1410 which passed in the 87th legislative session, bill was authored by Rep. Jim Murphy and Senator Brandon Creighton. The passing of the bill tripled the amount of funds that certain special districts may be able to access for more green space, parks and recreation.
Brasseaux currently serves on the board of directors for several community associations within Bridgeland. She is also on the board of directors for Houston Wilderness, which serves to protect and preserve the ecoregions of Greater Houston. She is a 2020 Rising Leader graduate of the West Houston Association, which provides leadership for quality growth in the greater West Houston area, and a vice-chair for their Parks, Recreation & Open Space Committee. Tricia also holds an elected position on the landscape architecture professional advisory board (LAND PAB) for the Department of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture (LAUP) at Texas A&M University which provides strategic growth for students and the department. Tricia is an active member of ASLA and ULI, including the ULI Community Development Council (CDC-Black).
Julie Peak
Managing Director
Masterson Advisors
Julie has a degree in Business (marketing) from the University of Houston. Julie has more than 40 years of experience in the municipal finance industry with the start of her career in municipal finance the day she got out of college. Her career started with Juran & Moody, Inc. a firm headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota with a Houston office. After a 3 year position at Juran & Moody, Inc., she moved onto a new Houston firm, Masterson & Company, formed by well known Houston municipal finance experts.
Masterson & Company was soon renamed Masterson Moreland Sauer Whisman, Inc. and was later acquired by First Southwest Company out of Dallas, that was subsequently acquired by Plains Capital then Hilltop Securities (publicly traded HTH).
In 2018, Julie and Drew Masterson (son of original Masterson) made the decision to depart the big structure of a publicly traded company and form their own firm, Masterson Advisors LLC. Sixteen people quickly followed with more following later in 2018. Masterson Advisors is now one of the leaders in municipal finance in the State of Texas, particularly in the area of real estate/special districts (between 350 to 400 represented by the firm). Other offices include Dallas, the Boston area and Tampa. The firm also represents the City of Houston, Harris County, The Medical Center, the Sports Authority, the University of Houston, numerous charter schools and cities in the region. Julie and Drew are the principals
of the company.
Julie’s clients include Howard Hughes, Johnson Development, Brookfield, Aria Development, Caldwell Companies, Friendswood Development, Toll Brothers, TriPointe, Ember (formerly Concourse) and most of the other major homebuilders in the region. Julie is a specialist in complicated layered special district financing vehicles for MPCs.
Julie has had affiliations with Annunciation Orthodox School, ULI, Scenic Houston and the Masters Real Estate Program at Texas A&M (Architecture School). Julie’s husband is David Hightower with Midway Companies and her daughter, Erin, just received her PhD in Geophysics from CalTech.