Brigitte Gawenda Kimichik, Esq.

Brigitte retired in 2015 from the practice of law with over 30 years’ experience as a commercial real estate finance partner of the law firm of Andrews Kurth LLP. She received her J.D. in 1986 from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas, and her B.B.A., with Honors from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas in 1983 (in 2.5 years), where she was a member of the Dean's List and the Golden Key Honor Society. Brigitte was on the board of Wednesday’s Child Benefit Corporation from 1993 to 1997 and received the “Most Powerful & Influential Women of Texas Award” in 2012 from the National Diversity Council. Born and raised in Germany, she earned her Abitur in December 1980 from the Gymnasium Osdorf, in Hamburg, Germany, and came to the US thereafter to study. Brigitte is married to her husband David and has two daughters, Nicole and Samantha, and lives in Dallas, Texas.

JoRayne "JR" Tomlinson

JR has over 29 years’ expertise in the commercial real estate and strategic alignment of corporate real estate operations for companies, managing numerous multi-million-dollar complex transactions for Fortune clients in North America.  Awards for her skills and broad-based experience as one of the best in her field, include the Dallas Power Broker Award by D Magazine, Dallas Business Journal, The U.S. Green Council Building Award and The Notable Women of Texas Award. JR is currently a Managing Director with Newmark Knight Frank. Ms. Tomlinson first began her career as a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc., earning her Series 7, 63 and 22 licenses after earning a B.B.A. in Finance and Investments from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. JR is married to her husband Rob Hargis and lives in Dallas, Texas.