MUST-LISTEN

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WHAT I DO:

“I lead our multifamily investment sales team, focused on North Texas markets. I also co-chair our student housing practice group. In just the last couple of months, we’ve transacted several hundred million in deals.”

STYLE ICON:

“Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Be better than the Gap.”

ON THE JOB:

“Coming from big law, where many of my colleagues preferred nontailored suits purchased from a 3-for-1 sale at Jos. A. Bank, the commercial real estate vibe is much more versatile. And I take advantage of that. Depending on who I’m meeting with, I’ll alternate between jeans and a blazer, a suit, or even a t-shirt.”

INSPIRATION:

“Comfort and simplicity”

STYLE DEFINED:

“A mix of modern and classic. I’ve never been one to rock the super skinny jeans. I’m nowhere near cool enough for that. But I’m going to pass on anything that doesn’t fi well either. A good tailor is always worth it.”

GO-TO LOOK:

“Anything that’s black. It’s easy, and you can’t go wrong—unless you’re covered in your dog’s hair, a look I frequently cultivate.”

ACCESSORIES:

“Sock flai”

WEEKEND LOOK:

“I’m usually in workout clothes when I’m not working. They’re easy and comfortable, and people may even think you work out.”

FAVORITE STORE:

“DLM Supply in Oak Cliff. It’s local and independently run by my friend Deavon Moore. It always seems to cultivate the latest and greatest in men’s clothing and accessories—whatever your style.”

MUST-LISTEN

Executive Podcast Club

Area leaders share the one podcast they think everyone should listen to—and why.

“Although it is sobering as a physician, given the tragic events chronicled, the Dr.Death podcast is a must-listen. It confronts difficult questions about how ingrained system processes, and perverse incentives can lead to horrible outcomes and breaches of trust. The key lesson is that we must redouble our efforts to challenge assumptions and reco mit to putting our patients at the center of everything.”

SANJAY SHETTY | Steward Health Care

“The Business Wars podcast strikes the right balance of being educational and entertaining. Several clients are profiled, and i’s interesting to hear about their early days that shaped their businesses today.”

“At the moment, I am loving the Double Date podcast with Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue. They interview long-married, famous couples in a fun and casual way about what makes relationships work.”

“The Revisionist History podcast by Malcolm Gladwell is fantastic. I’ve found myself deeply thinking about my leadership and our business in new ways after listening to an episode—even the one on McDonald’s French fries!”

“I recommend Race at Work with Porter Braswell. He and his guests open up about the role race plays in our careers and lives. The insights are unique, highly relevant, and actionable for business leaders.”

JASON DOWNING Deloitte

“It’s a tie between The Tim Ferriss Show and At the Table with Patrick Lencioni. Ferriss has a wide array of guests, and the interviews are deep. I learn something new every time. At the Table offers quick, practical leadership tips.”

DEBORAH GIBBINS Mary Kay CHRIS KELLY Ebby Halliday Cos.

KELLIE FISCHER Texas Rangers

“Chasing Scratch: A Golf Podcast follows two dads in their mid-30s who have 11 handicaps but aim to become scratch golfers. It’s a story about dedication and perseverance, with plenty of humor.”

ZACH FEE UMB Bank SANDY CROSS PGA of America

PURSUITS

Making a Childhood Dream a Reality

After a health scare, DART chief Nadine Lee discovers the joy of dance and finds balance through ballet

story by KELSEY J. VANDERSCHOOT

TRUE BLUE

Parham with Dallas’ former police chief, David Brown.

nadine lee moves around a lot. and each time she relocates, she chooses where she lives based on proximity to three things: transit, Whole Foods, and a good ballet school. The new CEO of Dallas’ transit agency began studying dance after a health scare in her early 40s prompted her to pursue a childhood dream. “I always wanted to dance, and I never really had a chance,” she says. Lee used a Groupon deal to begin classes at the Colorado Ballet Academy while working for Denver’s Regional Transportation District, where she led the development of the Flatiron Flyer Bus Rapid Transit. Roughly 10 years later, ballet has become not only a passion but a priority. “I will pretty much drop everything else to go to dance,” Lee says.

She moved to Dallas in June to lead DART after fiveyears with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Her immediate goal? Define,quantify, and improve the DFW rider experience. “If we don’t take care of some of the fundamental needs that people have when they think about traveling—things such as speed, reliability, and safety—at a very base level, then people don’t even think about transit as an option,” Lee says. Only a few months into her new life’s ride, Lee’s schedule is already jam-packed, and ballet offerswelcome respite. “Going to dance class, I can’t really think about work because it takes so much concentration to do what we’re doing on the dance flooror at the barre that it allows me that release,” she says.

Lee spends about six hours a week at Contemporary Ballet Dallas, perfecting her flexibility balance, and technique. An engineer by training, she loves the structure that ballet offerscompared to other dance forms. “I feel like if you get the foundation, then you can do anything,” she says. Jumps, especially tour jetés—in which the ballerina does a high leap, kicking her legs through the air to create a half turn, and lands with one leg lifted—are Lee’s favorite. “It’s just such a fun thing where you feel like you’re throwing your body up in the air,” she says. One day, she would like to get en pointe. “It’s a big milestone,” she says.

ON BOARD AT DART

Lee moved to Dallas in June after working in L.A. and Denver. SNAPSHOT

AT&T Exec Vana Hammond Parham’s Time on the Force

Vana Hammond Parham, assistant VP and senior legal counsel at AT&T, served the Dallas Police Department as a senior corporal early in her career. She has had a love for law her entire life and earned a J.D. from Texas A&M University, but segued into law enforcement after hearing a radio plea for Dallas Police Academy applications. “I was working a job I didn’t like at the time, and I spoke to my mom about becoming a police officer,” Parham recalls. “My mom said I would be good at it, and I gave it a shot.” Ignited by a journey of self-discovery, Parham served on the force for eight years. “The more I worked, the more I liked serving,” she says. “When you’re a police officer, you’re pushed in ways you’ve never been pushed. During the police academy training, you fin out who you are and your own limits.” Parham went on to serve as assistant city attorney then was named chief of community relations for the city and Grow South. She moved to AT&T in 2019 as executive vice president of external and legislative affairs, and was promoted to her current post this past March. —Preston Rios