Councilman Paul Ridley was first elected to the District 14 position of the Dallas City Council in June of 2021. He was reelected in June 2023, and is currently serving his second term.  Councilman Ridley attended the University of Michigan, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree and master’s degrees in architecture and urban planning.

After graduation, he took his first job as a staff planner for the City Plan Commission of Kansas City, Mo., and later went to work for an architecture firm to complete the requirements to become a licensed architect. Later, he decided to get a law degree and moved to Texas to attend the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Following admission to the bar, Councilman Ridley practiced construction law and commercial litigation in Dallas for more than 30 years, during which time he founded three different law firms. He lives with his wife Joan in a century-old home in an Old East Dallas historic district, where he has lived for nearly 30 years. 

Councilman Ridley has been committed to public service in Dallas for more than 15 years. He served on the Dallas Plan Commission for eight years representing City Council District 14. While on the Plan Commission, he chaired the Thoroughfare Committee for several years. He also represented District 14 on the Dallas Landmark Commission for four years, helping to preserve Dallas’s historic neighborhoods

Oliver Barbier-Mueller is co-president of Harwood International, and is responsible for overseeing its Development vertical, including construction, architecture, interior design, and procurement.

He has developed over 7 million square feet to date, including many world-class buildings, including Bleu Ciel, Harwood No. 14, Frost Tower, Harwood No. 10, the Rolex Building, and Cleveland House in London. Oliver’s expertise ensures that no aspect of design, development, or construction is compromised, resulting in high quality outcomes. He graduated from Texas Christian University, with a focus in International Entrepreneurial Business Management.

Evan Beattie joined GFF as an architect in 2005 and was named Chairman and CEO in 2020. He has over 20 years of experience in architecture and planning, and was named one of the Dallas Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2013 as well as one of the “Top 20 Under 40 in Architecture, Engineering and Construction” by ENR Texas & Louisiana in 2011. His experience includes managing complex residential, retail, and mixed-use projects through design and construction phases, as well as planning for large-scale placemaking projects with retail, restaurant, office and institutional components. Evan takes a collaborative approach to design with an emphasis on meeting project goals and exceeding client expectations. He has a strong interest in sustainable design, density, smart growth, and New Urbanist principles, and is a frequent speaker on these topics at ULI, AIA, TREC and other design and commercial real estate related events. Evan’s high level of community engagement allows him to contribute meaningfully to zoning change efforts in the Dallas area, where land use regulations are often not aligned with best practices in walkable urban design and quality placemaking.

Evan is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, including extended studies in Western Europe and Central Mexico. He is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), The Real Estate Council (TREC) and Chaired the 2017 Associate Leadership Council (ALC) leadership development program. He serves on the Board of Governors for Downtown Dallas, Inc., as Secretary for the City of Dallas North Oak Cliff Municipal Management District Board and as Chair of the City of Dallas Downtown Connection TIF Reinvestment Zone 11, and is a member of the RZ 5 TIF board. Additionally, Evan is involved with the North Texas Chapter of Urban Land Institute (ULI). He was the founding member and is a former President of the Henderson Neighborhood Association.

Bidne joined Granite in 2007. He is responsible for all project development leadership, identification of development opportunities for investment, development underwriting, property entitlement, land acquisition, zoning, and project design and construction for all development projects. He has a Bachelor of Encvironmental Design and a BS in Construction Science from Texas A&M University. He enjoys traveling with his family, hunting, and fishing.

For more than 20 years, Jamee Jolly has been leading organizations, driving economic development, and uniting communities. Jamee joined The Real Estate Council in 2024.  

Previously, Jamee led Uptown Dallas, Inc. (UDI), guiding the Public Improvement District (PID) through its third decade of public realm enhancements and community engagement.  

In 2022, Jamee won her party’s nomination for the Texas House of Representatives for District 70 (Plano, Richardson, Dallas, and Allen). Although just 1.3 percent shy of the nomination, Jamee was able to garner strong community-wide support from 49 percent of voters.  

Prior to campaigning for office, Jamee served as the Executive Director of Plano ISD’s Education Foundation. She engineered collaborations between the school district and business community to support and elevate key programs that benefited students. From 2010-2019 Jamee lead the Plano Chamber of Commerce as President and CEO. Under Jamee’s leadership, the Plano Chamber received 5-Star Accreditation and recognized as Chamber of the Year in 2018 by the US Chamber of Commerce. 

Jamee has worked with numerous membership and trade organizations including the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, Collin County Association of Realtors, Florida Institute of CPAs, as well as a previous role with The Real Estate Council as Public Policy and programs Director. She provided administrative and lobbying support for the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park effort (now known as Klyde Warren Park).  

Jamee Jolly is a mission-driven, senior executive with proven successes and her ability to manage cross-functional teams and connect partners to deliver high-quality solutions is what makes her an invaluable asset. She has earned the CAE (Certified Association Executive), IOM (Institute for Organization Management) and CCE (Certified Chamber Executive) designations.  

Jamee has served on multiple boards, including: the Plano Rotary Club, the Texas Association of Business, and the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives. She is a Leadership Plano Class 30 Graduate, City of Plano Government Academy Graduate, and was named Collin County 40 Under 40 by the Collin County Business Press.  

With a master’s degree in Sport Marketing from Florida State University, Jamee is an avid Florida State Seminoles fan. She has an undergraduate degree in kinesiology and sports studies from Texas A&M – Commerce. She and her husband, Marvin, a residential Realtor, and their fur-children, Maks and Mollie, live in Plano. They are also proud grandparents to John, Ava, Abram, Eli and Clara.