Dana joined Gillis Thomas Company in October 2022 as the Office Manager/Administrator and her primary role is providing administrative support to the team.

She brings nearly 20 years of comprehensive experience in commercial and residential property management, executive-level support, and real estate operations. As a seasoned professional, she has overseen portfolios of up to 38 commercial properties and more than 100 residential homes across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Known for her organizational expertise, sharp attention to detail, and strong communication skills, Dana plays a key role in ensuring properties are well-managed and client expectations are exceeded.

Her career includes long-standing roles with several established real estate firms and has prior licensing in Texas real estate. Dana’s strengths lie in lease negotiations, tenant relations, maintenance coordination, and financial operations—ranging from accounts payable to budget support and QuickBooks reporting. Her background also includes preparing lease agreements, managing renovations, and handling vendor contracts with efficiency and professionalism.

Dana grew up in Mesquite raising her 2 daughters. In her free time, she enjoys going to live music events, swimming, and spending time with her family. She is passionate about Premier League football and is always ready to root on her favorite team, Liverpool FC.

Email: dana@gillisthomas.com

<< Back to Our Team

Mr. Wakeman is Chief Financial Officer of Gillis Thomas. His primary role is leading the company’s reporting and compliance processes. He possesses extensive experience in financial management for real estate investments, real estate operating companies, and financial services companies, public and private.

Prior to joining Gillis Thomas, Mr. Wakeman spent nearly 8 years as Vice President of a real estate private equity firm directing a team in preparing internal and external facing financial reports and statements for the operating company, multiple investment vehicles, as well as ad hoc reports and presentations for investor relations and fundraising needs. Prior to his time in private equity, Mr. Wakeman spent almost 6 years in public accounting with a big-4 public accounting firm leaving as a manager. During his tenure, representative experience including auditing and consulting on a large public real estate company and its investment vehicles.

Mr. Wakeman received a B.B.A. in Accounting and a M.Acc. from the University of Oklahoma. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (Texas) and a member of the AICPA.

Email: josh@gillisthomas.com

<< Back to Our Team

Tom Gipson has been the Independent Contractor/Construction/Property Manager Consultant for Gillis Thomas Company since November, 2001. Tom is in charge of all Tenant finish out work, oversees our proficient and reliable set of subcontractors, and handles the Tenant’s move in/move out property checklists.

Tom lives in Flower Mound with his wife, Sandra. Tom is a golfer and a rabid Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers fan.

Email: tom@gillisthomas.com

<< Back to Our Team

Since joining the Gillis Thomas Company in 2004, Kevin Conlon’s responsibilities include day-to-day management of the Dallas/Ft. Worth portfolio, marketing and leasing available properties, fostering relations with the brokerage community, and seeking out investment opportunities.

Prior to joining the Gillis Thomas Company, Kevin attended Baylor University, receiving a degree in Communications and Real Estate.

Kevin and his wife, Marybeth, live in Dallas with their son, Luke, and their daughter, Quinn. The Conlons are members of The Young Friends of the Ronald McDonald House, The Stewpot Alliance, and currently serve on the Board of Directors for Genesis Young Leaders.

In his free time, Kevin enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, and traveling.

Email: kevin@gillisthomas.com

<< Back to Our Team

Jana Thompson joined the Gillis Thomas Company in May, 1998 as an Accounting Specialist. Her 20 years of accounting and supervisory experience enabled her to improve the functionality of the existing accounting process. Jana performs a full range of accounting duties, as well as being the assistant to the Controller.

She is a native Texan and has lived in Dallas for most of her life. She enjoys gardening in her spare time.

Email: jana@gillisthomas.com

<< Back to Our Team

Founder

Gillis Thomas founded the Gillis Thomas Company in August, 1975. Prior to starting his own firm, Gillis was Trammell Crow’s first operating partner for 26 years.

Gillis built millions of square feet of office/warehouse space in his lifetime, not only in Dallas, Texas, but also throughout the Midwestern, Southwestern and Southeastern states. Gillis, along with other early industrial developers, pushed Dallas center stage as a national center of distribution and warehousing in the United States.

Continuing the legacy that Gillis started, today the Company has offices in both Dallas, Texas and Denver, Colorado. Gillis’ desire was for future generations to nurture, preserve and to expand the real estate base that he had devoted so many years of effort and energy to create.

As a result of his long and successful career in commercial real estate dating back to 1949, Gillis Thomas was inducted into the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors Hall of Fame in 2002.

Outside his real estate business, Gillis was a very active volunteer in the Dallas community. Gillis served on the board of the Austin Street Homeless Shelter, the Genesis Women’s Shelter, and the First Presbyterian Church Foundation. He was also a long time supporter of the Stewpot Ministry, an elder and a former Sunday school teacher at First Presbyterian Church.

Gillis passed away in March, 2010. He was a 1949 graduate of Southern Methodist University and an avid sports fan.

<< Back to Our Team

After joining the Gillis Thomas Company in January of 1979, Don Conlon quickly learned that in a family owned and run business, no job was too big or too small for him to undertake. Over the years Don has been in charge of overseeing everything from reroofing of old buildings, interior finish outs, development of new building projects, negotiating leases, financing of projects and solving of Tenant problems. Today, Don is responsible for the overall running of the Gillis Thomas Company. His goals continue to be the ones developed and preached by founder, Gillis Thomas, keep the buildings full, avoid vacancy, never sell and pass the Company on to the next generation. To that end, having interned each summer during his college years at the Company, Gillis hired Don’s oldest son Kevin, permanently to learn the family business and represent the interests of the third generation.

Don’s commitment to individual, personal service to each and every one of the Gillis Thomas Company’s Tenants is unique in today’s world of institutional industrial ownership and produces intense loyalty among his Tenants, who remain with the Company year after year after year. Don’s honesty and strong work ethic make him a favorite among real estate brokers to bring him lease deals.

Don is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree. Don lives in Dallas with his wife, Robyn and has three sons, a grandson, and four granddaughters. Outside of the office, Don is an avid photographer and sports enthusiast, with a particular love of baseball. Don has also served on the Park Cities YMCA Board, the North Dallas Chamber Baseball Board, and supports various other charities in the Dallas area.

Email: don@gillisthomas.com

<< Back to Our Team