Walter Thomas “Tommy” Shank, CPA joined Gillis Thomas Company on August 1, 1975, the day the company opened the doors for business. He is responsible for all company accounting and tax functions, including property tax assessments.

He was born in Dallas in 1943, (when the old Mercantile National Bank was the tallest building in town) and has lived here most of his life. He received a BBA in accounting from North Texas State University (now UNT) in 1965. After serving 3 years in the U.S. Air Force he returned to Dallas where he worked in both industry and public accounting. Tommy married Mary Kay Vann from Ft. Smith, Arkansas in 1973. They have two grown sons, Vann and wife, Hilary who have two children, Hayes and Hadley and Allen and wife, Angie who have one son, George. During his spare time Tommy enjoys daily exercise, playing the piano and reading.

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Teri Thompson is the Administrator for the Gillis Thomas Company. In this position, she gives support in the day-to-day operation of the company. In addition, she prepares lease documents and maintains pertinent information on all the buildings owned and leased by the multiple entities of the Gillis Thomas Company. She also aides in the management of the leased buildings by assisting the Tenants with solutions to their needs.

Teri joined the Gillis Thomas Company in May, 2004, after 27 years in the legal profession where her main focus was in real estate and trial litigation. She also has extensive administrative and managerial skills. During her career in the legal profession, she is accredited with the start-up of two law firms in the Dallas area. Teri’s professionalism combined with her legal experience brings an excellent asset to the Gillis Thomas Company.

Teri lives in Rockwall with her daughter and is actively involved in her family, sports, raising dogs and the Rockwall community.

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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.

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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.

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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. Her two sons, Nathan and Joseph, were also born in Dallas. She enjoys staying active, which includes bike riding and world travel.

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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.

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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 Bachelors of Arts Degree. Don lives in Dallas with his wife, Robyn and has three sons, a grandson, and a granddaughter. 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.

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