Biography

TRANSWESTERN ROLE

Jan serves as Executive Managing Director in structured finance and real estate capital markets activities.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Jan is a founding member of Transwestern’s Structured Finance platform and she has over 30 years of experience in real estate finance including origination of debt, underwriting of real estate portfolios, due diligence, and structuring of complex debt and equity transactions including EB5 equity transactions. Prior to joining Transwestern, Jan was a principal of Sparks Financial Group, Inc., a Houston mortgage banking firm. She has successfully negotiated billions of dollars of real estate debt nationally and internationally for existing properties and for new construction of office, retail, industrial, multifamily and hotel properties. Prior to her career in the real estate lending industry, Jan was a partner of a Government Securities firm and a Certified Public Accounting firm.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION / RECOGNITION

Jan has received the following awards and recognitions:
  • CREW(Commercial Real Estate Women) Mentor of the Year Award - 2021
  • Bisnow Power Woman 2019
  • Houston Business Journal – Women Who Mean Business: Real Estate 2019
  • HBJ Deal of the Year Award – Most Complex Capital Structure for Financing the 33 Story Arabella 2016
  • CREW Networking Story of the Year 2014 & 2015
  • Transwestern’s National Newcomer of the Year Award 2012
  • YWCA Business Woman of the Year
  • SCORE SBA Advocate of the Year
Jan has been involved in the following organizations:
  • University of Houston – Bauer College of Business: Real Estate Advisory Board Member 2020
  • CHRISTUS Health Board Member 2020
  • Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), 2018 President, Board Member
  • Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)
  • Society for the Performing Arts; Former Board Member
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; Former Board Member
  • Houston Symphony League; Former Board Member
  • Scenic Houston Annual Dinner (2015 Co-Chair most profitable Annual Dinner to date)
  • Dave Marr Memorial Golf Tournament benefiting the First Tee of Houston (Co Chair)

EDUCATION

Jan holds the designation of Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Former SEC Licenses: Series 7, 63, 24 & 27 FINOP.