Leadership and experience matter.
- With 35 years as a successful businessman, Leland is the founder of his own real estate investment firm and has grown a real estate portfolio with assets throughout DFW and other Texas markets.
- An expert in finance, Leland co-founded First Independent National Bank. He served on the Executive Committee, Loan Committee, Finance Committee, and the bank’s Business Development Committee. He successfully managed his real estate and banking businesses through financial downturns in the 1990s and 2000s, and he’s gained critical knowledge and experience successfully managing multi-million-dollar budgets that he can use at City Hall to make important decisions in a COVID economy and beyond. With a $3 billion annual budget and critical funding challenges ahead, the City of Dallas needs financial expertise on the council now more than ever.
- Skilled in complex business transactions, Leland has a successful track record collaborating with city government, neighborhood stakeholders, and the business community to work together and get projects done.
- Because of his background in finance, real estate and complex budgets and regulations, Leland will hit the ground running to keep taxes low while protecting basic services, oversee a $3 billion-plus city budget and meet the many challenges facing our city. He’ll put his conservative business perspective, vision and acumen to work to recruit new business to Dallas, promote economic development and fight against nonessential spending and giveaways.
- As President of the Preston Hollow Patrol Association, Leland has worked alongside Dallas Police on strategies to reduce crime in our neighborhoods. As our councilmember, he’ll be a strong partner with law enforcement, and he’ll support funding police along with new community-based strategies to fight crime. As an active Steering Committee Member for years and a recent appointee to the Board of Trustees of Safer Dallas Better Dallas, Leland has been a champion of law enforcement and safe neighborhoods, schools, and businesses.
- Appointed by Councilwoman Jennifer Staubach Gates to serve as a Commissioner on the Arts & Culture Advisory Commission of the City of Dallas, Leland has advocated for thoughtful and pragmatic stewardship of City Bond funds and our tax dollars, while helping to protect and nurture art and culture throughout our city.
- Appointed by Councilwoman Jennifer Staubach Gates to serve on the Northwest Highway and Preston Road Area Plan Advisory Task Force, Leland worked to establish a community vision that promotes smart development of this core neighborhood while protecting quality of life for nearby homeowners. Leland has also served as an executive officer on the Oak Lawn Committee, helping to develop a smart, balanced approach to growth that preserves quality of life in one of our city’s most vibrant neighborhoods.
- As President of the Inwood-Northwest Homeowners Association, Leland leads the association’s goals to help homeowners preserve the quality and character of the neighborhoods by opposing intrusive zoning cases and protecting the character of our community.
- Valued for his business acumen, Leland serves on prestigious boards, including the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Foundation Board of Trustees, the Dallas Opera Board of Directors, the Dallas Museum of Art Board of Trustees, and the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors.
- Leland is a family man and has lived his entire life in District 13. His knowledge of our community is unparalleled. As our councilmember he will be committed to making smart, neighborhood-focused decisions that protect our homeowners and small businesses and enhance our quality of life for years to come.