Team Griffin

Andrew Montgomery

Since 2014, Andrew has served as the sponsor and manager of all real estate investment activities including assisting in managing commingled discretionary funds.  He has 22 years of commercial real estate experience and leads the acquisition, disposition, and capitalization strategies for the firm.  He has assisted the team in executing over $700 million of transactions of over 3 million sqft of office, industrial, and mixed-use assets in target markets.  His expertise and experience help make Griffin Partners a disciplined and fierce competitor in the acquisition process, finding and executing only the most exclusive deals for the best results.

Prior to joining the company, Andrew spent fourteen years as Managing Director of Acquisitions for Hines Interests Limited Partnership, involved in acquiring and/or developing in excess 18.0 million square feet translating to over $4.1 billion of office, multi-family, and industrial properties.  He is currently a Board Member of the NAIOP - Houston Chapter since 2019. 

Andrew graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s in Finance and has been married to his wife, Molly, for 18 years.  He is an avid sports fan and enjoys golf, fishing, and cooking.

Lee Moreland

Lee has served as a principal of Griffin Partners since 2006 by developing and executing strategic objectives for all portfolio properties. He directs the efforts of leasing, management, design, and construction teams, implementing the chosen strategy for each asset under management and has 35 years of commercial real estate industry experience. His efforts exceed 9 million sqft of space across a diverse collection of real estate investments. With Lee’s immense experience and in-depth knowledge, Griffin Partners is able to exemplify the value-add aspect of providing excellent returns upon the resale of assets.

Prior to joining Griffin Partners, Vice President, Asset Management for Crescent Real Estate Equities, where he was responsible for the performance of over 8 million square feet of Class A office projects.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Lee earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance & real estate.  Lee enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting, loves to read and watch action movies.  He and his wife, Kathleen, have been married for 28 years.

Travis Covington

Travis Covington serves as President of Griffin Partners Development, where he oversees the firm’s development team. He is directly responsible for the company’s continued expansion into industrial development within Griffin Partners target markets. Previously, Travis was Vice President of Development for the Houston office of Crow Holdings Industrial. While at Crow Holdings, he was responsible for site selection, pre-development, financial modeling, capitalization, construction, leasing and asset management/disposition across the Houston metro. He has nearly a decade of commercial real estate experience and has been involved in the development and capitalization of over 10.5 million square feet of industrial space.

Travis received his B.S. degree in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University and his M.B.A degree from Rice University. He is a member of NAIOP and sits on the Houston Chapter’s Development and Construction Committee. He and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters. Travis enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, cooking, fishing, and playing golf.

Gil Howell

Gil has been responsible for Griffin Partners’ industrial acquisitions and development processes, constructing and maintaining the deal pipeline, and overseeing industrial development projects since 2016.  Maintaining business relationships in the industry and identifying industrial deals to capitalize on opportunities for value-add investments keeps Griffin Partners at the forefront of the industrial office industry.  He then shepherds deals through the underwriting process and guides the best prospective finds through the acquisition journey.  Maintaining a presence in the industrial segment of Griffin’s top ten target markets achieves portfolio diversification for investors.  Gil enjoys fishing, hunting, and is an avid football fan.  He has been married to his wife, Robin, for 32 years and they have three children.

Christina Bean

Christina joined the Griffin Partners Asset Management department in November 2019. Her responsibilities include oversight of leasing efforts, building operations, capital budgeting, debt management and supporting the other teams on due diligence and property transition activities. She provides the development and implementation of the investment plans for each portfolio asset to ensure maximum returns. Christina earned her bachelor’s in Finance from Texas Christian University and has several years of industry experience, beginning as a licensed commercial real estate appraiser, then transitioned to a brokerage where she focused on office tenant representation and global corporate services. Her roster of memberships includes The Tri Delta Houston Alumnae Association and Stewards of the Wild, a branch of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Association. She enjoys cultivating her culinary skills, playing tennis, reading Agatha Christie novels, and spending time with her husband and dogs.

Valarie Baez

A member of the team since 2013, Valarie is responsible for property financial reporting, including third-party management accounting and preparation of monthly property report data. Her efforts allow Griffin to perform at its best through proactive communication with partners, vendors, tenants, and clients, keeping processes inflow.  She holds a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Houston – Downtown and came to Griffin from Texas Orthopedic Hospital.  Val loves to try new recipes for her family, travel with her mom and spend time with her daughter, and rescues fur babies with her husband of 20 years, Fred.