Gary Maler

Gary has served in leadership positions his entire 45-year career at the Center. Over the last 18 years, he served as interim director, director, and executive director of the Center. In his current role as director of strategic initiatives, he devotes his efforts to new high-profile studies, building critical relationships, implementing a Regional Research Partners program across the state, identifying new Research Fellows, and other innovative ways for the Center to achieve its goals.

Before joining the Center he worked in the private sector in real estate development. His past employers include Friendswood Development Company (FDC) in Houston, Texas. While with Friendswood he performed numerous land suitability and homebuyer preference surveys and the original market studies recommending successful projects including Copperfield, Greenspoint and Kingwood’s office as well as entertainment and retail centers. He also oversaw the construction of those and other FDC projects and managed 16 municipal utility districts and their infrastructure.

During Maler’s tenure at Texas A&M, he worked as a Special Assistant on Assignment to the Vice Chancellor for Development of the Texas A&M Research Park, preparing the original ground leases and initial marketing strategies, as well as conducting comprehensive special studies of real estate owned by Texas A&M. He also initiated and identified decision-making criteria that became the underpinnings of a formalized real estate management system at Texas A&M. He has taught strategic thinking in the Mays Business School Center for Executive Development. Maler regularly makes presentations and assists real estate trade associations by conducting focus groups, business planning and strategy development sessions. He has assisted over 90 organizations during his 32- year career at Texas A&M.