Team

Fred Griffin

Founder

Fred Griffin founded the predecessor firm to Griffin Partners in 1980 and continues to actively serve as Chairman of the Board and head of development, providing expertise including hands-on construction supervision for projects of all sizes.  Since his early days in the commercial real estate industry, Fred Griffin has focused on end results. He’s thrived on developing new properties and created suburban communities and office buildings that bring value to clients and exceptional bottom-line performance to investors. Fred has been a leader in Houston’s landscape for over half a century, with marks of his work appearing throughout the region due to this thriving passion to develop the impression of the city. He brings value and exceptional bottom-line performance to investors and clients in every aspect of the business, driving the firm to offer better and better returns and service with every deal. Fred was educated at Washington & Lee University in Virginia, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics engineering and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas. Prior to founding Griffin Partners, he worked for Exxon Company USA as a senior executive in its real estate subsidiary, Friendswood Development Company. He was key in the development of Kingwood, Woodlake, Greenspoint, Copperfield, Clear Lake, and other areas of Greater Houston.  He has a strong business background in accounting, finance and management, and a talent for visualizing valuable and progressive real estate developments. He is adept at assembling numerous pieces of a transaction into a final product that yields the highest returns for investors and exceptional service for clients. Serving Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), Sweet Briar College, and Space Center Houston on their Boards, Fred continues to make an impact upon the Houston area through leadership, integrity, honesty, and energy.

Edward Griffin

Chief Executive Officer

Edward has served as Griffin Partners’ leader since 2002, managing the company’s strategic direction, guiding investment and development practices, and overseeing day-to-day management operations and has 30 years of commercial real estate experience. He has extensive skills in debt and equity financing, valuation, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance in both real estate and industry. Edward has conducted business in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and has significant experience in negotiating and executing large, complex transactions that have contributed to the successful investment track record of Griffin Partners.

Under his leadership, Griffin Partners has grown its assets under management to an average of $750 million over the past several years and has made 40 investments with no losses. Prior to joining Griffin Partners, his career was primarily focused on commercial and investment banking, including five years in financial advisory services and culminating as Manager of the Houston Corporate Finance Group of Coopers & Lybrand, and six years as vice president and commercial lending officer with the former First City National Bank of Houston.

A graduate of Washington & Lee University in Virginia, Edward holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a certificate from the Graduate School of Banking at SMU. He has volunteered as a Big Brother, served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Urban Harvest, as well as the Board of Houston’s Alley Theatre. He was the 2014 President of the Board of the Houston Chapter of NAIOP, and currently serves on the National Board of NAIOP, a Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and is also on the Board of South Trust Bank. Edward is an avid runner and enjoys golf, snow skiing, and hiking.

Andrew Montgomery

President, Head of Capital Markets & Acquisitions

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.

Travis Covington

President, Head of Development

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.

Kelly Agent

Chief Operating Officer

Kelly Agent is the Chief Operating Officer for Griffin Partners and joined the team in 2022. She oversees property and construction management, risk management, and human resources, including talent, culture and organizational effectiveness. Prior to joining the Griffin team, Kelly worked in various roles in commercial real estate for 15 years – leading operations and teams across the country in Chicago, IL, Indianapolis, IN and Washington, DC. She began her career with the United States Department of Defense in Alaska after obtaining both her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from Mississippi State University. She and her husband love the Houston Symphony, traveling and taking care of their rescue pugs.

Lee Moreland

Chief Portfolio Officer

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.