Zach Schneider is the President & CEO of Tradition Homes leading strategic planning, lot acquisition, and homebuilding operations for the company. Schneider serves on the Board of Directors for ManeGait Therapeutic Horsemanship and is a member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and the Texas Cowboys Alumni Association. Prior to founding Tradition Homes, he worked for Darling Homes and Taylor Morrison (NYSE: TMHC) in Dallas, Texas where he held several key positions including Strategic Marketing Manager and Director of Land Acquisition. In 2018, Schneider earned the prestigious Cornerstone Award for his leadership and impact on multiple levels of the organization. Schneider grew up in Spring, Texas, attending Klein High School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas. After graduating from college, Schneider joined Chevron where he worked as an engineer on various projects in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico and holds a patent as a co-inventor for developing a method, system, and apparatus for subsea well operations. Schneider currently lives in McKinney, Texas with his wife and their two children.
Bill Darling started his career in Dallas in 1975 specializing in operations of commercial and residential real estate before starting Darling Homes in 1987 with his two brothers. Darling Homes became one of the most respected homebuilding companies in the Southwest with building operations in both Dallas and Houston. Darling served as the President, Chairman & CEO at Darling Homes until the company sold to Taylor Morrison in 2012. Today, Darling Homes is the only additional brand Taylor Morrison builds under across the country. Darling, along with his wife Priscilla, co-founded ManeGait Therapeutic Horsemanship in 2007 where he serves as the Board President. ManeGait has become one of the most respected non-profits in North Texas. Darling has been extensively involved civically in McKinney since 1988 and most recently served on the original board of trustees for Baylor Scott & White McKinney where he is a past board Chairman. Darling graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing.
Eric Troutman began his career with a large local CPA Firm, Belew Averitt, LLP, where he spent sixteen years, including nine as Partner. He then spent 20 years in the homebuilding industry where he was CFO for three private homebuilders (Goodman Homes, Darling Homes and Scott Felder Homes) and Regional VP of Finance for public builders K. Hovnanian Homes and Taylor Morrison Homes following the acquisition of Goodman and Darling, respectively. Mr. Troutman earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania and an MBA from Indiana University and was an active CPA in Texas for thirty years.
Blake Peden has been in the home building business in Texas for 28 years. He began with Tradition Homes in 2019, where he helped to establish and manage the Construction, Purchasing, Operations, Architectural, and Warranty teams. In his current role as Area President, Peden oversees community sales and construction activity while managing several company departments including Construction, Operations, and Architecture. Prior to his career with Tradition Homes, Peden spent 22 years locally at Goodman Homes/K. Hovnanian Homes where he held a variety of key positions, including Purchasing Manager, Director of Construction Services, Production Manager, and Community Manager. Peden grew up in Houston, TX. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Science. Peden currently resides in Celina, Texas with his wife and three dogs. He and his wife have two adult children.
As an Area President for Tradition Homes, Andy Green oversees community sales and construction activity while managing several company departments including Customer Service. Green began his career at the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers where he worked for six years, then he started his homebuilding career. Green worked for both PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM) and Darling Homes/Taylor Morrison (NYSE: TMHC) serving in a variety of key roles including DFW Division Controller, Southeast US Area Controller, DFW Division VP of Finance, National Asset Management Manager, National VP of Field Finance, and National VP of Acquisition & Integration. Green grew up in Waco, TX and his professional experiences haven taken his family from Texas to Michigan to Arizona and eventually back to Dallas, TX. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and a graduate of Baylor University with a Master’s in Accountancy. Green is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas and lives in Richardson with his wife and their two children.
Jason Belloni began his residential homebuilding career 25 years ago after graduating from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Science. Since then, Belloni has served the DFW residential construction market as a collaborative member and leader of both Purchasing and Construction teams. Prior to joining Tradition Homes in 2020, Belloni was Director of Purchasing at Taylor Morrison/Darling Homes in DFW. A native Texan, Belloni spent his formative years in New Orleans and Atlanta, until finally settling back in Plano, TX where he graduated from Plano Senior High. In his free time, Belloni enjoys collecting vinyl records, outdoor cooking, and spending time with his family in the Town of Prosper.
Bobby Ray has been in the homebuilding business for over 30 years in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. Ray has served as the President of the Collin County Homebuilder’s Association and received the Hugh Prather award for Outstanding Builder of the Year. D Magazine recognized him as one of six builders named to the Dallas 500 most powerful business leaders in 2016. Ray has served as Chairman of the Board of the University of North Texas, appointed by Governor Bush and re-appointed by Governor Perry. In addition, Ray previously served as Chairman of the Board for Presbyterian Hospital Plano, Chairman of the Board for Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco and the Advisory Board for Northern Trust Banks of Texas. Ray holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of North Texas.
Ryan Griffin serves as President of FCS, a company he co-founded in Frisco, Texas along with his two partners. Prior to his position at FCS, Griffin was co-owner of Griffin & Brantley, LLC, which managed the construction of more than 30 single-family developments in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Ryan currently serves on the Board of Directors for ManeGait Therapeutic Horsemanship and has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and real estate from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
David Brooks is Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and CEO of Independent Bank. Brooks began his banking career in the early 1980s with a large regional bank and has been active in community banking since he led the investor group that acquired the Bank in 1988. Brooks has previously served as a board member of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas. He currently serves as Chairman of Capital Southwest Corporation, and previously served as the Chief Financial Officer at Baylor University (2000-2004), President of the Board of Trustees of the McKinney Independent School District (4 years), McKinney City Council (4 years), McKinney Economic Development Corporation Board and the McKinney Chamber of Commerce Board. In 2018, Brooks was inducted into The Texas Bankers Hall of Fame.