The Team

Development Team

Ward Davis

Chief Executive Officer, The Village at Hendrix
501.499.4000
davisw@thevillageathendrix.com

Ward has a strong background in real estate development, with particular strengths in financial analysis, financing, marketing, and commercial recruitment.  As CEO, Ward directs the activities of The Village at Hendrix.   

Prior to joining The Village, Ward worked on the development team of five traditional neighborhood developments both as the primary developer and as financial consultant in addition to developing conventional neighborhoods and commercial real estate projects. Before becoming a real estate developer, Ward served as the Acquisitions Manager at Medical Properties Trust, a healthcare real estate investment trust, and was a corporate finance investment banker for Stephens Inc. 

Ward has a BA in Economics from Davidson College, a General Course Diploma in Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science, and an MBA from The University of Virginia.

Lawrence Finn 

Chief Operating Officer, The Village atHendrix
501.764.1109
finn@thevillageathendrix.com 

Lawrence Finn has more than 25 years of experience in the construction/development industry and has been responsible for a diverse range of projects spanning many market segments, including retail, hotel, institutional, entertainment, corporate office, hospitality, and habitat restoration. He has extensive experience managing multi-million dollar mixed-use developments such as Vickery Village in Cummings, GA (recipient of the Urban Land Institute's Award of Excellence in 2006) and the award-winning Woodstock Downtown in Woodstock, GA.

Lawrence directs the development of The Village at Hendrix neighborhood.  Lawrence also acts as Construction Manager for Hendrix College, his most significant achievement being the management of the new, LEED-Gold certified $26 million Student Life and Technology Center (SLTC). He also serves as the Master Planning Coordinator for the Argenta district of North Little Rock, focusing on revitalizing the historic neighborhood, and as a board member for the Central Arkansas Transportation Authority (CATA), currently spearheading a feasibility analysis for the implementation of public transportation corridors between Conway, North Little Rock, and Little Rock.

Master Planner

Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company

Since its founding in 1980, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company has completed designs for more than 300 new and existing communities. This work has exerted a major influence on the practice and direction of urban planning in the United States.

DPZ's projects have received numerous awards, including two National AIA Awards and two Governor's Urban Design Awards for Excellence. The firm's early project of Seaside, Florida, was the first authentic new town to be built successfully in the United States in over fifty years. In 1989, Time Magazine selected Seaside as one of the 10 "Best of the Decade" achievements in the field of design. The firm has been featured in other national media such as NBC News and ABC News, as well as Newsweek, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the New Yorker.

The firm's method of integrating master plans with project-specific design codes and regulations is currently being applied to sites ranging from 10 to 10,000 acres throughout the United States. Abroad, DPZ projects are underway in Canada, Germany, Belgium, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico, and Turkey. Urban redevelopment plans for existing communities include: Baton Rouge, Louisiana; West Palm Beach, Naples, Stewart, Sarasota, and Fort Myers, Florida; and Providence, Rhode Island.

Town Architect

Lew Oliver, Inc.

Lew Oliver, Inc. is an awarding-winning Atlanta-based design firm that offers a range of services, including custom-home design, urban planning, town codes, and comprehensive solutions for builders and developers, including an extensive pattern book and subscription plan. His work can be found in New Urbanist towns and communities across the U.S., including Rosemary Beach, Vickery, Clark's Grove, Lost Rabbit, and I'on. Among his numerous national and international awards are Designer of the New American Home for the National Association of Homebuilders and Designer of the Southern Accents Show House.

Most recently, his work was awarded three Best in American Living (BALA) Awards, and nine Obie Awards. His design for the Grand Bohemian won Westin's Best in Brand worldwide for five consecutive years, while the Mansion, another of his designs, is a five-diamond hotel. For the past several years, his work has swept the gold and silver awards at the Professionalism Awards of the Atlanta Homebuilders Association.

New projects include Big Canoe in Georgia and Hartness Preserve and Wofford College in South Carolina, while his current international projects include towns in Tornagrain, Scotland; Batan, Ecuador; Isla Pedro Gonzalez, Panama; and Arcos de la Frontera, Spain.

Builder's Guild 

Gardner Custom Homes, Inc.

Steve Gardner is a native Arkansan and graduate of the University of Central Arkansas. Following a successful career with a Fortune 500 company, Steve transitioned from the corporate world in 2002 to focus full time on his passion of building timeless custom homes. He is a certified Green Professional and a member of the Homebuilders Association of Greater Little Rock. He currently lives in Little Rock with his wife Kimberly and son Foster.

Gardner Custom Homes takes great pride in partnering with customers to build homes that exceed expectation. Throughout the homebuilding process, Steve's personal approach with homeowners, architects, engineers, suppliers and subcontractors means every project is built to the highest of standards.

Bret Franks Construction, Inc.

Bret Franks of Bret Franks Construction, Inc. has been building homes in Central Arkansas for over a decade and is proud to be a part of The Village at Hendrix. Bret Franks Construction, Inc. is honored to be one of only two members of the Southern Living Custom Builder Program in Arkansas. The SLCBP invites only the top builders in the South. Members are well-established professionals that are selected for their strong presence in the market place, excellent reputation in the community, and outstanding accomplishments. Furthermore, each builder member must demonstrate superior quality, attention to detail, and be financially sound with excellent credit based upon review of its suppliers and financial institutions.

Bret Franks started his career as an accountant, became a Certified Public Accountant and worked for two Fortune 500 companies, Georgia-Pacific and ALLTEL before beginning his construction business. He is currently the President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Little Rock and a member of the Board of Directors to the National Association of Home Builders. He is very active in monitoring and defending the rights of the home building industry as they are consistently scrutinized on both the state and federal levels.

Franks is also a Certified Green Professional. He is consistently seeking and utilizing sustainable construction methods and products in his building projects. He is proud to have built the first "Silver" level Green Home in Arkansas as certified by the National Association of Home Builders.

Sales Team

J. C. Thornton & Company

Residential Broker
J.C. Thornton & Company is an established real estate firm in the Conway and central Arkansas market area.  The twenty outstanding agents who currently make up the J.C. Thornton & Company family are caring, professional people who actively collaborate with friends and colleagues throughout the market area. By utilizing the broad scope of experience and knowledge of the group, they are able to act as a cohesive team and deliver the highest level of service to their clients.

Chris Thornton, Principal Broker of the firm, is a 14 year veteran Realtor in the Conway market. His educational background includes a BBA in Economics from Harding University and has completed courses of study to attain certifications as a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI). Chris has served on the Board of Directors of the Faulkner County Board of Realtors and has served on the Risk Reduction Committee and the Professional Standards Committee of the Arkansas Realtors Association. He holds an Arkansas Commercial and Residential Contractor’s License and is a State Registered Real Estate Appraiser. Chris has been active in the Conway community through service on the Conway Rotary Club Board of Directors, 3 terms on the Conway Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and as Alderman on the Conway City Council.