City Forum

Derek Villemez is a strategic real estate and development professional with over 15 years of experience leading entitlement negotiations, policy strategy, and large-scale project execution across industrial, data center, mixed-use, and commercial sectors. Currently in his role as Director of Development for Prologis, he is skilled in navigating complex regulatory environments, building public-private partnerships, and delivering projects that align with business growth and sustainability goals. Derek is also experienced in shaping land use and development policy across Central Texas, driving initiatives that accelerate infrastructure readiness and market expansion. He's passionate about bridging strategy, negotiation, and innovation to advance transformative real estate and community development initiatives. He has an educational background in architecture from the University of Arkansas and is a 2012 graduate of the University of Texas Community and Regional Planning Program, with a focus on land development. He has lived in the Austin area since 2010 and currently resides in Dripping Springs with his wife Colleen and 5 year old son Wylie. 

Tracy McMillan, PhD, MPH, is a Principal Planner with Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, a full-service transportation planning firm with offices across the US and Canada. Many years before joining Nelson\Nygaard, held an interdisciplinary faculty position in Community and Regional Planning, Civil Engineering and Social Work, to leverage her expertise in transportation planning and public health in teaching and research. In her role at Nelson\Nygaard, Tracy enjoys helping communities find solutions that support the transportation needs of all residents and that support the health and sustainability of the community. She leads multimodal projects at the state, regional and local levels, with an emphasis on transportation safety, data-informed decision-making, program evaluation, and technical assistance for historically underserved communities. 

Melissa Beeler, AICP, is a policy strategist and urban planner with a decade of experience advancing transportation equity, affordable housing, and environmental justice. She currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor to Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri, where she develops land use and transportation policy solutions responsive and reflective of the needs of Austin's diverse communities. Her prior work includes implementing the Houston Bike Plan as a Transportation Planner for the City of Houston, coordinating transportation justice initiatives at Air Alliance Houston, and advancing fair housing policy at Texas Housers. Melissa holds a master’s in Community and Regional Planning from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi.