Boards & Commission Appointments

1. CITY OF ALAMO HEIGHTS
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Lety Hernandez, Director of Community Development
SUBJECT: Board and Commission Appointments
Ordinance appointing individuals to serve on the various Boards and Commission
for the City of Alamo Heights.
DATE: June 23, 2025
SUMMARY
This Ordinance would approve the following individuals to serve on the various Boards and
Commission for the City of Alamo Heights for a term ending on May 1, 2027.
*Newly appointed members.
All other remaining members of the Architectural Review Board, Board of Adjustment and
Planning & Zoning Commission will retain their seats.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The City Code specifies that board and commission members are appointed by the Mayor, subject
to confirmation by the City Council, to serve for terms of two (2) years or until their successors
are duly appointed and approved by City Council. Applications have been received from citizens
who wish to serve on a City board and commission and City staff has conducted interviews of all
eligible candidates.
P&Z Members
Lori Becknell, Chairman
Stephen McAllister,
Vice-Chair
Richard Bilanceri
La Unah Cuffy
Richard Garison
Laura Propp
*Nikki Graham
*Elizabeth Haynes
*Madison Marceau
*Banks M. Smith
*Tobin Smith
(Vacant – Alternate)
ARB Members
John Gaines, Chairman
Grant McFarland,
Vice-Chair
Ashley R. Armes
Larry Gottsman
Adam Kiehne
Phil Solomon
Lyndsay Thorn
Clay Hagendorf, Alt.
Samuel White, Alt.
BOA Members
Bill Orr, Chairman
David Rose,
Vice-Chair
Jessica Drought
Lott McIlhenny
Wayne Woodard
Sean Caporaletti– Alt.
(Vacant – Alternate)

2. POLICY ANALYSIS
The process is consistent with the “Procedures for Commission and Boards Selections and
Appointments” adopted by the City Council on July 10, 2006. In addition to outlining the
appointment process, the “Procedures” also specify that board and commission members must
attend at least seventy (70) percent of all meetings within a calendar year.
The new and re-appointed members will “serve for terms of two (2) years or until reappointed or
replaced by action of the mayor and city council” per Sec. 2-46. Planning and Zoning
Commission., Sec. 2-47. Board of Adjustment, and Sec. 2-48 Architectural Review Board. of the
Code of Ordinances.
The new appointments fill openings for the Planning & Zoning Commission. Two (2) vacancies
will remain between the Architectural Review Board and Board of Adjustment.
FISCAL IMPACT
No projected fiscal impact from this project has been calculated.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – Draft Ordinance
Attachment B – New Member Bios
Lety Hernandez
Director
Buddy Kuhn
City Manager

3. Attachment A
ORDINANCE NO. 2240
AN ORDINANCE APPOINTING MEMBERS AND CHAIR
AND VICE CHAIR OF THE CITY OF ALAMO HEIGHTS
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD, BOARD OF
ADJUSTMENT AND PLANNING AND ZONING
COMMISSION; SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Alamo Heights City Council adopted “Procedures for
Commission and Boards Selections and Appointments” on July 10, 2006; and
WHEREAS, the terms of office for said boards expired in May 2025 so that it is necessary
and appropriate to appoint new members and leaders of such boards.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ALAMO HEIGHTS, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The composition and leadership of the Architectural Review Board is as
follows:
John Gaines - Chairman, Grant McFarland - Vice-Chairman, Ashley R. Armes, Larry Gottsman,
Adam Kiehne, Phil Solomon, and Lyndsay Thorn, Members, and Clay Hagendorf and Samuel
White – Alternate Members
SECTION 2. The composition and leadership of the Board of Adjustment is as follows:
Bill Orr - Chairman, David Rose - Vice-Chairman, Jessica Drought, Lott McIlhenny, Wayne
Woodard, Members, and Sean Caporaletti - Alternate Member.
SECTION 3. The composition and leadership of the Planning and Zoning Commission is
as follows:
Lori Becknell - Chairman, Stephen McAllister - Vice-Chairman, Richard Bilanceri, La Unah
Cuffy, Richard Garison, Nikki Graham, Elizabeth Haynes, Madison Marceau, Laura Propp, Banks
M. Smith, and Tobin Smith - Members.
SECTION 4. The membership and leadership changes made herein shall be effective
immediately, upon the passage of this Ordinance and the terms of office of all members of the
Architectural Review Board, Board of Adjustment and Planning and Zoning Commission shall
run concurrently with the term of the Mayor which will expire in May of 2027.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 23rd day of June, 2025.
_____________________________________
ALBERT HONIGBLUM, MAYOR

4. Attachment A
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
ELSA T. ROBLES, CITY SECRETARY
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________________________
JESSIE LOPEZ, CITY ATTORNEY

5. 1
Lety Hernandez
Nikki Graham Spector recently retired in San Antonio after spending the last three years building the Austin based Hector and
Gloria López Foundation and focusing a 27 year career at Bank of America in the areas of retail banking, change management,
corporate philanthropy, and serving as the bank’s Austin President for eight years.
She served as Chair of the Austin Chamber as well Chair of Communities in Schools Central Texas and the San Antonio Education
Partnership. She also served as education committee chair of the Austin Chamber and the Austin Area Research Organization and
on the boards of Leadership Austin, Capital Idea, Barton Springs Conservancy, and Austin Community Design and Development
Center.
Nikki has been recognized with the Austin Business Journal Profiles in Power, Austin Association of Fundraising Professionals
Outstanding Community Affairs Executive, E3 Alliance Catalyst Award for Educational Change, Con Mi Madre Corazón Award, San
Antonio Business Journal 40 under 40. She also participated in both Leadership Austin and San Antonio.
A graduate of Saint Mary’s Hall and Auburn University, Nikki now lives in San Antonio with her husband Mitch Spector.
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Attachment B

6. Elizabeth is the principal architect and owner of Elizabeth Haynes Architects, a design firm
based in San Antonio and recognized for a body of work that is strong in vernacular and
community sen?ment. She is a registered architect in the state of Texas with over 20 years
experience in this community.
Growing up in the small south Texas town of Carrizo Springs, Elizabeth had the freedom to
explore and experience a built environment that fostered a sense of community. It was there
that she learned the apprecia?on for the unique tenets that the built environment has on a
strong community.
Elizabeth now resides in the heart of Alamo Heights with her husband and 3 children.
Attachment B

7. Madison Marceau
PRESIDENT OF INVESTMENTS
Madison serves as the President of Investments at Kairoi and is in charge of sourcing,
valuation, capital markets, due diligence, closing, and asset management of all
multifamily investments. He is also a founding partner of Kairoi. Prior to Kairoi, Madison
was an Associate with Archon Group, L.P. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Goldman
Sachs. During his 15 years in the real estate investment industry, he has closed $3.5
billion of multifamily transactions across 30,000 units and participated in loan
acquisitions totaling $875 million of unpaid principal balance.
Madison received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas A&M
University. He currently serves on the Advisory Council of the San Antonio Botanical
Garden. When Madison isn’t closing deals he likes to cycle, ski, hike, and travel with his
family.
Attachment B

8. Biography of Banks M. Smith
Banks M. Smith is a practicing attorney and shareholder in the firm of Schoenbaum,
Curphy & Scanlan, P.C. He is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
in both Commercial Real Estate and Farm and Ranch Real Estate. He has resided in the
City of Alamo Heights for nearly 40 years. A graduate of Alamo Heights High School, he
received a B.A. with high honors from the University of Texas where he was selected a
member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a J. D. from the University of Texas Law School. He is
consistently named in the Best Lawyers in America in Real Estate and has been
designated numerous times by Texas Monthly as a Texas Super Lawyer. He is AV rated
by Martindale Hubbell.
Attachment B

9. 1
Lety Hernandez
Tobin Smith is the Principal of Tobin Smith Architect, an award-winning architectural practice founded in 2007. His firm’s portfolio is broad
encompassing rural and urban as well as residential and commercial endeavors. An active member of the design community, Tobin currently
serves as Co-Chair of AIA San Antonio’s Custom Residential Architects Network group, was a past Chair of the Chapter’s Homes Tour and
Lecture Series, served on the Chapter’s Executive Committee as well as on the Texas Society of Architects Honor Awards Committee. He is a
graduate of Cornell University and a post-graduate winner of the Robert James Eidlitz Fellowship. Tobin is licensed to practice architecture in
Texas, Colorado and New Mexico and is registered with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
--
Tobin Smith, AIA NCARB
Tobin Smith Architect
2201 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, TX. 78212
210.817.4744 |
Disclaimer
The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others
authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in
relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software
as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security,
archiving and compliance. To find out more Click Here.
Attachment B