The Team

Laird A. Fairchild is a principal with Hunter Chase Construction and Development and is the lead developer for The Baker Hotel and Spa. A leader in the real estate industry, Fairchild has served in a number of executive roles, beginning with a vice president and national accounts real estate lending officer position with KeyBank National Association’s Commercial Real Estate Division. In this role, he initiated a relationship with more than a dozen prominent Real Estate Investment Trusts and developed a national accounts portfolio in excess of $1 billion. Fairchild then became the senior vice president and managing director for KeyBank’s Real Estate Equity Group, overseeing more than $500 million in real estate mezzanine and equity investments. Following his time with KeyBank, he joined the team at HCCD, where he manages the sourcing, underwriting, negotiating and closing of real estate investments, as well as oversees all operations in Dallas. Fairchild received his Bachelor of Arts in finance from Miami University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University.

Chad Patton is in the financial services industry and is responsible for the development of The Baker Hotel and Spa. Patton’s extensive leadership portfolio began with a business area manager position at Parke-Davis/Pfizer and national sales director and an associate director or marketing role at Valeant Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw oncology marketing. He then took on a number of vice president positions, beginning with Bernstein Global Wealth Management and Merrill Lynch before joining his current firm. A leader in his community, he also serves as a second term councilman for the city of Southlake and as a member of the Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association, the Tarrant County Probate Bar Association and the Southlake Executive Forum. Patton received a Bachelor of Science in health administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and attended graduate school at the University of St. Francis.

G. Brint Ryan is the founder, chairman and CEO of Ryan and is a major investor for The Baker Hotel and Spa. Ryan’s extensive career began with Coopers & Lybrand, now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he served as a public accountant. He then founded Ryan as a CPA firm in 1991 and the Settles Hotel Development Company in 2006, where he serves as the CEO and chairman for both companies. A recognized leader in the industry, Ryan has been ranked among Texas Monthly’s “Top 25 Most Powerful People” and has been appointed as a member on the Texas Select Committee on Economic Development, the chairman of the University of North Texas’s System Board of Regents and as a member of the Taxpayer Advisory Group. Other accolades include Houston Work-Life Roundtable’s CEO of the Year, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s Patriot Award and Distinguished Alumnus Awards from the University of North Texas, Pi Kappa Alpha and Beta Alpha Psi. Ryan’s dedication to his community includes chairing the Ryan Foundation and holding a board member seat on the Texas Affiliate Board of Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Board of Trustees for the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation, the American Heart Association, the Friends of Wednesday’s Child, Habitat for Humanity in Dallas and Dream Dallas. Ryan received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in accounting from the University of North Texas.

Randy Nix is a local entrepreneur and is responsible for community outreach and communication for The Baker Hotel and Spa. His diverse career began with his first business, Nix Sprinkler Co., in 1986, quickly followed by the launch of Nix Lawn Care in 1987. Nix then ventured into the residential rental industry in 1988, forming NSC Properties, expanding his real estate holdings to more than 400 residential and commercial properties. A champion of his community, Nix has been instrumental in spearheading the revitalization of downtown Mineral Wells. He has purchased, restored and refurbished a number of buildings throughout the city’s central business district. His extensive acquisition and ownership portfolio includes the former Ritz Theater, planned to house the Mineral Wells Art Association, and The Market at 76067. Nix is also a partner in the Crazy Water Hotel PBC Inc., a community-led group committed to restoring the Crazy Water Hotel.

Jeffrey M. Trigger is the founder and president of La Corsha Hospitality Group and is responsible for all operational and guest needs for The Baker Hotel and Spa. Trigger will lead the group in creating the room programming, food and beverage concepts and menus, spa offerings, staff development, marketing, public relations and advertising. His extensive portfolio in the hospitality industry began with a career with Amfac Resorts in California and Hawaii and The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. Trigger then joined Rosewood Hotels and Resorts as the managing director of The Mansion on Turtle Creek before being recruited to restore and reposition The Driskill in Austin. Following the successful sale of The Driskill, he launched La Corsha Hospitality Group, a Texas-based management and consulting company. His integral role in managing and renovating some of the most treasured hotels in Texas earned him recognition as Business Traveler Magazine’s “General Manager of the Year” and as one of Leaders Magazine’s “Best Hotel Managers in the World.” Trigger received a Bachelor of Science in business administration and holds a Master of Business Administration from California State University-Sacramento.

Mark Rawlings is the principal of Syndicated Contracting Services and is responsible for spearheading the constructive restoration for The Baker Hotel and Spa.

He began his extensive career in restoration as a youngster. Mark began learning the trades helping maintain and remodel his family’s historic rental properties and building custom homes alongside his Father.  His Father felt it was important that he learn all aspects of the building process and made sure that the tasks assigned ensured such a balance.

During college Mark found his niche specializing in remodeling for the hospitality Industry, focusing on restaurants and bars, particularly those involving restorations in historic buildings.

In 1998 Mark’s focus turned to the hotel industry, project managing the restoration of the Historic Driskill Hotel in Austin.  Other Hotel clients followed suit including the St. Anthony Hotel (San Antonio),  Hilton Austin, Barton Creek Resort and Spa, Lakeway Resort, Sheraton Capitol, Vintage Villas at Lake Travis, Hilton Garden Inn, Doubletree Guest Suites, Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental, Gunter Hotel (San Antonio), Hotel Icon (Houston), Omni Southpark, Le Pavillon (New Orleans), Hills of Lakeway Resort, Hotel Derek (Houston) Flintrock Falls Country Club, Lost Creek Country Club, World of Tennis/Elevation Athletic Club (Lakeway), Hotel Granduca, Four Seasons, Royal St. Charles (New Orleans), Stagecoach Inn (Salado) and the Mayan Princess Resort (Port Aransas).

Mark specializes in designing/building projects and assists in steering design teams through the processes.  Having a practical knowledge of how the building systems should operate and integrate with one another, what types of systems ultimately will be in the best interest of the building, and the staff who will be charged with maintaining it are just some of the aspects taken into consideration.

Beth and Kurt Thiel are the founding partners of Thiel & Thiel and are responsible for the interior and architectural design for The Baker Hotel and Spa. The Thiels will oversee designers, architects and operations teams in the preservation of the hotel’s historic architecture while introducing a regional flair throughout the interiors. With more than 30 years of experience, the team has cultivated an extensive and diverse portfolio, including projects involving historic restoration, hospitality design, healthcare and multifamily properties. Kurt Thiel received a Bachelor of Science in architecture and a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Beth Thiel received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design from the University of North Texas.

Jennifer and Porfirio Dubón are responsible to advise The Baker Hotel and Spa on procurement and government relations issues. Throughout the past few decades, The Dubóns have executed impactful philanthropic efforts and built extensive backgrounds as civil servants, which will serve as the foundation of their role in fostering relations with government administrations. Both retired members of the United States Armed Forces, the Dubóns started the Dubón Family Foundation in 2018, a non-profit organization that supports local disabled veterans, first responders in Texas, at-risk youth and St. Thomas Catholic Church. The foundation recently served as a sponsor to the Tela Marine Aquarium, the first aquarium in Central America, and a conservation effort of the reef and mangroves of Honduras, Porfirio Dubón’s origin country. 

The Dubóns both served in the United States Air Force (USAF) for two decades. Jennifer Dubón was the first woman in her family to join the USAF and also served as a civil servant for the Navy and Marine Corps. Porfirio Dubón immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 14. His time with the USAF was followed by a 17-year career as an executive in the aerospace industry.