Houston Market Overview

Jennifer Ostlind (Interim Director of the Planning & Development Department for the City of Houston) and Marsha Murray (Director at City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity) will provide a Houston market overview.

Jennifer Ostlind

Jennifer Ostlind is Interim Director of the City of Houston’s Planning and Development Department. With over 25 years of service to the city, she has contributed to many of the programs that make Houston a place people proudly call home. Her experience includes community engagement, neighborhood planning, transportation planning, demographic analysis, and administering the City’s platting, off street parking and site plan standards. She serves as Secretary for the Houston Planning Commission and Houston Archeological and Historic Commission. Jennifer earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Administration from Indiana University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Marsha E. Murray

Marsha E. Murray, Esq., was appointed by Mayor Sylvester Turner and confirmed by City Council to serve as the Director of the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) in April 2020, after having served as OBO’s Interim Director and Deputy Director. As Director, Ms. Murray is responsible for leading the City’s supplier diversity, workforce development, and inclusion efforts, with a focus on administering programs and initiatives that increase access to economic opportunity for historically underutilized businesses and disenfranchised individuals. Ms. Murray’s commitment to public service spans almost two decades. Prior to joining the City of Houston, she served as legal counsel to New York City’s government for 10 years.

Ms. Murray has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Spanish from Colgate University and a Law Degree from Villanova University School of Law.