Who We Are
Horizon Capital Partners LLC is a privately held real estate investment firm, headquartered in McKinney, Texas. Principals Dave Johnson and Mark Smith work alongside their development partners to raise capital for high net land investment opportunities across the nation.
Our Team
Dave Johnson
CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER
Dave Johnson is co-founder and managing partner of Horizon Capital. His primary focus is the development, sourcing, and procurement of financing and capital relationships with the goal of achieving long-term, positive results for its investment partners.
Dave has an extensive background in the hotel industry, where he spent 17 years at Wyndham Hotels serving as President. Later he became Chairman and CEO of Aimbridge Hospitality in which he co-founded and served from 2003-2021. Aimbridge is recognized as one of the premier hotel management companies in the world, with over 1,600 hotels under management.
Johnson is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics.
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Johnson currently serves on the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) board as a member of the Chairman’s Circle and as a member of USTA’s CEO Roundtable.
He also serves as a Director on the Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV-NYSE) Board as a member of The Audit & Compensation Committees, as well as serves on the Board of Directors for the National Football Foundation, Board of Directors of The Living Company, The Dallas Stars Ownership Advisory Group, and The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Previously, he has served on the Strategic Hotels (NYSE: BEE) Board as a member of the Audit Committee and Corporate Governance Committee from 2012 to 2016, and served as a Director of Gaylord Entertainment (GET-NYSE) from 2009-2012. Johnson was recognized as a finalist for the Ernst & Young 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year.
Mark Smith
CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER
As co-founder and managing partner of Horizon Capital, Mark is responsible for all business operations. These include creating and fulfillment of strategic relationships, sourcing new land investment opportunities, and overseeing day-to-day business activities.
Mark’s professional real estate experience includes the acquisition, management, and disposition of residential and commercial properties over the past 20 years.
He has a wide range of real estate expertise, including finance, project management and development, and currently serves as President of Smith Douglas Real Estate, LLC.
Mark received his bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State University in Accounting.
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SENIOR TAX ADVISOR
Colby Smith serves as Senior Tax Advisor for Horizon, supervising all personal and real property ad valorem taxation, including real estate valuation, asset classification, appeals, and litigation support.
Colby also is currently the managing partner of Smith Douglas Tax Consulting. Prior to founding Smith Douglas in 2014, he was a senior tax consultant with the complex property group for four years at Ryan LLC, the largest tax consulting firm in the nation. Colby received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas in Austin. He is a member of the Institute of Professionals in Taxation.
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SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ASSET MANAGER
Frank Solano, Senior Vice President of Asset Management for Horizon Capital, will be responsible for engaging in all facets of Horizon Capital hotel ventures. Solano will work with the hotel management groups, and brands to maximize each hotel's performance.
Frank has served as Senior Vice President for Aimbridge Hospitality overseeing Revenue Strategy and Hotel Operations. Previously he was Vice President Asset Manager for FelCor Lodging Trust, leading brand relations with IHG Hotels & Resorts as well as Hilton Hotels for 13 years. In addition Frank worked with Wyndham Hotels for 20 years working in various cities as Vice President of Operations.
Solano volunteers as an election judge during election season and assists with the DFW National Cemetery. While in Arlington Texas, Frank served on the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Business leader Chamber of Commerce committee for the city of Arlington. He currently is a leader of the St. Ann food distribution ministry, and a Eucharist Minister. In addition he serves as a patient advocate for both MDAnderson Cancer Center and CanCare support network.
He is a graduate of Paul Smiths College of Hospitality and has over 35 years of hospitality experience.
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INVESTOR RELATIONS
Bethany Christopoulos is responsible for the coordination of investor relationships, including all communication, marketing collateral, and financial reporting. Prior to joining Horizon Capital, Bethany cultivated an extensive career in the architectural and design industry, working for several national firms.
Bethany received her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University in Education.
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VICE PRESIDENT OF INVESTMENTS
As the Vice President of Investments at Horizon Capital Partners, Kendall is a key player on our team. Her role extends beyond evaluating investment opportunities and cultivating financing and capital relationships. She works closely with our managing partners, fostering a collaborative environment that ensures favorable outcomes for our investment partners. Her contributions to the development of investment strategies and the management of our portfolio are invaluable.
Before joining Horizon, Kendall built a solid foundation of skills and knowledge in the hospitality and tourism industry while working for ClubCorp, Marriott, and Visit Dallas.
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EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Sara Cole is the Executive Assistant to the Co-Founder at Horizon Capital Partners LLC, where she plans and organizes critical day-to-day operations. As a primary point of contact, she streamlines communications between Mr. Johnson, Mr. Smith, and external partners. Sara expertly coordinates outreach efforts and cultivates relationships with partners through calendar management, event planning, travel coordination, and special project research. Sara’s effective communication and coordination efforts are crucial to Horizon’s success.
Sara was previously the Executive Assistant to the Chairman and CEO at Aimbridge Hospitality. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas.
