Howard Hughes Texas President Jim Carman to Step Down Jan. 1

Jim Carman, president of Howard Hughes’ Texas Region since 2012, is stepping down from the full-time role at the end of the year, the company said in an Oct. 14 announcement. Chief operating officer Drew Davis, who already runs day to day operations across Bridgeland, The Woodlands and The Woodlands Hills, becomes the sole executive in charge of all three communities effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Why it matters

Carman is the executive most closely tied to Bridgeland’s buildout, the Cypress-area master-planned community northwest of Houston that Howard Hughes has developed for more than a decade. His move to an advisory role closes out that chapter, but it is a management handoff rather than a strategy change: Davis is already the company’s primary contact for its Houston-area communities and has run operations alongside Carman for years. For homebuilders, contractors and brokers active in Bridgeland, Davis is now the single point of authority on the master plan, replacing a structure split between a regional president and a COO.

“It has been a privilege to help shape The Woodlands, Bridgeland and The Woodlands Hills over nearly 15 years,” Carman said.

The numbers

Bridgeland grew from about 6,000 residents to more than 30,000 during Carman’s tenure, according to the company. He joined Howard Hughes in 2012, putting his full-time run at 14 years before the transition. Harris County Appraisal District records show Bridgeland Development LP still holding 90 taxable accounts across the community, with a combined market value of roughly $285 million, a sign the developer retains a substantial land position to sell down even as the community matures past 30,000 residents.

That position is still moving. On Oct. 13 and Oct. 14, the day of the announcement, Harris County’s clerk recorded Bridgeland Development LP deeding lots to two homebuilders: Beazer Homes Texas (file RP-2026-415634, Oct. 14) and Perry Homes (file RP-2026-414758, Oct. 13). The day after the announcement, Harris County Commissioners Court approved two interlocal agreements covering storm sewer infrastructure for Bridgeland Nature Preserve Way and Bridgeland Prairieland Village Section 95, infrastructure approvals tied to new sections of the community.

What’s next

Davis takes over oversight of all three communities Jan. 1 and keeps his role as the company’s main contact for Houston-area community partners; Howard Hughes Holdings has said the Texas Region president position will be restructured, with no successor named yet. Builders working the Houston market should expect Davis, not a new regional president, as the near-term decision-maker on Bridgeland lot releases and infrastructure timing. The pace of recorded activity around the announcement, two builder takedowns and two county utility approvals in a single week, suggests the master plan’s build-out schedule is not pausing for the leadership change.