Our Team

Sam Simpson

  • Sam has 28 years of real estate brokerage, development, and private real estate investment experience. Career accomplishments include:

    • Developed over $500 million in office, industrial, retail and multifamily projects

    • Managed 18 real estate syndications that have yielded a combined IRR of 34%

    • Brokered over $1.5 billion in commercial real estate sales and leasing

    Sam is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, where he later returned to earn his MBA from The Kenan Flagler School of Business.

Lauten Crow

  • Over the course of his career, Lauten has played a key role in the development of more than one million square feet of commercial space. His expertise spans all phases of development, from due diligence to engineering and project management to ensure the successful delivery of each project.

    One of his most notable accomplishments is his leadership in managing Riverbend Village Development, an award-winning mixed-use project recognized with the prestigious Charlotte Business Journal Heavy Hitters Top Retail Development Award. Lauten’s vision and oversight were instrumental in making Riverbend a regional landmark.

    Education:  

    BA in Business Economics from Wofford College.

     

Richard Montana

  • Richard brings over 23 years of commercial real estate expertise and well over two billion in transaction experience. His deep understanding of the Carolina’s multifamily markets provides valuable insights into market dynamics and emerging opportunities.

    Prior to joining Simpson Commercial, Richard served as a Senior Director with Cushman & Wakefield’s Multifamily Advisory Group and Vice President of CBRE’s Carolinas Multi Housing Private Capital Group, where he cultivated lasting relationships with developers and institutional/private investors.

    Education:

    BBA from the College of Charleston.

Michael Tuck

  • Michael brings broad commercial real estate experience spanning investments, development, and construction execution across multiple asset types. His background includes industrial, public-private partnership, and mixed-use projects, with a strong focus on the full project lifecycle — from disciplined underwriting and preconstruction through execution and delivery.

    Prior to joining Simpson Commercial Real Estate, Michael oversaw a multi-state pipeline of ground-up developments totaling more than 750,000 square feet.

    Earlier in his career, Michael held leadership roles with a Southeastern general contractor, where he launched and grew a regional interiors division, managed P&L, and led feasibility analysis for multiple speculative industrial projects, including public-private partnership developments. He began his career in institutional real estate investment, supporting acquisitions and portfolio analysis across high-street retail, multifamily, and data center asset classes.

    Michael’s combination of investment analysis, development expertise, and construction leadership — on both the ownership and contractor sides — allows him to approach projects with both an investor’s discipline and an operator’s perspective. He is known for anticipating challenges, developing practical solutions, and approaching each project with an owner’s mindset.

    Education:
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA in Economics and National Security with Minor in Spanish\

    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MBA from The Kenan Flagler Business School

Susan Calvert

  • Susan brings 10+ years of leadership experience to her role as Director of Business Operations. Having managed large teams and complex IT and Innovation projects across different organizations Susan oversees our daily operations and IT systems. Her priority is adding just enough structure to support our growth while preserving the speed and flexibility that makes our team successful. Susan works to keep our back-office processes running smoothly, so we can concentrate on serving clients.

    Education:

    Miami University, BS Marketing

Wells Herndon

  • Wells joined Simpson Commercial in 2016 and focuses on growing the firm’s brokerage and development business across North Carolina. Wells provides landlord and owner representation as well as buyer and tenant representation; specializing in retail, land, and office product types. He also supports Simpson Commercial’s internal development team by discovering new properties for development and coordinating due diligence, underwriting, and the marketing for the team’s projects. He is an active member of ICSC, CRCBR, and ULI. Prior to joining Simpson Commercial, Wells was a national sales manager for an international textile company.

    Professional/Civic Affiliations: 

    • Active member of ICSC, CRCBR, and ULI.

James Singleton

  • James brings 22 years of commercial real estate experience and has been involved in more than $1.5 billion in transaction volume. Born and raised in Raleigh, he maintains strong relationships with local and national developers, investors, landlords, and tenants. His broad experience across all asset classes, with a particular focus on land sales, allows him to deliver strategic insight on site selection, assemblages, and disposition opportunities.

    Prior to joining Simpson Commercial, James founded and led his own brokerage company. Before that, he served as Senior Director of Land Sales at Cushman & Wakefield, where he represented a wide range of clients and successfully executed complex land transactions.

    Education:

    Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University.

Charles Wright

  • Specializing in brokering Greensboro and Triad area properties and land, Charles brings deep-rooted local knowledge with proven sales expertise to every commercial real estate transaction. A Greensboro native, he leverages his extensive business background and community connections to help clients identify optimal properties and negotiate successful deals. His earlier career in manufacturing sales and running a multi-generation family business honed his skills in relationship building, market analysis, and complex negotiations – abilities he now applies to deliver exceptional results for his commercial real estate clients.

    Professional Background:

    • Former Owner/Operator of Mastercolor Labs, a successful family business serving professional clients (1993-2017)

    • Sales and Manufacturing Specialist at C.S. Osborne & Co, New York

    Community Leadership:

    • Active board member and volunteer with The Barnabas Network

    • Director for The Salvation Army

    • Volunteer leader with Boy Scouts of America

    • Supporter of various local youth and community initiatives

    Education:

    • Bachelor's Degrees in Communications, University of Georgia

William Hatcher

  • William specializes in identifying and connecting clients with strategic opportunities in industrial, industrial outdoor storage assets, multi-family, and retail. His expertise spans acquisitions, dispositions, and property development, serving a diverse client base that includes developers, institutional investors, family offices, and private investors.

    A Morganton, NC native, William combines his deep roots in North Carolina with a broad perspective gained from his education to deliver exceptional value to his clients. Whether identifying undervalued assets or navigating complex transactions, William’s direct yet approachable style fosters strong relationships and results.

    Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, playing golf, running, and traveling, always seeking new adventures with the same energy he brings to his professional pursuits.

    Education:

    University of Colorado at Boulder with a BSBA in Finance and Real Estate Development

Ben Cain

  • Ben has deep roots in the Triad — he grew up in Winston-Salem and has lived in both Greensboro and High Point. He knows this market not just professionally, but personally, the way only a lifelong resident can. That kind of local knowledge is something he brings to every client conversation.

    Before joining the commercial real estate world, Ben spent 10 years in sales and ran his own business for 5 of them. That background gives him a practical, owner's perspective on what's actually at stake in a real estate decision — whether it's finding the right space to grow into or making a move that has to make financial sense from day one.

    Outside of work, he enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife Kayla and their two-year-old son Judah. The family attends Mercy Hill Church in Greensboro.

    Education:

    • Bachelor's degree in Entrepreneurship with a minor in Spanish from UNC-Greensboro.

William Wood

  • William helps clients navigate commercial real estate deals with a practical, hands-on approach. As an Analyst/Broker and Charlotte native, he combines market analysis with deal execution, drawing from experience in account management, B2B sales, and brand strategy across manufacturing, automotive, retail, and industrial services.

    This diverse background gives William a real understanding of how businesses operate and what they actually need from their real estate decisions. He works to translate operational challenges into opportunities, whether that's finding the right space, timing a lease renewal, or structuring an investment.

    When he's not working deals, you'll find William on the golf course, hunting and fishing, or cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.

    Education:

    University of Georgia, B.B.A. in Marketing from the Terry College of Business with an emphasis in Professional Selling and minor in Consumer Economics

Chris Melvin

  • As an analyst, Chris brings a unique blend of analytical acumen, market knowledge, and client-facing skills.  As a recent graduate, Chris has already garnered valuable experience through internships at leading firms like Cushman & Wakefield and Brown Investment Properties. Chris’s ability to translate complex data into clear, compelling presentations make him an invaluable asset in communicating market insights to current and prospective clients.

    Education

    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Chapel Hill, NC

    BA Economics, Minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)

Susy Wrenn

  • A native of Greensboro, Susy graduated from UNC Greensboro with a degree in education.  After teaching for 8 years and raising a family she reentered the work force as Executive Director of Greensboro Opera Company where she developed accounting, marketing and development skills.  She then moved on to Johnston Properties Inc. where she was Executive Vice President of Finance and Lease Management for 16 years.  Susy has joined Simpson Commercial to assist with accounting and cash management.