Team
The Visionaries
Our Brown Group team provides top-notch experience and on-the-ground knowledge needed to ensure projects are properly managed, on time and within budget. We have established the Brown Group as a forward-thinking organization with a focus on doing business the right way. We have built our reputation over the years on relationships and results.
Gary Brown | Founder & Partner
Gary Brown has vision. “It enables me to look at markets to see where residential and commercial
developments need to be before others see the opportunity.”
Uncommon vision enables Brown Group to build successful developments in today’s constantly
changing environment. Says Brown, “Our ability to foresee lifestyle trends, locate the best sites
available, and construct high quality residential communities and commercial centers is insight derived
from 30 years of development experience.” This disciplined approach has enabled the Brown Group to
have success in even the toughest market conditions.
It’s not by luck Brown became successful. A self-described numbers guy, Brown is rightfully proud of his
proven track record and conservative business model. He takes an analytical approach rather than the
typical, and less thorough, salesman approach so often found in the real-estate business. Always, Brown
thinks in terms of where the economy and consumer preferences are headed. “Macroeconomics is the
foundation of my business,” says Brown, who has an MBA in Finance from the University of Texas. “At
the end of the day, the analytics have to support doing the project.”
Over his career, Indiana-born Brown (the son of a factory worker) has proven to be fair, honest, and a
straight shooter who does things the right way, sometimes even putting the right way above making a
profit. His reputation is among the best in the industry. “People know us and have faith in us,” he says of
Brown Group, Inc. “Communities like doing business with us.”
Todd Kjar | Partner & Principal
In December 2007, Todd Kjar (pronounced “Care”) joined Brown Group as a principal, focusing on all
aspects of shopping center development including site selection, entitlements, development, leasing,
and real-estate master planning consultation.
Prior to joining Brown Group, Kjar worked for 18 years on the corporate side, serving as Director of Real
Estate Legal Services, and Director of Real Estate for Smith’s Food & Drug Centers in Salt Lake City, and
VP of Real Estate for two Kroger divisions: Quality Food Centers in Seattle, and Fry’s Food & Drug Stores
in Phoenix. “As a result, Brown Group understands the way tenants see things,” Kjar says of himself and
Founding Partner Gary Brown.
From 1985 to 1998, Kjar practiced law in-house with Quaker State Minit-Lube, and Smith’s Food & Drug
Centers, primarily focusing on real estate, contracts, and mergers & acquisition law. Kjar’s legal
background enables Brown Group to better evaluate risk and strategies. “I don’t overtly practice law,
but it is a part of me and my thinking,” says Kjar, who earned his JD from J. Reuben Clark Law School at
Brigham Young University. He is currently a member of the Utah State Bar and the International Council
of Shopping Centers.
Longtime friends of over 20 years, Kjar and Brown balance each other in business dealings. Todd is the
dealmaker and Gary is the financier, though there is overlap. Like-minded, they believe in hard work and
a conservative business model, with an emphasis on ethics and integrity.
Todd believes in hard work and a conservative business model, with an emphasis on ethics and integrity.
Asked to explain Brown Group’s success―through even challenging economic times―Kjar says, “We are
always upfront on the issues and try to strengthen our relationships by focusing on win-win
transactions. It’s the reason we do so much repeat business.”
Scott Curtis | Partner & Principal
Scott’s experience in the housing industry spans back to 1993, when he co- founded Calex Homes & Curtis Land Holdings. Over the past 16 years, he has developed 48 residential housing communities and built more than 3,000 homes throughout Arizona.
Following his years of being in the home building business, Scott cofounded Snowdon Residential. He then transitioned to developing and building apartments with a distinguishing feature of having a single family feel with yards and no units above or below.
Prior to being in the home building business, Scott worked in commercial real estate for Merrill Lynch. He began working in this industry immediately after earning his degree at Arizona State University, where he lettered playing football as a walk on and finished with a scholarship his senior year. Scott and Gary are longtime friends going back 30 years and enjoy many mutual activities, most notably - golfing. As business associates, they have different areas of expertise and capitalize on each other’s strengths.
Tyson Remensnyder | Vice President
Tyson is a 25-year veteran of the real estate industry known for his innate ability to bring stakeholders to the table for creative collaboration and project enhancement. He sets the bar high for quality in service and development for both for himself and those who work with him. Tyson spent fourteen years with a regional Phoenix developer rising thru the ranks to Vice President. He oversaw the development of two million square feet of new space during this time.
He has extensive experience with multi-million-dollar developments and balancing diverse sets of requirements. He can create and deliver successful projects from inception to final completion. Tyson graduated from Arizona State University Honors College with a double major in Real Estate and Finance and holds a real estate license and is a member of ICSC.
