Our team

David Branch

Senior Partner & Chief Executive Officer

In 1970, following his college graduation, David began his real estate career as a Land Specialist in the Land Department of the Georgia Power Company, selling, leasing and analyzing the Company’s land holdings. Thus began a 50+ year career, which has focused primarily on land marketing, investment & development.
David has successfully negotiated a number of Atlanta’s most significant land and investment properties transactions, including the ground lease for IBM’s 50-story office tower in Midtown Atlanta; the acquisition of Alltel’s 68 acre regional headquarters campus in Alpharetta; the land assemblage of the 25-acre Securities Centre office park in Buckhead (now Ameris Bank Center); and the sale of the three city block Peachtree Portal Property in Downtown Atlanta, which was recognized as the Atlanta Business Chronicle 2003 Land Deal of the Year.
In 2011, David successfully completed the assemblage of the ~1300-acre LakePoint Sporting Community & Town Center mixed-use development, located just north of Atlanta. The LakePoint Project (featuring one of America’s largest amateur & youth sports complexes, with indoor & outdoor sports venues valued at over $100 million) now attracts over 2.5 million visitors annually and has been the recipient of numerous industry awards, including Bartow County’s Economic Development Deal of the Century and the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Best of Atlanta Real Estate Award (Best Special Use/Mixed Use Development). David also received the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors’ Alvin B. Cates Award, recognizing the LakePoint land assemblage as Atlanta’s Most Outstanding Transaction in 2011.
As a corporate real estate advisor, David has represented clients on numerous national and regional headquarters relocations and build-to-suit requirements throughout the United States, which collectively total well in excess of one million square feet of space.
A frequent speaker and seminar panelist on land marketing and land investment services, David has also represented numerous banking, office, hotel, retail, residential and industrial/logistics users and developers in site acquisition, disposition and land assemblage assignments.
David is married to Ginny Branch, and their family includes three daughters and two granddaughters.
He is a graduate of Davidson College with a BA in English/Creative Writing, where he played both football and rugby.
ORGANIZATIONS & AWARDS
Past President – Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors (ACBR)
ACBR’s Realtor of the Year 1991
ACBR’s President’s Award 2023
ACBR’s Alvin B. Cates Award 2011 (Commercial Real Estate Transaction of the Year)
ACBR’s Top Ten Land Broker’s Award (#3 in 2011)
Recipient – Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Land Deal of the Year in 2003 and 2016

Barry Branch

Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer

Since 1971, when as a young corporate attorney, Barry was hired to head up the formation of John Portman’s original real estate company, Portman Properties (where he was the senior executive for over 13 years), Barry has successfully led the development, financing, marketing and management of over $12 Billion of commercial real estate projects throughout the United States and Europe. In addition, he served 18 years on the Board of Directors of two publicly traded REITS (Duke Realty Corporation and Weeks Corporation).
In 2018, Barry merged the capital markets practice of his firm, Branch Real Estate Advisors, with his brother David’s Site Services Group, to create SSG Realty Partners, LLC, an Atlanta-based land investment advisory firm.
Since 2012, Barry has also served as the Robert H. Ledbetter, Sr. Professor of the Practice of Real Estate Development at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, where he has led the ongoing development of an innovative program in real estate development and finance for graduate and undergraduate students.
Duke Realty Corporation (NYSE:DRE) - From 1998 to 2012, Barry served as a Director and Member of the Audit Committee, Finance Committee and Executive Compensation Committee for the largest publicly traded industrial REIT in the U.S.
Weeks Corporation (NYSE:WKS) -From 1994 to 1998, Barry served as Director and Chairman of the Executive Compensation Committee for this $1.6 Billion publicly traded REIT prior to its merger with Duke Realty Corporation.
Dutch Institutional Holding Company (DIHC) - From 1991 until 1998, Barry served as President and CEO of DIHC, the U.S. real estate affiliate of Pensioenfond PGGM, the second largest pension fund in the Netherlands. DIHC owned a $1.3 Billion Portfolio of premier office properties throughout the eastern U.S. Barry successfully led the firm through the real estate recession of the early 1990’s and positioned the company for its 1998 merger with Cornerstone Realty, a NYC -based public REIT.
Portman Properties - As the Senior Executive of Portman Properties from 1971 until 1984, Barry was responsible for overseeing the successful financing & development of a number of major office, hotel and mixed-use projects throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Barry is a graduate of Davidson College and Duke University Law School, Juris Doctor
He is married to Doreen Branch and is the father of three daughters and one son and grandfather of one grandson.
ORGANIZATIONS & BOARDS
Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE) – Chairman
Real Estate Roundtable (previously the National Realty Committee) – Vice Chairman
Society of International Business Fellows (Founding Chairman)
Davidson College Board of Visitors

Brent Reid

Partner & Executive Committee Member
CEO The Winter Companies

Brent and four other Partners with the Winter Companies (which includes both Winter Construction and Winter Environmental Services) joined with the Partners of SSG Realty Partners in 2020 to create Artisan Interests, LLC, the predecessor sister company of Artisan Land Companies. Brent and the Winter Team have been actively involved with the acquisition, financing, and planning of three separate Artisan Interests’ land investments in Downtown Macon, Villa Rica and Bartow County.
Brent joined the Winter Group of Companies in 1984 as an entry level project engineer. In 1995, he became a principal of the firm and one of the company’s owners. In 2008, he led the senior management team in the buyout of the firm’s founder and majority shareholder. In 2023, Brent led the sale of Winter to Independence Construction, a Cleveland, Ohio-based construction and real estate firm.
During Brent’s 40+ year career, he has been involved in all facets of the real estate industry, from land acquisition to construction in multiple asset classes, including office, retail, institutional, hospitality and multi-family.
Brent earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1982 and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago in 1988.
Brent is married with three kids, one granddaughter, one grandson and three pugs. He and his wife Darcelle are members of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and live in the Chastain neighborhood in Atlanta.
Organizations & Boards
Past Chair - International Council of Shopping Centers Center Build Conference
Past Member - Young President’s Organization
Past Chair & Current Executive Committee Member - Council for Quality Growth
Midtown Alliance - Past Treasurer & Executive Committee Member (10 years)
Advisory Board Member - ServisFirst Bank
Advisory Board Member - Third Lens Ministries
Georgia Institute of Technology:
• Emeritus Advisory Board Member for the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Past Chair - Construction Advisory Board for the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Past Member - College of Architecture Advisory Board

Scott Light

Partner & Investment Committee Chair
Executive Business Leader-Retired

Scott is a founding investor in Artisan Land Companies, as well as its two sister companies, Artisan Interests and SSG Realty Partners, where he has been actively involved since 2019 in the companies’ various land investment, land development & land marketing activities.
Scott is a results-driven executive with 20+ years in leadership roles, demonstrating success in launching, growing, leading and transforming businesses for both private equity ownership and public companies. Early in his career, Scott built a foundation of broad functional experience working for such organizations as Frito-Lay, Specialty Brands Spices, and Price Waterhouse LLP in a variety of engineering, facility management, production management, supply chain and finance roles. Before retiring in 2023 to pursue personal business interests, Scott worked the past 25 years for Georgia Pacific (Koch Industries) in operating and finance roles, including six years as President of the Communication Papers business, six years as President of GP PRO (tissue, towel and foodservice businesses) and most recently, six years as Executive Vice President of GP’s Packaging and Cellulose businesses.
He received a B.S. Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T), where he played varsity baseball, and later completed an MBA at Georgia State University.
Scott enjoys golf, fly fishing, wing shooting, traveling and reading, as well as commercial real estate, land and angel investing. Scott and his wife Kelly split time between Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA. and have two sons, Dalton and Dillon.
Organizations & Boards
Grady Foundation Board - 2020 to 2024 Chair - Governance Committee
Camp Twin Lakes Board - 2020 to 2024 Chair - Development Committee
City of Hope-National Business Products Council Chair 2015 to 2023
City of Hope - Spirit of Life Honoree
Paper & Packaging Board - Chair (2020 to 2022)
Leadership Atlanta - Class of 2020

Ravi Srinivasan

Partner & Investment Committee Member
President Sunray Enterprise, Inc.

Ravi is a founding investor in Artisan Land Companies, as well as its two sister companies, Artisan Interests and SSG Realty Partners, where he has been actively involved since 2019 in the companies’ various land investment, land development & land marketing activities.
After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in India, Ravi immigrated to the United States to further pursue his education, obtaining his Master of Science degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Louisiana Tech University.
Following his graduation, he began his career in the Information Technology and Computer Software industries, where he rose to senior leadership positions.
In 2002, Ravi and his wife Sunny started their own IT Services Company, Sunray Enterprise, Inc. Under their leadership, the company has grown substantially, with a client network in over 30 states throughout the U.S., delivering a number of high-quality software applications and solving numerous complicated technological challenges.
In 2014, Sunray opened its first offshore office in India, in collaboration with an India-based partner, where they began offering end-to-end eLearning solutions to help their clients offer remote learning to their employees. Sunray also provides IT Staffing Solutions for their domestic and international clients.
Ravi currently serves on the Advisory Boards of five different organizations, including companies in the real estate, technology and non-profit sectors. He is a seasoned angel investor, having mentored over 18 different start-up companies.
Ravi lives with his wife and two children in the Vinings neighborhood in Atlanta. His personal interests include traveling, reading, golf and photography.
ORGANIZATIONS & BOARDS
Executive Committee - SSG Realty Partners, LLC- 2019 to Present
Executive Committee - Artisan Interests, LLC - 2020 to Present
Investment Committee- Artisan Land Companies, LLC - 2023 to Present
TiE Atlanta Advisory Board - January 2021 to Present

Phil Skinner

Investor & Outside Counsel
Senior Partner Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

Phil is a Senior Partner in the real estate practice of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, where he is the co-chair of the office industry team and a member of the industrial & warehouse/distribution and global commerce industry teams.
Phil joined AGG in 1979 as an associate in the firm’s real estate practice group and has over 45 years of experience representing owners, developers, investors, landlords and tenants in the acquisition, joint venture, development, financing, disposition and leasing of all types of commercial real estate. He has a particular focus on land acquisition & disposition, office and industrial leasing, joint venture formation, the representation of foreign real estate investors, and on the development, financing and leasing of mixed-use projects, office, and industrial buildings.
Phil’s work has also included extensive experience in negotiating build-to-suit leases and headquarters leases; the negotiation of joint venture documentation between developers and investors; negotiating complex, multi-property land assemblages; and the drafting of sophisticated declarations of protective covenants, operating agreements and reciprocal easement agreements. Additionally, Phil has extensive retail transaction experience.
Phil headed AGG’s legal work on the Atlantic Station project in Midtown Atlanta from 2002 to 2010 and headed AGG’s legal work from 2010 to 2015 on the ~1300-acre LakePoint Sporting Community Mixed-Use Development, including numerous LakePoint outparcel sales transactions for hotel, restaurant, retail and sports venue uses.
Phil received his undergraduate B.S. Multi-Disciplinary Social Science Degree from Michigan State University and his JD Degree from Emory Law School.
Phil and his wife Nancy live in Atlanta, Ga, and are parents to two daughters.
ORGANIZATIONS & BOARDS
Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors - 35+ years
Georgia Bar Association - 1978 to Present
International Bar Association - 15 years, Chairman - Real Estate Section 2020-2021
NAIOP - 30+ years

Partner & Investment Committee Member
President & CEO The McLemore Resort
President & CEO Scenic Land Company
Owner & EVP GenTech Construction

Duane Horton

As president and CEO of Scenic Land Company, Duane Horton leads a vertically integrated, multi-disciplinary real estate, land development, and construction organization that transforms challenging properties into thriving hotel, golf course, and resort communities. These large-scale projects are typically situated on properties with limited access and infrastructure, as well as zoning and entitlement challenges which restrict the locations’ highest and best use.
Horton has a proven track record in all aspects of design, development, finance, construction, marketing, sales, and operations. Since 2007, Horton has successfully developed the initial phases of the McLemore Resort, a $300 million golf destination resort located on the eastern rim of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, featuring an 18 hole golf course, clubhouse, restaurant, mountain homes and extensive support amenities. The full development is expected to exceed $1 billion in total investment value.
In May of 2024, McLemore opened the Cloudland Lodge, a spectacular $188 million, 245-room Curio Collection hotel by Hilton. It features a 25,000 square foot conference center, spa and fitness facility, three restaurants, a café, and infinity-edge pool. McLemore’s second 18 hole golf course, The Keep, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024. The course is designed by Bill Bergin and Rees Jones, and is expected to be one of the most scenic and enjoyable courses in the Southeast.
Horton is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, with a degree in Construction Management. He and his wife Mindy have ten children and reside outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

peyton stinson

Regional Partner & Director: Residential Land Group
SSG Realty Partners LLC

As Regional Partner & Director of SSG’s Residential Land Group, Peyton focuses on land marketing and site acquisitions for all types of residential real estate development, including single family communities, townhomes, condominiums, apartment communities, student housing and build for rent developments.
Peyton has been responsible for marketing major residential tracts throughout Metro Atlanta, including such landmark properties as the 900~acre Still Water Estate in Henry County, the 400-acre Brown Farm Property in Bartow County, and the 180-acre Corners of Cedartown Mixed-Use Development Site in Polk County.
Peyton also represents clients in adaptive re-use and development opportunities within the Beltline corridor and in-town neighborhoods, and in 2021 successfully sold the $26 Million Artisan Yards high-density development site in South Downtown Atlanta.
Peyton has significant experience in the areas of real estate market research and data analytics.
At Atlanta-based Bridge Interactive Group from 2011 to late 2014, he sold the industry-leading Real Valuator software to individuals, brokers, agents, investors and financial institutions. In this position, he secured major accounts such as Fifth Third bank, CertusBank and multiple Coldwell banker offices. He demonstrated a diverse range of skills by serving in Bridge’s sales, product development, client training and customer service divisions.
As a minority owner of Data Intelligence Corporation from 2008 to 2011, he developed and managed a unique, proprietary database containing more than 200,000 real estate transactions.
When not uncovering new real estate opportunities for clients at SSG, Peyton enjoys playing golf, attending Atlanta United matches and spending time with his wife Sarah, sons Wells and Hudson, daughter Emery, and Bear their dog at their home in Milton.
Education
University of Georgia, Athens, GA Bachelor of Science, Housing
Organizations & Boards
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Georgia
Atlanta Commercial Board of Directors (ACBR)

chandra thornton-reese

Office Manager

Chandra is a seasoned professional with over two decades of comprehensive experience in directing vital business operations. Adept at analyzing and enhancing productivity, efficiency, and service quality across diverse office settings, she has a proven record of managing projects, drafting, and implementing operational policies and procedures.
Chandra is the office manager for SSG Realty Partners, LLC. In this role, she manages daily operations, real estate research, marketing, and supporting SSG’s executives with acquisition and disposition of land tracts and development sites. A licensed real estate agent, she is proficient with graphic design and with such real estate research programs as LandGlide, Google Earth Pro and Sites USA.
Prior to Joining SSG, Chandra worked for over twenty years within the Federal Home Loan Banking System managing award-winning programs, and analyzing operations to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and increase revenue.
Chandra’s passion for helping families build better futures has led to her affiliations with youth development organizations, as well as establishing the Blair Care Foundation to aid in the creation of positive and safe learning environments by providing funding to teachers and student families.
Education
Strayer University, Master of Public Administration
Licenses
Georgia Real Estate – Salesperson
Georgia Life & Health Insurance
Georgia Notary Commission

Meet Our Experienced LandInvestment & Development Team