Trendmaker Homes Taps New DFW VP, Dallas ISD Names Feeder Pattern ED

Trendmaker Homes named Bruce French vice president of land acquisition and development in its newest homebuilding division in Dallas-Fort Worth, the company announced.

Trendmaker is a member of the TRI Pointe Group family of regional homebuilders. French joined the company on May 6 and brings nearly four decades of experience to the job.

Bruce French

“Bruce has a tremendous amount of local market experience covering hundreds of communities and thousands of home deliveries and is very highly regarded in the community,” said Trendmaker Homes Dallas-Fort Worth president Sean Ricks. “His very strong acquisition, entitlement, and development knowledge and skills make him an excellent choice for this leadership role, and we are privileged to have him as part of our team.”

Before joining Trendmaker, French was senior vice president of land acquisition and development at History Maker/Rendition Homes, and has also held leadership positions at Portrait Homes, Beazer Homes, and KB Home.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Trendmaker Homes team and having the opportunity to further fuel its Dallas-Fort Worth expansion,” said French. “The company’s strategic plan of developing near employment centers, transportation and amenities, coupled with the strong resources of TRI Pointe Group, positions us perfectly to take advantage of a very active housing market.”

In late 2018, TRI Pointe Group acquired Dallas-based homebuilder Dunhill Homes and its 55+ brand Nathan Carlisle Homes, which became Trendmaker Homes Dallas-Fort Worth. The new division had nearly 1,500 lots owned or controlled as of the end of 2018.

Dallas ISD Names Feeder Pattern ED

Danielle Petters

Woodrow Wilson High School alum Danielle Petters has been tapped to be the executive director of the elementary schools in that school’s feeder pattern, Dallas ISD announced last month.

Petters has a long history in the feeder pattern, first as a student, then as an ESL teacher at Woodrow Wilson, then principal at J.L. Long Middle School.

Petters has also been assistant principal at J.T. Saldivar Elementary, principal at F.P. Caillet Elementary, and principal at Grady Spruce High School. She implemented two-way dual language at Caillet, ushered Long through the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate school, and was instrumental in establishing the CTE Early College high school at Spruce.

In 2017, she was named Dallas ISD Principal of the Year.

She has a bachelor’s degree in English from SMU, ESL teaching certification through the district’s alternative certification program, and a master’s in educational administration through the district’s Fast Track leadership development program with the University of Texas.