Since 1998 Tal Hicks has overseen the creation and growth of the company's Hillwood Investment Properties division. Originally created to develop commercial product in North Texas outside of AllianceTexas, Hillwood Investment Properties now has projects across the country.

Over the past eleven years, Hillwood Investment Properties has developed 26.3 million square feet and purchased another 3.9 million square feet.  Hillwood Investment Properties also handles the property management of 22.3 million square feet.

In addition to developing projects in 11 cities in North Texas, Hicks has handled the challenge of opening Hillwood developments in new markets, such as Southaven, Mississippi in the Memphis market; the Inland Empire in California; Central Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida.

Prior to joining Hillwood, Hicks worked for 11 years with Trammell Crow Company, where he developed 1.5 million square feet of office and warehouse space and negotiated more than 400 leases totaling more than 8 million square feet. Previously he worked as a CPA in the tax division of Arthur Anderson & Company.

After graduating Cum Laude from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts degree in accountancy in 1984, Hicks earned an M.B.A. from the University of Texas in 1987.