The North Texas Commission has awarded Mike Berry, president of Hillwood, the prestigious Dan Petty Regional Visionary Award, its highest honor recognizing transformational leadership in the region.
Named after the Commission’s former president and CEO, the award celebrates leaders whose vision and contributions have significantly advanced North Texas’ economic vitality. For Berry, the recognition carried special meaning, as he worked alongside Dan Petty early in his career at Woodbine Development Corporation.
Berry received the award at the commission’s 54th Annual Members’ Luncheon, where business and civic leaders gathered to celebrate progress and leadership across the 13-county region.
“Honoring Mike Berry with the Dan Petty Regional Visionary Award recognizes a leader whose vision continues to shape North Texas,” said Chris Wallace, president and CEO of the North Texas Commission. “Mike and the Hillwood Team have delivered transformational projects that create jobs, attract global investment and strengthen our region’s competitive edge. His passion for North Texas, collaborative spirit, strong civic engagement and decades of service at Hillwood have forged a multi-generational impact, which is the true measure of a lasting legacy.”
Founded in 1971, the North Texas Commission is a public-private partnership that drives large, impactful projects and legislative initiatives across the 13-county region. The commission works to tackle regional challenges, market North Texas, and provide a unified advocacy voice at the state and federal levels, while educating future leaders.
As president of Hillwood, Berry oversees strategic planning, business development, and real estate investment across the Properties division. That portfolio includes AllianceTexas, one of the nation’s most successful master-planned developments. Spanning 27,000 acres, AllianceTexas is home to more than 590 companies, supports 66,000 jobs, and generates $4.3 billion in annual property taxes. Since its creation, the development has contributed over $130 billion in economic impact, including $10.2 billion in 2024 alone.
Under Berry’s leadership, AllianceTexas has become a cornerstone for innovation in logistics, mobility, and industrial development. Recent milestones include Hillwood’s partnership with SGS Studios, which opened the state’s largest production facility on the AllianceTexas campus. Developed with Paramount Television, the studio supports up to four simultaneous large-scale productions.
Berry has also championed the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, an ecosystem advancing next-generation air and ground mobility solutions. In 2024, Hillwood and partners including NCTCOG, TxDOT, Fort Worth and Haslet secured an $80 million INFRA grant as part of a $262 million initiative. The project will double inland port capacity, improve I-35W traffic flow, and enhance safety, air quality, and job access. AllianceTexas Smart Port was one of just 44 projects selected nationally, and the only one in Texas.
Beyond Hillwood, Berry plays an active civic role, serving on the Board of Trustees at TCU, the Board of Advisors for the Neeley School of Business, and as chair of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership. He is also a Founders Council member of the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council and a board member of Safe City Fort Worth, among other posts.