Leadership Team
James E Sowell
President
Mr. Sowell formed Jim Sowell Construction Co. Inc. in 1972, which has been one of the largest subdivision developers in the State of Texas.
Mr. Sowell has served on the Board of Directors of several New York Stock Exchange companies, including NL Industries, Todd Shipyards Corporation, and Ketchum Drug Company.
He has served as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Byron Nelson Golf Excellence Fund and the Boy Scout Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as the President of the Boy Scouts of America – Circle Ten Council and as Chairman of the Board of Regents for Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University Medical School.
Texas Tech University – 1970, BBA in Finance
U.S. Army 1970 – 1971
Benjamin A Lurie
CFO
Mr. Lurie joined Sowell & Co. in 2014 as CFO and oversees the firm’s finance and accounting activities.
Prior to joining Sowell & Co., Mr. Lurie worked at Morgan Stanley and at Colliers International. He has more than fifteen years’ experience in finance and has managed investment portfolios of over a billion dollars.
Tulane University – BBA
Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University – MBA
David L Clark
Managing Director – Private Equity
Mr. Clark joined Sowell & Co. in 1999 and leads the Sowell Private Equity Group. Mr. Clark has been actively involved in serving on the board of American Integrity Insurance Group, CareCycle Solutions, Vedicsoft Solutions and Apache Enterprises. After graduating, Mr. Clark worked for the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. He obtained a Master’s Degree before joining Sowell & Co.
University of Texas, BBA
J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Masters of Accountancy
Zach Sowell
Vice President
Mr. Sowell joined the company in 2012 and serves as Vice President, working alongside the Real Estate and Private Equity teams. Prior to joining Sowell & Co., Mr. Sowell spent 6 years leading domestic channel and product sales at Essilor of America, Inc. With Sowell & Co., he lends strategic guidance and tactical support to portfolio companies within the Private Equity holdings of Sowell & Co. while also leading multiple initiatives within the Real Estate acquisitions platform.
Texas Tech Rawls College of Business, BBA
Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, MBA
Steven E Smathers
Chief Legal Counsel
Mr. Smathers serves as chief legal counsel for Sowell & Co. He worked as a corporate shareholder in the financial institutions group of the law firm of Johnson & Gibbs prior to joining Sowell & Co. in 1991.
Ohio St. University College of Arts and Sciences, BS in Microbiology
Ohio St. University Moritz College of Law, Juris Doctorate
Kathy Fox Powell
Vice President and Legal Counsel
Ms. Powell joined Sowell & Co. in 1981 and currently serves as a Vice President and Legal Counsel, in charge of all Sowell & Co. Real Estate and Oil & Gas legal matters, in addition to Property Taxation.
University of Georgia, Undergraduate Degree
Southern Methodist University School of Law, Juris Doctorate
James S Cornelius
Head of Real Estate
Mr. Cornelius began his Real Estate career in 1979 and joined Sowell & Co. in 1984. His strengths include land assemblages, zoning cases, development financing, and lot development in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as other major markets in Texas and Colorado. Mr. Cornelius has developed over 6,500 lots and 4,000 acres in these markets.
Southern Methodist University, BBA
Richard W Henson
Vice President of Oil & Gas
Mr. Henson serves as Vice President of Oil & Gas at Sowell & Company, where he began as Director for Titan Rock E&P, (a Sowell & Co. affiliate), in 2018. Mr. Henson specializes in the management of producing and non-producing oil & gas properties, as well as the acquisition and divestiture thereof. Mr. Henson became a Registered Professional Landman in 2007 and has an extensive entrepreneurial background, having invested in and managed a number of businesses across a variety of industries.
Jibsy John
Vice President of Accounting
Ms. John joined Sowell & Co. in 2011. As Vice President of Accounting, Jibsy John brings over 15 years of experience in financial management and operational efficiency. She oversees all financial reporting, and internal controls for the company. Jibsy has a diverse background in Non-Profit Audit and the hospitality industry. She is dedicated to optimizing processes, implementing best practices, and leading high-performance teams to achieve operational excellence.
Pace University, BBA in Accounting
Kelly Steinhebel
Vice President of Taxation
Ms. Steinhebel joined Sowell & Co. in 2021 and oversees tax strategy, including tax planning and compliance, entity structuring, and transaction planning. She ensures adherence to tax laws and regulations while optimizing tax positions and managing risks. Prior to joining Sowell & Co, Ms. Steinhebel worked at Deloitte Tax LLP for over 12 years, where she focused on tax compliance and consulting within the investment management sector.
The University of Texas at Austin, BBA in Accounting
The University of Texas at Austin, Masters in Professional Accounting