Our Team

Jim Lee

Founder and Managing Partner

As the founder of 720 Companies, LP, Jim has been the managing partner since the company’s inception in 1993. He currently oversees all company operations, with a primary focus on acquiring new development sites and overseeing new equity partner and debt relationships.

Prior to entering the development, management and ownership aspect of the self-storage industry, Jim was an independent, fee-based commercial real estate appraiser certified in the states of Texas and Oklahoma and a designated member of the Appraisal Institute. His appraisal practice had a primary focus on self-storage valuation for owners, lenders and tax appeal clients. He currently holds the SRPA & SRA designations from the Appraisal Institute.

From 1973 to 1985, Jim was president of a Louisiana based regional wholesale distributor of consumer products for Louisiana, Arkansas and East Texas, with an annual sales volume of $20,000,000. Jim is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He resides in Frisco, TX and Oklahoma City, OK with his wife, Barbara

Mary Catherine Ward

Mary Catherine serves many functions for all the 720 Companies, LP, and has most recently been instrumental in the turnaround of our acquisition, of the Riverside Boat & RV Storage facility in Oklahoma City.
She has an extensive background and experience with financial reporting, financial analysis, investor relations, and cash management. She worked for 16 years in the oil & gas industry, for SemGroup (NYSE: SEMG), in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mary Catherine graduated from University of Oklahoma, with a major in Finance, while on athletic scholarship for women’s soccer and attaining Big 12 all-academic honors.

Mary Catherine is currently a board member at Monte Cassino Catholic School in Tulsa, assisting with financial planning. Mary Catherine lives in Tulsa, OK, with her husband, Jeremy, and two very active teenagers.

Andy Heard

Andy provides expertise in capital formation, partnership structure, and investor relations. He is currently a managing principal with Novak Brothers in Georgetown, Texas, and serves as city leader for the Austin office of Hines.

With Hines, Andy has been directly involved in the feasibility, analysis, development, asset management, and acquisition of commercial property throughout the southwest.

Steve Morris

Steve Morris, CPA will act as CFO/Controller. He will oversee all of 720 Companies’ sponsored partnerships, and all accounting and financial reporting activities. During construction periods, Steve and Jim Lee will both approve all Accounts Payable. Steve, alongside Jim Lee and Chris Biesanz, will form the Investment Committee for 720 Companies new developments and our value-add acquisitions. As the 720 Companies CFO/controller, Steve will ensure that all financial statements are accurate and reflective of business performance, supervise accounting operations, manage month-end and year-end close processes, handle budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management, implement internal accounting controls, ensure compliance, oversee risk management, and provide accounting oversight.

CFO/Treasurer of Forest Building Products, a $30 million construction supplies company, Morris managed a multi-location operation, led strategic acquisitions and sales, and implemented systems to improve profitability, inventory turnover, and cash flow.
President, COO, and CFO of Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings, where he oversaw multifamily, commercial, industrial, and construction divisions, negotiated over $250 million in financing, and secured $13 million in historic tax credits.
Various national retail stores in Texas and Louisiana, as a company controller.

Real Estate Development – 2016 to present – Steve has been managing member of Walcourt Partners, Dyad Holdings, and DMR Management.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Morris has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma, teaching taxation and managerial accounting, and has held key civic roles including Chairman of the Oklahoma City Historical Preservation and Landmark Commission.

Steve Morris holds both a Master of Accountancy in Taxation and a BBA in Finance from the University of Oklahoma and is a lifelong resident of Oklahoma City, where he resides with his wife, Jini.

Brad Cook

Brad Cook has been an outside consultant and advisor for all of 720 Companies’ construction projects for over 20 years. He knows self-storage projects well – from ground-up to completion.

Brad is an entrepreneur and business leader with over 40 years of experience in multifamily construction and structural post-tension concrete. As a founder, CEO, and patent holding innovator, he has built companies from the ground up and pioneered new technology solutions for the construction industry.

Founder & CEO, Cook Concrete (1988 to present) – Built concrete company from startup to $500M+ in sales, driving growth through vendor relationships, cost control, and training based efficiencies.
President & Founder, BWC Properties, LTD (2002 to present) – Led real estate ventures in the Dallas metro area with $25M+ in property sales, including land acquisition, development, financing, and disposition.
Managing Partner & Co-Founder, E-Longation, LLC (2017-present) – Designed and implemented standardized processes and technology solutions for the post-tension industry; oversee hardware/software development and go-to-market strategy; inventor with patent pending technology.