David Nelson

CO-FOUNDER

David R. Nelson, Jr. leads real estate investment and development initiatives at Canvasback Capital. His work spans multiple asset classes, including multi-family, single-family, planned unit development, mini-storage, light industrial, and land management.

Prior to founding Canvasback, David spent nearly a decade at Crowne Partners — a privately held real estate development, construction, and property management firm specializing in Class A multifamily housing across the Southeast. At Crowne, he played a key role in sourcing and executing new developments, overseeing construction, managing assets, and working with capital partners.

David holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a BE, cum laude, in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University. He serves on the boards of Temple Emanu-El and the Birmingham Jewish Federation, and remains active in community and industry organizations.

Trey Echols

CO-FOUNDER

Jack W. Echols III (Trey) oversees capital strategy, partnership opportunities, and business operations at Canvasback. His career spans financial services, real estate finance, and institutional investment consulting, including experience in construction lending, mini-perm, permanent, and CMBS origination.

Prior to co-founding Canvasback, Trey served as President and CEO of Highland Associates, where he led the firm through a founder transition and its successful sale to Regions Bank in 2019. Under his leadership, Highland grew to $36 billion in assets under management. He also held leadership roles at Deloitte Corporate Finance and spent 12 years at Merrill Lynch, where he led private client banking in the Midwest.

Trey currently serves on the boards of the Birmingham Museum of Art, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, and the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army-Birmingham. He is a member of YPO and a graduate of Leadership Birmingham (2016) and Leadership Alabama (2023).

Luke Hess

ANALYST / ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER

Luke Hess brings energy, discipline, and a hands-on understanding of real estate development to his role as Development Associate at Canvasback. He supports the financial modeling, planning, and execution of the firm’s lakefront residential and industrial projects—helping turn vision into value.

Luke’s journey with Canvasback began while he was a student at Auburn University, where he interned with the firm and worked on the early phases of the White Oak Landing development. That early exposure cemented his interest in shaping projects from the ground up and equipped him with a foundation in both strategic planning and operational execution.

Before entering the real estate world full-time, Luke spent two summers at JH Ranch in California, serving as an Activities Lead and Volunteer Coach. There, he led teams through high-challenge environments, cultivating the leadership skills and resilience he brings to every project today.
Luke earned his degree in Finance from Auburn’s Harbert College of Business, where he was actively involved in student government, mentorship programs, and fraternity leadership.

Graham Rieseberg

DEVELOPMENT ANALYST

Graham Rieseberg brings a comprehensive real estate background to his role as Development Analyst. He supports the team through financial underwriting, project management, and the sourcing of new development opportunities. Graham holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Montevallo, where he gained early industry experience through internships with several commercial brokerages in Birmingham. Since entering the real estate field, he has worked across office, industrial, and residential sectors in both brokerage and management roles. To further expand his expertise, Graham earned a Master’s in Real Estate Development from Auburn University. During his time there, he developed a deep understanding of the development process and remains actively engaged with the Auburn real estate network.