Development Team
North Star Group
North Star Group
Q-Plex combines Albany-rooted leadership with national development capability. Local knowledge of Albany State University's housing needs and Dougherty County's development landscape—paired with technical systems and financial structuring experience to deliver institutional-quality student housing.
What Makes This Different: Unlike outside developers who build generic product, this team includes local partners with direct relationships to Albany State, the Dougherty County Development Authority, and Southwest Georgia's economic development network. Combined with SIP construction technology, smart building systems, and disciplined cost control, the result is housing that serves students better at lower operating cost.
Demetrius Love serves as Chairman of the Dougherty County Development Authority and CEO of Love HEALS, a nonprofit focused on community building and economic development in Southwest Georgia. He also serves as Director of Finance and Administration at Turner Job Corps Center and CEO of Monopoly House Real Estate.
Prior to his current roles, Love served as IT/Systems Manager at the MillerCoors/Molson Coors Albany Plant and Chief Information Officer for Dougherty County Schools. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from California Southern University (in progress), an MPA from Valdosta State University, and a bachelor's degree from Albany State University.
Love is a Certified Public Finance Official (CPFO) and author of seven books including "Love HEALS: The Mechanics of Community Building." His deep roots in Albany and relationships with local institutions make him a key partner for development in Dougherty County.
Michael Hoffman is a U.S. real estate developer, inventor, and affordable-housing strategist with more than three decades of experience delivering complex commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects. As the founder and CEO of North Star Group, Inc., he leads initiatives that combine modular construction, structural insulated panel (SIP) technology, and disciplined financial modeling.
His patent portfolio includes more than a dozen U.S. patents in industrial heating, magnetic insulation, fluid-management systems, tank-farm engineering, and welding technology, demonstrating the systematic technical innovation essential for developing resilient infrastructure and advanced building systems.
Through North Star Group, Hoffman leads the design of sustainable, tech-enabled housing ecosystems integrating SIP-based construction, solar and load-control systems, site-scale rain-garden hydrology, and community-based education models.
Paul Watkins Sr. is President of PMW Management Partners, Inc., with 29 years of experience in residential and commercial development, complex finance structuring, financial analysis, underwriting, and market feasibility. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Hampton University and an MBA from the University of Maryland University College.
Prior to founding PMW, Watkins served as Director of Technical Assistance at Econometrica, Inc., where he led the Housing and Community Development Group. In this role he served as Senior Project Manager and Technical Lead on contracts and cooperative agreements for Public Housing Authorities across the country on behalf of HUD, leading teams in market analysis studies, strategic asset repositioning, and technical assistance for troubled, at-risk, and receivership PHAs.
Under a HUD contract with the Office of Capital Investments, Watkins provided financial analysis, risk mitigation strategies, and commercial finance underwriting evaluation for complex development and modernization transactions submitted by PHAs nationwide. His teams—ranging from two to ten technical experts—delivered capital fund planning, procurement guidance, PHA Board training, and HCV management.
Watkins is a recognized speaker and presenter at national conferences including the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA) and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
Jey Smith is the Lead Developer and principal implementation director for North Star Group. As a partner at North Star Group, Inc., he coordinates the full development framework across land planning, stakeholder integration, engineering alignment, and multi-phase execution.
Smith brings more than fifteen years of experience in high-level telecommunications operations with Verizon Business/MCI, where he managed multimillion-dollar portfolios serving clients such as Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. His fifteen years of military service further reinforce his structured operational style: disciplined planning, logistics awareness, and stable command-level decision-making.
Timothy V. Hall brings more than 40 years of experience in federal, institutional, and faith-based construction, with a professional background that spans HUD housing upgrades, U.S. Army Reserve facility improvements, GSA building work, and VA Hospital modernization.
Tim Hall has long served in roles requiring precise cost estimating, contractor oversight, and schedule management. He is a certified Construction Quality Control (CQC) Manager and a certified Safety Officer, ensuring that all field work aligns with federal construction requirements, ICC standards, and the complex documentation demands associated with public-sector facilities.
Tom Dowling is a civil engineer, developer, and manufacturing innovator with nearly five decades of construction experience. He currently serves as CEO of Supreme Insulated Panel Systems, producing high-performance Magnesium Oxide SIPs certified for hurricane resistance, fire safety, and net-negative carbon impact.
Tom began his career at The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, managing $40M in highway and bridge projects. He went on to found Metropolitan Contracting Co., delivering over $120M in large-scale commercial, industrial, and hospitality construction.
Through Dowco Management Co., Tom owns and operates more than 920 residential units. His portfolio spans engineering, property development, and SIPs manufacturing.
Les Allen Jr. is the CEO and founder of The BlackStar Companies, which includes BlackStar Construction and BlackStar SIPs. Based in Tampa, Florida, the company specializes in construction services and structural insulated panel (SIP) manufacturing. BlackStar holds multiple certifications including SBA 8(a), HUBZone, MBE, and DBE status.