Southern Land Company founder and CEO Tim Downey signaled that the hire is intended to accelerate the firm’s master-planned community strategy. Marchbanks brings extensive operational experience, having previously scaled Highland Homes’ Houston market to 1,000 annual completions and managed statewide production of 4,000 luxury units. His new mandate covers the full spectrum of the company’s building lifecycle, including land development, architecture, and construction oversight.

The leadership move arrives as the Nashville-based developer manages an $8 billion pipeline. Current efforts include the expansion of flagship projects like Westhaven in Tennessee and Westerly in Colorado, alongside new due diligence initiatives in North Carolina. Marchbanks, who holds a degree in Construction Management from the University of Oklahoma, will focus on aligning the company's regional operations with its national growth targets.