Masterplan’s expansion into the Austin landscape took a significant stride with the recent appointment of Larry Casto as the Managing Director of Masterplan’s Austin office, building upon the company’s decade-long presence in the city.” Larry comes with extensive experience in municipal management, legislative advocacy, and legal matters related to local government to lead the charge as we expand our client services south.
Mr. Casto, although initially a Sweetwater native, found his way to Austin almost 30 years ago when he first began his legislative career serving as the Chief of Staff and general counsel for a state senator. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by the City of Dallas as its legislative director and chief lobbyist. In this role, he oversaw the passage of more than 100 pieces of legislation for Dallas. Some of his notable accomplishments include passing legislation to create the Dallas Land Bank, which helped create affordable housing, and leading a legislative effort to provide state incentives to the city to construct the Omni Convention Center Hotel.
After holding this position for 24 years, in 2016, Mr. Casto was appointed as the City Attorney for Dallas, responsible for overseeing an office of more than 100 attorneys, 60 support staff, and a $20 million budget. He successfully resolved dozens of high-profile and contentious disputes during this time. Mr. Casto was the head city staff person overseeing the effort to address a $3.5 billion city pension fund deficit, a $4 billion personnel lawsuit filed against the city, and the re-acquisition of a significant water supply reservoir after a series of court decisions had held that the city retained no ownership or contractual rights in the lake.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Larry as he has fought for us in Austin over the years,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings in a 2016 press release. “Thanks to his experience in our capital, he is one of the most politically savvy city employees I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.”
Masterplan is excited to have such an experienced member join our team as we continue to support the growth happening in the Austin market. Mr. Casto brings knowledge, leadership, and respect to all aspects of the job, and we are thrilled to watch him apply those skills within the Austin community.