About Poplar Grove Partners

Prior to cofounding Poplar Grove, Jim Whelan served as the Vice President of Acquisitions at Broad Reach Retail Parnters, where he oversaw all retail acquisitions and dispositions. Prior to his time at Broad Reach, Jim dedicated over 15 years to various executive roles at Chase Properties, Harbour Retail Partners (Atlanta) and BC Wood Properties (Lexington). His responsibilities spanned acquisitions, asset management, leasing, and property management. Jim holds a CCIM designation and is an active participant in ICSC.

A graduate of Transylvania University, Jim resides in Louisville, KY, with his wife, Lauren, and their two children, Charlotte and Graham.

Jonathan Aur is a Partner at Poplar Grove Partners, a real estate investment firm focused on building a differentiated platform centered on acquiring and transforming underperforming assets into durable, high-performing properties.

Poplar Grove Partners was founded on the belief that consistent value creation comes from disciplined execution, strong local market insight, and a hands-on approach to asset management. The firm partners with investors on a deal-by-deal basis, targeting opportunities where thoughtful leasing, operational improvements, and strategic capital can unlock long-term value.

In addition to his role at Poplar Grove, Jonathan is a Founding Partner of Jones Aur Commercial Real Estate, where he has helped build one of the most active brokerage platforms in the region, overseeing more than 4 million square feet of leasing and management. His experience advising both tenants and landlords provides a unique perspective on how real estate performs at the ground level, informing every acquisition and business plan at Poplar Grove.

Based in Memphis, Jonathan is focused on growing Poplar Grove into a nationally recognized investment platform while staying grounded in the markets and relationships that drive real results.

As a Memphis native and seasoned retail real estate professional, Dustin Jones is recognized as a go-to resource for shopping centers and retail business owners alike. He’s an industry veteran, with more than 20 years of experience in the retail arena.

Dustin has worked on a portfolio of over four million square feet of GLA. He’s worked with local, regional, institutional, and REIT clients including the likes of Brixmor, Realty Income, Veriet, and many more.

Before his real estate success, Dustin developed and owned restaurants, including both small locally-owned restaurants and large publicly traded groups. An ‘always ready to serve’ attitude from a restaurant hospitality background combined with an unrelenting work ethic has launched Dustin to the top of the retail real estate field.

In his free time, Dustin has found recognition for repeatedly being terrible at golf, solving the Rubik’s cube in less than two minutes, coaching middle school robotics, and enjoying everything Marvel and Star Wars. Most notably and most importantly, he is a proud father of two daughters, Chloe and Olivia.

Brandon hails from Houston, Texas, and is a third-generation Kansas State University graduate with a degree in Civil Engineering. At Jones Aur, Brandon is a Partner focused on commercial real estate acquisitions, where he leads sourcing, underwriting, and execution of new investment opportunities across the firm’s platform. He is also actively involved in debt sourcing and structuring.

Prior to joining Jones Aur, Brandon spent nearly 12 years managing assets across the country for numerous publicly traded companies. He oversaw and led asset management and project implementation for large scale portfolios and capital programs across multiple basins, with responsibilities including operating expenditure oversight, annual budgeting, and capital project execution.

Brandon is proud to call Memphis home with his wife, Alexandra. Outside of work, he can most often be found in a duck blind chasing waterfowl with his two black labs, Wallace & Douglas.