For East Texas A&M University alumnus Justin Holland, leadership has never been defined by title alone. Instead, it has been shaped by service, responsibility and the steady values that guide a person through each chapter of life.

That mindset has carried Holland through a career spanning business, public service and community leadership, all rooted in the foundation he built during his time at East Texas A&M. Today, as he begins a new professional chapter with the launch of his brokerage, Legacy & Co. Real Estate, Holland continues to draw on the principles that helped shape his journey.

Holland earned his Master of Science in Business Management from East Texas A&M University in 2008. After completing his undergraduate studies at Texas Tech University, he said he was looking for a graduate program that offered both academic rigor and practical leadership preparation while allowing him to remain close to home in Rockwall and Heath.

“East Texas A&M provided that environment,” Holland said. “The program allowed me to deepen my understanding of leadership, organizational management and decision-making while remaining connected to the North Texas community where I intended to build both my career and my life.”

Holland added that his experience at ETAMU strengthened the way he approached both leadership and service.

“My time at ETAMU reinforced the importance of disciplined thinking and principled leadership,” he said. “The College of Business emphasized that successful leaders must combine technical competence with sound judgment and strong character.”

Those lessons remained with him as his professional path evolved. Real estate was part of Holland's life from an early age, having grown up around his family's brokerage in Rockwall County. Over time, that early exposure to business, relationships and client service expanded into a broader career that included entrepreneurship, municipal leadership and service in the Texas Legislature.

Holland served on the Heath City Council from 2011 to 2016 and later represented North Texas through four terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 2017 to 2025. Across each role, he said the same lesson continued to surface.

“Each chapter reinforced the same lesson: leadership is ultimately about responsibility to others,” Holland said. “Whether working with clients, colleagues or constituents, the goal is always to serve people well and leave institutions stronger than you found them.”

He said his time in public office especially reinforced the importance of humility, patience and thoughtful decision-making.

“Public service requires patience, humility and the ability to listen to people with very different perspectives,” Holland said. “Those experiences strengthened my belief that effective leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room but about making thoughtful decisions that serve others well.”

Now, Holland is applying those same values to his latest endeavor, Legacy & Co. Real Estate, which he launched in 2025. While the firm marks a new chapter in his career, he said it is also a reflection of the people and experiences that shaped him along the way.

“Legacy & Co. Real Estate was founded around a simple principle: meaningful things are rarely built alone,” Holland said. “After many years in the industry, I felt called to build a firm that placed people, values and character at the center of the business.”

He added that the company was inspired in part by the example of his late parents, Saundra and Lance Holland, and the way they approached both business and relationships.

Still, Holland's story remains closely tied to education and mentorship. As a life member of the Alumni Association and a former commencement speaker at ETAMU, he said maintaining a connection to East Texas A&M University has remained deeply meaningful.

“Universities play an essential role in shaping future leaders, and alumni have an opportunity and responsibility to encourage the next generation,” Holland said. “Education creates opportunities that ripple far beyond the classroom.”

His continued engagement in higher education also includes advisory work with the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, reflecting his belief in investing in students and future leaders.

For current students interested in business, entrepreneurship or public service, Holland said the most important qualities are often the most enduring.

“Focus on building character and sound judgment,” he said. “Technical skills matter, but leadership ultimately rests on trust. Trust is built through consistency, integrity and a willingness to serve others.”

As he looks ahead, Holland said he remains grateful for the institutions, mentors and experiences that helped shape his path, including East Texas A&M University.

“Launching Legacy & Co. Real Estate represents a new chapter,” Holland said, “but the foundation for that chapter was built through education, mentorship, service and the people who invested in me along the way.”