Playing the long game of hospitality
Hunter Goodwin ’96 channels NFL and business lessons into hospitality education future
Drive through Aggieland, and you will see them everywhere: black and green signs that read “Oldham Goodwin.” They mark hotels, apartment communities and office buildings that have become staples in the community. Behind those signs is Hunter Goodwin ’96, a former Texas A&M University tight end whose second career as a real estate developer has kept him closely tied to the place that shaped him.
Goodwin’s company has helped fuel local growth, but his impact reaches much further. Through his support of the Arch H. Aplin III ’80 Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Goodwin is helping build opportunities for students who want to lead the next generation of the hospitality industry.
He sees it as an extension of what he learned at Texas A&M: Service and leadership go hand in hand.
“Hospitality is about people,” Goodwin said. “That is what Texas A&M taught me. You serve others, you lead with integrity, and you make a difference wherever you are.”
An Aggie foundation
Goodwin grew up in Bellville, a town small enough that Friday night football brought everyone together. When he arrived in College Station, the scale was bigger, but the sense of community felt the same.
“When I came to A&M, it just fit,” he said. “The people and the place felt right.”
He played football under Coach R.C. Slocum, learning lessons in discipline and teamwork that carried him through nine seasons in the NFL. Off the field, professors in the Department of Agricultural Economics showed him how to think about business through a human lens.
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“I had professors like Dr. John Nichols and Dr. Ed Rister who didn’t just teach, they mentored,” Goodwin said. “Those relationships still matter to me today.”
However, it was a class with Ivan Schmederman ’67, Ph.D., that set his career in motion. A guest lecture by real estate broker John Schneider introduced him to the field, and something clicked. “I remember thinking: This is what I want to do,” he said.
Building opportunity
After the NFL, Goodwin returned to College Station with his wife, Amber ’97, to put down roots and start the next chapter. In 2004, he partnered with fellow Aggie Casey Oldham ’02 to form the Oldham Goodwin Group. What began as two people with an idea is now a company of more than 500 employees with projects across Texas.
“We wanted to create something that built opportunity for people,” Goodwin said. “If you drive around and see those black and green Oldham Goodwin signs, that is what they represent. They stand for growth and a belief in this community.”
The company’s work spans commercial, multifamily and hospitality properties, but at its core, Goodwin said, it is about service.
“Every project we take on affects people,” he said. “Our job is to create spaces where they can live, work or stay comfortably. That is hospitality.”
Reimagining hospitality at Texas A&M
Texas is one of the fastest-growing states for travel, tourism and service-based industries, which made Goodwin a natural partner as the College expanded hospitality education. Communities across the state need professionals who understand management, service and experience-based leadership.
“The idea was to build something that prepared students for the world they are stepping into,” Goodwin said.
Working with faculty and former students, Goodwin helped develop a plan that led to the creation of the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism in 2023. This reformulation of the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences capitalized on its legacy while positioning the program to meet the growing needs of Texas.
“Hospitality fits naturally with who we are as Aggies,” Goodwin said. “We teach leadership and service, and that is what this industry is built on. It is about creating experiences that make people feel valued.”
The department’s new identity has sparked momentum. Enrollments have grown by about 30% to reach almost 500 over the past year, new degrees have launched, incorporating paid internships, and partnerships with industry leaders are giving students hands-on experience before they graduate.
“As Dr. John Crompton told me, our biggest challenge now is managing success,” Goodwin said. “That is a good challenge to have.”
A hub for hospitality innovation
In the fall of 2025, the department updated its name to officially become the Arch H. Aplin III ’80 Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism, in honor of Texas A&M former student and Buc-ee’s founder Arch H. “Beaver” Aplin III ’80, whose gift is helping advance hospitality education at Texas A&M.
The department’s rapid growth will soon take center stage at the new Aplin Center, made possible through a gift from Aplin. The facility will serve as both a hospitality teaching hub and the university’s official visitor center.
“This is going to be the front door of Texas A&M,” Goodwin said. “It is where people will experience who we are before they see anything else.”
The Aplin Center will feature teaching kitchens, event and retail spaces and learning labs where students will connect classroom knowledge to real-world operations. For Goodwin, it represents what hospitality is all about.
“When people think of agriculture, they often think of crops or cattle,” he said. “But hospitality is agriculture too. It is about food service and connecting people. It is about caring for others.”
Goodwin continues to work closely with department head Brian King, Ph.D., to develop industry partnerships and expand student opportunities.
“We are building something that will make Texas A&M the place to study hospitality, hotel management and tourism,” Goodwin said. “And it is happening in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.”
Leading by example
Even as his company grows, Goodwin’s priorities have stayed the same. He believes in showing up, giving back and setting the tone for others to follow.
“I was raised to believe that if you have been blessed, you give back,” he said. “Time is the one thing we all have the same amount of and giving it to others is the best thing you can do.”
He mentors students and young professionals across the College, encouraging them to combine knowledge with purpose.
“You do not have to be the loudest voice in the room,” he said. “You just have to be the one people can count on.”
Those same lessons drive his team at Oldham Goodwin.
“When we manage a hotel or develop a property, our goal is simple,” he said. “We want to make someone’s day better. That is hospitality, but it is also the Aggie way.”
Carrying the tradition forward
For Goodwin, the Aplin Department of Hospitality captures the best of Texas A&M: tradition, service and the drive to do meaningful work.
“Hospitality is about creating moments that matter,” he said. “It is about making people feel seen and valued. That is what Aggies do.”
Through his company and his continued involvement with the College, Goodwin is helping shape a department that develops both skill and character.
“Our graduates will go out and lead in every corner of this industry,” he said. “They will make people proud to say they learned it here.”
So, those black and green signs are about more than just business. They represent a story of service, community and a belief that tradition is something you build, not just inherit.
“Texas A&M shaped who I am,” Goodwin said. “Now it is my turn to give back and make sure the next generation has the same chance. That is what this place does. It builds people who build the world.”
