Marilee Utter to Lead ULI’s Global District Council Program

Longtime Urban Land Institute trustee and renowned land use and transit expert Marilee Utter has been named executive vice president of the institute’s district council program, a global program serving members in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Utter formerly was president of Citiventure Associates LLC and managing partner of P3 West LLC in Denver.

ULI has nearly 30,000 members worldwide who are served at the local level by 51 district councils in the United States and 14 national councils in Europe; the district council program is also expanding into Asia.

As executive vice president for the global district council program, Utter will be leading a key ULI program that was recently restructured to better position it to extend the councils’ reach and implement strategies for the long-term sustainability of their communities. Utter will be responsible for the overall management, leadership, and delivery of the conceptual and programmatic functions offered by the district councils.

Utter’s extensive involvement with ULI includes service from 2004 to 2007 as chair of ULI Colorado, which has 810 members throughout the state. During that time, she was cochair of the local arrangements committee for ULI’s 2006 Fall Meeting and Urban Land Expo. Utter has long been a member of ULI’s Public/Private Partnership Council, has served on the jury for the Awards for Excellence program, and has chaired several ULI advisory services panels.

“Marilee has a thorough understanding of the institute, the land use industry, and the district council program. She brings an excellent skills set to this position,” said ULI CEO Patrick L. Phillips. “Marilee recognizes the importance of the district councils as our voice in the community. With her guidance, our district councils can positively influence land use decision making in markets around the globe.”

“ULI is unique in the role it plays in building communities worldwide, and the quality of people it attracts because of that mission,” Utter said. “The institute has had a profound impact on my career as both a volunteer and now as a staff member, and I am most appreciative. The district council system has never been stronger, and ULI is committed to further strengthening and expanding its reach. It is a great time to be joining the exceptional leadership at ULI, and I am delighted to have the opportunity.”

As president of Citiventure Associates and managing partner of P3 West, Utter focused on public/private transactions and infrastructure, as well as the development of mixed-use projects that transform communities and build economic vitality. Her work included markets nationwide, and provided a particular emphasis on transit-oriented development, mixed-use development, obsolete retail malls, and large-scale master development plans.

Utter’s experience includes service from 2000 to 2002 as a transit-oriented development specialist with the Regional Transportation District, based in Denver; she was a private sector developer from 1993 through 1997, when she served as regional vice president of the Trillium Corporation in Denver. At Trillium, she directed the master planning for the redevelopment of a 165-acre (67-ha) Platte Valley parcel into a 6 million-square-foot (557,000-sq-m) mixed-use urban center. In addition, Utter was director of asset management for the city and county of Denver from 1986 to 1991, and from 1978 to 1986 was a financial institution executive with the First Interstate Bank of Denver and the First Interstate Bank of California.