Remembering ULI Key Leader Peter Bedford

Peter Bedford of Napa, California, a ULI Trustee, Foundation Governor, Executive Committee member, and leader of the Institute and industry, passed away in early January. Since joining ULI in 1980, Bedford was active in all aspects of the Institute and was generous with his time and resources.

Understanding the importance of philanthropy, Bedford was a member of ULI Foundation Governors Society. He also served ULI in various roles including a variety of councils, such as the Industrial and Office Park Development Council (Blue and Gold Flights), the Urban Development/Mixed-Use Council (Silver Flight), the Council Coordinating Committee, and the Education Committee.

Bedford started his career as a real estate developer with convenience stores and grew to large distribution centers, ultimately developing and managing 40 million square feet (3.7 million sq m) of retail, office, and industrial properties, as well as land in 22 states. He was the principal manager of the partnership that acquired all of Kaiser Aluminum Chemical Company’s real estate operations in 1986, which included Rancho California, a 28,000-acre (11,300 ha) planned community in Temecula, California. From 1992 to 2006 he served as chairman and CEO of Bedford Property Investors, a New York Stock Exchange real estate investment trust.

His involvement in real estate education includes serving as chairman of the Real Estate Center Advisory Board of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and member of the Executive Committee of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the University of California, Berkeley.

His humor, zest for life, and unflagging optimism drove his passion that quality aesthetics go hand in hand with quality construction. A firm believer in giving back to the communities in which he had a presence, Bedford gave his time and experience as an adviser, a consultant, and a trustee to many organizations where he felt could make a difference.