The ULI Young Leaders Group (YLG), district council, and product council teams recently completed another cycle of the Emerging Leaders Product Council Program. This opportunity is designed to help qualified young leaders secure guest spots on product councils at the Spring Meeting and was originally established as a means for YLG members to integrate more deeply into ULI programming.
Through an application process and with the help of a volunteer selection committee comprised of Leroy Moore (ULI Tampa Chair and Americas Executive Committee member), Cindy McSherry (executive director of ULI Chicago), Katie Maslechko (previous Americas YLG cochair), Chandler Hogue (Americas YLG cochair), Jill Lucken (executive vice president, District ULI Councils), and Karen Kotowski (vice president, ULI District Councils), 14 Young Leaders, out of 41 applicants, were selected based on their professional experiences and commitment to ULI. These young leaders, representing a diverse subset of the YLG (38 percent BIPOC, eight female and five male) attended the recent Spring Meeting in Toronto as guests on 13 different product councils to round out the second year of YLG involvement.
The Emerging Leaders Product Council program is a relaunch of the previous Product Council-District Council (PCDC) Exchange program which occurred from 2014-2018. The PCDC Exchange was a successful program engaging over 50 YLG and NEXT members to be guests with product councils. Since then, many people from this original cohort have gone on to serve product councils as full members and even take on leadership roles within the council.
“The Urban Development and Mixed-Use Council (UDMUC) Platinum flight truly enhanced the overall ULI Meeting experience for me,” said Alexandra Hack, a YL and guest member of UDMUC. “I attended Spring Meeting in years past, but never as a guesting member on a product council.”
Among the key benefits of this YLG integration Hack sites access to industry leaders, highly specialized knowledge and insights from recognized industry thought leaders, and invaluable recognition and visibility as an emerging professional.
“The biggest benefit of the Emerging Leaders Product Council Program was unprecedented access to industry leaders that I otherwise would not have had access to,” Hack said. “By guesting on the UDMUC Platinum flight, I connected with leading experts in mixed-use development from all over the US. This allowed me to grow my network beyond my local district council “at scale” by connecting individuals in my direct line of work. These initial connections are the seeds that I hope to develop into valuable relationships over the long run.”
Hack’s advice to Young Leaders considering applying to the program next year:
“Don’t wait until the last minute to fill out the application—the personal essay will take longer than you think; Ask for your recommendation letter early and provide your recommender with a brief ‘ULI resume’ of your involvement, including committees and any leadership positions served, and research the Product Councils you might be interested in joining before submitting your application.”
Applications for the program are open exclusively to Young Leaders and are accepted annually to guest on a Product Council during the Spring Meeting. Those selected are expected to attend ULI Spring Meeting and Product Council reception/dinner, actively participate in Council discussions, and adhere to the Product Council guiding principle of confidentiality.
To learn more about the Emerging Leaders Product Council Program, participant expectations, and application details visit https://navigator.uli.org/opportunity/emerging-leaders-product-council-program-participant/
Congratulations to the 13 Emerging Leaders who participated in the Product Council Program at the 2023 ULI Spring Meeting.
Lindsey Campbell. Campbell is an associate developer with Trinity Works. Since establishing her membership with ULI Arizona in 2018, she has co-chaired the Fort Worth Mentorship Forum and has become an engaged UrbanPlan volunteer. Lindsey guested on the Public Development and Infrastructure Council.
Chandler Cox. Cox is a program manager and director of commercial development for Hughes Development Corporation in Greenville, South Carolina. She joined ULI in 2013 as a graduate student through Clemson University’s Masters of Real Estate Development (MRED) program. Chandler now serves as the Chair of the district council Management Committee Upstate Region. She guested on the Commercial and Retail Development Council, Blue Flight.
Sherifa Fofanah. Sherifa is an Asset Project Manager for Leggat McCall Properties. A recent Pathways to Inclusion Graduate (2021), she has become chair of the ULI Boston UrbanPlan Steering Committee. Sherifa guested on the Global Exchange Council.
Alexandra Hack. Alex is a principal and co-founder of Cedar Street Partners, a development firm focused on urban infill projects in downtown Los Angeles. A long-time supporter of ULI, she has led the ULI Los Angeles YLG Programming Committee for the past two years, and continues her passion on the district council’s greater Programming Committee. Alex guested on the Urban Development and Mixed-Use Council.
Christopher Hernandez. Christopher is a civil engineer and project manager with Kimley-Horn, focusing on residential development and solar energy storage. Since joining ULI Dallas-Fort Worth in 2016 he has become the local district council Young Leaders Group co-chair, and has served many roles with the local product councils. Christopher guested on the Public Private Partnership Council, gold flight.
Rachel Koehring. Koehring is the director of marketing and business development for Goree, a full-service architecture and design firm. Establishing her ULI membership in 2018, she has taken on many leadership roles including cochair to the ULI Houston UrbanPlan committee and Building Industry Leaders program. Rachel guested on the Commercial and Retail Development Council, platinum flight.
Patrice Marcolla. Marcolla is a project development manager for IDM Companies, a privately held development and construction firm. An expert in her field of multi-family development, she has brought the same level of passion to ULI Arizona, serving as a founding member of the MASH (Multifamily/Affordable/Senior Housing) local product council, co-chair of ULI2D Mural Project Committee, and leader in the Partnership Forum program. Patrice guested on the Multifamily Council, platinum flight.
Kevin North. North is the vice president of real estate investments with Pacolet Milliken. He has been a member of ULI since 2012, spanning his membership between ULI Washington where he served as the YLG chair and now with ULI South Carolina where he serves as a mentor in the local REDI program. Kevin guested on the Small-Scale Development Council, silver flight.
Ashley Paton. Paton is a senior planner for Bousfield, a community planning firm in Ontario with special expertise in urban design, planning policy, and community design. Joining ULI in 2015, she has been an active member in the local YLG Steering Committee. She also is actively engaged in the Ontario community including serving as a co-chair to the Toronto Metropolitan University Planning Alumni Association, as well as a member on the City of Hamilton’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee. Ashley guested on the Community Development Council, gold flight.
Ada Peng. Ada is a director of HR&A, a real estate consultancy firm with a focus on affordable housing. She has been an active ULI Los Angeles member since 2018 and has served roles including a panel organizer for YLG and Diversity committees, acting as a mentor for the REACH and GROW programs. Ada guested on the Affordable Workforce Housing Council, gold flight, and has been offered a full-time seat on the council.
Shayan Rajabi. Shayan is a development manager at Pace Properties, private investment company targeting non-institutional value-add multi-family properties. A long-time member, joining ULI San Diego as a student member in 2010, he now serves as the YLG chair, and has developed programs like “Learn from the Best” and the “Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program.” Shayan guested on the Small-Scale Development Council, silver flight.
Jordan Richardson. Richardson is the assistant vice president of acquisitions for GID, a vertically-integrated real estate investor, operator, developer, and fiduciary, operating a diverse portfolio of multifamily, industrial, and mixed-use developments. He leads his firm’s charitable GIVE platform and the firm’s DEI committee. Also, Jordan is a current participant in ULI Atlanta’s Center for Leadership program and serves as the local YLG Programs co-chair. Jordan guested on the Multifamily Council, green flight.
Anna Yoder. Yoder is the director of planning and urban design for Hastings Architecture. Joining ULI Nashville in 2017, she has served on the Urban Magnets Action Council, the Young Leaders Group steering committee, and the Building Healthy Places Action Council. She is also actively engaged with the local American Planning Association, National Organization of Minority Architects, and Americas Institute of Architects. Anna guested on the Transit Oriented Development Council.
The 2024 ULI Spring Meeting New York applications for the Emerging Leaders Product Council Program will open at the 2023 ULI Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. Please contact [email protected] for any questions and details of the program.
