Thirty professionals in real estate and community development, planning, design, research, engineering, finance, and public health from across the globe have been selected to participate in the sixth cohort of the Health Leaders Network(HLN)—designed to empower real estate and land use professionals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to improve health and social equity outcomes in their professional practice and communities.
Throughout 2023, Cohort 6 Health Leaders will convene for in-person and virtual leadership development and learning opportunities, interact with Health Leaders Network alumni, and engage with experts and local leaders on a variety of topics at the intersection of health, social equity, and the built environment.
Cohort 6 gathered for its Introductory Forum in Washington, D.C., at the end of March. Across three days, Health Leaders met to ground themselves in the program through discussions on the social determinants of health, social equity, and leadership. They were joined by local leaders who shared insight into the history of the city, health disparities in the District attributable to factors like redlining and disinvestment, the work being done to improve health outcomes at the neighborhood scale, and strategies for improving transportation access and reliability throughout the region. They rounded out their time together with two inspiring site visits—to the St. Elizabeths East Redevelopment and the 11th Street Bridge Park—where they learned about the intricacies of the projects, both underpinned by intentional community engagement to ensure that they reflect the voices of longtime residents and community members.
Reflecting on their experiences during the Introductory Forum, Health Leaders shared the following thoughts and takeaways:
John Vick, Nashville, Tennessee: “Incorporating health and equity into built-environment work has dramatically evolved over the past decade, with numerous examples to learn from. However, for most practitioners, we still have much to learn from one another, and there are disagreements on our role(s) and how to effectively engage communities around health. There’s a willingness to collaborate and learn in multiple sectors and disciplines, and forums like HLN are critical spaces for allowing that to happen.”
Meg Kelly, Chicago, Illinois: “It is thrilling to me that ULI and all the related industries are coming together and acknowledging and embracing a community-centered approach to this work, centering our work in people, in their stories, in their well-being. I appreciated the various topics and threads woven together.”
Shar-Lee Amori, Kingston, Jamaica: “The panel and site tour at St. Elizabeths East redevelopment was impactful for me because it brought together the systems that must at least be functional for holistic community development, and the diverse demands this places on policy and implementation.”
Cohort 6 Health Leaders are listed below by geographic region. Click on each name to learn more about this year’s participants.
Americas
Canada
Michael Mousa, sustainability consultant, DIALOG
Caribbean
Shar-Lee Amori, project manager, Progressus Consulting; research assistant, Mico University College
Mid-Atlantic United States
Stephen Parker, behavioral health planner, Stantec; Kurt Sommer, executive director, West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation, LifeBridge Health
Midwestern United States
Kathleen Gregory, health equity and community strategist, Kathleen Gregory Consulting LLC; Meg Kelly, director, Space to Grow, Healthy Schools Campaign; Jackie Knight, president, Ackerberg; Catherine Malmberg, director of public infrastructure and strategic development, Destination Medical Center; Samantha Spergel, director of real estate strategic initiatives and engagement, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority
Northeastern United States
Vin Ferrara, managing director, Ziegler; Ian Lundy, director, MSquared; Caroline Shannon, strategist, Gensler
Southern United States
Nikki Blackhorse-Poulin, manager, health promotion programs, Hamilton County Health Department; Pam Davison, planning director, town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina; Nick Forest, project manager, CBRE; Daphne Green, planner III, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council; Mark Meyer, principal and chairman of the board, TBG Partners; Erin K. Peavey, vice president, health and well-being design leader, HKS Inc.; John Vick, director, Office of Primary Prevention, Tennessee Department of Health
Western United States
Jess Blanch, senior program director, Enterprise Community Partners; Francesqca Jimenez, senior research strategist, HDR; Steph Leonard, built environment coordinator, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Miguel Vazquez, health equity urban and regional planner, Riverside University Health System–Public Health; Jennifer Wilson, director of research and impact, Shopworks Architecture
Asia Pacific
Australia
Georgia Vitale, practice leader, urban strategy and social outcomes, Grimshaw
Hong Kong
Ka Yan Lai, postdoctoral fellow, University of Hong Kong
India
Zohra Mutabanna, associate director and placemaking lead, India, Arcadis IBI Group
Singapore
Wai Chiong Loke, clinical director of programs, head of InHealth and financing redesign, Singapore Ministry of Health Office for Healthcare Transformation
Europe
England
Lourdes Madigasekera-Elliott, public health strategic lead–creating healthy places, East Sussex County Council
Germany
Anna Groeger, project manager, coinel Development GmbH
More information regarding the program can be found at uli.org/healthleaders, and additional opportunities to get involved with ULI and the Building Healthy Places Initiative can be found on Navigator.
ULI is grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and ULI Foundation governor Randall Lewis for their support of the Health Leaders Network.
Beth Nilsson is a director and Emily Zhang is a senior associate with ULI Building Healthy Places.
