WASHINGTON (March 17, 2016) – The Urban Land Institute (ULI), one of the world’s leading authorities on land use and urban planning, appointed a group of 15 nationally recognized industry leaders to its newly formed executive committee for the Americas.  The regional committee is a key element in ULI’s comprehensive restructuring plan launched earlier this year.

“I am very pleased that this group of senior, respected industry leaders has agreed to be the inaugural executive committee with responsibility for guiding the growth of the Americas region. There are significant opportunities in the Americas region to further increase ULI’s local and broader impacts, while staying very focused on what creates the most leadership, opportunity and value for our members,” said ULI Global Chairman Randall K. Rowe.

Members of the committee will start serving their terms on July 1, 2016. Chaired by Trish Healy, founding principal of Hyde Street Holdings, LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina, the members are:

• Marty Burger, Chief Executive Officer, Silverstein Properties, New York, New York
• Jack Chandler, Chairman, Global Real Estate BlackRock, New York, New York
• Michael Covarrubias, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, TMG Partners, San Francisco, California
• Lizanne Galbreath, Managing Partner, Galbreath & Company, Norwalk, Connecticut
• Mark Gibson, Executive Managing Director, HFF, Dallas, Texas
• Calvin Gladney, Managing Partner, Mosaic Urban Partners, Washington, D.C.
• Bill Lashbrook, Senior Vice President, PNC Real Estate, East Brunswick, New Jersey
• Doug Lyons, Managing Principal, Pearlmark Real Estate, Chicago, Illinois
• Jodi McLean, Chief Executive Officer, EDENS, Bethesda, Maryland
• Mark Noskiewicz, Partner, Goodmans LLP, Toronto, Canada
• David O’Donnell, President and Chief Executive Officer, O’Donnell – Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
• Wayne Ratkovich, President, The Ratkovich Company, Los Angeles, California
• Bret Wilkerson, Executive Vice President, Hawkeye Partners, LP, Austin, Texas
• Margaret Wylde, Chief Executive Officer, ProMatura Group, LLC; Oxford, Mississippi

Healy was appointed as ULI Americas Chairman last November, the  new volunteer leadership position created as part of ULI’s global evolution initiative.  Healy, an active ULI member for more than 20 years, has been instrumental in organizing the institute’s region-centric structure and in recruiting these prominent committee members.

Healy views the regions as critical to ULI’s growth strategy and execution of its mission.  “I see our initial work in the Americas region as similar to a start-up venture.  This new committee will advise the Chief Executive of the Americas on business and financial planning, delivery of content and engagement of members to assist in the further development of regional strategies that connect members in their own communities to ULI’s larger vison.”

ULI embarked on a global evolution initiative to vest increased authority in its three regions—Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)—in order to galvanize its 37,000 members toward action in their own local markets.  This change also reflects ULI’s growth from a primarily U.S-focused institute to one with global reach.  “We found a decentralized framework better aligns resources, technology and priorities with member needs in diverse markets worldwide. The less hierarchical structure pairs global reach with local action,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips.

The ULI Americas region includes the United States, Canada, Latin America and South America. The regional executive committee will work in partnership with Healy, as the volunteer Chairman, and the Americas Chief Executive to provide advice and direction for the Americas program of work, content development, special projects and sponsorships, as well as provide recommendations to ULI’s Global Board of Directors. ULI is conducting a national search for the Americas Chief Executive position, with the goal of having an individual in place by July 1, 2016.

Criteria for inclusion on the committee included industry leadership, long term commitment to influencing responsible land use policies, diversity in geography and core expertise.