How many years have you been in the industry/field?

About 25 years ago, I was living in Minneapolis and went to a neighborhood planning meeting. One thing led to another, and I ended up volunteering with businesses to make improvements to the neighborhood’s main commercial area. Soon thereafter, Minneapolis began planning its first light rail line, and I represented the neighborhood on a task force working on plans for transit oriented development. I enjoyed my volunteer work so much, I made a career shift, got a master’s degree in urban planning, and was fortunate to land my ideal job out of grad school working for Minneapolis’s redevelopment authority. In that position, I worked on a wide range of projects from small scale infill projects to large downtown cultural facilities to transit-oriented mixed-use developments.

What motivates you?

Work from the public sector perch has its unique set of challenges—and yet over time we are facilitating positive change and improving the well-being of individuals and communities. In my work, I get to help implement people’s hopes for their communities, and I find that very rewarding.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone entering CRE?

For someone entering this type of work in the public sector, it’s important to be patient, persistent, and a creative problem-solver. It’s also essential to ground community visioning work with education about market realities and the tradeoffs between public goals.

What’s your favorite thing about real estate?

I’ve been involved with many public-private partnerships and really enjoy the wide variety of real estate professionals and disciplines I get to work with—architecture and urban design, financial modelling, legal analysis, policy development, community engagement, etc.. Through partnerships we have facilitated business growth opportunities and expanded housing options that are having meaningful impacts.

What’s your biggest career accomplishment?

I’m grateful to have worked with wonderful leaders and great teams throughout my career, and there are many projects for which I’m pleased to have played a role. In particular, though, I’m proud of our housing work in Salem. It all began with a value-focused citywide planning process in 2017. The plan, and the extensive engagement associated with it, became the basis for our subsequent housing policy work. That policy and programmatic focus has led to new homes. And when I see how impactful that housing is for people, I am thankful for having been able to help.

Why do you find ULI valuable?

I have been involved with ULI since early in my career in Minneapolis. I have found ULI to consistently have excellent educational and networking opportunities. In Salem, we have leveraged ULI member expertise through Technical Assistance Panels. Each TAP has resulted in a framework for us to advance our planning and development work, and they have been incredibly valuable. Most of all, though, I am consistently impressed by the intelligence, insightfulness, and collaborative nature of ULI members.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to now?

I’m currently reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Gathering Moss and am rewatching Loki with my high school senior.

What are you looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to several significant projects getting completed in Salem, including the Commonwealth’s second offshore wind marshalling port. I’m also very interested in emerging regional opportunities in climatetech and resiliency.