Read Trish Healy’s, ULI Americas Chair, remarks from the 2016 Fall Meeting below or watch the full video here. 

It has been eight years since ULI has been to Dallas/Fort Worth. From Dallas’s West End to Fort Worth’s Trinity Walk, it is obvious you are now one of the great urban regions of the 21^st century. I want to thank our terrific Host, Sponsorship and Program Chairs, and their Committees, for arranging a conference as bold as the region. As your Chair of ULI America’s, I have three comments to help set the stage for the week:

1. First, this Fall Meeting is an Americas meeting, with changes that begin to reflect input from ULI Americas constituencies, our new Americas Executive Committee and its CEO Jeanne Myerson. Let me give you some examples. We have heard your requests to expand Product Council opportunities, develop a better website and provide technology tools to match member interests with leadership opportunities. Over the course of this week you will hear more about each of these initiatives.

We are also directing special attention to our Advisory Services Programs and working with our Centers’ leadership to ensure our work is measurable, meaningful and of benefit to our members and their communities. And over the course of the week leadership is, for the first time, officially meeting with the ULI chairs in all networks, Trustees, and our former Trustees members, to better understand your needs and desires for ULI.

2. Secondly, we have a request for you. I hope that you have seen on email or on social media, the online survey asking about your experiences and expectations of ULI. We are carrying that survey to the meeting this week, asking each of you: how do you engage with ULI; what do you value, and what do you want to know more about. The survey questions are in the ULI meeting app your phones, and they can be answered easily and quickly.

This afternoon you will hear from Bret Wilkerson, a member of the Americas Executive Committee who is heading a task force specifically focusing on network engagement and connectivity. He will offer results from the pre-meeting online survey. Beginning tomorrow, meeting results will also be shared through a variety of media platforms.  Most importantly, your responses will directly inform next year’s business plan and will provide valuable input into shaping of the strategic plan for ULI Americas.

3. Finally, let me close by saying, in the audience this morning are some of ULI’s rising stars. They are the winners of Urban Land magazine’s 40 under 40 competition; the young innovators who are shaping cities for the future. Please join me in congratulating our 40 under 40! Please stand!

These ULI leaders, along with their peers in YLG and NEXT, have the real going forward stake in ULI. But we all have a responsibility to ensure we are offering the best member experience. The America’s Executive Committee is committed to working with staff to revisit all aspects of how ULI works — from membership to programming to research. To do so we need your input.  Please, take a moment to give us your feedback in this survey.

Let me end by saying that the North Texas District Council, along with the ULI’s amazing staff, has put together a remarkable set of conversations, presentations and programming which I don’t believe is replicable anywhere in our industry.  That is all because of your respective commitment to this outstanding member driven organization. Through your work, ULI will continue to be instrumental in shaping our communities in the Americas and worldwide. Thank you. And now let the Fall Meeting begin!