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WASHINGTON (July 24, 2012) The Urban Land Institute (ULI), a global research and education institute dedicated to responsible land use and sustainable community building, has named Maureen L. McAvey as the ULI Bucksbaum Family Senior Resident Fellow for Retail.

McAvey, a longtime executive at the institute, is filling a position initially endowed in 2001 by the Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation and the Martin Bucksbaum Family Foundation to support a senior resident fellow for retail. The purpose of the endowment is to use the expertise and guidance of a senior resident fellow to enhance ULI’s ability to conduct research, analyze trends and foster an industry information exchange related to retail and the urban environment.

The ULI senior resident fellows program was established in the mid-1990s to enhance the organization’s role as the pre-eminent industry authority, and raise awareness of its ongoing efforts to improve the quality of land use and urban development worldwide. The program is supported with endowments to the ULI Foundation, which serves as the philanthropic source of funding for ULI.

“With Maureen’s guidance, ULI will strengthen its impact on policies and practices affecting retail development, reinforcing the vital role that retail plays in all forms of community building,” said ULI Governor John L. Bucksbaum, chief executive officer of Bucksbaum Retail Properties LLC in Chicago. “We look forward to a renewed focus on retail as part of urban and mixed-use developments, and on retail initiatives in underserved communities.”

Prior to moving into her new role, McAvey was executive vice president for ULI’s Initiatives Group, a position she held since 2006; before that, she was the ULI/Klingbeil Family Senior Resident Fellow for Urban Development from 2001-2006. She recently led several projects analyzing future urban development trends for ULI resulting in the publication of What’s Next: the Future of the Real Estate Industry. Her previous ULI roles also included leadership in the creation and production of ULI’s recent infrastructure work and work in the area of climate, land use and energy. McAvey joins four other senior resident fellows who specialize in urban development and policy, housing, sustainability and capital markets and finance issues.

“Maureen is an excellent fit for this position,” said ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “Her mix of public and private sector experience, combined with her strong background within ULI, will bring a freshness to this position, and allow ULI to focus on the many current changes in the retail industry.”

“The Bucksbaum family’s endowment reinforces the institute’s ability to provide insights and observations in this segment of the industry,” said ULI Foundation President Richard M. Rosan. “We are delighted with the family’s generous support, and we are very pleased to have Maureen in this post,” he said.

McAvey has more than 25 years of experience in real estate development, consulting, and the creation of public/private financial structures. Prior to joining the ULI staff, she was director of business development for Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), which owns and manages retail and mixed-use developments.

Before joining the staff of ULI, McAvey served on ULI’s Board of Trustees for six years. McAvey is a frequent speaker for ULI, representing the institute at industry meetings around the globe.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in sustaining and creating thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.