2019 Impact Award Winners

ULI Austin’s annual Impact Awards recognize and celebrate projects and people throughout Greater Austin that exemplify ULI’s mission: to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities.

The 2019 Awards were celebrated at the ZACH Theater on August 27, 2019.

Learn more about the Impact Award Categories HERE.

Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette
President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University
Co-lead for the Mayor’s Task Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities

The ULI Austin Vision Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in his or her lifetime within the Austin region. Winners are selected annually by the ULI Austin Governance Committee and represent a diverse range of sectors, including real estate, finance, public service, not-for-profit and education. The Vision Award represents the highest honor one can receive from ULI Austin, and it speaks to an individual’s impact not just within the real estate industry but to our community as a whole. Previous recipients of the award include Gary Farmer of Heritage Title (2018), Senator Kirk Watson (2017), Alan Graham of Mobile Loaves & Fishes (2016) and Tom Stacy of CapRidge Partners (2015).  This year, we are honored to present Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette with the 2019 Vision Award.

View Press Release for more information about Dr. Pierce Burnette and ULI Austin’s Vision Award.

[See the video about Dr. Burnette here]

People of the Year Categories

As a volunteer organization, ULI could not be successful without the dedicated hard work of its members. Winners for these awards were selected by a diverse committee comprised of ULI members and staff.

Click HERE to learn more about the 2019 People Nominees

ULI Young Leader of the Year:

The Young Leader of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding ULI Young Leader member who makes a positive contribution to ULI’s Young Leaders Group, their profession and the community at large. These early-career professionals set the bar for innovation, goal-setting, community service and a strong commitment to ULI’s mission.

Winner:

Other Nominees:

  • Lexie Hall, Cushman Wakefield
  • Jessica Rollason, Gensler

Member of The Year

ULI Austin’s Member of the Year Award recognizes a current ULI member who creates positive contributions to ULI Austin this year and for their profession and the community.

Winner:

Other Nominees:

  • Margie Burciaga, Independence Title Company
  • Heidi Cisneros, Structures
  • Su Kosub, Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc.
  • Jason Qunell, University Federal Credit Union
  • Eldon Rude, 360 Real Estate Analytics
  • Michael Wilt, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation

Influence Award

ULI Austin’s Influence Award, recognizes a ULI member who has positively influenced ULI Austin over many years, contributing to the district council’s growth and mission advancement.

Winner:

Other Nominees:

  • Phil Capron, Falcon Southwest
  • Rob Golding, Rodeo Austin
  • Steve LeBlanc, CapRidge Partners
  • Jack Tisdale, STG Design

Carey Gunn Venditti

(1969-2019)

In Memoriam:

ULI Austin recognized Carey Gunn Venditti with an award in memoriam for her leadership, influence, and impact on our district council and the community. Carey was the first woman to serve as ULI Austin District Council Chair. She was integral to ULI Austin’s growth and momentum with her unwavering energy and forward-looking vision. Carey was very passionate about increasing the number and visibility of female leaders in real estate. She first joined the ULI Austin board when she started our Women’s Leadership Initiative, which has since grown significantly. During her tenure as Chair of Mission Advancement, ULI Austin added the Strategic Councils to help ULI Austin impact local issues. Carey was a great community leader beyond ULI.  She served as a mentor and Advisory Council Member of The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business Real Estate Investment and Finance Center.  She also was an active supporter of the arts including serving as a long-standing Board Member for the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

To learn about the scholarship honoring Carey, CLICK HERE.

Competitive Project Award Categories 

Five competitive project award categories are evaluated by highly experienced judges.

  • Susana Carbajal, Assistant Director for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
  • Adriana Cruz, President of Greater San Marcos Partnership
  • Greg Weaver, Executive Vice President for Catellus Development Corporation and a member of ULI Austin’s Governance Committee

Click HERE to see more about the Project Finalists

Most Influential Project

This award recognizes a completed project that creates a positive impact beyond its immediate borders and energizes the development of the surrounding community, resulting in a lasting effect on the built environment.

Best Project Innovation

This award highlights originality and creativity in development and can include aspects of design, place-making, supporting public transit, sustainability, financing (including public/private partnerships), innovative land use or community planning or other inventive features.

Best Project Design

This award recognizes a completed project that demonstrates excellence in design for architecture, interior design, engineering, planning, or other project element.

Best Public Place

This award recognizes a completed project that provides the public with enhanced civic, open or public space access or experiences.  The project may be public sector, non-profit, public/private partnership or entirely private sector, as long as the space itself is generally open to the public without charge.

Next Big Idea

We conclude this evening’s presentations with an award that encourages thinking outside the box. The Next Big Idea Award recognizes an upcoming project, master planning effort, redevelopment, program, policy or even just an ‘idea’ that will transform the land use industry and our community.