Get Involved

As a member-based organization, none of our work would be possible without the support of our volunteer committees. Our committees are comprised of ULI members active in the field of land use and real estate and are chaired by dedicated ULI leaders that have been appointed by staff and our board.

The Urban Land Institute’s Austin District Council is committed to advancing ULI’s mission to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. ULI Austin is the leading multidisciplinary real estate organization in the region for expanding your network and increasing your industry knowledge.

Committees and Councils offer both in-person and virtual participation options

See All Member Opportunities

Operational Opportunities

Programs Committee

The Programs Committee plans monthly educational and informational meetings including our flagship monthly breakfast series, trends conferences, and networking events.

Chair: Jeff Nydegger, Winstead

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee develops and implements member engagement strategies such as virtual Why ULI? Info Sessions, making Welcome Calls to new members, and hosting in-person New Member Socials to help grow and maintain membership in ULI.

Chair: Luci Miller, Miller IDS

Communication Committee

The Communication Committee promotes events and helps keep members informed about ULI initiatives and activities. Committee members do not need prior experience in marketing. This is a great way to expand your professional network.

Chair: Patti Larson

Sponsorship Committee

The Sponsorship Committee solicits financial support of ULI Austin from local companies and organizes sponsor appreciation activities. Annual sponsorship provides over half of ULI Austin’s operations budget and 100% of donations remain local in Austin.

Chair: Eric Churchill, Adolfson & Peterson Construction

Short-Term Opportunities

Special Events Committees

The Special Events Committee plans ULI Austin’s three signature events including identifying venue and program and soliciting guest speakers and sponsors. Committees mostly meet biweekly for three months before the event.

Chair: Danea Dickey,WorkplaceSolutions

  • Impact Awards – Recognizes projects and people that exemplify ULI’s Mission.
  • Marketplace – A showcase of Austin’s emerging real estate projects.
  • Game Day – Networking extravaganza with golfers and tailgaters.  

Education Committees

ULI has several initiatives focused on education for individuals ranging from school-aged to college and industry professionals. ULI needs mentors and presenters for these programs.

Education Chair: Tricia Williamson, Kimley-Horn

Hines Student Design Competition – Challenges college students to collaborate across disciplines to imagine a better-built environment. ULI members mentor and coach local university teams. December – February.

Chair: Rebecca Leonard, Lionheart

UrbanPlan Exchange – Members facilitate hands-on workshops where participants learn about the fundamental forces that shape and affect the built environment.

Chair: David Smith, Austin Commercial

Building Industry Leaders (BIL) is a program built in partnership with the ULI and the Boys & Girls Clubs to educate and mentor high school students on career opportunities in commercial real estate and give them the professional skills to become industry leaders and contributing members of their community.  BIL’s aim is to enrich the lives of students and young leaders who participate in the program, and to promote greater ethnic and gender diversity among our future real estate industry leaders.

Chair: Anastasia Megdanis, RedLeaf

Leadership and Professional Development

ULI NEXT

ULI NEXT offers small groups (flights) where members between the ages of 35-45 meet for presentations of topical interest to seed candid discussion from diverse perspectives. All members ages 35-45 are eligible to participate in NEXT programming (no application required).  Program runs September through May.

Chair: Dan Loss, The NRP Group LLC

Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI)

WLI strives to promote the advancement of women and increase the number of women who serve in leadership positions in the real estate industry and in ULI. The steering committee plans the overall direction of WLI and the various events and initiatives. All female ULI members are eligible to participate in WLI programming (no application required).

Chair: Lara Burns Boyda, Urbanspace

Young Leaders Group

YLG events/activities create a unique setting for early-career professionals and students under the age of 35 to develop professional skills and build relationships while fostering an understanding of thoughtful development practices. All members under age 35 are eligible to participate in Young Leader programming. You are automatically considered a Young Leader if you are under age 35.

Chair: Danielle Smyth, Marx|Okubo Associates

The Mentorship Forum For Young Leaders pairs small groups of early-career professionals with experienced, senior-level members to build leadership through a broad understanding of all facets of the real estate industry. Applications for members open once annually in June. Program runs September through May; $275 Annual Fee

Chair: Olivia Pitt-Perez, Coleman & Associates

Mission Advancement Opportunities

Local Member Councils

Local Member Councils are topically focused, multidisciplinary groups that meet regularly to exchange ideas, examine industry trends, and share information and best practices concerning a specific real estate topic in a collaborative manner. Applications to join one of these small groups are accepted twice annually, in June and December. Programming runs year-round; $200 Annual Participation Fee (in addition to ULI membership dues).

Chair: Nina Farrell, JLL

Local Member Councils:

Commercial

Housing Innovations

Industrial

Master Planned Communities

Multifamily

Placemaking

Public Private Partnerships

Resilience & Sustainability

Regional Growth

Small Scale Development

Technology

Transit-Oriented Development

Urban

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee

The committee plays a unique dual role within ULI Austin as a resource in bringing an equity, diversity and inclusion lens to the work of our local District Council leadership; and as a catalyst for facilitating change in the real estate industry.

Chair: Jenell Moffett, Downtown Austin Alliance

Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs)

Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) leverage ULI members’ knowledge to provide expert, multidisciplinary advice to local governments, public agencies and nonprofit organizations facing complex land use and real estate issues. The committee vettes TAP opportunities and reviews previous TAP outcomes. Participation on a panel requires two full-day commitment with follow up emails per TAP.

Chair: Allen Wise, IBC Bank

Expectations of Committee Members

  • Lead or support at least one committee program or project as a sub-committee member
  • Be an active contributor to the committee (e.g. active participation in committee meetings, reviewing meeting minutes, completing assigned action items within set deadlines, etc.)
  • Be proactive in identifying goals, objectives, and ideas to drive the organization’s membership and growth
  • Support ULI Austin programs (e.g. attend major programs, webinars, invite industry contacts to participate, volunteer as a mentor, etc.)
  • Be familiar with the products and services provided by ULI and publicly promote them
  • Attend 75 percent of committee meetings per year (3 excused absences) – your participation is critical to the operations of the committee and ULI Austin overall
  • Be a ULI member in good standing