Heidi Cisneros is the Managing Partner with Structures, a local structural engineering firm. With a strong background in accounting and business management, Heidi started with Structures during its founding over 25 years ago managing accounting and human resources. Heidi founded a second local firm providing civil engineering, which she grew and sold to focus on Structures. Heidi cut her teeth managing retail for a large national chain where she became the youngest manager within the organization’s history and managed a store grossing $1 million per week. Heidi received formal training through the University of North Texas and night classes while working full time. In her current role as Managing Partner, Heidi directs all aspects of the firm’s financial and business administration. Her foresight has assisted in creating long-term business strategies. Her ability to function as a key decision maker for the business has produced new opportunities and business ventures for growth and advancement. After completing her term as Programs Chair for the Urban Land Institute Austin District Council, Heidi currently serves as ULI Austin’s Chair of Mission Advancement and will continue serving on the Management Committee and Advisory Board. She also sits on the P3 Local Member Council and the Technical Assistance Panels Committee. Heidi is a past treasurer of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, Austin Chapter, the current treasurer of her HOA, a member of the Austin Chamber, and served on a catholic ministry leadership team in Austin. She is a wife of 19 years with two teen-aged sons.

CHAIR FOR MISSION ADVANCEMENT

Lance Coplin is focused on providing construction loans to the real estate development community in Texas. As a real estate lender with Frost Bank (NYSE: CFR) he serves new and existing clients as a trusted source of project financing. With over $500 million in real estate loan closings for local and national developers, he has deep transaction and asset management experience in all property types. He began his real estate career as a commercial appraiser with a brief tour in private equity on the West Coast before returning to Austin to build a career in lending. Lance is also the newly elected chair of ULI Austin’s Programs Committee; currently serves on ULI’s Urban Local Member Council; and is a member of ULI Next. Outside of his professional pursuits, Lance volunteers with Junior Achievement, the Thundercloud Turkey Trot, and the Salvation Army.

Lance holds an MBA in public and private real estate from the University of Texas – McCombs School of Business, and a BBA in real estate finance from Texas Christian University – Neeley School of Business.

TREASURER

Jason has 29 years of commercial lending and management experience. He has vast experience in leadership, risk management, strategic planning, product development, and operational excellence. He has a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas Tech University and MBA from St. Edwards University where he received the Presidential Award. He is currently the Director of Business Banking for University Federal Credit Union where he leads the sales, servicing and credit teams and is developing a new line of business to serve small businesses in Central Texas.

He is a past board chair for Foundation Communities and currently serves as co-chair of the real estate committee, past president of the Young Men’s Business League and co-chair of their capital campaign, member of the Real Estate Council of Austin, serves or served on the management committee, advisory board, and technical assistance panel committee for the Urban Land Institute Austin, and serves on the finance committee for Riverbend Church. He has a wife, Kerri, of 24 years and 17 year old daughter who is a senior at Westlake High. Jason is an avid mountain biker and hunter.

 DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION STEERING COMMITTEE

Jenell Moffett is the Chief Impact Officer for the Downtown Austin Alliance. She implements tactical solutions, driving and supporting the design, development, and progression of strategic initiatives for downtown Austin; by way of communication, research, storytelling, benchmarking effective practices, and leadership. Ultimately to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and prosperity for all – in downtown, Austin.

Jenell drives impact through the organization’s mission, vision, and values by aligning business decision-making to purpose and considering the impact of practices across operations. She shapes upfront, strategic thinking of new initiatives, including framing and analyzing complex problems, assessing the current state, designing target state solutions, developing actionable recommendations, analyzing information, and leading change.
Jenell serves as a thought leader and spokesperson for downtown’s economic, demographic, and social contexts and is responsible for measuring and monitoring the organization’s inclusion efforts. She does this by developing innovative programs and practices that effectively increase diversity and inclusion, and provides consultation to various team members, programs, and projects both internally and externally, with the intent to contribute positively to the advancement of equitable outcomes for the underserved and underrepresented.

Prior to her work with the Downtown Alliance, Jenell worked for the City of Austin for over 10 years. During her time there, she worked as an Engineering Associate with Austin Water Utility and a Senior Business Systems Analyst with the Office of Sustainability. Jenell has her bachelor’s degree in urban studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s in business administration from Concordia University Texas-Austin.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR

I am a strategist and people connector. I drive strategic sales account growth through relationship building, thinking creatively on how to help our clients, and working collaboratively with practice builders and sales to drive stellar client service. I have worn various sales hats throughout my career, including sales leadership, business development, interview coach, and public speaker – which brings extensive knowledge and insight into the strategic sales process. I have worked across multiple industries (A/E/C, HR Consulting, Legal, and Finance) throughout my 26 years. I moved to Austin in 2005 and began my A/E/C career working for Bury+Partners. In the heart of the downturn, I opened and successfully ran a consulting business, offering strategic sales, operational and management support, and various consulting activities to architects, brokers, contractors, developers, engineers, and municipalities for over six years. I joined Jacobs, a Fortune 500 engineering firm, in 2016 where I progressed to the geographic sales lead responsible for driving sales growth across Texas and Oklahoma. I most recently joined Kimley-Horn where I will bring all of this combined experience to helping them continue their stellar growth across Texas. Teaching is a passion of mine and public speaking is a natural skill. I am pleased to be a trained presenter for ULI Austin’s “Urban Plan Exchange” program and will take on the role of Education Chair beginning July 2023. Let’s connect and discuss ways to work together!

LOCAL MEMBER COUNCILS CHAIR

As an architect with a focus in public relations and community building, Sara’s role at Page is to develop collaborative partnerships with public and private institutions, industry, and enterprise. Sara brings a passion for helping shape businesses and organizations to be stronger through visibility, brand, innovation, and partnerships.

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR 

Matthew Taylor is a Principal Landscape Architect at Norris Design who has a diverse background working alongside talented teams in the development and implementation of parks and recreation master plans, multi-family design, unique placemaking, branding and logo development, historical reuse and rehabilitation, and podium courtyards. He is experienced in the coordination and quality control of all items involved with creating a clean and concise set of construction documents and enjoys producing creative design solutions that relay the clear intent of the vision, thus leading all involved to a successfully completed project. Matthew is passionate about finding the most effective solution to any obstacle presented while providing encouragement and positive reinforcement to those around him.

ULI NEXT INITIATIVE CHAIR

PROGRAMS CHAIR

Jeff Nydegger represents both public and private sector clients in virtually all types of public finance and project finance transactions. With a focus on public-private partnerships (P3s), Jeff’s scope of representation covers all stages of the transaction – procurement and selection, negotiation predevelopment agreements, and execution of financing and construction agreements, as well as post-closing administration. Jeff’s broad expertise in public sector financing, real estate and construction matters in the P3 context enables him to guide his clients’ strategies and to obtain quality, long-term results. Jeff’s resume includes a broad range of project types including higher education sports facilities, courthouse projects and municipal facilities, mixed-use P3 developments, research parks, convention centers and hotels, student housing, utility infrastructure, and major industrial development projects.

Jeff co-founded Winstead’s P3 industry group in 2016, and currently chairs ULI-Austin’s P3 local member council.  Since 2016, Jeff has served as a board member and general counsel for the Greater San Marcos Partnership. Jeff has also served on the Austin regional board of directors of KIPP Texas (formerly KIPP Austin Public Schools) since 2015.

SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR 

Eric Churchill has nearly 20 years of construction industry experience and as Director of Business Development for Adolfson & Peterson Construction, works with leadership and project teams to engage new and existing clients to foster strong partnerships and identify new business opportunities that align with AP’s culture and growth strategy. Eric believes that a client will only care about what you (or your company) know after they know how much you care about their project or organization.

Eric has developed relationships in the Central Texas area over the last 20 years in multiple markets including commercial office, multi-family, education, and industrial warehouse. He also has established relationships with city, county and state agencies. Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University.

SPECIAL EVENTS CHAIR

Jared Pyka is a native of Central Texas who has been working in the commercial development, construction, and horticulture industries for the past 22 years in Austin. He currently serves as the Director of Client Development at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture in Austin, where his role is to build relationships in order to bring clients’ projects into reality with innovative design focusing on the outdoor environment. Jared has a passion for bringing people together for mutual collaboration and connection. Jared has held certifications as a licensed irrigator, irrigation auditor, commercial and agricultural pesticide applicator, and has received his OSHA 30-Hour training and certificate. In 2011, Jared received the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA) Young Leader Award, and served on the regional and state-wide board for the organization from 2010 to 2018. In 2022, Jared chaired the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Austin Marketplace and was elected to the ULI Management Committee as the Events Chair. Jared is also an active member of the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), and Texas Recreation and Parks Society (TRAPS). Jared holds a Bachelor of Science in Plant and Soil Science from Texas Tech University. In his free time, Jared is an avid cyclist and gardener, and is currently bringing a 1968 Chevelle back to life after 22 years in waiting. He lives in Georgetown, Texas with his wife and two children, where the family is involved in Preservation Georgetown, the First United Methodist Church, Boy Scouts of America, and the PTA.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE CHAIR

Lara Burns Boyda epitomizes the savvy businesswoman with a flair for philanthropy. She began her career at Urbanspace Real Estate in 2003 while majoring in Economics at The University of Texas at Austin. Earning her real estate license in 2004, Lara continued to work her way up the ranks and, upon graduation, took over the company’s chief financial role.

It was during those early years that Lara honed her management skills, successfully guiding the company’s newly introduced Interiors division through the recession and growing it into a thriving business. During this time, Urbanspace began its storied run by being the market leader for marketing and sales of condominiums projects in downtown Austin. When Urbanspace earned exclusive rights to market and sell highly successful projects such as Seaholm, The Independent, and The LAAN, and 44 East Ave, it was Lara who developed and managed the process, serving as the liaison between buyers, developers, contractors, architects, and the Urbanspace sales team, keeping the multitude of moving parts flowing in unison.

In her current role as COO, Lara oversees the staff and agents of the 50+ person operation, and she does all of this with integrity, style, and a generous heart. She is extremely excited about working on the company’s newest endeavors in the hospitality business with Codependent Cocktails + Coffee, Bacalar, and Urbanspace’s first tower, The Modern Austin Residences, which will rise 56 stories at 610 Davis St in Austin’s Rainey Street District.

YOUNG LEADER GROUP CHAIR 

Danielle Smyth, Associate in Marx|Okubo’s Southeast region, provides owner’s representation, construction loan monitoring services, and property condition assessments for all project types. She also assists with providing clients design and constructability reviews. She has eight years of experience managing and coordinating large-scale commercial, new construction, and renovation projects across different property types such as office, hospitality, mixed-use, and student housing. She has a unique experience working on the first mid-rise mass timber office building in Texas, known as The Soto in San Antonio. Additionally, Danielle has experience with LEED BD+C projects. She is skilled in maintaining project schedules, projecting billings, and participating in the review process while monitoring quality assurance/quality control guidelines. Danielle earned master’s degrees in architecture and business administration from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. In addition, she holds a certificate in urban and community design. She is a licensed architect and a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In 2019-2020, she served as Chair/Co-Chair of AIA Austin’s Emerging Professionals Committee for a two-year term. Danielle is also an active member of ULI Austin and is the Chair of ULI Austin Young Leaders (YL) Committee.

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR 

Amy Neskar graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. She has worked as a civil engineering consultant in land and site development, and as a program and construction manager. She spent the beginning of her career working on master planned communities in the Houston area. Since moving back to Austin in 2017, she worked as a Project Manager on the Austin ISD 2017 Bond Program. At WGI, she is a Project Manager, primarily working on multifamily and mixed use projects around the greater Austin area. Amy has served on the ULI Austin Communications Committee since 2017, and was a member of the Young Leaders Committee, participating in the Mentorship Forum for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 sessions.