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

A Texas Aggie two times over, Logan started his real estate career in commercial lending. He has always loved real estate and developed a passion for community creation. His experience spans all aspects of residential real estate; from front end design and entitlements of several projects, including Easton Park and Kissing Tree while at Brookfield Residential, to design and construction of more than 1,300 units of multi family as part of the team at Greystar, including student housing, active adult, and traditional apartment homes.

Zoning and planning 4,000+ acres of master plans and more than 15,000 residential lots, Logan garnered detailed experience with major infrastructure improvements, public private partnerships, and the intricacies of land use politics. He has headed up land acquisition and development for production home builders as well. Bachelors of Business Administration – Finance – Texas A&M University class of 2002 Master’s of Business Administration – Texas A&M University class of 2012

 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

Bio Pending

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR 

Luci proudly represents one of Austin’s most iconic companies. With an unparalleled reputation for quality, color accuracy and on-time performance, Miller Imaging & Digital Solutions (fka Miller Blueprint) has served Austin since 1920, and is HUB certified under the management of Luci Miller, a third generation Miller.

Today, Miller Imaging & Digital Solutions continues evolving to meet the needs of our customers, adding new technology, products, equipment and services. Both of the Austin based facilities provide full service business printing, scanning and wide format imaging services that cater to the AEC industry and hundreds of local businesses.

In her role, Luci specializes in helping organizations, including ULI Austin, leverage the right imaging technology, control costs and achieve their business goals. She uses the exclusive list of technology partners and strong buying power to ensure clients receive unsurpassed selection and value.

ULI NEXT INITIATIVE CHAIR

Bio Pending

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

Bio Pending

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 

A dynamic marketing communications leader recognized for her strategic acumen and ability to drive organizational growth while nurturing a vibrant company culture. Patti excels in comprehensive corporate branding, internal communications strategy, and strategic marketing planning with a track record of success in defining market position, crafting compelling messaging, and developing annual strategic plans and OKRs.

She is recognized for her ability to translate complex ideas into actionable marketing strategies that drive engagement, foster growth, and elevate brand presence in competitive markets.