Dear ULI Michigan Members:

We are humbled and honored to lead ULI Michigan for the next two years.  We realize that sounds somewhat obligatory, but it is not.  Like you, we are passionate about ULI and its mission to create and sustain thriving communities through responsible land use.  Chairing ULI Michigan gives us an opportunity to give back to the organization that has given us so much.

Since we hosted the National 2018 Spring Conference in Detroit, our District Council has nearly doubled in size.  This is an exciting time for ULI Michigan! Looking to the future we are excited about the major investment announcements from GM, Ford, Chrysler, as well as upcoming investments into satellite launch sites and communications centers throughout Michigan.

At a high-level, our strategy for the next two years is to further ULI’s mission, and continue to establish ULI as the premier real estate organization in Michigan.  We plan to build on the wealth of talent, leadership, and influence available through our Advisory Board and greater membership. 

First, we are kicking off 2020 by revisiting our strategic plan. We have had many discussions with our local Advisory Board members regarding lessons learned, and how to best improve our Local Product Councils. Our updated strategic plan will include capitalizing on our strengths, such as the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) and Pathways for Inclusion (both nationally recognized programs), while also focusing on our leadership and financial sustainability.  

Second, we are engaging with the new National ULI leaders and are encouraged by the direction the organization is taking. This will be important for us to obtain additional resources for our District Council to help us continue to grow and thrive. It is exciting to share that ULI Michigan is driving national programmatic trends in diversity and inclusion that other District Councils around the country are duplicating.

In addition, we could not be successful without the help of our extremely talented ULI Michigan team members led by Shannon Sclafani, Corissa Green, and our newest additions, Victoria Comer and Stephanie Bassett.  We are also grateful to work with our dedicated Executive Committee, including Cari Easterday, Treasurer, and Pat Howe, Chair of Mission Advancement, our Advisory Board, and all of our committee chairs and co-chairs.  

We are looking forward to a great year of planning, programming, and progress. Please come over and say hello at an event or program. We would love to hear about your experiences with ULI Michigan.

Sincerely,

Dan Cassidy and Jill Ferrari