2022 Spring Issue - 37

of accelerating the representation
of women of color in the industry
and as leaders at ULI, " adds Sonia
Huntley, senior vice president of
diversity, equity, and inclusion
(DEI) at ULI.
Misty Staunton, who is in the
current class of WLI Prologis scholars,
is grateful for the opportunity.
She has witnessed the lack of
diversity firsthand after attending
a WLI reception at a previous ULI
Fall Meeting.
" When I went there, it was
intimidating because there were
a lot of white women and I'm half
black, half Mexican, " Staunton
says. " The women were very pleasant
and they were very nice, but I
definitely saw [and wondered], why
aren't there more women like me
here because we're definitely in the
field, but why are we not at WLI? "
Staunton is chief of staff in the
Houston Planning and Development
Department. After not being
selected as a WLI Prologis scholar
the first time she applied, now that
she is a recipient, she is thrilled.
" The scholarship winners
join their mentor as a guest
at their product council. This
benefits the winner in many
ways because it helps them
understand what product
councils are, how the system
works, and then they can
make strong connections
[there]. " -Emma West, WLI
Executive Committee
member
" I was shocked and also
extremely nervous when I saw the
other women that they chose, who
are amazing, " Staunton says. " I
just looked them up on LinkedIn.
You know sometimes you sit there
and you're like, am I this good or
did they accidentally just say, 'We'll
give her a chance'? I don't know,
but I'm just overwhelmed with
excitement to meet everyone. "
Staunton is also looking forward
to having a mentor. All the
participants will be matched with
mentors and participate in product
council activities at the Spring
Meeting.
" The review subcommittee
truly has a tough job in selecting
the winners, " says WLI director
Mankaa Ngwa-Suh. The recipients
are ambassadors for the WLI network
and demonstrate the leadership
traits and commitment that
strengthen the industry, she says.
" These women represent a wealth
of knowledge and experience-and
to be part of growing their career,
WLI is benefiting, too. "
" The scholarship winners join
their mentor as a guest at their
product council, " says Emma West,
a member of the WLI Executive
Committee and the subcommittee
for the program. " This benefits
the winner in many ways because
it helps them understand what
product councils are, how the
system works, and then [they] can
make strong connections at the
Council Day. "
Ayako Utsumi, a member of
the current scholar class and cochair
of WLI at ULI Los Angeles,
is looking forward to attending
the Spring Meeting in San Diego.
Having spent two decades working
in health care and more than
a decade in affordable housing
development, Utsumi is interested
in expanding the intersection of
health and the built environment,
she says. " I want to work specifically
in the space of complex care
management integrated into housing
for vulnerable adults. "
Her goal as one of four members
of the California Integrated Care at
Home Working Group is to adapt
the Support and Services at Home
model to California. It focuses on
helping vulnerable individuals
navigate the health care system
and receive continuous care while
being able to stay at home.
" I want to meet people in ULI
who can listen and learn about
this model and advise me on how
and who to talk with to make this
happen, " Utsumi says.
Elizabeth McMillan, a former
WLI Prologis scholar, is proof of
the impact the program can have.
It has offered her experiences
through networking with other
women and given her a better
understanding of the inner workings
of ULI.
" It's been a great thing for me as
a female in the real estate industry, "
says McMillan, who is project
executive at Crescent Communities
in Charlotte, North Carolina. " I'm a
member of a product council now,
but that really kind of introduced
me to that and what ULI could be
beyond the local district council. "
Burnette credits the program
with her success. She became
the chief administrative officer at
the Broadway Area Community
Improvement District in Kansas
City, was a district council chair,
and now is vice president of District
Councils at ULI.
" When we talk about diversity,
equity, and inclusion, what this
does is it gives people that opportunity, "
Burnette says. " Not everybody
has this chance. "
KAREN JORDAN is a Los Angeles-based
freelance writer.
SPRING 2022
URBAN LAND
37
2022 Spring Issue

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