2023 Fall Issue of Urban Land - 137

ULI YOUNG LEADERS GROUP
Emerging Leaders Product
Council Program
Developing valuable mentor relationships early in your career
AMANDA HERZBERG
The ULI YoUng Leaders Group
(YLG), district council, and product
council teams recently completed
another cycle of the Emerging Leaders
Product Council program. This
opportunity is designed to help
qualified young leaders secure guest
spots on product councils at the
ULI Spring Meeting. Originally it
was established as a means for YLG
members to integrate more deeply
into the institute's programming.
The volunteer selection committee
consisted of Leroy Moore (ULI
Tampa chair and Americas executive
committee member), Cindy McSherry
(executive director of ULI Chicago),
Katie Maslechko (previous Americas
YLG cochair), Chandler Hogue
(Americas YLG cochair), Jill Lucken
(executive vice president, ULI District
Councils), and Karen Kotowski (vice
president, ULI District Councils). Out
of 41 applicants, 14 young leaders
were selected, based on their professional
experiences and commitment
to ULI.
These young leaders, representing
a diverse subset of the YLG (38 percent
BIPOC, eight female, five male)
attended the recent Spring Meeting
in Toronto as guests on 13 different
product councils to round out the
second year of YLG involvement.
The Emerging Leaders Product
Council program is a relaunch of the
previous Product Council-District
Council (PCDC) Exchange program
that occurred 2014-2018. The PCDC
Exchange successfully engaged more
than 50 YLG and NEXT members
to be guests with product councils.
Since then, many people from this
original cohort have gone on to
serve product councils as full members
and even to take on leadership
roles within the council.
FALL 2023
URBAN LAND
137
" The Urban Development and
Mixed-Use Council [UDMUC] Platinum
Flight truly enhanced the overall
ULI meeting experience for me, "
says Alexandra Hack, a young leader
and guest member of UDMUC. " I
attended Spring Meeting in years
past, but never as a guesting
member on a product council. "
Among the key benefits of this
YLG integration that Hack sites are
access to industry leaders, highly
specialized knowledge and insights
from recognized industry thought
leaders, and invaluable recognition
and visibility as an emerging professional.
" The
biggest benefit of the Emerging
Leaders Product Council program
was unprecedented access to industry
leaders that I otherwise would
not have had access to, " Hack says.
" By guesting on the UDMUC Platinum
Flight, I connected with leading
experts in mixed-use development
from all over the U.S. This allowed
me to grow my network beyond my
local district council 'at scale' by
connecting individuals in my direct
line of work. These initial connections
are the seeds that I hope to develop
into valuable relationships over the
long run. "
Hack's advice to young leaders
considering applying to the program
next year:
" Don't wait until the last minute to
fill out the application-the personal
essay will take longer than you think.
Ask for your recommendation letter
early, and provide your recommender
with a brief ULI resume of your
involvement, including committees
and any leadership positions served,
and research the product councils
you might be interested in joining
before submitting your application. "
Applications for the program are
open exclusively to young leaders,
who are accepted annually to guest
on a product council during the
Spring Meeting. Those chosen are
expected to attend the ULI Spring
Meeting and a product council
reception/dinner, actively participate
in council discussions, and adhere to
The Emerging Leaders cohort at the 2023 ULI Spring Meeting in Toronto.
ULI FOUNDATION
ULI
2023 Fall Issue of Urban Land

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