ULI MN,

Record membership numbers.  Thriving programs.  Glowing press coverage from national media.

It has never been a better time to be a member of ULI MN.  Our platform is more robust than ever and the value proposition for being a ULI member has never been more compelling.

The Knowledge Finder tool is connecting more members than ever to the experience and institutional knowledge that flows through ULI on a daily basis.  Membership retention rates soar by double digits when members use Knowledge Finder just once in a year.   Similarly, ULI’s Navigator is connecting more people to opportunities to engage than ever before.

Yet, our most basic value proposition is unchanged: Trust.  Our technical assistance panels are trusted to diagnose challenging urban problems and recommend a path forward.  Our product councils are trusted to deliver timely real estate insights in rooms where market competitors engage one another’s experience to evolve our industry separately and together.  Our Regional Council of Mayors and Minnesota Mayors Togethers is trusted to convene leaders from across the metro and from across the State to figure out how we can go farther together, faster.

And, most importantly, our members trust ULI to be a place where they can accelerate their careers by tying into and building upon a network of engaged thought leaders.  As many ULI MN members know, much of my own success is attributable to the network I’ve built at ULI MN.  That is, I’m not only the Chair, I’m also a very thankful member.

But challenges remain.  Diversity and Inclusion, despite all of our best efforts, remain areas of great need.  ULI MN is deeply invested in and committed to our Real Estate Diversity Initiative, which is being hailed nationally as a model to follow.  We have graduated more than 90 people — but much more is needed. We need members, sponsors and key stakeholders at all levels to be engaged in helping ULI MN explore and launch initiatives that take aim at making our industry more diverse and inclusive.  Our community is relying on ULI MN to be at the forefront of these solutions.

We also have a rapidly aging membership.  Only one-third of ULI MN members are under the age of 45.  While ULI MN will never compromise its value propositions for the sake of growth, we need to be deeply engaged in ensuring that ULI MN continues to connect with and engage the youngest contributors of the real estate industry in order to ensure our own long-term prosperity.  With trust as our heart beat, we will remain focused on evolving to meet the needs of current members and the next generation.

And, lastly, the financial constraints of running ULI MN have never been greater.  We remain incredibly grateful to our Sponsors and Grantors.  They enable us to make daily investments into our staff, our members and our industry.  Yet, all too often, our impact is limited by the funds we raise each year, much of which is variable from year to year.  We are incredibly proud of how much we do with so little, yet its hard not to imagine how much more could be done.  During my term, we won’t hesitate to turn over every stone to evaluate how we can grow our balance sheet in order to accelerate the success of ULI MN, of our members, and of our collective Minnesota future.

I’m excited to be a part of the journey that lies ahead.  I hope you are too!

Best Regards,

Jeremy