This is my last message as ULI Toronto Chair. Rob Spanier, Partner & Principal of Live Work Learn Play, will step into the role of Chair on July 1.

This is an exciting and positive time for ULI Toronto, as we have just announced the appointment of Richard Joy as our first full-time Executive Director. We have also just announced new leadership for our Advisory Board. In addition to Rob assuming the role of Chair, Derek Goring, Vice President of Development for First Gulf, is taking over from Rob as our Vice-Chair, Mission Advancement, and Nadia King, a Partner at PwC, is taking on the role of Treasurer from Frank Magliocco.

As our new Executive Director, Richard Joy brings years of experience in public policy roles, most recently as Vice-President, Policy and Government Relations for the Toronto Region Board of Trade. We are confident that Richard will provide excellent leaderships and work effectively with our Advisory Board and Committees, and our engaged membership, to build on ULI Toronto’s strong programming and outreach activities, and to strengthen ULI Toronto’s role as a thought leader on important issues facing the Toronto Region. ULI Toronto and Richard hope to particularly provide thought leadership on advancing and promoting the connection between land development decisions and mobility/infrastructure investment decisions.

Richard is joining a strong and dynamic organization. Our programs (including this year’s Fireside Chat with the Menekes family and our recent program on Mixed-use Developments in Toronto’s Priority Neighbourhoods) continue to be well-attended and informative, our recent Urban Ideas competition produced many interesting ideas around the ongoing development of Toronto’s waterfront, and our inaugural Tour de Toronto bike tour last month was extremely popular and provided participants with a unique way of visiting and appreciating numerous areas of development activity in our City.

It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve as ULI Toronto’s Chair for the past 4+ years. During that time, ULI Toronto, through the efforts of its many volunteers and members, has accomplished much:

• Its membership has increased by 50%, to over 700 members.

• In line with various governance initiatives of our parent organization, we have increased the size of our Advisory Board, and introduced Management and Governance Committees.

• We conducted our first Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), in the Weston area, and this in turn lead to the John Street Revitalization Public Realm Improvement Plan.

• Our Young Leaders Group launched a Student Committee, to promote more interaction between ULI Toronto and local planning schools.

• We launched the Pro Bono + program, which provided mentoring and assistance to non-profit, community initiatives.

• We launched the Women’s Leadership Initiative, which is part of a global ULI network promoting the advancement of women in real estate and development.

• One of our former Advisory Board members, John O’Bryan of CBRE, was appointed the first ULI Trustee from Canada.

In the end, ULI’s greatest strengths are its mission (to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide) and its engaged membership. I encourage all of our members to continue their association with ULI Toronto, and to assist our new Executive Director and our District Council in advancing ULI’s mission throughout the Toronto Region. Notwithstanding the end of my time as Chair, I certainly plan to continue being an engaged ULI member.

In closing, I would like to particularly thank our continuing ULI staff, Alexandra Rybak and Erin Carroll, for all the support, leadership and assistance that they have provided to our District Council and to me during my tenure as Chair. I know that they will work well with Richard, and that they will continue to provide invaluable support to ULI Toronto.

Best wishes to all for a sunny summer!

Mark