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Feature Articles |
Tomorrow’s TitansJanuary 15, 2004By Kathleen FloodAmong other accomplishments for ULI Los Angeles, 2003 will be known as the year that the district council launched its Young Leaders Group (YLG). The YLG mission is to rev-up involvement among emerging real estate professionals and allow them first-hand advice from today’s real estate titans. Led by Kevin Ehrhart and a committee, ULI Los Angeles/YLG consists of ULI members under 40. As a professional development vehicle, it connects young leaders from ULI with more senior ULI members and others in the real estate profession. District Councils across the country, especially in Atlanta, Houston and Philadelphia, have also successfully implemented the YLG. “Through the YLG, ULI Los Angeles hopes to assist its younger members in their professional development by making more accessible the tremendous knowledge base that exists among our senior members,” said ULI Los Angeles Chair John Menne. “ULI is the real estate industry’s foremost education and research organization, and as members we are providing a mentorship environment that will help cultivate tomorrow’s leaders.” YLG members in L.A. have already enjoyed two stimulating gatherings geared to their specific interests. A June 17 membership networking reception introduced the YLG leaders at the classic Art Deco-style Argyle Hotel in West Hollywood. And on October 9, the group hosted a sold-out historic-preservation case study of The Standard Downtown L.A. – a milestone revitalization project within the city’s central core. At that event, organized by Charmaine Evans and Laura Benson of the YLG Committee, the development team for The Standard shared its experience with tax credits and design trends in converting a 1950s office high-rise to downtown’s hippest hotel, bar and restaurant. Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservatory moderated guest speakers that included Will Gustafson, managing partner of 550 Hotel Partners LLC; Hank Koning, vice president of KoningEizenbergArchitecture; Christy McAvoy, principal of Historic Resources Group; and Emery Molnar, senior vice president of Taisei Construction Corporation. “The YLG is off to a tremendous start,” says Ehrhart, an associate of Allen, Matkins, Leck, Gable & Mallory, LLP. “The YLG leadership team has exceeded every phase-one goal we wrote for developing this new group. We’ve been working on this for about 18 months, and our achievements are the result of the wonderful guidance and support we received from John Menne, Mike Matkins, Jim Goodell, and Susan Kamei, among others, as well as the efforts of our entire leadership team. It’s our hope that the YLG will galvanize our young leaders by involving them with ULI earlier in their careers and ultimately solidifying the ULI Los Angeles membership base for the foreseeable future.” In January 2004, YLG Partnership Forums—sub-groups of 8 to 10 members with no conflicts of interest and whose professional disciplines are diverse—will begin meeting quarterly to discuss real-estate related issues with a senior member of ULI in confidential and intimate settings. “The Young Leaders group is comprised of smart, talented individuals. It’s a place where they can share knowledge, not just data,” sad Bob Ruth, advisor to the YLG Partnership Forum, a ULI Trustee, and area president/senior managing director of Trammell Crow Company. “The Partnership Forum is a great opportunity to look at real issues and the best practices used to resolve them.” Partnership Forums, co-chaired by Heidi Eick-Taliaferro and Kevin Bender, will follow a model similar to the Young Presidents’ Organization. They will provide a broader perspective on the real estate industry and opportunities within the ULI organization. Moreover, they are expected to facilitate opportunities for participants and moderators to strengthen their leadership abilities by sharing their business expertise in an environment of confidentiality, trust, respect and intimacy. To join a Partnership Forum, you must first be a member of ULI in the Los Angeles District Council. ULI Los Angeles/YLG members interested in participating in the Partnership Forums should access and complete by January 7, 2004 a profile form at <http://www.uli-la.org/involved/ylg.html>. Kathleen Flood is a public-relations consultant whose company, Flood Communications Group, is based in Long Beach. | |
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