On Tuesday, November 29^th, eleven ULIsf members gathered for Boardroom After Dark, a WLI dinner series that invites ULI members to dine with a distinguished female industry leader. At this particular dinner, we sat down with Jeanne Myerson, who holds a new post as CEO of the Americas of ULI. Prior to ULI, Jeanne worked as CEO of The Swig Company. The table was comprised of a diverse group of members ranging from architects and planners, developers, brokers, and people working in the non-profit realm. After a quick round of introductions, we learned that over half the group had lived and worked in New York at some point in their career whereas others had been born, raised, and spent their entire careers in San Francisco – something that became a topic of discussion later in the evening. Dinner guests were able to engage Jeanne in this informal setting and ask questions about her career path and experience in the industry. Below are a few key takeaways that were highlights of the evening.

Dive Into Different Jobs – Always Seek Something New

Jeanne has a reputation for being able to dive into any role and be successful. She has lived and worked through different US markets and cycles and has been able to utilize her transferable skills and relationships to positively contribute to any endeavor. Jeanne has always been able to put her mind to learning a new skill set and tackling something she has not experienced before.  If Jeanne were to assign herself a mantra, it would be: instead of becoming an expert in one sector, don’t be afraid of diving into different roles

New Role – CEO of the Americas for ULI

Jeanne has recently started working at the Urban Land Institute, in a new role as CEO of the Americas. She made it a point throughout the dinner to ask the attendees about their experiences with ULI and she listened to what could be improved upon to strengthen the quality of the organization. Although Jeanne is working at the Global level of ULI, she stressed the importance of getting involved on the District Council level. She spoke about the benefit of collaboration and the group discussed other organizations in the Bay Area committed to advocating for responsible land use. She is looking forward to utilizing the feedback to ensure that ULI is engaged in topical real estate discussions and has the appropriate outreach mechanisms for active dialogue that strengthens the overall membership.

Activism – Do Something

With regards to taking action to change, Jeanne urged the dinner guests to think about what they can do to make an impact. As the U.S. election in November proved, Americans are polarized on many issues but causes are much more productive when energy is channeled properly. There are certain protocols that may likely never change but complaining does not result in progress. Get involved with education, policymaking, teaching, and work to demonstrate progress. You can make a difference at the local level so start – or continue – your involvement in your community.

Work/Life Balance

Jeanne opened up on her personal life – you can balance your responsibilities, but you may not be able to achieve the proverbial “having it all.” In raising a daughter, there were time periods during which a travel-intensive job was not under consideration. Ultimately, you have to make choices in your life and find a balance that works for you, your family, and your career.

Jeanne concluded with a great message: Real estate is all about a relationship game – you don’t want to burn bridges as you never know when you’ll encounter someone again.  She encouraged everyone to get involved and be active in what you are passionate about doing.

By Jordan McCarthy Zaman