Get to know some of the ULI San Francisco members who work hard behind the scenes to develop the events and initiatives for which our District Council is known. These industry leaders come from a variety of real estate land use sectors and lend their expertise and time to drive the work of our committees. We’ve asked these committee co-chairs to answer questions around their involvement with ULI San Francisco.

David Cropper, Sponsorship Committee Co-Chair

Q. How did you first get involved with ULI and your committee?
I have been a ULI member for nearly 30 years so it is hard to pin down my first involvement. I knew from my peers that ULI was a great organization to build one’s knowledge base and network. I began going to Fall and Springs meetings and to occasional San Francisco District Council events. Then, I became a member of a national product council, and 8 years ago, joined our local Residential Product Council. Currently, I chair the national Sustainable Development Council, and I am in my third year serving on the SF District Council Sponsorship Committee and second year as the committee co-chair.

Q. What’s a memorable connection you’ve made through ULI?
Two things come to mind. First, I have met many great friends through ULI including Jim Tinson, an architect from New York, who I first met at Spring and Fall meetings. Second, my work with the Sustainable Development Council has changed my thinking about our obligation for responsible and sustainable development to help mitigate climate change.

Q. What keeps you engaged with ULI SF and what are you most excited about in the near future?
It is easy to be a fan of the people and work that is being done at our SF District Council; ULI SF serves as a source of thoughtful and conscientious development in the Bay Area. We think carefully about our role as community leaders and provide the thought leadership, programming, and initiatives critical to development here. ULI SF’s upcoming convening of an Advisory Services Panel (ASP) for Downtown San Francisco just further demonstrates our commitment to making a difference here.

Q. What’s your leadership philosophy/style?
I am highly collaborative and bring curiosity to work every day. I know that there is much to learn in life and from others. My favorite question is “How could this work?” rather than hearing whether or not something works. I also love mentoring younger professionals and collaborating with peers.

Q. What’s front of mind for you right now?
I think often about how the real estate markets are going to adapt to the structural and societal changes of how people work today. And in a business environment with large-scale remote or hybrid workplace, how can we evolve our business to keep our competitive business edge?

Q. What’s at the top of your ‘bucket list’?
My next big adventure is to travel to Japan, touring Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Q. What’s your must-have food or drink?
I love all types of Japanese food, especially sushi. And I will never turn down a proper Negroni (ask me for the Dante NYC recipe)!