Get to know some of the ULI San Francisco members who work hard behind the scenes to develop the events and initiatives our District Council is known for. 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 three questions around their involvement with ULI San Francisco.

Dan Adams
Senior Advisor for Housing Initiatives, Office of Mayor London Breed, City and County of San Francisco
Co-Chair, Housing the Bay Committee

Q. How did you first get involved with ULI and your committee?
I believe I first got involved with ULI through a housing finance committee that a colleague from the City also participated in.  At some point, that participation morphed into being a member of the Housing the Bay Committee.  As with most things in my past, the details are a bit fuzzy for me.

Q. What’s a memorable connection you’ve made through ULI?
In 2020 I participated in a ULI Technical Advisory Panel for the City of Petaluma. I really enjoyed that work, both because of the support we were able to give Petaluma as they wrestled with planning and housing issues, and also because of the great connections I was able to make with my fellow panelists.

Q. What keeps you engaged with ULI SF and what are you most excited about in the near future?
I’m engaged with ULI because I think it can bring together diverse constituencies, private, public, and non-profit, to chart successful pathways to sustainable urban development.  I’m most excited to continue to wrestle with the question that has guided my career to date: how do we build thriving and just cities?

Q.What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
For the last year I’ve been leading an initiative at the City of San Francisco to acquire properties for conversion to housing for formerly homeless individual and families.  I’m excited to bring that initiative to its fruition, and get the properties up and running as permanent supportive housing.

Q. What’s your leadership philosophy/style?
I’m very collaborative.  Everyone, regardless of where they sit in the hierarchy, has important ideas to contribute, and experience that can be valuable to decision-making.  Also, respectful debate is good.  While like everyone I like to be proven right, I don’t at all mind being proven wrong as long as we’re progressing toward our shared goal.  In other words, I try to keep my ego in check.

Q.What’s front of mind for you right now?
How can we as progressives in a progressive city and state create governance structures and policies that provide solutions to our most pressing urban problems, even as federal support for cities continues to lag way behind what’s needed.

Q. Outside of work and ULI, what do you enjoy doing?
Swimming, reading, and cocktails and conversation with friends.

Q. If you could have any career in another profession, what would it be? 
Economist.  Or cultural anthropologist.  Or travel writer.  Really, I’d love to be a musician, but alas that would take both talent and discipline I don’t have.