June 11, 2020

Dear ULI Los Angeles District Council Members,

As the ULI-LA team adjusts to the “new normal” of working from home, establishes new systems for staying organized, and finds creative ways to connect with our members, I am excited to share some of the many successes that our District Council has had while navigating our virtual workplace.

Importantly, we want to take this time to let you all know that we are listening…  This is such a pivotal moment in our Nation’s history and one that we must not let slip away without learning how to be better citizens.  In our role to Convene, Engage, Include, Grow and Share it is incumbent upon us to bring voices to the table who can help our community better understand how both COVID-19 and now, in light of the most recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, nationwide protests and demonstrations calling for justice and racial equity impact our communities and us personally.   What role should ULI-LA play in helping to shape the future of our cities? Our leadership teams have been meeting to put in place actionable next steps, and we seek your input.

Over the past few months, our membership has shown inspiring commitment and engagement. Committee meetings continue to be well attended and dynamic, and while we all miss the in-person interaction that is hard to replicate over Zoom, we appreciate your adaptability and flexibility during this time. ULI-LA staff have also used this time to improve our website, creating new resources such as our Information and Inspiration pages, and to collaborate with various committees to roll out tailored landing pages. Our strategic plan is also now available to view on our website.

The willingness of our members and staff to rapidly adapt and be creative in doing so has also allowed ULI-LA to host impactful, inspiring and relevant virtual events since March of 2020. These have included The Creative Conversion of Westside Pavilion and Retail Leasing After the Pandemic, as well as Practical Tools for Leading in the Face of Crisis with Jeremy Hunter PhD (presentation recording available to all members via Knowledge Finder), Amenity Innovation for a Healthy Future, and our State of the City Series, which will have its second instalment on June 17th.  In addition, we have launched an Advisory Board / YLG connect program that has informally brought together our Young Leaders with the Industry leaders in our Board.

We are excited to continue working with our committees to come up with meaningful forms of engagement. This includes looking to reembrace the monetization of our virtual events in a way that appropriately reflects their content and quality and ensures that we are on track with our District Council’s budget.

Outside of ULI-LA, this unprecedented time has opened opportunities for unique collaborations with other district councils. The Pacific/West Coast Happy Hour has been a great way to connect and network in a casual setting with ULI colleagues from British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest to San Diego and Tijuana. The East Reopening: Insights for the West webinar hosted by ULI-BC provided valuable lessons from ULI and industry leaders in China and South Korea about reopening the economy post COVID-19.

ULI National has also continued to develop engaging digital content, including the Spring Meeting Webinar Series, with 15 webinars taking place between May 11th and June 19th.

Finally, thank you all for your support during this time. Stay safe and please reach out if we can be of any assistance.

Best Regards,

Marty Borko
Executive Director

Kev Zoryan
Chair