The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Toronto has named three influential industry professionals to helm its Management Committee. Jennifer Keesmaat, the former Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, and CEO at the Creative Housing Society, will join the Management Committee of ULI Toronto as the new Chair.

Michelle Ackerman, Infrastructure Development Consultant at Kilmer Group will serve as Vice Chair, and Hillary Marshall, Vice President of Stakeholder Relations at Toronto Pearson, will serve as Vice Chair and Chair of Mission Advancement. Derek Goring, Vice President of Development at First Gulf, who recently completed his two-year term as Chair of ULI Toronto, is moving into the role of Chair of the Governance Committee to continue his strategic leadership of ULI Toronto. Rob Spanier, the outgoing Governance Committee Chair, will be moving into the role of Chair of the Advisory Board.

“We are very excited for the fresh ideas and creative thinking this new leadership group will bring,” said Derek Goring, in a press release. “Jennifer, Michelle and Hillary’s professional experiences with community outreach, combined with their passion for city building, will propel ULI’s mission of promoting the responsible use of land across the region in a significant way.”

ULI Toronto has proven itself to be one of the most dynamic District Councils in the entire global network, due to the region having to rise quickly to the challenges of massive public policy changes and urban growth. In the past two years, ULI Toronto has tripled the number of events it has hosted, ranging from large educational panels to smaller networking events and tours, which has resulted in over 7,500 registrations, the highest of any District Council in the global network. Under the direction of ULI Toronto Executive Director Richard Joy, the new leadership will be tasked with continuing to inspire and connect ULI Toronto members with its achievements, while also broadening the discussions about progressive city building to a wider audience.

“We are very pleased with the impressive new leadership for ULI Toronto. Our Governance Committee conducted a thorough year-long process to identify the right candidates that can continue to advance ULI Toronto’s trajectory and the momentum of ULI Toronto’s growth,” added Rob Spanier. “We look forward to enjoying the continued delivery of our mission to promote leadership in the responsible use of land and creating sustainable and thriving communities worldwide with Jennifer, Michelle and Hillary at the helm.”