Lynn M. Ross Named New Executive Director of Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing; Elizabeth Razzi Is New Editor-In-Chief Of Urban Land Magazine
WASHINGTON, DC – January 11, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is pleased to announce the addition of two new staff members filling key policy and communications positions: widely recognized housing expert Lynn M. Ross has been named executive director for the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing; and award-winning real estate journalist Elizabeth Razzi has taken the position of editor-in-chief of Urban Land, ULI’s print and online magazine.
Ross, who joined ULI’s staff January 9, was most recently the chief operating officer for the National Housing Conference (NHC) and Center for Housing Policy (CHP) in Washington, D.C. As the executive director for the Terwilliger Center, she will be responsible for the overall strategic direction of the center and the implementation of the center’s work program. The center, established in 2007 by former ULI Chairman J. Ronald Terwilliger, chairman emeritus of Trammell Crow Residential in Dallas, seeks to integrate ULI’s housing efforts into a coherent program of work that furthers the development of mixed-income, mixed-use communities and a full spectrum of housing affordable to all.
To help further ULI’s housing goals, the center will partner with other organizations, including those involved in housing policy and housing development; highlight best practices in mixed-income housing; conduct research into housing trends; host housing conferences and recognize leadership in the area of mixed-income housing production.
“I am very pleased to have Lynn on board to guide the center’s program of work,” said ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “A major focus of the center is to foster more development of mixed-income housing in communities across the nation. The substantial experience Lynn has in housing and community development gives me high hopes for what the center will continue to accomplish.”
During her service at NHC and CHP between 2007 and 2011, Ross spearheaded a number of initiatives, including the development and launch of the center’s Housing Research and Advisory Service; the creation of the NHC and CHP bi-annual state and local housing policy learning conference; planning and executing 18 successful national symposia, regional forums and local listening sessions; designing and implementing new internal systems to improve operational efficiency and staff capacity; and cultivating and strengthening strategic partnerships with philanthropic, non-profit and private sector groups. Prior to her work there, she managed the Planning Advisory Service of the American Planning Association; and she conducted research and analyses for Henry Moore Building Communities, Inc., in Savannah, Ga.
“At a time when housing policy and practice are at unprecedented crossroads, I am thrilled to join ULI to help ensure housing choice and affordability in mixed-income, mixed-use communities across the country,” said Ross.
Razzi, a journalist with decades of experience covering real estate, took the position of Urban Land editor-in- chief on December 1. She is supervising the selection, writing, editing, layout and production of all editorial content for both the print and online editions of the magazine, and she will periodically contribute articles to the publication.
Urban Land has been published by ULI since 1941. Through its print and online editions, the magazine is a cornerstone of the institute’s knowledge exchange network, providing ULI members information and insights on the latest trends, issues and policies affecting land use and real estate. From its origin as an industry journal, the magazine has evolved into a bi-monthly print publication offering comprehensive analyses, commentaries from international industry experts, and in-depth features on cutting edge developments and development practices in markets around the world. The daily online magazine offers succinct, timely, global news stories on current real estate events as well as photo galleries and video interviews.
Most recently, Razzi was the editor of the Washington Post’s Real Estate section. While with the Post she also wrote a weekly column and blog about Washington-area housing. For many years Razzi covered residential real estate and related topics for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. She is the author of two consumer-focused books, The Fearless Home Buyer and The Fearless Home Seller, and has been a guest on broadcast programs including the Weekend Today show, National Public Radio and CNN.
“Urban Land serves a key role in our communication efforts as a tool that both raises the visibility of ULI and provides our members with the institute’s highly informed, unbiased perspective on a broad variety of issues affecting land use,” Phillips said. “We are very fortunate to have Elizabeth on our communications team, because she has a deep understanding of the news and real estate industries. She has the ideal skill set to be at the helm of our flagship publication.”
“What’s exciting to me is the way Urban Land integrates the many facets of successful place-making,” Razzi said. “For decades the magazine has showcased cutting-edge trends in building communities that click on many levels – places that are attractive, sustainable, resilient and accessible by walking and transit. Because of such factors, these communities draw people and businesses and thrive financially.” As ULI expands its focus to include more areas of the world, Razzi said she plans to bring more international stories to the Urban Land audience, through both online and print media.
About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute ( www.uli.org ) is a global nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in sustaining and creating thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.
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