HOUSTON – Carleton Riser, president of Transwestern Development Co., has been appointed chair of the Houston District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), effective July 1. Riser succeeds Greg Erwin, who served as District Council Chair from 2011 to 2013.
Riser has been a ULI member since 1996 and serves on a national ULI product council on urban and mixed-use development. He previously served as ULI Houston sponsorship co-chair for the Houston district which led the nation in fundraising efforts.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to work more closely with Ann Taylor and the local ULI staff, as well as other District Council Chairs across the country and internationally,” said Riser. “We want ULI to continue to provide an open forum for discussion on development and land use policies during this time of phenomenal growth in Houston. We also look forward to hosting national and international leaders of the real estate industry during the ULI Spring convention to be held in Houston in May of 2015.”
ULI’s 2014 initiatives include the 8th Annual Development of Distinction Awards, recognizing and rewarding best practices in real estate development in the greater Houston area; the Energy Efficiency in Buildings Laboratory, in partnership with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development; mentorship programs to build future industry leaders; scholarships for graduate real estate students at University of Houston and Texas A&M University; implementation of the ULI Foundation Urban Innovation Grant on Building Healthy Places; the ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative; and ongoing programs presenting thought leadership on relevant topics affecting real estate development and land use.
The 2015 ULI Spring Meeting, a gathering of 3,000 of the highest-ranking ULI members from around the world, will be hosted on May 13-14 in Houston – the first time the meeting has been back since 1992.