ROBERT LIEBER
Former Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Robert Lieber has been named the new chairman of the Urban Land Institute NY.
Lieber, now an executive managing director at Island Capital Group in New York City, said he hoped to use his position to advance a forum for the meeting of minds all working towards the development of New York. “This network is a highly effective information exchange through which members in vastly different markets can share ideas and best practices. It is one of ULI’s great offerings,” said Lieber.
Lieber, who has been actively involved in ULI since 1992, is a Trustee and a member of the Board of Directors for ULI and a Governor of the ULI Foundation, the philanthropic extension of ULI that supports the Institute’s program of work.
His volunteerism at ULI includes service on the advisory services panel program, through which the Institute assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use planning to offer objective recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs and policies.
In 2005, Lieber was one of more than 50 ULI experts who served on the ULI advisory services panel in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina to develop an overall framework for the City’s rebuilding process, and the prior year he served on a similar advisory services panel in Lower Manhattan which recommended the redevelopment of a retail corridor surrounding the World Trade Center Site.
In 2011, he traveled to Hong Kong for an advisory services panel which provided strategic advice on formulating a sustainable and high-quality urban environment at the former Kai Tak Airport and the nearby Kowloon East area. Lieber also has participated in ULI’s National Product Council program, which provided a forum for information exchange regarding specialized fields in land use and development. For three years he served as Chair of ULI’s Urban Development and Mixed Use Product Council (Blue Flight), where he developed programming to facilitate the sharing of best practices in urban area development and redevelopment.
According to Seth W. pinsky, President of New York City Economic Development Corporation, “I congratulate Bob Lieber on his appointment as Chairman of ULI New York – a role for which he is undeniably well-qualified. I was fortunate to first meet Bob before he joined City government during negotiations over the redevelopment of the World Trade Center. During his subsequent tenure in the Bloomberg administration, he helped spearhead many projects that have played a key role in the City’s economic recovery and growth.
“ I am eager for the opportunity to collaborate once again with him in his new capacity at ULI. ULI has a history of providing expert advice that has helped guide many cities through challenging periods, and we are confident that ULI will continue to play a similar role for us as we work to carry out our recently-released plan to increase New York’s resiliency in the face of climate change.”
“Our district and national councils are the foundation for ULI’s collective impact. They make an incredible difference in the quality of our work and the fulfillment of our mission,” said ULI chief executive officer Patrick L. Phillips. “Without a doubt, ULI is only as strong globally as we are locally and regionally. We are delighted that Bob is leading ULI New York.”
Lieber is executive managing director of the Island Capital Group in New York City, which he joined in 2010 following his service in the Bloomberg administration.
Prior to joining the Bloomberg administration in January 2007, Lieber held executive positions at Lehman Brothers for 23 years, including the Global Head of Real Estate Investment Banking.
As ULI New York chairman, Lieber will serve on a voluntary basis for a three-year term that starts on July 1, 2013.
ULI, with nearly 30,000 members around the globe, is a research and education institute whose mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.
The organization is widely regarded as a trusted authority on urban development-related issues, and for its ability to convene a broad variety of thought leaders and community stakeholders to reach consensus on building communities that foster a high quality of life, and which are economically prosperous and environmentally conscious. ULI New York is part of ULI’s network of 51 district councils in the United States and 21 national councils in Europe and Asia, which advance ULI’s mission at the local and regional level.
