ULI Nashville District Council Executive Committee member and CEO of The Saint Consulting Group, P. Michael Saint, and two colleagues have just published a book, "NIMBY Wars", about overcoming neighborhood opposition to new real estate development projects. "NIMBY Wars" distills more than 25 years of experience in the trenches of land use battles, both for and against projects as varied as a hospital and an oil refinery. Readers will learn exactly what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to influencing local decision-makers faced with a controversial development proposal. Even veterans of real estate development permitting will be surprised by the sophistication, cutting-edge tactics and effectiveness of the strategies described in "NIMBY Wars". For more information, see www.NIMBYWARS.com.

"NIMBY wars and citizen engagement are here to stay. Politics, rational and irrational, often dramatically impact local land use decisions. This book outlines the strategies and details the tactics that are used by opponents and proponents of projects."  -- Maureen McAvey, Executive Vice President, Urban Land Institute


Tabitha Crawford recently joined Balfour Beatty Energy Solutions as President, in a new division based in Nashville, TN.  Balfour Beatty is a $27 billion international company based in London and includes US companies: Balfour Beatty Communities, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Heery International, Balfour Beatty Construction (formerly Centex), Balfour Infrastructure and Concord.  The new energy division will focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy development, utilities management and sustainability programs/consulting.  (www.bbcgrp.com)


ULI member and ULI Nashville Executive Committee member Nancy DeKalb is one of three owners of KVBPR. KVBPR is the first Tennessee public relations firm to receive national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBENC) from the Women’s Business Enterprise Council South.  This national WBENC certification gives KVBPR a distinct competitive advantage in its work with clients and partners who are trying to win government projects and those funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.


USA Today article (April 6), “Nashville Works to Liven the Gulch” brings national attention to local master planned urban development. A number of the many ULI members involved in the innovation and success to date of The Gulch, are recognized in the article, including Bill Barkley, Crosland Development; Phil Ryan, MDHA MarketStreet Enterprises; and Tom Turner, Nashville Dtn. Partnership.


Ray Hensler, president, Corner Realty Partners (Market Realty Advisors, LLC effective 5/1/09) and developer of The Adelicia, is featured in Nashville Business Journal April 3, 2009 ‘Adelicia Closes on Final Units, Garners National Attention’.   The article features, among the many successes of The Adelicia, that it was recently awarded the prestigious National Association of Home Builders’ Pillar Award, the first for a Nashville project (based on records kept since 2001)


Lena Babaeva, of law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, became only the 2nd LEED AP lawyer in the state.


Elizabeth Crook, President of Orchard Advisors will be speaking at USGBC’s SUSTAIN 09 in Greenville, South Carolina on “Sustainability Begins at Home – Personal Strategic Planning for Entrepreneurs, Executives and Change Makers


Scott Black, vice-president for development, Bristol Development Group, was appointed to serve as Commissioner on the Board for the Franklin Housing Authority


UrbanLand (March 2009), magazine of The Urban Land Institute, Rachelle Levitt, publisher, in Publisher Note ‘Innovation in Uncertain Economic Times’, recognizes ‘innovation and urban regeneration taking place across Nashville, Tennessee’, generally referencing various creative infill and adaptive reuse projects around town and featuring a photo of the Noah Liff Opera Center.

Mark Deutschmann, ULI Nashville Founding Sponsor, Executive Committee member, and chairman of the Sustainability Committee,  with a total sales volume of $136 million, was recently named top Residential Real Estate Agent in 2008 by The Nashville Business Journal.  Mark leads the CityLiving Team at Village Real Estate Services. Village Real Estate was ranked as the number six Residential Real Estate Firm in 2008 . Other Village agents on the top 25 list include CityLiving Team member Hunter Connelly, with $87 million in sales, Ivy Arnold, with $53 million in sales, and John Brittle Jr. with $14 million in sales.