One of the things that I value most about being a member of ULI is that membership is a value-added investment of time and money. Networking is key. Attending the Fall meeting is a privilege. Participating in ULI SC (statewide and local) and ULI Carolinas conferences, programs and exclusive tours makes it real and personal. And having a literal world of knowledge and research at my fingertips at any given time is pretty awesome. At a time when value engineering may have the upper hand in many of our projects, ULI membership is always about adding value to our practices and projects, how we work and to how we impact our communities.

We believe that the 2018-2019 Strategic Plan focus areas will continue to add value to your membership, and I am excited with the new ways we are addressing each area.

1. 2019 ULI SC Statewide Meeting: With K.J. Jacobs’s leadership, we have begun planning for a late fall statewide meeting in Columbia. This will be a one-day meeting and serve as a unique opportunity to network while exploring South Carolina challenges, ideas and successes. If you are interested in serving on the committee or have ideas for session topics, please let me know.
2. Focus on Community Impact: On April 1-5, an all-star national panel of experts will convene in North Charleston to analyze and offer recommendations as part of the North Charleston Advisory Services Panel. This is a great example of how ULI SC is creating value-added programs and resources that enhance the prosperity and sustainability of our communities.
3. Member Engagement: I am excited to share the following statistics with you.

• ULI SC has 680 members—up from 580 in 2016; 20% increase
• Increase in YLG members (64% since 2016)
• Our membership is 20% female —highest % in Carolinas

This is all great news, thanks to the efforts of so many leaders like you. We are expanding our efforts to diversify our membership and add value. The quantity and the quality of our programs continue to grow. I encourage our more seasoned members to engage with our YLG members by serving as mentors and to think broadly about who will benefit from ULI. In the spirit of diversifying our membership, we are pleased to announce our inaugural cohort of ULI membership scholarships as a way of investing in our future.

Our local volunteers are the engines to our success, but I have to say that we are mighty blessed to have the leadership of Amy Barrett at the helm of all that we do. Robin Hargett is a tremendous asset to us as well. I am very thankful for their dedication to all that we do.

Please let me know your ideas and how you want to engage. And thank you for investing in ULI SC.

Best,

Irene Dumas Tyson
2019 ULI SC Chair