ULI is its members! ULI South Carolina is highlighting our membership in a new feature of the monthly newsletter – Meet Our Members. Over the next several months, we’d like to introduce you to the members of the Inaugural ULI SC Advisory Board.

The Inaugural Advisory Board will advise ULI SC on the implementation of the ULI SC Strategic Plan, with a particular focus on our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion throughout all aspects of the organization. The board consists of mostly non-ULI members who can provide an outside perspective on the organization and the real estate industry and help us to recognize blind spots and opportunities to increases access to and awareness of the real estate profession to Black people, women and other people of color. As a thank-you for their service on the board, each board member received a ULI membership.

This month we are excited to introduce you to Advisory Board member and ULI SC’s new Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Melanie Brown.

Melanie Cannon Brown is the President & CEO of Restoration 52 LLC, an Upstate SC based minority and woman owned real estate development firm rooted in health. Restoration 52 brings together non-traditional partnerships to develop affordable and workforce housing solutions that are intentionally designed to close costly health equity gaps.

Melanie’s life mission is to break the perils of cyclical poverty and grow health, wealth, and prosperity for generations to come.

Prior to launching Restoration 52 LLC, Melanie was President of the Dohmen Company Foundation, a Midwest private foundation focused on place-based neighborhood development. Melanie also served as Vice President Operations for Dohmen Constellations, a social enterprise division focused on creating equitable access to a more efficient, effective, and easy to use health experience. Prior to Dohmen, Melanie was Vice President Clinical Analytics for Ascension Wisconsin (formerly Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare) a Midwest health care system with over 20,000 employees, 18 hospitals, 70 clinics, and 100 health and shelter organizations. Melanie held strategic and operational oversight for ensuring organizational readiness for large data consumption, analytics adoption, and delivery of value-based care. Melanie also held multiple progressive leadership roles during her 12-year tenure with the health system.

A native of Greenville SC, Melanie is a Fall 2020 ULI/Project REAP Graduate. Melanie also serves or has served on several community non-profit boards in Greenville and the Midwest. She received her undergraduate degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and her graduate degree from University of South Carolina. Melanie enjoys traveling with her husband Jon, and spending quality time with their pet rabbits.