Urban Land Institute (ULI) Atlanta is pleased to announce the appointment of Daphne Bond-Godfrey to executive director effective March 10. Bond-Godfrey assumes the role from Sarah Kirsch, who served as executive director for eight years.
“It has been an absolute pleasure serving ULI Atlanta over the past decade,” said Kirsch. “I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to turn one of my most valued professional engagement activities into a career with a platform to have a meaningful impact on building a better city. I am proud of what we have accomplished alongside member leadership and am confident that ULI will flourish in Daphne’s hands.”
Bond-Godfrey has been on staff at ULI Atlanta since 2017, previously serving as its senior director. In that role, she directed programming opportunities and special initiatives related to emerging trends, affordable housing, real estate development and responsible land use by convening ULI members at the city and regional level. In her new role as executive director, she will lead the district council staff to support over 1,400 members in advancing ULI’s global mission and manage all operational and programmatic elements of the district council.
“Sarah is leaving the district council in such a terrific place – we are sustainable, healthy and well-positioned for what is next,” said Bond-Godfrey. “I am honored to lead us into our next chapter. ULI Atlanta will continue to elevate thought leadership on how the Atlanta region is accommodating its growth and what impact it has on housing, infrastructure, land-use and how we are building a more equitable and inclusive city. We will continue our foundational work and be a regional convener on these important issues.”
Bond-Godfrey has worked with several key initiatives for ULI Atlanta, including being part of the key staff for HouseATL, a grant funded initiative working to advance and implement a housing affordability strategy for the City of Atlanta, which is now its own 501c3 entity. She also served as the Project Director for Atlanta Community Schoolyards, an initiative of ULI Atlanta, the Trust for Public Land, Park Pride and Atlanta Public Schools to advance the goals of the 10-minute walk campaign. She served as staff liaison to the Atlanta Regional Commission for the Local Leadership Housing Action Committee, Metro Atlanta Housing Taskforce, and Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) selection committees. She is also a regular contributor of thought leadership pieces for the Saporta Report on behalf of ULI, focused on emerging real estate trends and issues within the industry.
“Daphne brings an in-depth knowledge of ULI to the table that will benefit all of our members and initiatives,” said Marc Pollack, Chairman Emeritus at RangeWater Real Estate and District Council Chair of ULI Atlanta. “In her support of all product councils, Technical Assistance Panels, and district council communications, she has already embraced the member-driven and mission-driven ethos of ULI. Her energy, enthusiasm and collaborative leadership style make her an excellent fit for the role and we are all excited to see where ULI Atlanta heads under her leadership.”
Prior to ULI, Bond-Godfrey was at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC working on programs that advanced social and economic policy initiatives at the Federal level. While in D.C., she also attended graduate school at the Johns Hopkins University.
Outside of her professional life, Daphne loves to spend time with her husband and son in her little slice of the world: Avondale Estates. She regularly volunteers her time at The Museum School, is a co-organizer of the Avondale Women’s Book Club, and on the weekends, you can find her cheering on her son’s T-ball team, the Tigers.
About ULI Atlanta:
ULI is a global non-profit education and research organization with a mission to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. With more than 1,400 members throughout the Atlanta region, ULI Atlanta is one of the largest and most active District Councils. ULI Atlanta brings together local leaders from across the fields of real estate and land use policy to exchange best practices and serve community needs through education, applied research, technical assistance, events and programs. See atlanta.uli.org for more information.
