Michael Horst

Biography: Michael Horst is retired and is living in New York City with his life partner Laurie Beckelman. He was Senior Vice President for the ULI Robert C. Larson Leadership Initiative at the Urban Land Institute, a Washington DC based not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. He also is a founding sponsor and member of the Advisory Board of the Initiative. In addition he was the Senior Resident Fellow for Leadership. Prior to these assignments he oversaw ULI’s District Council Program for a decade, providing leadership, vision, and strategic planning for the 50+ North American District Councils. The District Councils are the “delivery system” for ULI’s policy and practice agenda, providing an opportunity for the Institute’s 40,000+ members to be leaders in the communities in which they live and work. Since beginning his career in 1970, he has also been a real estate consultant, educator and developer. His consulting career included senior positions with Economics Research Associates, PBR, EDAW and International Tourism and Resort Advisors. His clients included organizations such as the Walt Disney Company and the St. Joe Company and not-for-profits like the Rocky Mountain Institute and Habitat for Humanity. He has created and taught multi-disciplinary classes at Harvard, UC Berkeley and UCLA and was an Adjunct (Full) Professor at the University of Southern California. He was also co-founder of Shenoa Retreat and Learning Center, an eco-resort in Northern California demonstrating ecologic, economic and community sustainability and innovative building and financing technologies such as straw bale construction and the Land Stewardship program. Throughout his career he has been an active participant as a full member of the Urban Land Institute, serving as co-founder of the Sustainable Development Council and as Vice Chair of the Program Committee. He