Margaret Shaw

Biography: At the City of Austin, Texas, Margaret Shaw has held a variety of leadership positions that provide significant social and economic value to Austin through real estate redevelopment and place-based initiatives. In her current role as senior project manager in the Economic Development Department, Margaret manages complex public-private real estate partnerships. These include the 2nd Street and Seaholm Districts, which transformed an industrial downtown area into a vibrant mixed-use urban destination. A 2020 independent report found that the assessed values of the 2nd Street and Seaholm Districts areas increased twenty-fold from 2000-2018, rising to more than $4 billion, while also supporting sustainability, affordable housing, local businesses and new trails and open spaces. Margaret also oversees implementation of the South Central Waterfront Plan and the downtown public improvement district. Throughout her City career, she has served in special assignments related to disaster response and recovery. In the private sector from 2002-06, she helped to develop more than 600 units of affordable multifamily housing for rent or purchase in Austin and along the Texas-Mexico border, securing awards from National Trust for Historic Preservation (Hamilton Hotel, Laredo) and U.S. Department of Justice (The Boulevard, Austin). In the 1990s, she worked in Washington, D.C. as an aide to HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros after rising within the White House Office of Management and Budget staff. As a long-time member of Austin ULI, Margaret sits on Commercial Local Member Council, serving as its inaugural co-chair. She served on Membership Committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and was a 2022 nominee for the Influencer Award, recognizing a member who has positively influenced ULI Austin over many years, contributing to its growth and mission advancement. She is a graduate of Smith College and LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.