Dan Grant (left) and Dan Johnson
By Joshua Burd
The Urban Land Institute Northern New Jersey has welcomed ENV Architects’ Dan Grant as co-chair of its district council, a post he’ll hold alongside Violet PR’s Dan Johnson as the latter begins a second term in the role.
Grant, an executive director with ENV, succeeds Elizabeth Limbrick effective July 1. He and Johnson will now lead the local chapter in advancing ULI’s mission of shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide, seeking to draw on their complementary expertise in architecture, communications, development, planning, and land use positions to continue delivering strong educational programming, fostering professional growth, cultivating the next generation of industry leaders and strengthening relationships throughout New Jersey’s real estate community.
That follows a two-year stretch in which Limbrick, director of brownfields and sustainable systems at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, helped ULI NNJ experience significant growth in many of those same areas.
“Serving as co-chair of ULI Northern New Jersey has been a tremendous privilege and one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” Limbrick said. “It has allowed me to build lasting relationships with professionals who share a genuine commitment to thoughtful development and strengthening the communities we serve.”
Among other areas, Limbrick cited the expansion of what’s known as UrbanPlan, a program that exposes high schoolers to commercial real estate planning and construction. She also pointed to the continued success of flagship initiatives such as ULI’s annual Emerging Trends report, its popular Excellence Awards and a new annual golf outing.
“Together, we strengthened our governance, deepened engagement with thought partners across both the public and private sectors and created new opportunities for members to collaborate and make a meaningful impact,” she added. “I am incredibly grateful to our advisory board, committee leaders, volunteers, sponsors and members whose passion and dedication made this progress possible. I am confident that Dan Johnson and Dan Grant will continue building on this strong foundation and guide ULI Northern New Jersey into an even more impactful future.”
Johnson, a senior account director at Montclair-based Violet PR, welcomed Grant to the leadership team.
“It has been a privilege to serve as co-chair of ULI Northern New Jersey over the past two years, bringing together professionals who care deeply about shaping stronger, more resilient communities,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue in this role and look forward to working alongside Dan Grant and our outstanding advisory board to build on our momentum, expand ULI’s impact and continue creating meaningful opportunities for our members to learn, connect and lead.”
Grant, for his part, said he was honored to assume the role and “excited to build upon the tremendous momentum established by our district council leadership, volunteers and members.”
“As New Jersey continues to evolve, ULI has an important role in bringing together the people, ideas and perspectives that shape stronger communities,” Grant said. “I look forward to working alongside Dan Johnson, our advisory board, committee leaders and members to expand educational programming, foster meaningful collaboration, encourage professional growth and create opportunities for members at every stage of their careers. Together, we will continue advancing ULI’s mission while making a lasting, positive impact throughout northern New Jersey.”
