IRVINE, CA—The governance committee of the Urban Land Institute's Orange County/Inland Empire district council has appointed Randal W. Jackson as district council chairman. Jackson, president of private planning and design consulting firm PlaceWorks, succeeds Michael Ruane, chief of strategic and public affairs for CalOptima, who served between 2011 and 2014.

Jackson is a registered landscape architect with more than 40 years of planning and design experience. He has conceived and designed unique land-use and design concepts for award-winning communities throughout California, in the US and abroad. Jackson continues to focus his work on creating and shaping healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities built around and integrating transit, open space and parks and recreation systems.

A ULI member for 25 years, Jackson recently completed a two-year term as chairman of ULI's community development council, a national product council leading the discussion in the areas of suburban new communities, suburban large-scale multi-use communities, rehabilitation/reuse, asset management and process. His is also a governor of the ULI Foundation.

“I'm excited about the opportunity to work more closely with Phyllis Alzamora, the executive director, and the local ULI staff, as well as other district council chairs across the country and internationally,” says Jackson.

Alzamora says Jackson “brings a depth of knowledge in the industry and an understanding of ULI's involvement in the community that will surely serve the members of the Institute. More importantly, with Randy's leadership the district council will be focusing on issues that are critical to this region, such as building healthy places and development along corridors.”

As GlobeSt.com reported earlier this year, the winners of ULI Orange County/Inland Empire's “Best of the Best Sustainability Awards” were announced during a ceremony held here in April. The fourth-annual BoB Awards showcased projects, policies and programs in Orange County and the Inland Empire that have shown exceptional vision and achievement in addressing the issue of sustainable communities.

Stay tuned for an interview with Jackson to discuss his goals as district council chairman and the issues he finds most important to the industry regarding land.