NEW YORK CITY—Rev. James I. Clark III has been appointed the managing director of mission real estate development at Trinity Church Wall Street.

In this role, Clark will identify potential grantees globally and help them plan, develop and manage income-generating projects that create ongoing financial support for mission work. He will build on existing Trinity partnerships and develop new relationships.

With 35 years of business experience, Clark has completed $5 billion of commercial real estate transactions involving investment, finance, development, portfolio management and leasing. In his prior position as president of investment services at Chicago-based Transwestern Commercial Services, he built the national investment brokerage team. He also ran the Midwest real estate region for a major life insurance company and spent 10 years on Wall Street in real estate investment banking at Lehman Brothers.

“I am captivated by the vision of the rector, vestry and senior leadership of Trinity Church Wall Street to integrate real estate development with mission and ministry,” says Clark. “I am thrilled about the opportunity to impact communities on a global scale through self-sustaining and capacity-building real estate projects, and I am grateful to join such a dynamic team at this exciting stage of growth in an organization with tremendous legacy and resources.”

In addition to Clark, Trinity Wall Street also appointed Robert Garris as managing director of leadership development. He brings 20 years of experience building international programs at universities and foundations. Previously, he worked at Schwarzman Scholars, the Rockefeller Foundation, Columbia University and John Hopkins University.

Trinity's chief philanthropy officer, Neill Coleman notes the two new hires will cultivate leaders and help the church use its resources to sustain its missions. “They will be working closely together as these two initiatives are deliberately mutually supporting,” says Coleman.

The Grants and Mission Investing team at the church focuses on four strategic initiatives: racial justice, housing and homelessness, leadership development and mission real estate development.

As a future project, Trinity has identified Trinity Commons Parish Center, a new neighborhood space that is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2020.

Instant Insights /

New Managing Director of Mission Real Estate Development at Trinity Church Wall Street

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