Walton Family Foundation grant to support expansion of Urban Land Institute in Northwest Arkansas

The Walton Family Foundation is providing financial assistance that will help Northwest Arkansas’ fledgling Urban Land Institute (ULI) chapter hire its first full-time employee

ULI Oklahoma, which serves members in Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas, will expand its reach in the state as a result of the Walton grant to the ULI Foundation.

ULI has about 42,000 members in nearly 100 countries around the world and promotes best practices in land use and real estate. It was founded in 1936.

Financial terms of the three-year grant were not disclosed in a ULI news release.

“We are so grateful and excited to have the Walton Family Foundation’s support to expand ULI’s mission and amplify our impact in the Northwest Arkansas region,” said Jeremy Hudson, a ULI member in Northwest Arkansas and chief executive officer of the Specialized Real Estate Group in Fayetteville. “The Walton Family Foundation is the perfect partner for us — we are aligned in our goals to expand the knowledge base of our land use professionals and encourage coordination between different disciplines to promote smart, sustainable growth in Northwest Arkansas.”

ULI’s membership in Northwest Arkansas consists of an advisory board of volunteers who are actively involved in ULI. The board was formed in 2016 by real estate professionals in the region committed to bringing ULI’s land use leadership to more communities in Arkansas.

The grant will allow ULI Oklahoma, which was founded in 2007, to hire a district coordinator to oversee the growth and development of the ULI NWA satellite.

A primary goal of the district coordinator, according to a job description, is to create and implement a strategic master plan.

“With this generous support from the Walton Family Foundation, we plan to significantly increase ULI’s presence in Northwest Arkansas,” said ULI Oklahoma Chairman Todd Glass, managing director of investments at Humphreys Capital in Oklahoma City. “We look forward to extending our reach and helping to create thriving, sustainable communities through our members’ work.”