Crosland Names Vallimont as Manager of Sustainability

Charlotte, N.C., April 7, 2008 – Crosland LLC, one of the Southeast’s leading real estate companies, appointed Jenny Vallimont to spearhead the company’s sustainable development initiatives. As manager of sustainability, Vallimont will lead efforts to incorporate sustainable practices across all of Crosland’s developments.

A LEED Accredited Professional, Vallimont directs Crosland’s interdisciplinary sustainability team, which is comprised of 16 professionals who work in various capacities across business lines. Their first initiative was to formalize Crosland’s sustainability mission statement: “Through progressive development practices, Crosland creates sustainable places that balance environmental accountability and social innovation with economic viability.”

Chairman and CEO Todd Mansfield, who is also chairman of the Urban Land Institute, recently led ULI’s international conference in Abu Dhabi on “Building a Sustainable Future.” Chief among his ULI initiatives is to help land-use professionals focus on creating sustainable urban regions throughout the world. Vallimont’s role is to do the same with her Crosland colleagues, facilitating the flow of ideas and best practices across Crosland’s multiple divisions and projects. Vallimont is one of two LEED-AP associates within Crosland; another 12 are currently pursuing certification.

“To establish Crosland as a leader in sustainable development, it’s not enough to talk a good game; we need to put real money, time and manpower behind it,” said Mansfield. “Jenny has the passion and energy to lead our efforts, and we’re going to back her up by investing in employee certification, cutting-edge development practices and other initiatives with clearly measurable outcomes.”

Vallimont has already begun several programs in line with Crosland’s sustainability mission. One of the first initiatives is the purchase of renewal energy certificates to offset 100 percent of the energy consumed by Crosland’s Charlotte headquarters, a program that will soon be expanded to include Crosland’s Raleigh, Nashville, Orlando and Tampa offices.

The second is a competition soliciting ideas from Crosland’s 350 associates regarding ways to “green” the Crosland offices, with $500 awarded quarterly for the most original and creative ideas. A more ambitious program, to be announced later in April, will call on architects and engineers to propose innovative ways to incorporate sustainability into a signature Crosland development.

Crosland is also a lead sponsor of ULI’s fourth annual Green Conference, which has brought leaders in sustainable development from around the world to the Charlotte Convention Center on April 7-8.

“Sustainable development is not a trend; it’s something that has far-reaching implications on the way developers do business,” said Vallimont. “We can’t develop without land or water, for example, and those resources are not going to suddenly become more abundant. Crosland and other developers have a responsibility to use resources wisely.”

A national member of the U.S. Green Building Council and a sponsor of its Charlotte chapter, Crosland is currently developing three LEED-related projects, with more on the horizon. Through careful planning, several of its projects have gained recognition even in predevelopment stages. For example, Crosland’s Terrazzo, a 14-story mixed-use tower in downtown Nashville, is LEED precertified. In addition, while home sales in Crosland’s Whitewater community in Charlotte won’t begin until 2009, its master plan was progressive enough to place Whitewater in the Audubon International Signature Sanctuary Program at the Gold Level in 2007.

“Through planning, creativity and communication, Crosland has the opportunity to raise the bar in terms of development that is environmentally responsible, fiscally sound and culturally beneficial,” said Mansfield.

Vallimont previously was a development manager in Crosland’s retail division. In addition to her LEED-AP certification, she is a member of the Charlotte chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Young Leaders Group of ULI-Charlotte. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s of architectural engineering from Penn State University.