JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (November 5, 2015) – Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, is pleased to announce that the Urban Land Institute honored Gunster shareholder Lynn Pappas with the 2015 Visionary Leader award for the North Florida chapter.
The awards ceremony took place on October 21st at the Jessie DuPont Center in Jacksonville. The evening will included live music and festivities, as well as a celebration of the district council’s 10th anniversary.
There are four previous winners of the Visionary Leader award in the North Florida chapter of the Urban Land Institute, or ULI. Nominations are based on having a leadership role in regional land use, as well as development and economic concerns.
According to Tom Ingram, President of the North Florida chapter of ULI, the organization selected Pappas because she “continues to provide outstanding leadership in the field of community development, working in concert with her developer clients and with local governments throughout north.”
Ingram cited Pappas’ work in Sawgrass, OakLeaf Plantation, Nocatee and the upcoming ‘Healthy Town’ redevelopment in downtown Jacksonville.
“Lynn’s work is further testament that working to meet community needs, and applying best practices in development, can bring success in the marketplace," said Ingram.
Pappas is a shareholder in the environmental and land use and real estate practice groups at Gunster.
“Lynn is one of the foremost experts and leaders in our growth management and land use community,” said Gunster shareholder Staci Rewis, who works alongside Pappas in Gunster’s environmental and land use group in Jacksonville. “You cannot go anywhere in the Northeast Florida region without seeing tangible evidence of Lynn’s work in the many successful master planned communities and projects throughout our region.”
Rewis noted that while the tangible influence that Pappas has had is obvious, it is her intangible qualities that have best served the community.
“Lynn has tirelessly served on numerous civic and governmental boards and commissions – not for the recognition – but because of her belief in giving back to the community and desire to make this community and the businesses in it successful. Her business acumen and passion for this community cannot be duplicated,” said Rewis.
Pappas has served as a past chairman of the prestigious Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as past chairman of the Cornerstone Economic Development regional partnership.
“Rarely does one come across an attorney who has such an impact on shaping her community,” said Brian Seymour, leader of Gunster’s real property group. “Lynn Pappas has spent her career helping Jacksonville grow and thrive. Her legal ability, personal skills, and solution oriented attitude have helped to make Jacksonville and Duval County one of Florida’s great cities.”
ULI has more than 35,000 members around the world, professionals in a wide range of fields related to real estate and development. The North Florida chapter of ULI works on a local level to assist professionals with experience, training and networking connections.
