Pittman named chair of Aurora Economic Development Council

John Rebchook — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:38:10 +0000

Developer Ray Pittman is the new chair of the Aurora Economic Development Council

Ray Pittman, founder and president of Denver-based Pittman Development Group, Inc., a commercial development and investment company , has been named chair of the board of the Aurora Economic Development Council.

“In his tenure, Ray Pittman has been in the middle of some of Colorado’s most notable and prestigious developments and mixed-use projects,” said Wendy Mitchell, president and CEO of the Aurora Economic Development Council. “Ray’s first-hand development expertise makes him an excellent selection to lead the Aurora Economic Development Council in 2010 as chair of the board.”

He succeeds Jay Gershen, D.D.S., Ph.D., former vice chancellor for external affairs of the University of Colorado Denver and currently president of Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, who served as chair for 2009. Pittman will direct the board for a one-year term. This will be Pittman’s ninth year serving on the Aurora Economic Development Council board of directors.

Two dozen years of experience

Pittman’s background includes more than 24 years of experience in commercial real estate brokerage, services, acquisition and development. During this time he has managed some of Colorado’s largest and most prominent commercial and mixed-use projects.

From 2002 through 2006, Pittman was instrumental in creating the vision for High Point, a 1,800-acre mixed-use community near Denver International Airport located in both the city of Aurora and Denver. He oversaw all aspects of the project’s land assemblage, planning, zoning and initial development prior to its sale to LNR Property Corp in 2006.

Most recently, Pittman lead the formation of the new Pittman Pathfinder Colorado Opportunity Fund I, an equity fund targeting the acquisition of distressed real estate assets throughout Colorado. The fund completed its first acquisition of eight distressed residential real estate projects in December of 2009.

Other current projects include: Development of the three-building, 91,000-square-foot High Point OmniCenter project in Denver; acquisition of the two-building Parker Plaza South project; and a long-term development consulting assignment with International Speedway Corp. of Daytona Beach, Fla. to develop a new NASCAR speedway and stadium and related commercial development near Denver International Airport

Prior to founding Pittman Development Group, Pittman served as Colorado’s senior vice president and regional manager for Catellus Development Corp. in Colorado. In this role, Pittman was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the development business, including acquisitions and dispositions, marketing, sales and leasing, project design, construction management, project financing and community and government relations.

Pittman graduated with high honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara and has completed additional course work in real estate and finance at the University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University.

A partnership between business and government for more than three decades, the Aurora Economic Development Council champions Colorado’s most promising growth industries including aerospace and defense, bioscience, transportation logistics and energy, positioning Aurora and Colorado to win new jobs in an intensely competitive market.

Job creation name of the game

The council creates new primary jobs through innovative deal creation, strategic partnerships, and by advocating for economically sustainable public policy. A-List, one Colorado’s premier business event, and Accelerate Colorado, the only statewide advocacy group that conducts an annual business mission to Washington, D.C., are produced by the Aurora Economic Development Council for the benefit of the state’s leading industries and Colorado’s economic development.

The Aurora Economic Development Council board of directors consists of CEO-level developers, general contractors, bankers, attorneys, consultants, home builders, engineers, architects and representatives of the aerospace and bioscience industries and educational and hospital institutions. Political leadership from the city of Aurora, Adams County and Arapahoe County also serve on the board. Board membership is limited to 100 leaders that are strategically recruited to mutually benefit the Aurora Economic Development Council and its board members.

The organization’s strategic initiatives for 2010 include objectives in economic development and infrastructure, public policy, and marketing and branding.

Contact John Rebchook at JRCHOOK@gmail.com or 303-945-6865.

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Pittman named chair of Aurora Economic Development Council

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