Minneapolis-based United Properties reaffirmed its commitment to social and environmental responsibility today with the formalization of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and guiding principles. The company also promoted Janelle MacLean to the role of ESG manager last year, expanding on her extensive involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and ESG within the commercial real estate industry.
Over the past year, MacLean has begun spearheading the growth and development of United Properties’ ESG strategies, working in close collaboration with company leaders to help identify and measure ESG practices, risks and opportunities.
MacLean chairs the company’s ESG Advisory Group, in addition to UNITED Together, the company’s DEI committee. She also led the development of six ESG focus groups for green building certification, electric vehicle (EV) charging, vendor and supplier diversification, solar, governance and policy, and marketing and communications.
The focus groups, comprised of internal experts, examine the company’s approach to each area and identify ways to update, refine and fill in gaps. MacLean is also leading a company-wide benchmarking project which will track and monitor the energy, water, waste, greenhouse gas emissions and ESG capital of each building operated by United Properties. This information will then be used to set reduction goals across properties.
MacLean brings over 15 years of well-rounded commercial real estate experience to her new role. She joined United Properties in 2018 as a senior investment analyst, where she performed investment analyses and partnered with asset management for both the operating and development portfolios. Prior to this, MacLean served as an asset manager at both CSM and Welltower. She has experience in asset management, property management and operations.
MacLean is an active member of the Real Estate Racial Justice Committee, Racial Equity in Real Estate Stakeholders, Commercial Real Estate Diversity Collaborative (CREDC) and serves on the board for ROHO Collective. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of St. Thomas and her Real Property Administrator (RPA) designation.
