The ULI Philadelphia Women’s Leadership Initiative had their first meeting for their new theme of “balance” on September 12th at the Public Health Management Corporation offices on Market Street. The theme is centered around finding a healthy balance in women’s working lives and this meeting focused on on public health initiatives for working mothers. Joyce Lee FAIA, LEED Fellow, President of IndigoJLD and Pedro Rodriguez, who most recently served as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Philadelphia, spoke about how Philadelphia is a leader in this area, focusing specifically on the accessibility and design of wellness/lactation room that can offer a comfortable and respectable place for mothers. Joyce has been instrumental in developing design guidelines which are practical for the modern office environment. From a business standpoint, Pedro spoke of the importance of retaining employees in a tight labor market using thoughtful amenities like wellness rooms.

Overall it was a very enlightening and informative program on the intersection of real estate and family health. The next meeting will be held on November 14th. For more information on joining the WLI Council, please contact [email protected].