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DC Family Business Forum

About DC Family Business Forum

The mission of the DC Family Business Forum is to promote and foster the growth and ongoing success of family businesses through learning, sharing and creating effective solutions regarding the critical issues and challenges confronting family businesses in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. Presentations and seminars are supported entirely by multi-disciplinary sponsors who are involved in working with family businesses as part of their routine practice.

Attendance to lectures and presentations sponsored by the DC Family Business Forum is offered by invitation only to a limited number of family-owned businesses. Participation in activities is restricted to invitees and sponsors. An invitation is extended by sponsors to family businesses who have the ability to benefit from and participate in the lecture series. Invited businesses will generally have a family member with controlling interest in the business and at least one family member currently employed in the business.

Sponsors



 

Jodie W. McLean

Jodie W. McLean is Chief Executive Officer of EDENS, one of the nation's leading private owners, operators and developers of retail real estate. With a more than 25-year tenure at EDENS, she has established herself as a key player in the company's growth and expansion to its current marketplace leadership, capitalized by blue chip investors and assests valued at $6.5 billion.

McLean is responsible for EDENS' strategy to move the portfolio to major urban centers, creating a portfolio of assets that are the center of community life. She was named Chief Investment Officer in 1997, President in 2002 and CEO in 2015. Overall, she has been responsible for the development, redevelopment, acquisition and disposition of more than $15 billion in retail assets.

McLean passionately believes that retail should evolve beyond a shopping experience, and advocates for connectivity to the communities surrounding the company's retail centers. To ensure this, each EDENS development is crafted to serve as an authentic gathering place, including a unique merchandising mix and welcoming design elements, fostering a sense of engagement with its neighbors.

A native of Chicago, IL, McLean holds a B.S. in Finance and Management from the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina and a degree from South Carolina Honors College. McLean serves as Trustee and Executive Board Member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and Trustee of Urban Land Institute. She serves on the boards of Cushman & Wakefield, The Real Estate Round Table, Wofford College and Extended Stay America, as well as boards of several other institutions and charities. McLean is a member of the Liberty Fellowship (Aspen Institute) Class of 2009.