Please join us for ULI Houston's Annual Happy Hour, this year supporting the Women's Leadership Initiative Programs. Come network and learn about the latest updates and future plans for the Houston Zoo with your fellow real estate professionals over lite bites and drinks. Everyone is welcome to join us for a great evening at the Houston Zoo!

Event Information:

4:00 - 5:00 pm Registration, Networking and optional walk-through of latest exhibits: Texas Wetlands & South America's Pantanal 

5:00 - 5:30 pm Remarks from Sheryl Kolasinski, Chief Operating Officer, Houston Zoo & Mark Hoffman, Senior Director, Planning, Design and Engineering 

5:30 - 6:00 pm Networking

Speakers:

Sheryl Kolasinski, FAIA, LEED AP   
Chief Operating Officer Houston Zoo 

Sheryl Kolasinski is an architect and since 2017 has been the Chief Operating Officer of the Houston Zoo. She manages operations and capital projects for the 55-acre campus with a staff of 175 full-time personnel and up to 200 contract staff in concessions. She is responsible for design and construction, repair and maintenance, business operations (Admissions, Membership, Special Events, Event Operations, Retail, Food Service), horticulture, grounds and housekeeping, water quality and life support systems, exhibit design, sustainability, and infrastructure emergency preparedness. 

She and her team have executed over $220M in Centennial Master Plan and other capital improvements including new immersive bio-geographic exhibits for Texas Wetlands, South America's Pantanal and the Galapagos Islands; a new certified Green Restaurant at the Cypress Circle Cafe, and the first three LEED-certified buildings on the Zoo campus, including the HZHQ, a new 250+space parking garage and office headquarters. Prior to her time at the Zoo, she served as Chief Operating Officer for the Menil Collection, where she was responsible for the execution of projects in the $115M first-ever capital campaign, including the Menil Drawing Institute. 

For 17 years, she was a senior leader in the design, construction, and operations at the Smithsonian Institution, including 9 years as the Project Executive for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She received a B.A. in Art from Brown University and an M.Arch. from Columbia University. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a LEED Accredited Professional. 

Mark Hoffman, P.E., LEED   
Green Associate Senior Director, Planning, Design, and Engineering Houston Zoo

Mark Hoffman is the Senior Director of Design and Engineering at the Houston Zoo.   
Mark joined the Zoo in 2017 and is responsible for creating and executing the Zoo’s capital construction program.  Mark’s team of project managers and exhibit artists plans, prioritizes, and implements near- and long-term improvements for the Zoo, including new and renovated exhibits, back of house facilities, and infrastructure improvements.  Mark also oversees the Zoo’s aquatic life support system and water quality programs.

Since 2017, his team has led the design and construction of over $220M in Centennial Master Plan projects, including the Texas Wetlands, South America’s Pantanal, Galápagos Islands, and Birds of the World exhibits; a new five-story headquarters building and parking structure; and Jack’s Café, a new restaurant and events space, opening 2025.  He has led improvements in emergency preparedness; reliability, operations and resilience of the Zoo’s infrastructure, including electrical distribution and backup generation; drainage and flood protection; and sustainability initiatives such as reductions in energy and water consumption and expansion of composting.

Mark received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rice University.  Prior to the Zoo, Mark was with Walter P. Moore and Associates.  He is an active member of Texas Society of Professional Engineers and was selected as TSPE’s 2018 State Young Engineer of the Year.

Thank you to our Event Partners:

For information about partnership opportunities, see below.

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About our Benefactor Program: Women's Leadership Initiative

The ULI Houston Women's Leadership Initiative is part of a global ULI network promoting the advancement of women in real estate and development. The ULI WLI in Houston is committed to increasing the number and visibility of women leaders in ULI and the real estate industry within our region. Through educational programming, training/mentorship and networking, the committee strives to fulfill the mission of the initiative. Money raised for this event will support future programming by reducing the cost for worthy participants and elevating the programming available to our members.

Partnership Information:

Gold Partner - $1,500 6 tickets, logo recognition on the website, in emails, and at the event 

Silver Partner - $1,000 4 tickets, text recognition on the website, and at the event 

Interested in supporting this event? Please confirm your commitment by filling out our commitment form.