Real estate is something that everyone, no matter how hard they try, will invariably come in contact with on a daily basis. For high school students, real estate decisions being made today in corner offices and local planning boards are going to shape the places they work after they graduate college, where they will raise families, and what they do for entertainment in between.

For such important pieces of their day-to-day lives, most high school curriculums skip over municipal politics and the real estate development process entirely leaving students completely unaware of how real estate shapes their community and the professionals who lead these efforts. However, as a real estate professional with an educational background, Senior Account Executive, Dan Johnson, has partnered with the Urban Land Institute to make a difference and bring these important topics to life for high school students in East Brunswick, NJ.

A unique program offered by Urban Land Institute, UrbanPlan, offers a hands-on, simulated real estate planning program for students where they work side-by-side with leading industry professionals to learn more about the redevelopment and urban planning process. Participating in the Urban Land Institute’s first UrbanPlan program held in New Jersey, Dan provides students with insights on the important role that community relations, marketing, and public relations play in successful real estate development. Additionally, he shares with students how responsible development can shape, transform and improve communities.

“Living in the state that boasts such a robust development pipeline, it is essential for students to think critically as well as understand the processes that go into each of these projects,” said Dan Johnson, Senior Account Executive of R&J Strategic Communications. “I’m very proud to be a part of this unique program, which encourages students to not only learn more about real estate development but understand how important local civics is in shaping the future of their communities.”

Tasked with devising and executing communications strategies for numerous R&J clients, including some of the region’s top commercial real estate firms, Dan has a unique ability to make complex issues and topics relatable to a variety of constituents, including clients, colleagues, media and influencers. His expertise in, and passion for, the field of commercial real estate has been instrumental in establishing R&J as one of the leading PR and marketing firms supporting the industry.

At R&J, our mission is to make a difference for our clients, our team members and our communities. This ROI-NJ article highlights Dan’s commitment to the UrbanPlan, as well as exemplifies just how we’re able to live that mission.