Meet Our New CEO Will Fleissig
This week, our Board of Directors announced Will Fleissig as our new President and CEO.
PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 15, 2015
BY: MIRA SHENKER
When our founding CEO John Campbell retires later this month, he will be replaced by Will Fleissig, who was announced as Waterfront Toronto’s new CEO on December 14. Will, an American who has a long career in development, planning and urban design, will be responsible for leading the continued revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront.
Will talked about this new stage in his career at this week’s announcement: “Why did I take this job? The vision of Waterfront Toronto is truly compelling. It’s dynamic, it’s aspirational, and it’s extensive. This is not just another redevelopment project – this is truly one of the most amazing opportunities worldwide to change the way we do development and planning.”
For Will, this role is the culmination of his thirty years’ experience in real estate development, urban design and planning, public finance and environmental stewardship. An architect, urban planner and policy advisor, Will understands the planning and design process and is considered an authority on community engagement and transit-oriented development.
Mark Wilson, Chair of Waterfront Toronto's Board of Directors, told reporters at yesterday’s announcement, “Waterfront Toronto’s CEO has to be a diplomat, a proven leader, an urban visionary, a strong administrator and a respectful public servant.” Speaking for the board, he said Will has the experience and qualities needed to take on this demanding role.
Will promised to continue to open up the dialogue about waterfront redevelopment; to make sure that advocates, citizens, government stakeholders are all engaged at the vision, planning and building stages. “I want everyone in the GTA to feel connected to the waterfront and to be able to feel that they are benefiting from what’s happening in Toronto’s downtown,” he said.
So, who is Will Fleissig?
He may be new to Toronto, but Will is certainly not new to city building. He is well-known nationally as a development and thought leader, building new and existing communities into sustainable, accessible, vibrant places.
Will is currently the President of Communitas Development, a San Francisco-based development company that focuses on sustainable, transit-oriented, and mixed-use development of urban infill sites. He started his career as an architect. As a private-sector developer, Will has directed the implementation of mixed-use planning and development projects in a number of major U.S. cities. Will has also served in the public sector as the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Boulder, Colorado, and as the Director of Downtown Planning and Development in Denver.