Colorado Real Estate Journal - July 6, 2016
More than a decade ago, Leanne Toler found herself in the shoes of competitors of the NAIOP Real Estate Challenge. And while the challenge was a case study in Georgia versus a semester-long class in Colorado, the experience left an indelible mark on Toler, so much so that she has been actively involved in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge for the past 10 years. She was recognized for her passion as NAIOP Colorado’s 2015 Member of the Year. “Every year competitors have said that it is the best experience in their degree program,” said Toler, vice president, public finance, at Stifel. It is that response that continues to drive Toler to help the challenge serve participants, the universities, the real estate community and NAIOP. “I grew up in a little town in Ohio and was taught the importance to give back to the community, to give back personally and professionally,” said Toler, who relishes the opportunity to volunteer within the real estate community, which is her passion. As for the recognition as Member of the Year, it was a nice surprise. “I had an inkling something was up,” Toler confessed, after she received a cryptic phone call that said she might want to postpone an out-of-town meeting to attend the Awards of Achievement event. “I didn’t know what award I might be presented, but I was very flattered,” said Toler. “It was nice to have my hard work recognized. The NAIOP challenge committee works diligently to fulfill the wants and needs of the real estate community, the wants and needs of the schools and the wants and needs of the students. Our goal with each event is to keep it exciting and fresh.” In addition to the Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge Competition Committee and the Vision Committee, Toler is actively involved in other NAIOP seminars and mentorships. “NAIOP adds a lot of value to the real estate community. Just think of the void without it,” she commented. Toler graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, fulfilling a dream she had since the seventh grade to be an architect. However, after graduation, she got a job working for an architectural firm in the Vail Valley and came to the realization that if there wasn’t financing behind a project – no matter how cool it was – it couldn’t get built. Seeking a change of pace and career, Toler moved to London, where she spent five years as a senior project manager with Turner and Townsend Real Estate Consultants dealing with everything on real estate projects, from unexploded munitions to buried Roman roads. She returned stateside and earned her Master of Business Administration from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, after which she returned to Colorado. “I just knew I wanted to return to Colorado, so in 2002, I did. It was not a good year to come back to Denver, which had a net loss of some 30,000 jobs, but I saw a great future for the city and was confident that I could add value.” She worked several years as the assistant vice president at U.S. Bank before accepting an offer to work in acquisitions for The Pauls Corp. “At Pauls, those were some of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with but a lot of the work wasn’t Denver focused and I wanted to change that,” said Toler, who admits she became enamored with capital markets and municipal bonds before joining Stifel in January 2012. At Stifel, her focus is on special district financings for real estate projects as well as financings for cities, counties and school districts. “It was a circuitous route to get here, but if I had to do it again, I would do it the same way. I love what I do. My specialty is to guide and help developers understand and use the tools of TIF financing and metro districts. This financing has many benefits and isn’t understood or used enough. “It is very satisfying to help projects work,” added Toler. “I believe in metro districts, the long-term value they provide to the people who use and pay for the improvements.” Toler also is the president of the Colorado Municipal Bond Dealers Association, an executive founding member of Women in Public Finance and has volunteered at the Gathering Place, tutoring women to earn their GED diplomas. Spanning the globe isn’t limited to Toler’s work. She also enjoys traveling, skiing (she is a snowboarder “converting” back to being a skier) and canyoneering. She also has climbed Mount Rainer, Mount Kilimanjaro and in Machu Picchu. She also loves spending time with her husband, Brian, and their dog, Lomu.