The Urban Land Institute has honored University of Colorado Real Estate Center Director Byron Koste with the 2002 Pathfinder Award.
The Pathfinder Award is given annually to individuals who advance ULI's mission to provide responsible leadership to enhance the total environment. ULI is the premier professional organization in the real estate industry.Ìý
Koste was recognized by the Southwest Florida District Council for his pioneering efforts in establishing high-quality master-planned communities in that region. Since the late 1970s, Koste oversaw much of the planning and development of Pelican Bay for Westinghouse Communities.
He was later promoted to general manager of Gateway in Lee County and then assumed the presidency of Westinghouse Communities, providing insight and leadership for the establishment of Pelican Landing and Pelican Marsh, stressing the value of balancing development and the natural environment.
After the sale of Westinghouse Communities in 1995, Koste became the director of the CU Real Estate Center in the Leeds School of Business. In 1997, he was a founding member of the Colorado ULI district council.
"Byron Koste, among others, helped to stimulate community awareness of the importance of accommodating environmental issues with the pressures of growth in southwest Florida," said Wayne Falbey, chair of the Southwest Florida District Council. "The lifestyle we enjoy in southwest Florida is due in part to the lifelong, pioneering work of individuals like Koste."
Koste's environmentally responsible development activities are one example of the Leeds School's focus on business and society. The Real Estate Center recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.