The Urban Land Institute Michigan, a nonprofit research and education organization, today announced that David V. Johnson, chairman of Victor International Corp., a luxury residential and commercial development firm in Clarkston, has been awarded the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Johnson has developed resort communities and properties that include Echo Park, Heron Bay, and Turtle Lake in Bloomfield Township, Victor Corporate Park in Livonia, Bay Harbor in northern Michigan, and Oil Nut Bay in the British Virgin Islands.
Johnson is being recognized for pioneering over 43 luxury master planned communities and resorts with a mission to form living and working environments in ecological harmony with land. ULI Michigan Co-Chairs Jill Ferrari and Dan Cassidy made the announcement.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was established to recognize leaders in the Michigan real estate community whose achievements throughout his or her lifetime — including contributions to real estate, civic, charitable, and philanthropic endeavors — exemplify the spirit and mission of ULI. In addition, the Lifetime Achievement Award dinner serves as ULI Michigan’s annual fundraiser, and supports the many programs and initiatives coordinated by the District Council.
“David Johnson, throughout his real estate career, has created communities that have become memorable life experiences for families choosing a Victor International development,” says Bobby Taubman, co-chair of the ULI Michigan Lifetime Achievement Award and president, CEO, and chairman of Taubman Centers Inc., a luxury mall developer in Bloomfield Hills.
“He has the talent of finding that special touch for the end user, ahead of everything else, when making key decisions on his extraordinary projects. David has also spent a lifetime building the best developments and achieving extraordinary outcomes, all while putting community first. That is why he was selected for this special honor.”
“David’s development philosophy allows his extraordinary team to explore ways to allow their communities to maximize the land’s natural beauty,” says Bobby Schostak, co-chair of the ULI Michigan Lifetime Achievement Award and CEO of MadDog Technology in Birmingham. “His commitment to sustainable development, combined with his unique instincts, makes him the ideal honoree for the coveted ULI Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Johnson is a member of the Recreational Development Council and a former trustee of Urban Land Institute. He also sits on the Board of Governors for the ULI Foundation and is a member of the ULI Detroit Steering Committee.
Johnson’s memberships include the World Presidents’ Organization (WPO), Chief Executive Officers (CEO), the Detroit Presidents’ Organization (DPO), and the President’s Program at Harvard Business School. He was recognized as Environmentalist of the Year by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Entrepreneur of the Year by USA Today, and the 2006 Developer of the Year by the Building Industry Association.
Johnson’s commitment to the communities in which he works include co-founding the Bay Harbor Foundation in Northern Michigan, The Victor Foundation (Michigan), and the North Sound Foundation (BVI). Each of these organizations helps to support a youth, resident and non-profit organization within their local community footprints.
The award will be presented at a dinner on May 5, 2020 at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino Hotel. Past recipients of the ULI Lifetime Achievement Award are the late A. Alfred Taubman (2005), Wayne Doran (2006), the late Robert Larson (2007), the late Jerome Schostak (2008), Edsel B. Ford II (2010), Peter Karmanos, Jr. (2010), Sidney Forbes (2012), Dan Gilbert (2014), and John Rakolta Jr. (2018).
