WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 20, 2023) – Nareit has named Jessica Long as Senior Vice President of Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability. Long’s responsibilities will include guiding the environmental stewardship component of Nareit’s environmental, social and governance initiatives, such as training and conference programming and leading Nareit’s Real Estate Sustainability Council (RESC). In addition, she will serve as a thought leader on sustainability matters for member REITs when engaging with external interest groups, investors, and policymakers.
Commenting on her appointment, Nareit’s President and CEO Steven A. Wechsler said, “Jessica has shown dedication to our industry and the pursuit of environmental stewardship. Her impressive history of building consensus among stakeholders and experience championing meaningful solutions will make a sizable impact as she leads our sustainability efforts, which continue to be of great importance to our members.”
Long has more than 15 years of experience within the real estate industry, both in private and public real estate. Most recently, she served as Head of Sustainability for the Americas at Nuveen Real Estate. In this role, she was responsible for the implementation of the firm’s “tomorrow’s world” sustainability platform, which is focused on climate risk and meeting carbon reduction targets across its U.S. real estate portfolio.
Prior to her time at Nuveen, Long served as Director of Sustainability at JBG SMITH, where she helped the REIT craft its long-term goals and vision for sustainability following its merger in 2017. Ahead of the merger, she was integral in helping the JBG Companies establish its first formal sustainability program, as she supported the development of stakeholder communication, strategy setting, data reporting, and certifications.
“I am excited to join Nareit and to help support REITs and publicly traded real estate companies in their efforts to meet the evolving sustainability needs of investors, tenants, and regulators,” said Long. “I especially look forward to working with members and industry stakeholders to further develop and promote the transparent approaches REITs are taking toward environmental stewardship and sustainability.”
Outside of her professional commitments, Long is an active member of the Real Estate Roundtable, ULI Greenprint, Better Buildings Alliance and former chair of the NAIOP MD/DC – Sustainable Development Committee. In 2022, she was a Fitwel Leadership Advisory Board member and previously held a leadership role with the USGBC – National Capital Region Greenbuild Host Committee.
Long holds LEED AP EB:O+M and WELL AP credentials, as well as the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting credential. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration as well as in Communication from McDaniel College in Westminster, MD.