Interview: Maureen Michalski, vice president of development, Ryan Cos. US Inc.

There’s nothing like starting a new job in the middle of a global pandemic and then hitting the ground running with oversight of a game-changing, $1 billion-plus development at a former auto plant site. So it is for Maureen Michalski, who joined Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. US Inc. in mid-March, just when the coronavirus crisis was heating up. As executive in charge of the Ford site redevelopment in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood, she’s putting her talents to use on a project that will create thousands of new homes and other uses on a 122-acre property. A graduate of Macalester College, Michalski came to Ryan from Schafer Richardson, where she was a project manager and director of development. Previously, she was project manager at Aeon. Michalski is a board member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Minnesota chapter, and is the chair of the Macalester College High Winds Fund, which aims to “maintain and improve the beauty, serenity, and security of the area surrounding the campus of Macalester College.” In the following interview, Michalski talks about the Ford site redevelopment, what attracted her to Ryan Cos., and how she got into the commercial real estate business.