The Urban Land Institute, an 82-year-old D.C.-based nonprofit focused on creating better land-use planning, has named a new global CEO.

Ed Walter, who previously served as CEO of Host Hotels and Resorts, began working Monday in the position held by Patrick Phillips for the last nine years.

The world's largest lodging REIT, Bethesda-based Host Hotels is valued at $19B and owns over 110 hotels around the world. After stepping into the top position at Host in 2007, Walter held the job for nine years before stepping down in December 2016. Since then, he has served as the Steers Chair in Real Estate at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.

ULI approved a new strategic plan May 1 aimed at strengthening membership in each of its three regions, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Walter will spearhead the plan's implementation by making investments in technology and encouraging more philanthropic giving.

"There are very few real estate organizations that operate on a global scale, and ULI's ability to connect Asia to Europe to the Americas is something that sets us apart," Walter said in a release. "ULI's presence in these three regions presents an extraordinary opportunity to build our brand and expand our work in each of these very different locales."

Prior to 2007, Walter served as Host's chief financial officer for over four years and held other executive roles at the REIT. He previously worked at D.C.-based Bailey Capital Corp. and Orlando, Florida-based ZOM Communities. He has also held voluntary leadership roles at several industry groups such as the Real Estate Roundtable, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the Federal City Council.

"Ed is the right leader for ULI," ULI Global Chairman Thomas Toomey said in a release. "He has a vast set of leadership skills and extensive industry experience, and he is devoted to guiding ULI's new course and helping our members make a positive difference in communities around the globe."