John Bliss

As Chief Investment Officer for Urban Renaissance Group (URG), John Bliss has overall responsibility for the company’s real estate investment activities and relationships with institutional and private investment partners. URG is a Seattle-based real estate investor and operating company, specializing in the redevelopment and repositioning of major office properties in Seattle and Portland.

Prior to joining URG, John was Chief Investment Officer for Metzler North America, overseeing North American investment activities. From 1996 to 2004, John was a principal and Senior Vice President for Seattle-based Unico Properties. He shared overall responsibility for Unico’s investment activities, including acquisitions, joint ventures with institutional partners, placement of property level debt financing, asset recapitalizations and dispositions. His personal real estate investment transaction experience totals more than $1.5 billion of direct responsibility since 1990.

John began his professional career in 1982 as a CPA for Deloitte & Touche in Seattle. He is a graduate of Washington State University (Business Administration /Accounting) and completed the Advanced Management Development Program at Harvard in 2002.

John served on the Emeritus Board of the Alliance for Education (Seattle Public Schools) and is a past member of the Alliance Executive Committee. He also served on the National Board of Advisors for the College of Business and as chair of the Real Estate Advisory Board, both for Washington State University. John and his wife are active supporters of the Methow Conservancy, Climate Solutions, Village Bicycle Project, and Western Washington University/Washington State University/
University of Idaho (endowed academic scholarships). John is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute.