by Michele Gillis
Staff Writer
Lindsey Ballas, the business development chief for the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, was recently chosen as one of the “20 under 40” from the Commercial Real Estate Women National.
Ballas was chosen from the 240 nominees across North America based on her job responsibilities, career achievements, leadership roles and affiliations in the commercial real estate industry. Award recipients are considered “women to watch” in the commercial real estate industry.
The Jacksonville CREW chapter nominated Ballas.
Ballas has been with the JEDC for four and a half years and previously worked in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Denver.
Among her recent assignments was finding a master developer Cecil Commerce Center and she helped entice the Dallas-based Hillwood Investment Properties.
“I think my work on the Hillwood project was, I believe, the primary reason I won the award,” she said. “We are in such a down economy and it is such a substantial project. It really was a multi-faceted effort to get the Cecil Commerce Project passed and implemented.”
She has a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a master’s in business administration from the University of South Florida.
She’s also a bride - she recently married Jeff Kimball of Fidelity Investments.