NeDA’s Real Estate Developer, Gail Merriam, retires

Celebrating her 25-year career

Neighborhood Development Alliance bittersweetly shares the retirement news of one of our longest-serving staff members, Gail Merriam, Real Estate Developer.

Gail joined NeDA in 1996 to support the growth of our expanding development work on the West Side of Saint Paul. As an artist with a BFA in Theater Design and Fine Art, Gail immediately brought an artistic touch to her development work, ensuring that all of NeDA's projects were beautifully designed and tastefully finished.

During her 25-year tenure at NeDA, Gail oversaw the renovation of over 175 homes (vacant and occupied) in Saint Paul. She seamlessly managed all aspects of project development, including due diligence and acquisition, scope writing and estimating, financing and draws to completion. Gail served as Assistant Project Manager for Villa del Sol, and acted as a General Contractor for NeDA's 2016 construction of an Energy Star Version 3.1 single family home.

Gail played a key role in securing Saint Paul Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) and Invest Saint Paul (ISP) funding for NeDA, with an emphasis on energy efficiency for residential and commercial loan programs. She believed strongly in ensuring that all homeowners—no matter their income level—had access to sustainable and energy-efficient improvements for their homes. She led the new construction of over 35 Energy Star homes and a LEED-certified twin home from conception to completion and sale while at NeDA.

Gail cared deeply about investing in the West Side, because it was (and is!) her home, too. She raised her two children as a single mother in this community, while serving as a leader on various neighborhood panels and initiatives. Gail was integral in the Castillo Park redesign, served as an inaugural organizer for Arts on the Avenue, and provided her expertise for the West Side Neighborhood Long Range Planning process and the Mississippi Riverfront Planning, among other projects.

Gail will be deeply missed at NeDA. She brought both a youthful levity to her work, and a deep, serious commitment to ensuring the long-term stability and sustainability of our community's residential and commercial buildings. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Gail held her own—advocating for her vision and refusing to compromise on what she saw as the necessary merging of beauty and quality.

Catch Gail spending more time with her four grandchildren, swimming, and connecting with loved ones in her retirement.

NeDA is so grateful for her quarter-of-a-century commitment to our community. May her legacy live long.