In early February Jim Dunning joined the Cal Poly Corporation leadership team as associate executive director of Real Estate Development. While he will oversee many projects, none is perhaps as visible as increasing the availability of faculty and staff housing.

In this new role for the Corporation, Dunning will oversee all stages of real estate acquisition, development and management of all CPC-owned or leased properties. This includes capital improvements, projects that enhance commercial operations, Sponsored Projects and research, and programming for Cal Poly Corporation and the broader Cal Poly community.

Key among these projects is the new faculty and staff housing development on the corner of Slack Street and Grand Avenue, the Corporation’s second such project. Bella Montana, the 70-home development at Highland Avenue and Highway 1, was the Corporation’s first such project. A third project near campus is in the planning phase. 

Dunning will also oversee commercial and agricultural properties including Swanton Pacific Ranch in Santa Cruz County, and Bartleson Ranch in Arroyo Grande as well as the Cal Poly Technology Park and its planned expansion. In his previous role on campus, he served as a lead in the Tech Park expansion working with corporate, government and philanthropic funding partners to bring the project to fruition.

Since 2007 Dunning served as the associate vice president for Corporation Engagement and Innovation for Cal Poly. In that role Dunning managed the Cal Poly Tech Park, working with corporate sponsors and on industry-sponsored research. He engaged, fostered, developed and grew strategic partnerships and collaborations with industry, and provided oversight and signatory authority for a variety of research-related contracts such as non-disclosure, material transfer, and sponsored research agreements with for-profit sponsors.

He also oversaw Technology Transfer, where he supervised staff in negotiations with faculty inventors concerning intellectual property rights, equity sharing, and inventorship.