Starting before project initiation and extending to grand openings and beyond, Reed Kawahara is instrumental in bringing high-impact projects like The Green at West Village, Orchard Park and Aggie Square to life in his role as Director of Public-Private Partnerships within Real Estate Services at Design and Construction Management. A Public-Private Partnership, or P3, is a collaborative agreement between a public institution like UC Davis and private developers or investors.

“Public-Private Partnerships allow us to leverage the strengths and expertise present in both the private sector and at the university,” Kawahara explained. In his role, Kawahara not only includes negotiating initial P3 agreements to ensure the vision aligns with UC Davis’ goals and interests but also continued management of the partnership to ensure the university’s needs continue to be met. Bringing these types of partnerships to fruition is no easy feat.

“While the P3 model offers numerous benefits, P3s also present challenges due to the need to collaborate with multiple parties,” Clare Shinnerl, vice chancellor of Finance, Operations and Administration, said. “His role demands a high level of expertise, organizational skills, patience, and grace — all of which Reed exemplifies.”

Tracing Kawahara’s experience to see how his expertise developed, brings us from southern California, where Kawahara grew up, to UC Davis, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in political science. A graduate degree focusing on urban planning led Kawahara to a career in real estate economics and development. In his most recent position prior to UC Davis, Kawahara was a principal for a consulting firm specializing in structuring P3s for public institutions. It was through this work that Kawahara crossed paths again with UC Davis, which ultimately led to his “homecoming” in 2017.

“When consulting, I was mostly focused on a small sliver of work at the beginning of projects. I was excited about finding a role where I can be involved from soup to nuts — from project initiation to negotiation to construction to occupancy and operation,” Kawahara said. “Getting to do that at UC Davis has been very gratifying.”

Kawahara first joined the team to help execute the P3 behind The Green at West Village, student apartments owned and operated by a private company, built to support the university’s growing population and housing commitments. In his time on the Real Estate Services team, Kawahara has also supported the development of Orchard Park, another P3 project, specializing in graduate and family housing. Combined these P3s added 4,800 beds to campus and were crucial in helping the university meet and surpass its housing obligations made in partnership with the City of Davis and Yolo County. Read more.

It’s not all housing though — since his tenure started, Kawahara has also played a key role in realizing Aggie Square, an innovation district in Sacramento designed to cultivate partnerships, enhance emerging technologies and support community development by collocating university programs and industry partners. 

“Reed has been at the forefront of the Aggie Square P3 project, and I am continually impressed by his ability to manage so many moving parts,” Shinnerl said. “Nearly every day, and often multiple times a day, I call, text, or email Reed, asking him for his insights. I am in awe of his ability to drive this massive project to completion.”

Phase one of Aggie Square, opening to the public in May 2025, includes research labs, classrooms, collaborative workspaces, and student housing, across four buildings and a parking garage. Through the P3, Wexford Science & Technology, a developer specializing in university-affiliated innovation districts, funded over $510 million for construction and will own and operate the buildings. UC Davis will lease 400,000 square feet of lab and classroom space to facilitate impactful research, learning and programs. Read more about Aggie Square and other projects executed by Real Estate Services. 

Executing a P3 of this magnitude, and Kawahara’s role in general, requires a lot of collaboration.

“Invariably, my role involves working with a host of different stakeholders,” Kawahara “It’s really great, getting to collaborate with like-minded people.”

In addition to the collaboration that fills Kawahara’s calendar, he also does a lot of analytical work on spreadsheets and budgets.

“There isn't any aspect of what I do that I don’t enjoy,” Kawahara said. “I love my job.”

Outside of work, Kawahara enjoys spending time with his wife and two teenagers —including going on family trips around the country from visiting family along the pacific coast to seeing the nation’s capital.