Dana Wright, director of corporate security in the Eastern US for Brookfield Properties’ Retail Division, oversees a whopping forty properties and teams across eighteen states. In this role with one of the world’s largest real estate managers, she also serves as a resource and conduit between multiple contract vendors, communities surrounding the properties, law enforcement agencies, and her corporate partners, including property management, legal, IT, marketing, and PR.
Before taking on this role five years ago, Wright was CEO of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, where she served for more than twenty years and broke multiple glass ceilings—including being the first woman in her agency to be selected to attend the FBI National Academy.
Now, she’s using the leadership skills learned over the course of her illustrious career to carry Brookfield Properties forward, tackling the many challenges facing malls today with intelligence and innovation.
Courtney Wolfe: You have such a strong leadership background. Do you feel that you’ve always been a strong leader? How did you gain the confidence to lead earlier in your career?
Dana Wright: I always felt that titles didn’t necessarily make a leader. The people that I gravitated towards early on weren’t necessarily the designated leaders, but they were the ones that would take charge or took the time to mentor or help others. And so, I began to just do that. I didn’t always go for leadership roles, but I strived to be of service and help others. When I took on more leadership roles and I started forming and leading my own teams, I built upon the techniques and processes that were successful for those before me. Similar to the mentors I’ve had, I also encouraged new leaders to emerge knowing that in order to experience growth, for both them and myself, I had to allow others to grow. I could not be afraid to move forward and look for someone to take my place.
Wolfe: How do you continue to sharpen those leadership skills year after year?
Wright: I like to read a lot of books by leaders to see what they have done. I go to trainings and seminars, and I do a lot of self-reflection as well. I don’t just assume that when I talk to people or provide direction that it works for them or that it’s right. I ask if they have any questions, or if there is any way I could have assisted better. I always look for feedback, and I’m always hoping someone will tell me the truth. At the end of the day, I reflect on whether what I did was the best way to handle that or how I feel about how I handled something. I just try to stay very cognizant of what I do, what I say, and how it affects others.
Wolfe: That’s all such good advice. Before coming to Brookfield, you spent twenty years working in law enforcement. What drew you to choosing that as a career? Do you come from a law enforcement family?
Wright: I wasn’t from a law enforcement family per se; my father worked in law enforcement part-time for a while, but that wasn’t it. I always wanted to be of service and help others, but I didn’t know what that looked like exactly. I remember when I was maybe eight or nine years old playing with some other kids, and we didn’t have a great experience with a police officer. He seemed kind of mean and gruff. I always remembered him and said, “Oh, I could probably do that and make people feel better about their interactions with me.” As I got older, there were people along the way saying, “They’re hiring over at the sheriff’s office, you would be good at that. It is something you should try.” And at the time, I didn’t think; I was a young single parent and was focusing on a lot of different things. They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself yet. Eventually, I began my career, and I was amazed at what I learned and what could be done in that space and just took it from there.
Wolfe: I read that you were the first woman in your agency selected to attend the FBI National Academy—what an amazing accomplishment. What do you attribute to your success in law enforcement?
Wright: It was such an honor to go to the National Academy and spend time with people in leadership positions across the United States and in various countries. Being the first woman was huge for me because I wanted to do well so that other women could go too, that was really my main goal after I was selected. I really took pride during my whole career in being a person of integrity, a person who emphasizes and focuses on service, and who gets work done. I know now that my work ethic, my ability to build teams, and my success in building relationships were the catalysts to earn that space. When I got there, I wanted to do it with excellence because, like I said, if I’m the first woman and our agency had been around for decades, I wanted to make sure other women got to do this.
Wolfe: What made you want to transition to working in security after your career in law enforcement?
Wright: It felt like a natural progression. Though in law enforcement, we might assume that security is very similar, I learned early they’re not the same at all. The foundation you have from being in law enforcement is great, but security is so much more. I was pleasantly surprised at what I was able to learn and the new world I was exposed to—the tools and the different thought processes and ways to problem-solve. It has been an amazing experience. I had a lot to learn, and I was very fortunate to get to Brookfield and be on this amazing team that has so much experience. It has been a great transition, but more than that, it’s been a learning experience that I did not imagine.
Wolfe: I’m sure. And malls are going through such huge changes right now, it’s a really interesting time to be working in the role that you are. How are you helping Brookfield through these changes?
Wright: We have a great, innovative team. We run through scenarios and research products. We check in with one another and rely on each other to come up with the best solutions and services. But for me personally, I continue to learn—I study, I read everything, I follow all things security and technology on social media, I read magazines, I research, I ask questions, I listen to podcasts. I try to stay up to date on what everyone is doing and what they’re talking about. What are their issues? What are they experiencing that we can work to solve? So, when the team gets together, I can contribute in a meaningful way. The goal is to try to stay ahead of things and learn about what’s happening because our industry is rapidly changing. These changes challenge us all to stay on the forefront of what’s happening so we can continue to generate ideas and be innovative in our approach to safety.
Wolfe: Absolutely—retail theft, organized retail theft, and retail violence have all increased in recent years. What changes have malls had to make to address these growing challenges?
Wright: Sometimes you have a situation, and you can look at it and learn from it. But then you also need to get a couple of paces ahead of it and say, “What is next”? Because everything progresses and things are changing so rapidly, we need to stay in front of concerns and look for trends. We must look at these situations and collaborate with our retail and law enforcement partners to create solutions both proactively and because of what we have all learned. One thing we are learning is that our retail partners, law enforcement partners, and policymakers are all beginning to share information, collaborate, and figure out how to work together. Not that long ago, there were silos because everybody was trying to problem-solve within their own space. But, if I share a little bit of information with you, you share some information with me, we begin to talk about it openly, and we do much better in our problem-solving and innovation.
Wolfe: Another sort of newer threat to malls now is shootings and shooting threats. How is Brookfield working to prevent these incidents and then create efficient responses if such incidents happen?
Wright: Prevention is complicated because human behavior is often unpredictable, but there are things that we can work on and technology that we can work with to decrease those odds. One thing that has really worked well for us is firearm detection canines, which are at some of our properties. We have a very customer-forward approach about including them in our communities and talking to our guests and retailers about the canines’ use and the added safety. They’ve really been a great addition, and we continue to implement solutions like that to stay ahead of what may be.
Wolfe: Are there any other specific practices or technologies that you’re working on implementing to further improve security?
Wright: We are always looking at new technologies, and when we go to industry events or panels, we meet with some of the companies that are working on new technologies, and we test them. We talk about them and how we might apply them in our programs. As an example, we are looking at common areas, how to make them safer, and what type of technology could assist our property teams. So, we do explore a lot of technologies, and when we implement or try them, we want them to be the best solution for our properties and communities.
Wolfe: Do you have any advice for retailers with locations inside malls regarding building strong relationships with mall management and security and being able to thrive in these sorts of environments?
Wright: I would say to all of them: We are open, and we are here to collaborate! We want to listen to what your concerns might be so that we can discuss ways that we can work better together. If we’re unsure of what you’re experiencing, we can’t find solutions. So please come to us, come to our management teams, and let’s talk about what’s happening, what we’re doing, and how we can move forward. We’ve found that sometimes, they may not even know that we have a tool already for them. As an example, retailers can speak to us via an app and we can come and check in on them, they can send us information, or we can set up a monthly or a quarterly meeting. By opening ourselves up, retailers are more apt to collaborate with us on solutions now and in the long term.
Wolfe: During this volatile period for retail, what do you envision as the future of Brookfield Properties? Do you have any specific goals for the company?
Wright: I wouldn’t use the word volatile, but we have seen the evolution of the traditional shopping mall, and our portfolio is a great example of that. Our centers are community hubs that include shopping, community gathering, dining, entertainment, discovery and recreation, and fulfillment and logistics. We are the creators of space, and my goal is to continue to keep that space safe and welcoming for everyone who goes to the center.
Wolfe: You’ve already accomplished so much at this point in your career. Do you have any personal or professional goals that you’d like to share?
Wright: Everything can’t be work; you must be well-rounded. So, I’d love to continue to learn and become an expert in the security space, but I also want to continue to elevate and amplify women’s voices. That’s always been a passion of mine, and I do that now. I let them tell their stories on a platform that I have, and I just want to continue to do that. I think there’s great strength and lots of great stories with women doing some fabulous things, and I just want their voices to continue to be heard.
Wolfe: As someone who has been so successful in an industry that is very male-dominated, what advice do you have for younger women in security?
Wright: Use your voice. Don’t be afraid to speak up, sign up, raise your hand, get in there, and really just learn everything you can. Get a mentor. It is a male-dominated profession, but they make great mentors. Once you are in the space and you’re learning and doing well, take someone else under your wing, be a mentor, and pay it forward. But the biggest thing for me is that if we don’t speak up, make ourselves available, sign up for the next level, or take the chance, we won’t grow. So, keep forging the path, and then turn around and encourage others to come because we have to get those numbers up and get women in there. I do believe that when there’s a great balance of male and female voices being heard, we have the best outcomes.
Wolfe: I love that. Outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?
Wright: I love reading—I’m a huge self-helper. And, I guess this is a habit from my previous profession, but I have also watched every Law and Order SVU episode. Olivia Benson is my favorite lady ever. Finally, just hanging out with my grandson—he and I have a great time, and he has taught me a great deal about life and how to see things through a child’s eyes.
Wolfe: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Wright: Just to make sure we continue to collaborate and work together—within all the systems and with our partners. Collaboration and partnership are the only way we’re going to continue to make progress. Things always change—it’s how we respond to the change and how we work together that matters.