Valerie Richardson has served as the chief operating officer of the International Council of Shopping Centers, commonly known as “ICSC,” since February 2021. ICSC is a professional trade organization that serves the retail marketplaces industry. Since 2004, Richardson has been a member of the board of trustees of ICSC and was elected as ICSC vice-chairperson for the 2017 to 2018 term and as chairperson for the 2018 to 2019 term. She also served on the board of the ICSC Foundation from 2011 to 2019, and as a trustee at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center — Plano from 2010 to 2016.

She previously served as the vice president of real estate for The Container Store, Inc., where she led its real estate team for more than 20 years, from September 2000 until February 2021. Prior to her tenure with The Container Store, Richardson served as senior vice president of real estate and development for Ann Taylor, Inc., where she administered the company’s store expansion strategy for Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft, and as vice president of real estate and development with Barnes & Noble, Inc., the nation’s largest retail bookseller.

Richardson began her real estate career at Trammell Crow Company, a Dallas-based real estate developer, where she became a partner in its Shopping Center Division. Additionally, since 2018, she has served as a member of the board of directors for Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE: KIM), North America’s largest publicly traded owner and operator of open-air, grocery-anchored shopping and mixed-use centers, where she also serves as a member of its audit, executive compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees.

Richardson earned her Master of Business Administration in real estate from the University of North Texas and a bachelor’s degree in education from Texas State University.