John Woodard
Stirling
Vice President
Assumed New Position: October 2024
John Woodard grew up in Covington in a design-focused family.
“My sister is an architect and my mom is an interior designer,” he said. “I’ve always been a visual, tangible results person.”
While attending Louisiana State University, the finance major began to shape what would be his career both through an internship with Stirling — a leading commercial real estate company in the Gulf South — and by winning the position of student body president in his senior year. Following graduation, Woodard spent three years in Washington D.C., the last year of which as the White House liaison for the U.S. Small Business Administration, before deciding to return home to earn an M.B.A. at Tulane University.
He reconnected with Stirling in March of 2020, and took the role of development manager for two years, and then director of development and asset manager for two years before being promoted to vice president last October.
“I knew I wanted to work in a field that made visible, concrete changes in communities,” he said, “and this work serves as a vehicle for progress, while continuing to challenge me.”
Woodard has had the opportunity to lead and work on several “firsts” for the company, including Stirling’s new corporate headquarters in Covington, its first “build-to-rent” communities, and the first Ochsner Kidney Care facilities.
“I’m also proud of the work we’ve done in the post-pandemic office sector,” he said. “Our investment and research over the past five years in our office properties has allowed us to maintain high occupancies and strong tenant demand across our portfolio in an asset class that is facing stress.”
As Stirling celebrates its 50th year in business, Woodard said he’s buoyed by the region’s opportunities.
“In Orleans and Jefferson parishes, our retail and medical properties continue to perform really well, and we see opportunities to continue to expand there,” he noted. “I also see opportunities in the office sector as companies look to incentivize their employees to return to the office more regularly. Class-A office spaces with lots of amenities will continue to win over the next few years.”
“People and businesses continue to invest in our city, knowing the economic, environmental and political hurdles here, and I think it’s very important that we all do our part to see that trend continue.”
