CBL Properties

Debbie Milhouse-Sokol

Milhouse-Sokol’s success reflects her attitude toward growth. With every step, she continues to make a lasting impact in the lives of everyone she engages with. Her ability to bridge vision with opportunity opens doors to more vibrant and profitable retail spaces. Her adept industry know-how and ability to anticipate market shifts make her an invaluable asset to the organization she serves.

For more than two decades, Debbie Milhouse-Sokol has been helping shape the landscape of retail engagement by blending specialty leasing, brand activations and strategic partnerships to transform shopping centers into experience-driven destinations. Now, as the senior director of specialty leasing, advertising and strategic partnerships at CBL Properties, she is converting shopping centers into experiential hubs that redefine how brands interact with consumers.

Her plan of action extends beyond traditional leasing models, introducing out-of-home mall advertising, experiential activations, in-mall sponsorships, pop-ups and large-scale events into CBL Properties’ framework. Under her leadership, the company has become a meeting point for national and regional brands, leveraging its high-foot-traffic environments to make every activation an opportunity for discovery and lead generation.

Milhouse-Sokol’s career demonstrates her consistency and unwavering commitment to creating immersive brand engagements that resonate with consumers on a deeper level. Over the past 24 years, she has rose through the ranks at CBL Properties and held many crucial responsibilities that helped shape her expertise in marketing, business development and strategic leasing.

From her early days as a marketing director to her period as a regional director of brand development and later director of national accounts, Milhouse-Sokol has consistently pushed the boundaries of what specialty leasing can achieve. With a deep understanding of consumer engagement and retail trends, she tailors strategies and leasing programs that enhance visibility, drive customer interaction and maximize revenue potential.

 Whether it’s a parking lot event that transforms a retail center into a festival of activity or a pop-up that introduces shoppers to the next big thing, Milhouse-Sokol ensures that every initiative delivers measurable value and aligns business goals with changing consumer behaviors

Beyond numbers and leasing agreements, Milhouse-Sokol dedicates her time to giving back to the community. She actively participates in initiatives that empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to advance toward their full potential. As a volunteer board member of Waves, Inc., an organization supporting the same cause, she engages in activities that contribute to their betterment and development.