The following remarks were shared by 2023 Chair Kim Snyder during the association’s Annual Meeting at CRE.Converge 2022, where 2022 Chair Jeff Milanaik officially passed the gavel to next year’s leadership. It has been edited for clarity and length. Snyder will formally begin this role on Jan. 1, 2023.

Thank you for the honor of serving as NAIOP chair. Having served on the board and executive committee, I truly appreciate and respect the volunteerism associated with our strong leadership at NAIOP.

This group works tirelessly to solve problems, represent our interests across the U.S. and Canada, and deliver value to our members in advocacy, education, and of course networking. But it is not lost on me the trade-offs associated with doing one’s day job combined with this intensive volunteer work at your chapters and in your states and communities. Thanks to you all for this amazing investment in our industry and our association.

To my predecessor Jeff Milanaik, I want to express my appreciation for the collaboration and friendship over the past year as we emerged from the pandemic in the face of a war in Ukraine, hyperinflation, skyrocketing interest rates and, most notably, the retirement of both NAIOP’s CEO and CFO in the same month. We are thrilled to have transitioned smoothly thanks to the hard work of Jeff, Molly Carson, and the entire executive committee. I am excited to work with the new CEO, Marc Selvitelli, and his incredible staff going forward.

The transition did offer an opportunity for introspection to examine NAIOP’s value, priorities and future. Both Jeff and I have had the opportunity this year to interact with chapter executives, chapter leaders, and many members as we lay the groundwork for 2023. Our goal is to execute and complete a strategic planning effort that charts NAIOP’s course for the next three years. 

I am also particularly interested in focusing on government policy and advocacy for our industry. Coming from California, I have grown accustomed to sharing the industry’s perspective on legislation that impedes the ability to develop commercial real estate. More than ever, we need to continue advocating for effective legislation on the local, provincial and national levels and provide data that clearly demonstrates our positive social, financial and broader economic impact.

Our industry does a lot good by creating jobs, helping businesses grow, and being active members of local communities. We need to consistently remind various stakeholders of the value we provide. I hope I can count on you to join me in that effort.

I am thankful for the support that Prologis provides to our association with its sponsorship and National Forums program support, as well as my time associated with this great association. Over 188 Prologis employees are NAIOP members across 28 local chapters. Prologis has allowed me to propel diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEI&B) in numerous ways for our industry, and I am excited to continue those efforts.

In closing, I am honored to be your chair and am excited to work together on our goals and objectives. To each member of our association, thank you for being a vital part of this living organism we call NAIOP. Through your input, feedback, and generous support, we can continuously improve.

This post is brought to you by JLL, the social media and conference blog sponsor of NAIOP’s CRE.Converge 2022. Learn more about JLL at www.us.jll.com or www.jll.ca.