Last week, leaders from across the chapter network gathered in Washington, D.C., for our annual Chapter Leadership and Legislative Retreat – our first since February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic brought these types of gatherings to a stop.

I am extremely happy to be back in action with all of you to kick off 2023 in person and am excited to tackle the challenges ahead of us. I want to acknowledge our chapter leaders, executives and Corporate board members for their engagement at the meeting and particularly for their commitment and support of this tremendous association.

As for challenges, there are many. We face escalating interest rates, continued inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the ever-evolving complex political environment, both nationally and locally. While I remain optimistic about our industry and our association, we may experience another set of challenges outside of the pandemic that tests our resolve. Our commitment and creativity will be crucial as we work together to navigate them.  

As chair, I plan to devote my energy towards continuous improvement across the organization, with a focus on three key goals. The first is improving the association’s leadership regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. This goal goes beyond our work as an association and our membership, extending NAIOP to be a leader for the industry at large. It is a challenging but important objective.

Second is an effort to examine our membership structure and organization with an eye on simplification and modernization. It has been decades since we’ve evaluated this, and it’s no small task. For me, this is crucial to remaining competitive among the many membership organizations within our space. Brian Walker, our chair-elect, has generously offered to lead a task force focused on this goal. I’d like to thank Brian and the volunteer members who are giving their time for this initiative.

Third, I will focus on adapting our advocacy strategies, both nationally and regionally, to meet the current challenges we face in 52 chapters across North America. Local chapters will always be in a superior position to deal with local issues, but our national advocacy program in both Canada and the United States can support and assist our chapters with data collection, issue spotting, and education on policy matters affecting all our markets and product segments.

Also on tap for 2023 is our strategic planning effort. Our goal is to create a three-year plan that outlines measurable objectives and direction for the association and our members that will position us to adjust to current and evolving economic, demographic and political conditions.

Our strategic plan will need to be flexible and adaptable to all our members, particularly as new generations enter the workforce and begin to explore careers in commercial real estate. Every member will have the opportunity to participate through surveys and other means, and I want to thank you in advance for your participation in this important exercise. I’m excited to see where it leads us.

As with any organization, the challenge for NAIOP is to continuously improve, ready to weather any challenges before us. I look forward to working with the board, executive committee, chapters and our members this year. I hope you will consider me accessible, energized and committed to helping NAIOP continue as the best trade association for our industry.