Get to Know...
Gregory Grainger, BOMA Fellow, CCIM, CPM, RPA
As president of Younger Partners Property Services, Greg Grainger oversees property management services for a four million-square-foot portfolio in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. An active BOMA member at every level, Grainger was president of BOMA/Greater Dallas in 2009 and chair of the BOMA Southwest Region in 2012. Now, he is a newly elected member of BOMA International’s Executive Committee. His passion for education has led him to chair both the BOMA/Greater Dallas Education Committee and, more recently, the board of trustees for BOMI International, where his efforts helped facilitate the new BOMA/BOMI joint education initiative and the launch of the Certified Manager of Commercial Properties™ (CMCP™) certification.
How did you first get involved with BOMA?
Since industry education has become such a huge part of my career, it’s fitting that I first got involved through an education course. Not long into my first industry job, I realized that I had a lot to learn about property management. I stumbled upon an advertisement for a BOMI course that was being offered through BOMA/Greater Dallas and registered. The course helped me tremendously, and I continued to take education courses through BOMI and BOMA as I advanced. I eventually taught courses myself. My background ended up being the perfect fit for the BOMA/BOMI joint education initiative to promote the knowledge base within the industry.
Tell us how the new CMCP certification came out of this partnership.
Last year, BOMA International and BOMI International conducted a job task analysis of commercial property managers. Out of this analysis came what we call a competency model and body of knowledge for the profession. It also became apparent there was no clear professional development path for emerging professionals. BOMA and BOMI announced the creation of the independent Commercial Real Estate Certification Institute (CRECI) and CRECI’s new certification, the CMCP, to fill this need.
The CMCP provides early-career recognition and independent validation of skills, and it increases a property professional’s value to their company. It also signals to employers that they have the potential to advance in their careers and their commitment to the industry. And, BOMA and BOMI have come together to create an online prep course for the CMCP exam that not only helps candidates get ready for the exam, but also fulfills the professional development prerequisite for the certification. I’ve spoken with fellow BOMA members who supported their new employees in earning the certification, and they say it’s really helped their teams thrive.
I’m proud to have been a part of the creation of the next big thing in industry professional development. I’ve personally benefited from so many great teachers and mentors over the years, and I want to ensure others have the support and guidance they need.
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
"Never say ‘never’ or ‘always,’ because you’ll always be wrong and never be right." That kind of thinking is limiting, and it will really work against you in an industry that requires so much flexibility and openness to change. You don’t want to rule anything out.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I enjoy cartoons. When my children were young, we would watch them together on Saturday mornings. After a while, my wife would check in and ask, "What are you doing?" I’d tell her I was watching cartoons with the kids, only to realize they had lost interest hours ago and I was watching them by myself!
This article was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of BOMA Magazine.