BOMA News & Leadership

Charting a Course for Success in Miami: Highlights from the 2019 Winter Business Meeting

Attendees of BOMA International’s 2019 Winter Business Meeting could not have asked for a more picture-perfect venue to gather. From January 17-21, 2019, BOMA members escaped the cold at the beautiful JW Turnberry Miami Resort & Spa in Aventura, Florida, to share ideas, explore industry trends, develop initiatives for industry growth and chart an ambitious course for BOMA’s future in 2019 and beyond.

BOMAPAC Fundraising “Up to Par”

Prior to the start of a full slate of committee, council and task force meetings, many attendees gathered to network and work on their golf swings during a golf tournament, putting contest and hole-in-one competition supporting BOMA International’s political action committee, BOMAPAC. The sunny skies and lush surroundings of the scenic Miller Course provided the perfect backdrop for the golfers, especially the winning foursome: BOMA International Chair-Elect Scott Jones and former BOMA International Chairs Brian Harnetiaux, BOMA Fellow; Brenna Walraven, BOMA Fellow, CPM, RPA; and Boyd Zoccola, BOMA Fellow.

A Visionary Look at the Future of Commercial Real Estate

The Keynote Luncheon, sponsored by The Home Depot, featured a thought-provoking presentation by Stefan Swanepoel, chairman and CEO of the Swanepoel T3 Group, who is widely recognized as a leading real estate visionary.

Swanepoel shared his insights on various emerging technological trends that have the ability to shape commercial real estate and show the most potential for disrupting the industry status quo. Just some of the high-tech gadgets and applications he identified included personal air-to-land vehicles, smart suitcases, 3D printed food, gesture-controlled computers, lifelike robots, AI-enhanced personal assistants and even miniature drones armed with explosives.

Swanepoel explained that the line between exciting advancements and unsettling developments is very thin. He asked the group, “What’s the difference between technology and fear?” His answer: “About 25 years.”

The Business of BOMA

On the final day, the Board of Governors meeting offered a celebration of BOMA’s achievements in 2018, as well as a look to the future with the launch of a new strategic plan and the unveiling of a new independent certification institute.

The meeting kicked off by recognizing Debbie Chamberlain of BOMA/Orlando as BOMA’s newest Life Member. Also recognized were Jeannie Bernard, CAE, former BOMA Association Executive (BAE) of BOMA/Denver Metro; Judith Dwiggins, BAE of BOMA/Anchorage; and Henry L. Green, immediate former president of the National Institute of Building Sciences, who all received the Distinguished Service Award for valuable contributions to BOMA International.

After an update on BOMA’s financial growth in 2018 and its business plan for 2019, BOMA International Vice Chair Shelby Christensen and Paul Meyer, president and CEO of Tecker International, presented BOMA International’s five-year strategic plan, including its new vision to be the partner individuals in the commercial real estate industry choose to maximize value for their careers, organizations, and assets.

The plan lays out a series of six key goal areas, from advocacy and education to membership engagement and talent identification and development. After an in-depth overview by Christensen and Meyer, BOMA’s 2019-2023 strategic plan was met with unanimous support and approval by the Board of Governors.

A New Chapter in Education

BOMA International Chair Brian Cappelli and BOMI International Chair Howard Arndt unveiled two initiatives endorsed by BOMA International’s Executive Committee and BOMI’s Board of Trustees: the creation of a new independent certification institute and a collaborative business agreement between BOMA and BOMI.

The newly created certification institute will have its own staff and board of managers that will operate independently from both BOMA and BOMI. The institute is developing a new “early-career” certification for commercial property managers and will provide a valuable learning roadmap for emerging professionals beginning their careers in commercial real estate. The examination will establish critical skill-competency standards across the industry for the next generation of property managers.

BOMA International Senior Vice President Patricia Areno, CAE, and BOMI International President Jeff Horn also announced that BOMA and BOMI are developing an independent exam preparation course that will launch alongside the competency exam. In addition to this course, BOMA and BOMI have committed to producing four additional learning programs supporting the property management profession over the next four years. These exciting new ventures sparked a lively discussion during the live Q&A session, with enthusiastic support from the BOMA local association representatives.

Committee Highlights

A number of BOMA committee representatives also provided updates on their committees’ activities, including Manny Moreno of BOMA/Oakland-East Bay for the BOMAPAC Council, and Stephen Shepard, CAE, of BOMA/Denver Metro, for the BAE Council.

Chris Horsley with BOMA/Indianapolis provided an update on the Industry Defense Fund (IDF) Oversight Committee’s activities. The committee approved two new applications during the Winter Business Meeting: one from BOMA/Hawaii to support its opposition of state legislation that would establish unreasonable mandates for electric vehicle charging stations in parking garages, and one from BOMA International to support rejoining the Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism. The Coalition, which advocates for the renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), will continue to work with players across the commercial real estate industry to renew TRIA in the coming year.

Benchmarking Excellence

To close the Board of Governors meeting, BOMA International Vice President Deidre Schexnayder, CPM, RPA, announced the winners of the 2018 Office Experience Exchange Report (Office EER) Local Participation Awards. The winners included those BOMA local associations that saw the largest increase in Office EER survey participation in 2018:

  • BOMA/Miami-Dade – BAE: Maria Gomez;
  • BOMA/Suburban Chicago – BAE: Michael Mulcrone;
  • BOMA/Greater Charlotte – BAE: Crystal Smyth; and
  • BOMA/Kansas City – BAE: Cristalle Bozarth.

Mixing and Mingling

The meeting also offered attendees the chance to unwind and connect at a number of first-rate networking events. At the Friday evening Welcome Reception, sponsored by Naylor Association Solutions, BOMA members mingled poolside with longtime colleagues and new faces alike, and the evening concluded with an exclusive BOMAPAC Reception for Gold- and Platinum-level contributors, which honored BOMA Life Member and former BOMA International Secretary/Treasurer Dan Chancey, RPA, BOMA Fellow. Attendees gathered once more for the Closing Party, sponsored by thyssenkrupp, which featured the highly anticipated BOMAPAC raffle drawing. The lucky winners included Karrie McCampbell, BOMA Fellow, CPM, who went home with a brand-new espresso machine, and Edward Manko, BOMA Fellow, CPM, RPA, who scored an enormous Yeti cooler gift pack. In total, a record-breaking more than $18,000 was raised for BOMAPAC at the Winter Business Meeting, giving BOMA International’s advocacy efforts a strong start for 2019.