By:
Richard P. Sleasman, SIOR
I am excited to begin my term as President of the SIOR Foundation, especially coming off the heels of a highly successful CREate 360 conference in Dallas. I know that I have some big Texas boots to fill following Albert McNeel’s successful two-year term. Thank you, Albert, for your leadership through the COVID years! As I begin my term, I am mindful of the trust our donors place in the SIOR Foundation Board of Trustees to be good stewards of the funds and to stay true to our mission to Educate, Enhance, and Expand the commercial real estate industry.
The CRE community is strong now and it will be even stronger in the future thanks in no small part to our contributors and supporters. I’m pleased to report that the Foundation is healthy and the Trustees are excited about future opportunities to fulfill our mission! The Fall Giveaway in Dallas garnered over $50,000 in donations. Thank you to all who participated. I’m excited to announce that Maria Juncadella, SIOR, of Fairchild Partners in Miami will receive a free registration—plus travel and hotel accommodations—to the SIOR 2023 Spring Event in Montreal this coming April. Look for another exiting giveaway event in Montreal!
While in Dallas, The Foundation held its annual Star Donor reception to thank the donors who contributed $1,000 or more during the past fiscal year. A huge thank you to Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates - Arriaga Group for sponsoring the event—a wonderful time was had by all who attended.
At the reception, we were able to meet some of the students who received scholarships to attend the conference through the SIOR Foundation Student Real Estate Experience Program. The enthusiasm of the students we met strengthened my resolve to continue the Foundation’s commitment to support real estate students, professionals, and SIOR. The current economy may have some near-term uncertainties, but the SIOR Foundation is in the position to ride the waves! In fact, the budget for this current fiscal year has over $309,000 earmarked to advance growth of the commercial real estate industry through scholarships, educational programming grants, research industry, and continued partnerships with industry partners.
To reach our goals, however, we need your continued support! In November, you may have received a call from one of our Trustees during the 2022 Phonathon. You can honor any pledge you made by submitting payments online through our website, or with the invoice that was e-mailed to you. Thank you for taking our calls! Another way to support the Foundation is by adding a donation to your SIOR dues payment. This is voluntary but very much appreciated. Please take one of these opportunities to give back to the industry that has given so much to you.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new members of the SIOR Foundation Board of Trustees. The following SIOR’s have signed on for a three-year term on the board. I am excited to collaborate with them, as well as all our returning trustees, in the coming year.
Please consider becoming a Trustee for the SIOR Foundation. For more information about the SIOR Foundation and its programs, please visit our website at www.siorfoundation.org or contact Corrine Nowak, Foundation Director at cnowak@sior.com.
Sincerely,
Richard Sleasman, SIOR
+1.518.452.2700 x124
richard.sleasman@cbre-albany.com