It is with a heavy heart that I prepare this letter for publication. Barb Johnson SIOR, who was in line to be the SIOR Foundation’s President this year, passed away in December in Salt Lake City/Park City where she called home. Below are a few words shared with us from Barb’s managing broker at CBRE in Salt Lake City:

“For those of you that knew Barb, she was a force to be reckoned with. She loved her friends, her family, her work, and her family fiercely. In true Barb fashion, she worked up until the day she passed. Barb lived every bit of her 73 years…she loved golf almost as much as she loved her Golden Retrievers and would drop anything and everything for a friend that needed her. She truly loved and cared deeply for each of you—this I am certain of. She leaves behind a daughter, Julie, and a son, Ed Jr. While there will be a service at a future date, the family is focusing on being together and honoring Barbs wishes.” Barb was a dear friend to many of us for a long period of time, and enjoyed the highest level of respect from her peers, friends, and the CRE community. I was blessed to have called her a friend. She was very much looking forward to taking the helm of the SIOR Foundation, and, in her honor, I look forward to continuing the great mission of the Foundation.

As I look back on 2023, I want to highlight just some of the SIOR Foundation’s accomplishments this past year. The Foundation provided SIOR Chapters with over $100,000 in matching scholarships, $20,000 for SIOR Regional Conferences and supported chapter educational events. The Foundation was also very pleased to announce at the SIOR Fall Event in Chicago that it is expanding its ongoing support of SIOR as the new SIOR Global Education Partner. Watch for more updates in 2024!

In addition, the SIOR Foundation provided $90,000 in grants for partner organizations that provide opportunities for students around the globe to study and learn about commercial real estate. Programs such as The Real Estate Exchange Summer Program (REEX), CORE (Career Opportunities in Real Estate), the Goldie Initiative, and the Commercial Real Estate Diversity Collaborative (CREDC) introduce CRE to students as a viable and worthwhile career option. The Foundation also established a new endowed scholarship program. The Doug and Tracy Bean SIOR Foundation Scholarship will provide scholarships yearly to students enrolled in Portland State University’s School of Business/Center for Real Estate.

I want to give a shout out to the hardworking SIOR Foundation Board of Trustees. Without their support and dedication to our mission, none of these programs would be possible. During our 2023 Phonathon the trustees worked incredibly hard reaching out to as many SIOR members as they could. Their efforts paid off tremendously and they received over $275,000 in pledges from SIOR members and corporate partners. The generosity of our members proves why SIOR is the leading global professional office and industrial real estate association! If you have not yet paid your pledge, please make sure to send it in!

If we missed you during our annual giving campaign, it is not too late to support you’re the SIOR Foundation. It is 100% funded through the generosity of its supporters and you can help us start out 2024 with a bang by donating online through our website, siorfoundation.org. You can also ensure the SIOR Foundation’s good works continue for generations to come by establishing a planned gift such as a Gift Annuity, Deferred Gift Annuity, Charitable Remainder Trust, or Life Insurance Policy. For more information on how you can support Your SIOR Foundation, and its programs, including how you can create a living legacy at your favorite real estate school, please contact your local trustee or SIOR Foundation staff.

I am looking forward to a very prosperous and successful year for the SIOR Foundation as we continue our mission to Educate, Enhance and Expand the commercial real estate industry. Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Richard Sleasman, SIOR
+1.518.452.2700 x124
richard.sleasman@cbre-albany.com