Dear SIOR Members and Industry Colleagues,
The past few months have been a busy and exciting period for your SIOR Foundation. We doubled down on our commitment to develop a commercial real estate workforce for the future by increasing the knowledge base of current professionals as well as nurturing and helping to educate the next generation. Together, we are building a brighter future for commercial real estate, one that welcomes new ideas and innovative solutions.
For instance, the SIOR Foundation became a proud sponsor of the international event IREC (International Real Estate Challenge) held this year in Milan, Italy. IREC involves over 50 students, from eight countries, divided into different teams who challenge each other on a real case-based business study. This year’s premise was to figure out the best location and building design for a new corporate headquarters in a European city.
The winning team consisted of, Samuel Uher, Gaetano Maiello, Federico Salerno, Roberta Gaiazzi, Leonora Sulejmani and Aleš Kožušníček; students from Bratislava, Brussels, Prague and Milan (Team Nexus Solutions). Each received a copy of The War Doctor by David Nott of the David Nott Foundation, and a chance to win a trip to the next SIOR Global Event this Spring in Las Vegas! The judging panel consisted of our very own Matthew Leguen de Lacroix, SIOR, as well as Giuseppe Credendino, Matteo Regalli, MRICS, Matteo Callegari and Federica Volpi.
In partnership with Garry Bobke, SIOR, the Foundation gifted $50,000 to the SIOR Foundation Endowment in Real Estate Development at the University of Alberta. This endowment provides scholarships to students with demonstrated excellence in Real Estate Development and Real Estate Asset Strategies.
We also provided funding for over 25 scholarships to aspiring real estate professionals through our matching Scholarship Program with SIOR Chapters, and we gave support for three educational conferences in the Northwest, California and the Mid-Atlantic SIOR Regions. I only wish more chapters would take advantage of the funds we offer to attract youth and support education. It’s easy, all you have to do is call us!
I am especially proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Mildred C. Hanson, SIOR Memorial Scholarships. The selection committee had an especially difficult time selecting the winners from 25 outstanding applicants. The graduate student awardee is Natalie Bongirno, a Master’s in Finance candidate specializing in Real Estate at The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business. The undergraduate scholarship has been awarded to Katelynn Wiseman, a junior at New York University pursuing her BS in Real Estate.
We are actively seeking people to join us - people with fresh ideas and new perspectives. If you’d like to become involved with this great organization, please consider becoming a member of our Board of Trustees. Being a part of this amazing group not only offers you a way to help the next generation of CRE professionals but is an amazing opportunity to network with some of the finest men and women I have had the pleasure to know. I promise you: it is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. If you are interested, please contact me, our Director, Corrine Nowak, or our Past President, Rich Sleasman, SIOR.
Sincerely,
Ted Konigsberg, SIOR
+1.305.947.9514
ted@Infinitycommercial.net