What an amazing quarter this has been!

I had the honor of seeing over 800 of you at this year’s Spring World Conference in Washington, D.C. The four (4) days were filled with an assortment of networking opportunities, entertainment, and top-tier education. I want to express my gratitude to our dedicated staff and volunteer leaders for delivering another hugely successful event.

As technology and other changes continue to transform how we interact within our industry, events like our World Conferences that foster human interaction, long-term relationships, and sharing of best practices are instrumental to the success of our members.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 12 SIOR members who were elected as the 2020 SIOR Board of Directors and Regional Directors. My personal involvement in SIOR leadership has shaped not only the path of my career, but enriched my personal life in so many ways. I am excited to watch this new group of passionate leaders continue to expand the success and connectivity of SIOR around the world.

Speaking of our international presence, in March, we were fortunate to join many of our international members at MIPIM in Cannes, France. During this time, we had the opportunity to meet with other commercial real estate leaders to discuss trends and upcoming advancements in our field. I encourage you to head over to page 51 to see a recap of our time overseas. Our efforts in Europe continue to position SIOR as a truly global organization.

As we reach this midpoint in the year and reflect on our many successes, I am honored to report that SIOR has never been in a stronger position financially; our membership numbers have never been larger; and our marketing, public relations, and visibility are more robust than ever. All of this is a direct result of our extraordinarily talented members and sponsors. Further, a future focus on attracting like-minded, leading real estate professionals continues to build a solid foundation that will welcome our next generation of industry leaders.

Thank you for everything each of you do to make this exceptional organization what it is today. With this in mind, if there is anything else you think SIOR leadership should be focusing on, I encourage you to contact me personally.
I look forward to joining many of you at your local Chapter and related industry events throughout the summer, and wish you all continued success!

Sincerely,

Robert Thornburgh, SIOR
SIOR President
robert.thornburgh@kidder.com