Category: Roundtable Leadership

Roundtable Board of Directors Approves RER Leadership; Establishes Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Deb Cafaro and John Fish remote RER meeting

The Real Estate Roundtable’s 24-member Board of Directors has approved John F. Fish (CEO & Chairman, Suffolk), above right, as the organization’s Chair-Elect, to begin his term as Chairman of the Roundtable in mid-2021.  The Board also approved, effective immediately, Jodie W. McLean (CEO, Edens) as its Secretary and Jeff T. Blau (CEO, Related Companies) as the Chair of the organization’s newly established Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Committee.

  • Chair-Elect Fish will succeed current Roundtable Chair Debra A. Cafaro (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ventas, Inc.), above left, whose term expires July 1, 2021.  “The Board of Directors of The Real Estate Roundtable is excited to announce John Fish as our Chair-Elect and Jodie McLean as our Secretary,” said Cafaro.  “John has been an active Board member and has played a key role in developing our policy agenda.  He is active on a bipartisan basis with policymakers, and his experiences and accomplishments across business, government and philanthropy give John a broad perspective that will benefit the Roundtable and our members.  John’s emphasis on labor force issues, infrastructure, and the need to level the educational and economic opportunities for all Americans are particularly relevant as The Roundtable develops and advocates fact-based policies that create jobs and inclusive economic growth,” Cafaro added.
  • Mr. Fish stated, “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as Roundtable Chair-Elect, work with the talented team and follow Debra Cafaro’s impressive record of policy accomplishments in Washington.  I have seen the effectiveness of the organization in advocating shared industry concerns to lawmakers and regulators, and strongly believe it is essential for The Real Estate Roundtable to continue its engagement at all levels of policy-making as the nation comes together to address new economic, societal and health challenges.”  (Roundtable news release, Sept. 30 and Roundtable video)About Fish and McLean

    EDENS CEO Jodie McLean

  • Mr. Fish is the Chairman and CEO of Suffolk, which is a national real estate and construction enterprise that invests, innovates and builds, providing value throughout the entire building lifecycle. Suffolk is one of the largest builders and privately held companies in the country, with main offices in the Northeast, New York, Florida, Texas and California. The company services clients in the aviation/transportation, science and technology, mission critical, commercial, education, healthcare, gaming and government sectors.  Mr. Fish is a former Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Boston, current Chair of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and member of the Mass General Brigham’s Executive Committee, and is serving his second term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Boston College. 
  • Jodie W. McLean, above, is Chief Executive Officer of EDENS, one of the nation’s leading private owners, operators and developers of retail real estate.  She is responsible for EDENS’ strategy to move the portfolio to major urban centers, creating a portfolio of assets that are the center of community life.  Ms. McLean currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.  She also serves on the boards of Cushman & Wakefield and Extended Stay America, as well as boards of several other institutions and charities. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment of RER

    Debra Cafaro, Ventas and Jeff Blau, Related

  • On his appointment as the Chair of the Real Estate Roundtable’s newly created Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Mr. Blau, above right,  said, “As leaders, it is our obligation to enact fundamental change. I am honored to chair the ED&I committee and am eager to listen and be guided by diverse voices and perspectives as we work together to promote an industry that is reflective of the society we live in.” 

Roundtable Present and CEO, Jeffrey D. DeBoer commented, “I am delighted with these Board leadership decisions and, in particular, I look forward to implementing recommendations from our ED&I Committee that will help advance equal economic opportunities for all.”  (Roundtable news release, Sept. 30) 

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Real Estate Roundtable Re-Elects Cafaro as Chair, Approves Five New Board Members; 2020 Annual Report Focuses on National Recovery

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Real Estate Roundtable FY 2021 Board of Directors - image

The Real Estate Roundtable’s membership has re-elected Debra A. Cafaro (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ventas, Inc.) as Chair, while approving five new members for its Board of Directors who will serve during the organization’s 2021 fiscal year (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021).

  • Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer presented the election results and the organization’s FY2020 Annual Report, Leading Though Crisis, during The Roundtable’s June 11 Annual Meeting. 
  • The 24-member FY2021 Board is elected from the membership and includes five elected leaders of national real estate trade organizations from The Roundtable’s 19 partner associations.  
  • Cafaro, whose three-year term as chair began July 1, 2018, said, “We are delighted to welcome five industry leaders to The Real Estate Roundtable Board.  Their outstanding backgrounds, broad industry representation and diverse experiences will enhance our ability to act as the cohesive industry voice addressing key national policy issues relating to real estate and the overall economy. With our existing Board members, we also intend to drive constructive solutions to economic challenges created by the COVID-19 and racial injustice, both of which are crucial to our society, the national economy, local communities and our industry.
  • I also sincerely thank our Board members whose terms have expired.  They have made significant contributions to the industry and we look forward to their continued engagement with The Roundtable,” Cafaro said. 
  • DeBoer stated, “Roundtable members are among the most talented and innovative industry leaders.   Our Board of Directors represents all major industry activities and is diverse geographically, racially and by gender.  The Board’s strategic and organizational decisions are thus sustainable, practical and inclusive.  I look forward to continuing to follow the Board’s recommendations as we continue our fact-based analysis of overall economic and industry specific policy issues.” 
  • Joining The Roundtable’s Board of Directors as of July 1 are:

National Recovery & Leading Through Crisis

Jeffrey DeBoer addresses how policymakers and the industry can move forward in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic in a July 10 CBRE podcast with Brian Stoffers, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association and Global President of Debt & Structured Finance, CBRE.

  • DeBoer states in Public Policy in the Age of COVID: Shaping the CRE Recovery, “…look at what Washington has tried to do … building a bridge, in a sense, a bridge to get people and businesses to a point where they return to some semblance of normalcy. And the problem … is the bridge going to get us there as it’s currently constructed? Is it long enough? Is it strong enough?”

  • He adds, “…there’s a great deal of concern about that because the PPP – the Paycheck Protection Program – that helped people pay their rent and the unemployment and the supplemental … will it burn off at the same time that the economy regenerates itself? Or will there be this lapse? And if there is a lapse, that’s really the focus, I think, of a great deal of concern right now.”

The Roundtable has also released its FY2020 Annual Report – Leading Though Crisis.

  • Chair Cafaro states in the report that as The Real Estate Roundtable beings its 21st year of industry policy work, the nation’s economy is in deep distress due to the COVID-19 health crisis and Americans’ civil protest is a justified expression of anger and frustration around racial injustice. 

  • “We pledge to take action and be part of the solution,” Cafaro states.  She adds that there is much to be done on the policy front ahead: “Although the challenges in these times are unprecedented, our response is based on the same longstanding commitment to sound, evidence-based, nonpartisan policy that undergirds all of our work and success. We know from experience that there is a path to recovery.”

The Roundtable’s Meeting Calendar for FY2021 is now available.  The next Fall Roundtable Meeting on September 22 is for Roundtable-level members only.  Registration forms for the remote meeting will be sent directly to members. 

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Roundtable Re-Elects Ventas’ Debra Cafaro as Chair; Installs Three New Members to Board

Posted on by Trey Jackson

As The Real Estate Roundtable marks its 20th anniversary, its members have re-elected Debra A. Cafaro (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ventas, Inc.) as Chair, while approving its Board of Directors for the 2020 fiscal year (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020).

Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer and Roundtable Chair  Debra A. Cafaro (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,  Ventas, Inc .)  during The Roundtable’s June 2019 Annual Meeting.
  • The election results were announced by Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer during the organization’s Annual Meeting earlier this month in Washington. 
  • The 23-member FY2020 Board is elected from the membership and includes four elected leaders of national real estate trade organizations from The Roundtable’s 17 partner associations.  Three new Roundtable members join the FY2020 Board.
  • Cafaro, whose three-year term as chair began July 1, 2018, said, “We welcome our three new industry leaders to the Board and express gratitude for the service of our three outgoing members, who contributed greatly to The Roundtable’s success in the past year.  With such deep expertise among our membership, we will develop practical solutions to the pressing policy challenges ahead that not only affect our industry, but provide a positive impact to communities throughout the nation.”
  • DeBoer stated, “As we move beyond our first two decades of advocacy work in Washington, The Real Estate Roundtable will continue to bring together the top leaders in commercial real estate with our partner real estate organizations.  Our mutual goal remains consistent – provide policymakers with fact-based analysis that supports responsible economic growth policies, creates sustainable jobs and increases the quality of life for working Americans.”

Joining The Roundtable’s Board of Directors as of July 1 are:

  • Scott O. Jones, Principal, Jacobs Inc. and Chair and Chief Elected Officer, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), International
  • Amy Rose, President & CEO, Rose Associates
  • Robert Spottswood, President of Spottswood Companies and Chair of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA)

See the complete list of the FY2020 Roundtable’s Board of Directors here.

Stepping down from The Roundtable Board as of July 1 are:

  • Tom Baltimore, Jr., Chairman, President & CEO of Park Hotels & Resorts, and Immediate Past Chair of Nareit
  • Steve Hason, Managing Director and Head of Americas Real Estate & Infrastructure with APG Asset Management US and Immediate Past Chair of PREA
  • David Neithercut, former President & CEO of Equity Residential

The Roundtable’s FY2019 Annual Report – Building Strong Public Policy: Now and For the Future – was also released during the June meeting.