Hello, BOMA Silicon Valley! As I write my first Byline article since being sworn in as your 2012 President, I look back on the past few years and exhale a little bit, happy to be in 2012 and not in 2008, when none of us in commercial real estate were loving life too much, and we hadn't even seen the worst yet. But 2012 holds promise, and I am gearing up for a great year. I hope you are too!

Jim Beeger, Senior Vice President at Colliers International, was our January speaker and, along with moderator Joe Lewis, President of Orchard Commercial, gave us some great data on the past few years, as well as some well-researched information on what we can expect over the next few years. In a word (or two), we're "going vertical." Jim encouraged us all to make sure our skills are up to date, and that we position ourselves to be ready to deal with taller buildings, as Silicon Valley real estate bounces back... and up.

What better way to do that than to get your RPA or FMA. If you haven't started down that path, this is the year to do it! Designation classes coming up for 2012 include

• Asset Management (FMA/RPA Elective)
• Budgeting & Accounting (RPA Mandatory)
• Fundamentals of Facility Management (FMA Elective)
• Leasing and Marketing for Property Managers (RPA Elective)
• Ethics is Good Business – Short Course (FMA/RPA Mandatory)
• The Design, Operation, and Management of Building Systems, Part I (FMA/RPA Required)

If you're interested in any of these courses, contact Barbara at the office to sign up; or go to our website, www.boma-sv.org, and get it going on!

Finally, as I mentioned at our January luncheon, BOMA Silicon Valley is not only a great place to learn, it provides terrific opportunities to network with your peers. And the best way to meet folks is to VOLUNTEER. There are so many wonderful committees to be a part of. It's fun, it's meaningful, and it serves a great organization. Just do one thing! We need you and BOMA Silicon Valley will be better because of your participation. Our current committees are:

• Associates
• Associates Night (yes, it's different)
• Education
• Emerging Leaders
• Energy and Sustainable Management
• Finance
• Golf Tournament
• Government Affairs
• Membership
• Share Your Holiday
• TOBY Award

Each one of these committees is there for you, so join in! Don't make me call you!
2012 is going to be a wonderful year - let's do it together.

Liz Walker, President

Welcome to the New Year and Fond Farewell to the Old – here now a quick recap of the year that was for this, your foremost real estate organization in Silicon Valley:

BOMA Membership:

• Total membership dropped by 23 total members to 293.
• However, Principal members increased from 153 to 162.
• And Membership Ratio at beginning of the year was 48% Principals / 52% Associates and now is 55% / 45% as per the Bylaws.

Education:

• Held 4 professional education seminars and 5 RPA / FMA classes.
• 119 Attendees participated in these courses.
• Awarded 3 Scholarships as part of the Sherie Dunn Memorial Scholarship Program.

Celebration of Commercial Real Estate / TOBY’s / Emerald Awards / BOMA 360

• 99 Attendees made it to the Celebration of Commercial Real Estate Awards gala in October.
• Celebrated the best managed buildings in Silicon Valley!  Congratulations to eBay / Cushman & Wakefield, Equity Office, Shorenstein, Adobe / Cushman & Wakefield for the TOBY and/or Emerald Awards you won!!
• Celebrated the contributions of Brian Michael of Perfection Sweeping, Michael Ybarra, Guiliani Construction and Laura Galvin of Shorenstein as our annual President’s Award, Associate Member of the Year, and Principal Member of the Year winners.

Energy and Sustainable Management:

• Sponsored the Sustainable Management Panel prior to our May luncheon
• Conducted "hands-on" Energy Star training for property managers
• Sponsored the tour of the NASA facility
• Sponsored the Christmas in the Park Tree (and brought home Second Prize!)

Share Your Holiday

• Held our 23rd Annual Share Your Holiday Event
• In addition to shopping for 95 children and 50 families, BOMA hopes to make a donation of $8,000-10,000 to City Team

Executive Director

• Said "Goodbye" to Bob Jacobvitz as he entered his wonderful world of retirement.
• Said "Welcome Back!" to Sharon Marion as our new Executive Director.
• Said "Thank Goodness!" for Barbara Hopwood (yet again!).

Super Volunteers
The following people gave generously and endlessly in 2011, especially in the period when we were anxiously awaiting for Sharon to start.  In no particular order:

• Julia Johnson
• Terry Riecken
• Judy O’Shaugnessy
• Leslie Fisk
• Susan Crow

Networking

• Sherie Dunn Annual Golf Tournament – in honor of Sherie Dunn, this is the best golf tournament going.
• Associates Night – it just keeps rolling, selling out year after year – 2011 was no exception.
• Fall Membership Mixer – yet another great mixer to introduce our new and prospective Principal Members to the organization.
• Emerging Leaders – held 6 seminars / mixers geared for those with less than 7 years of experience in the industry.
• Joined with IFMA for the First Annual Guadalupe River Clean-Up.

It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all of BOMA Silicon Valley’s Principal and Associate members that all this got done last year despite a challenging economic environment. I am so fortunate to have had such close exposure to so many great, great people working for this group.   Be proud, BOMA Silicon Valley – I can’t wait to see what’s next!!

Eric Dameron-Drew, LBA Realty
Immediate Past President

At the January 12 luncheon our new Board of Directors was installed by Immediate Past President, Susan Crow, CB Richard Ellis.  The new Board listed below will serve a one year term from January thru December 2012. 

Passing the by-laws changes to create the new term of office was the first order of business conducted at the luncheon by this year’s President, Liz Walker, Reliable Property Management.  The change puts the Board term on an annual basis to coincide with our budget and membership year.  The change also moves the Board election to an Annual Meeting in September with installation at the Commercial Real Estate Awards function in October. 

The Board is excited and challenged by what 2012 holds for BOMA Silicon Valley.  They welcome your comments, support and participation in our activities.

Principal Members:
Here are two wonderful opportunities to be recognized for your conservation efforts.

• 2012 Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards
• CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards.

Details on how to enter are available on the BOMA website, www.boma-sv.org under the Sustainability tab.

Scott E. Patterson, a resident of Redwood City, age 48, succumbed to lung cancer on December 11, 2011. He died quietly at home with his devoted friend and wife, Kyle Sheridan, by his side. His courage, strength and good nature nourished and sustained all those around him during his final journey; including family, friends, his medical team and hospice workers, as well as people he met on the many visits he made to the local park.

Scott was born on February 16, 1963 in La Puente, CA.

He moved to the Bay Area in the late 90's and made a career in commercial property management. Scott is a past BOMA Silicon Valley member having served on the Golf Committee and in other volunteer positions.

He loved spending time with family friends, conservative politics, golfing, fishing and hunting. Scott is survived by his wife, mother, father, step-mother, brother, three sisters, six nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, many friends and golfing buddies. He will be sorely missed by all those who knew and loved him.

Submitted by,
Eric Willis, Willis & Company
BOMA Silicon Valley Past President (1995-1997)

BOMA member Terry Riecken, CMD Builders, was recognized for his amazing support of two Salvation Army programs sponsored through the Jimmy Buffet fans (“Parrotheads”) Meeting of the Minds annual charity drive.

Terry donated over 400 custom made backpacks for school children in Key West and Monroe County, Florida.  This is believed to be the largest personal donation, valued at over $38,000, and the second largest raised for any one service project.

Terry’s efforts didn’t stop with the backpack donations.  He also donated 358 Sharp calculators to the Salvation Army Back to School Supplies program.  Assistant Sergeant Major Patrick Collins commented that the children were delighted to be attending school with new backpacks.

Great job, Terry! 

In December 2011 the Energy and Sustainable Management Committee (ESMC) in conjunction with Girl Scout Troop #360 were awarded Second Place for their eco-friendly tree at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park.  The Bright Green Tree Zone competition was a new feature of this annual event.

Jennifer Seguin, City of San Jose, and ESMC member proposed the committee’s participation in the event.  The whole committee participated, joined by ESMC Co-chair Cass Contreras’ of CleanSource daughter’s Girl Scout troop.  Choosing the BOMA International colors of blue and silver for a theme, the group made all decorations from recycled materials for the 6’ live, potted tree provided.

BOMA’s tree will be planted at a local school or park as an added benefit of the program.

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you had a Wonderful Holiday Season and are ready to start off 2012 with a bang. I am looking forward to the year ahead and hope it is filled with great opportunities for all.

By the way, speaking of great opportunities, remember that every third Tuesday of the month our Associates Meeting is held at the offices of Miller, Morton, Caillat & Nevis located at 25 Metro Drive, Seventh Floor, San Jose, CA. All Associate members are welcome to attend. We typically have a Principal Member speak to us about their company, themselves, the commercial property market in general and how they choose their partner vendor. Attending the Associates Committee Meeting is a great way to become more educated and to discover how to better support the Principal members in the organization. Besides that, lunch is provided and it is a lot of fun, as well. Please make it a priority to come to a meeting this year and check out the Associates Committee!

And to start off this year, the Associates Committee's first Principal Speaker was Liz Walker, newly elected Board President. She spoke to us about her vision for the New Year and what she believes are the keys to successful Associate/Principal relationships in the organization.

Our next meeting is February 21. We hope to see you there!
And let's all work together to make 2012 a great year!

By Michael Harris, Swinerton Builders

Dues were due December 31, 2011 for 2012 membership renewal. If you haven't already renewed, your "grace period" is rapidly drawing to a close! BOMA has too many great events, interesting programs, and wonderful contacts to miss in 2012.

If in the bustle of the holidays you misplaced your invoice, contact BOMA Office Manager Barbara Hopwood at barbara@boma-sv.org | (408) 453-7222.

Mark your Calendars: Associates Night is April 18, 2012

Associate Members: 
As you begin planning for your booth or table at this event, don’t forget to "GO GREEN":  Order reusable glass wine glasses with your logo.  Not only will you be sure you have enough glasses for the wine you are pouring, but Principals walk away with your logo in hand! 

Please no plastic or disposable cups in 2012!

Sharon Marion, BOMA’s new Association Executive (BAE), began her job on January 2.  The Board has an exciting and aggressive agenda for our new Exec.  To accomplish these tasks she looks to our members to take on a “chore” here and there to make it all work.

New committees, expanding the standing committees: we’re giving all our members the chance to assist BOMA in its mission to represent and promote commercial real estate interests here in the Valley.

Interested in helping BOMA?  Just want to meet the new BAE?  Drop by, send an email; but get in touch!  Reach Sharon at bomaexec@boma-sv.org.  See what’s happening under the Events tab on our website, www.boma-sv.org.

PROBLEM: What do I do with old Styrofoam cups?

SOLUTION: Don't throw them away!  Styrofoam is definitely NOT something we want in our landfills.  But if you still have some cluttering up a cabinet in the office or at home, look for a solution on www.freecycle.com.

Any other solutions for this problem?  Any Going Green Problems out there?  Contact the ESMC Co-chairs: lgalvin@shorenstein.com or ccontreras@cleansource.com