At the October 2006 board of directors meeting, the
ceremonial gavel was passed to me as CCIM Institute's 2007 president. Having
been involved with the institute since receiving my designation in 1979, during
these years I assisted in several of its member service and education
initiatives and served as an institute faculty member since 1980.
This year the elected leadership's goal is to enhance the
array of assets that the institute provides as well as to grow the membership
and designation recognition. I would like to update you on a number of the
initiatives that the institute has planned.
The CCIM curriculum redesign is well under way and
already is having a positive impact on our educational assets. This redesign is
a multimillion-dollar commitment to keep CCIM education at the forefront of the
commercial investment real estate education market. During this year we will
experience a more than 10 percent increase in student growth, which represents
more than 16,000 students in CCIM educational experiences. The redesign
incorporates state-of-the-art concept and delivery technology that provides the
basis for our models in effective real estate decision making. The redesign is
scheduled for completion in 2009.
In the technology area, CCIM Institute offers members two
of the most powerful online resources available in the industry: STDBonline and
CCIMNet. These technology products enhance members' ability to be successful in
the real estate business. STDBonline tools now are provided through ESRI, the
world leader in GIS, or geographic information services. This new resource
offers users a dramatically enhanced array of demographic reports, custom
mapping, aerial imagery, and more. In addition to STDB, members can use
CCIMNet, which is now the third largest U.S. commercial information
exchange with more than 200,000 active listings. CCIM members not only get
tremendous exposure for their listings but also can report and access completed
transactions, building a database of comparable listing and sale experience.
Institute member services also include networking
opportunities through the CCIM Partners Program. Partners events are scheduled
in four U.S.
cities in the first half of 2007. These meetings allow CCIMs to expose
properties and opportunities on a regional basis. The volume of properties and
investment capital at the 2006 events exceeded $750 million.
In the area of institute growth, we are experiencing a
membership increase of more than 250 candidates monthly. This growth is both
domestic and international. The institute recently awarded the CCIM designation
to 110 members of the Korea Chapter in Seoul.
We now boast 1,000 international members in 34 countries outside the U.S. During
2007 our goal is to continue to expand the CCIM membership and recognition
around the globe.
Finally,
I would like to note that the board of directors recognized the passion and
dedication that Executive Vice President Susan J.Groeneveld, CAE, has brought
to the institute for many years by awarding her an honorary CCIM designation at
the October 2006 business meeting. The board also created the Susan J.
Groeneveld endowment for candidates who enroll in the Jay W. Levine Leadership
Development Academy,
a program first championed by Susan in 2003.