Greater Fort Worth CREW

Transcription

1 Greater Fort Worth CREW Upcoming Events March 4 CREW Awards Luncheon 11:30 Colonial Country Club April Developers Mixer More information to follow May Influential Hispanics in Development Joe T. Garcia s More information to follow What will be the CREW Deal of the Year? Find out at the March 4 luncheon! Don t miss out... Register today at fwcrew.org January/February Officers President Keri Curtis Integra Realty Resources Past President Allison Thompson City of Cedar Hill President-Elect Barbara Fife Mercantile Partners, L.P. Cynthia Bailey Windstar Properties Secretary Yvonne Harrison Compass Bank Treasurer Victoria Powell BR Powell & Associates Director at Large Elizabeth Falconer Struhs Commercial Construction Director at Large John Cornelson Dunaway Associates, L.P. Director at Large Early Davis Republic Title Director at Large Lori Polson Polson & Associates The new improved GFW CREW website is up and running. CREW News. Event Registration. New Member Recruitment. Calendar of Events. Upcoming Member s Log In. Member Applications. New Member Sponsor Forms. For any technical issues or suggestions contact: Keri Curtis ~ kcurtis@irr.com

2 Change of N EW MEMBERS Matt Carthey, Holt Lunsford Suzanne M. Davis, Alamo Title Charles Ryan Dobson Kyle Hogue, TDI Industries Don Proctor, Southwest Securities, FSB Cheryl Snyder, Terracon Happy Birthday January 7th Susan Halsey 8th Sarah Walls 9th Karen Kroh 15th Cheryl Coon 17th Linda Van Grevenhof 20th Kirstin Hansen 23rd Keri Curtis 23rd Deborah Fulwiler 26th Victoria Powell 27th Karen Vermaire Fox February 9th Rosie Balbo 12th Early Davis 12th Lyle Thornton 14th Scott Wilmaker 27th Janet Ceron 27th Jeri Champine March 5th MC Henke 6th Norma Crow 11th Mark Ryan 12th Brandon Brewer 15th John Cornelsen 15th Joel Heydenburk 23rd Sandra McGlothlin Did we miss your birthday? Let us know so we can include you! Just e mail Amanda Martin at amanda.martin@compassbank.com.

3 Member News Share The News! Have exciting events happening? Let us know about it! Would you like to be a guest columnist? Business growth, deals between members, life or professional changes. Please don t assume we got the circulation with your news! Please your information or questions to: Joel Heydenburk jheydenburk@jw.com Amanda Martin amanda.martin@compassbank.com Keri Curtis kcurtis@irr.com. INTERIOR DESIGN GROUP EXPANDS WITH UNCOMMON AREA UPGRADE Arlington, Texas (November 25, 2008) Always forward-thinking and innovative, Interior Design Group has expanded its business to include Uncommon Area Upgrade, a division developed to focus on upgrading common areas of commercial buildings. Lobbies, corridors, meeting rooms and restrooms can detract from a buildings overall appearance and take away from the value of each individual office lease space. We have worked with several commercial real estate firms and noticed a real need for building management teams to upgrade their facilities, said Carol Holley, owner of Interior Design Group. The initial impression upon entering a building says a lot about your company. If you are leasing space in that building you want the building to reflect the quality of your business and the level of performance a client can expect from you. Once Holley became aware of the number of buildings with outdated lobbies and drab corridors, she reacted by establishing Uncommon Area Upgrade as a division of IDG. Building owners can attract quality tenants and command top rent when they keep their building interiors current. Uncommon Area Upgrade and its creative team of experienced designers have transformed Class A through Class C buildings. Good-looking, unique common areas set the tone for the rest of the building, said Holley. You want people to have a good first impression of your offices. Uncommon Area Upgrades keeps abreast of the vast array of interior materials, their practicality, ease of maintenance and sustainability. The designers embrace the importance of good lighting design, accenting he building s positive elements, while complying with the energy codes. There are so many things that can be cosmetically addressed, said Holley. We make the most of any budget. Established in 1986, Interior Design Group is a full service interior design firm offering a wide range of professional services including creative space planning, TAS/ADA assessment; furniture specifications; procurement of furnishings, art and accessories; lighting design and interior plantscaping.

4 Member News Janet Powers Relocates Janet Powers, CCIM and former President of FW Crew has relocated her offices from Granbury back to the west side of Fort Worth and has joined the national real estate firm of Sperry Van Ness. Janet has teamed up with former partner James Blake of Sperry Van Ness and offices at 3108 W 5th just off the exciting intersection of University and 7th. Janet's specialty is retail and warehouse and she is participating at the national level with the new Sperry Van Ness Asset Recovery Team. She will be going to Washington DC to a training seminar on the new program designed to help troubled asset owners, whether banks or individuals, with their properties. Her years of expertise developed during the RTC and FDIC days make this Asset Recovery Team a natural fit. Her cell phone is still the best way to reach her New office phone is Know someone who would be perfect for CREW? Applications are available on the website! As seen in the Fort Worth Chamber News-E-Letter... Taxing her time: As if she didn't have enough to do during tax season, Victoria Powell, CEO of B.R. Powell and Associates, a CPA/accounting firm, chair of the Chamber's Quality Workforce Development Committee, Chamber board member and...and...now, she has been named a business community representative on the Regional Workforce Leadership Council, which provides oversight for three chambers and three workforce boards in the areas of aerospace, healthcare, semiconductor and logistics. Elizabeth Falconer joins Struhs Commercial Construction Elizabeth Struhs recently changed her CREW affiliation to join her husband in the commercial construction business. New contact information is as follows: Elizabeth N. Falconer, President Struhs Commercial Construction 1209 E. Belknap Street Fort Worth, TX P F efalconer@struhsco.com Update your address books! New address for Debrah Dyck of Real Synergy Consultants: ddyck@comcast.net New address for Carla Higgins of The Westover Group: chiggins@thewestovergrp.com

5 Member News COMPASS BANK BEGINS REBRANDING TO BBVA COMPASS IN METROPLEX REGIONAL BANK MAKES $20,000 DONATION TO LOCAL BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS BIRMINGHAM, ALA - Compass Bank recently started its rebranding process to BBVA Compass at the bank s 80 locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The rebranding process will continue through March The announcement of the Metroplex rebranding efforts was made by BBVA Compass President and CEO, Manolo Sanchez, at two events on February 17 th and 18 th at the bank s landmark locations in Dallas, 8080 North Central Expressway, and Fort Worth, 1400 West 7 th Street, respectively. The celebrations were held for BBVA Compass clients and community partners commemorating the brand change and highlighting a charitable commitment of $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth and $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Arlington. Steve Mitchener, Dallas City President for BBVA Compass explained, BBVA Compass has a strong commitment to the communities in which it operates. The donations to the Boys and Girls Clubs throughout our community reemphasizes our dedication and passion for people. We look forward to further growing our relationship with quality organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs, with a long-term goal of establishing financial literacy programs. The BBVA Compass brand is more than just a logo it represents our ongoing commitment to our communities and the future of Compass Bank," said Sanchez. This new brand is a symbol of strength to those who desire the security of a financial institution strong enough to withstand the economic turmoil, yet diverse enough to meet their financial needs. The BBVA Compass brand was first introduced in August 2008 in several of Compass new markets, including the Rio Grande Valley and East Texas, as Texas State Bank merged with Compass, completing the bank s second successful operating systems and product platforms conversion. Compass successfully converted State National Bank in March and completed its final conversion in November 2008 when LNB (formally Laredo National Bank) adopted the BBVA Compass brand and implemented its conversion to Compass operating systems and product platforms. The BBVA Compass brand also underscores BBVA's commitment to maintaining the same personal service they have come to expect from Compass Bank. At the same time, Compass customers will have access to the full capabilities of the BBVA Group, a global financial services leader that ranks as the 7 th largest bank in the world based on market capitalization and has more than 150 years of experience in delivering innovative products and exceptional customer service. The rebranding to BBVA Compass includes the replacement of all external and internal bank signage and new branding for credit and check cards, ATM machines and other customer communications. Compass plans to have all of its 579 branches and 734 ATMs re-branded by the end of first quarter Compass ranks among the top 25 largest banks in the U.S. based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Texas (4th) and Alabama (3rd). The company has total assets of approximately $61.5 billion and operates 577 branches across a six state Sunbelt Region including: 309 in Texas, 92 in Alabama, 77 in Arizona, 44 in Florida, 34 in Colorado, and 21 in New Mexico. About Compass Bank and BBVA Compass Bank is a subsidiary of Compass Bancshares, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBV) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a financial services group with more than $740 billion in total assets, 47 million clients, 8,000 branches and approximately 112,000 employees in more than 35 countries. BBVA provides its customers around the world with a full range of financial services, including commercial and wholesale banking, retail banking services, consumer loans, mortgages, credit cards, securities brokerage, wealth management, pension plan management and insurance. The BBVA Group maintains a leadership position in Spain, Mexico, Latin America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States as well as operations in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

6 Environmental Outlook for 2009 and Beyond We have new leadership, a new year approaching and old and new environmental issues to consider. Following is a very brief highlight of things to look for in the future. CERCLA The United States Supreme Court will hear two cases that will have a large impact on determining CER- CLA liability. In one, the Court will consider what factors can be used to determine if liability is joint and several. Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co., v. United States, 502 F.3d 701 (9th Cir. 2007). In the other, Shell Oil Co. v. United States, 2008 WL (Oct. 1, 2008), the Court will determine the limits on "arranger" liability. Determining if there is a reasonable means of apportioning liability will have a dramatic impact on liability for remediation at sites across the country. In the BNSF case, the lower court used the length of time of ownership of the land and the percent of the affected land owned, among other factors, to determine that liability was not joint and several. The Ninth Circuit, however, overturned the decision. In the case BNSF was liable solely on the basis of its ownership of a fraction of the 4.7 acre tract in question. BNSF never participated in operations at the site and never sold any chemical products. Moreover, the BNSF portion of the tract required no remediation. With regard to "arranger" liability in the Shell case, Shell had shipped containers of a chemical product, not a waste, to the destination, FOB, with buyer assuming all risks from the point of delivery. Shell argued that it should not be liable for arranging for the disposal of a hazardous substance merely by entering into an agreement for the sale of its product. Clearly, the outcome of the BNSF case could be a new standard to allow courts to determine whether there is a means for reasonably apportioning damages at a site and thus allowing parties to avoid joint and several liability under CERCLA. A significant effect also may be to prevent the EPA and states from collecting costs for orphan shares of companies who are no longer in existence and reapportioning them to other responsible and viable entities related to the site. In the Shell case, the outcome could be to clearly define for lower courts the limits on arranger liability, which the government and private parties continually attempt to expand to bring more parties into the remediation process and cost sharing. In the past, for example, parties have argued that the sale of a building containing asbestos that would need to be removed was the same as arranging for the disposal of that asbestos, thus creating liability under CERCLA. Dallas-Fort Worth Smog Regulations The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ( TCEQ ) is now finalizing the last regulation required for EPA approval of its smog reduction plan for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Primarily, the reduction plan depends on reductions in nitrous oxide and other pollutants, through measures such as employee trip reduction plans, new large vehicle idling prohibitions, and other limitations. By far in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the largest source of smog emissions are vehicles, accounting for 73%. Of that, heavy trucks such as buses and semis account for 52.83%. Other parts of the program include vehicle maintenance provisions and funding for assistance with older cars emission controls. Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming Cheryl L. Coon Ozone and smog are not the only air problems facing Texas now. A recent study revealed that Texas is the number one state in the nation, by a wide margin, for emission of greenhouse gases. Texas emits more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases than California and Pennsylvania put together, although the two states have twice the Texas population. Texas produces more than most nations, except for six (China, for example). The reason in large part is the reliance on high carbon coal for electricity production. With global warming gaining renewed focus, Texas can look forward to more pressure to reduce under climate change regulations. Indeed Governor Perry has been warning about the economic effect to Texas if greenhouse gas/carbon cap regulations are put in place.

7 (Continued from page 5) Groundwater Control In July 2008, the TCEQ published its Groundwater Preservation District Recommendation Report, which includes Dallas and Tarrant Counties as counties that should establish a priority groundwater management system. The criterion for recommending a groundwater control district is that the area is expected to experience critical groundwater problems in the next 25 years. Tarrant County is now part of the Northern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, which will be promulgating rules within a year. The counties of Hood, Montague, Parker and Wise already have a new Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District ( UTGCD ). The UTGCD s temporary rules were adopted effective August 18, 2008 and become effective January 1, The rules apply to any water well located in those counties, with two categories of exempt wells. Water wells used exclusively for domestic use, watering livestock, watering poultry, agriculture or irrigation, or any combination of the above, are exempt, as well as wells or combination of two wells which are not capable of producing more than 25 gallons per minute for one well or more than 30 gallons per minute in the case of two or more wells. Exemptions based on production capacity also must meet certain use criteria, i.e., for commercial use. Significantly, oil and gas wells are not exempt from the rules. All wells whether exempt or not drilled after January 1, 2009, must be registered with the UTGCD. All non-exempt wells must be equipped with a water meter that meets the requirements set in the rules. Owners and operators of non-exempt wells are required to record the amount of groundwater produced monthly and submit an annual report no later than February 15th of each year showing the prior year s water use. Reporting also must include any groundwater transported out of the district for use. Non-exempt wells are also subject to a production fee of 22 cents per thousand gallons of water produced. There are also spacing rules to assure wells do not interfere with another well s operations. Existing exempt wells, however, may find it desirable to register as permitted under the new temporary rules, which is free. Registration ensures that any future wells to be located in the area take into consideration the location and use of the existing water well so as not to interfere with it. Registration for all existing wells begins January 1, The deadline for registration of existing non-exempt wells is July 1, Don t Forget Your Lead Paint Warnings The EPA has recently been pursuing prosecution of several real estate brokerage firms, including offices associated with Coldwell Banker, in the northeast, for failing to disclose the presence of lead paint as required. The individuals responsible as well as the companies can be liable for the civil penalties. The lesson -- it is important to review all environmental due diligence checklists and make sure that all laws, even ones enacted several years ago, are still getting the proper attention. The lead paint disclosure rules became effective in 1992 and apply to most housing built before 1978 when lead paint was banned. Want great PR all year long? Become a CREW Sponsor today! Contact Susan Roberts for more information susan.roberts@bf-cpa.com

8 CREW NETWORK Events CREW Dallas Upcoming Events CREW-San Antonio Real Estate Forum Thursday, March 26, 2009 Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Networking 10:30am 11:30am Program 11:30am 1:30pm For additional information, please contact Christine Kotzur at ( ) or Jason McClain at ( ). CREW NETWORK Be sure to check out the CREW Network website for cutting-edge industry research and other valuable tools to advance your Commercial Real Estate career! February 18: Membership Luncheon February 26: CREW Link Kick-Off Meeting March 12: CREW Link Luncheon March 18: Membership Luncheon Register online at Upcoming National Events CREW Spring Meeting: June 4-5 St. Louis CREW Convention Sept. 30 Oct. 3 Boston GFW CREW Committees Programs/Sponsorship Committee Chairs Membership Committee Chair Brandon Brewer brandonbrewer@republictitle.com Bonnie Boyd bboyd@texasfidelity.com Susan Roberts susan.roberts@sbf-cpa.com Public Relations Committee Chair Communications Committee Chair Debbie Fulwiler dfulwiler@elementsofarc.com Joel Heydenburk jheydenburk@jw.com

9 CREW Network President Smith Declares 2009 Year of the Member By: Denise Kahler CREW Network Marketing and Communications Director During the recent Winter Meeting held in San Diego on January 30, 2009 CREW Network President Jane Snoddy Smith asked CREW Network Delegates to take back one message to their chapters: There is never a cold call in CREW Network. And with that simple message, Smith proclaimed 2009 the Year of the Member. With members facing one of the most difficult years in decades, CREW Network is working harder than ever to provide chapters and members with the tools, programs and services they need to be successful. President Smith s goal is for every CREW Network member to be able to point to ways in which CREW Network, through its programs, services and training, was able to make a difference in their individual careers and lives. Delegates were reminded about the many programs currently offered through CREW Network including Chapter Visits that are available to chapters free of charge every third year. These visits provide the opportunity for chapter boards and members to interface with a CREW Network Board member to discuss and showcase the national/local connection. Also in support of its chapter success, CREW Network hosts monthly Board Hosted Best Practices Calls that address leadership development, membership, programs, sponsorship and more. Many chapter related tools are also available in the Chapter Resources section of the CREW Network Web site. CREW Network supports its members success through services such as the CREW Network Career Center, which provides members with access to positions with more than 4,700 of the industry s premier real estate employers. Additionally, the Career Center allows members to manage job searches, post resumes and more. New this year, CREW Network will launch its 20 th Anniversary Professional Lecture Series. These monthly presentations, delivered as either teleconferences or webinars, will focus on leadership strategies and timely industry issues that provide key insights to help members stay competitive. More information about this series will be sent to all members soon. CREW Network continues its expansion into new markets as delegates approved the applications of two new chapters. CREW Alaska and Piedmont Triad CREW (serving Greensboro, North Carolina) are the newest additions to the Network family, bringing CREW Network s North American-wide chapter representation to 68 markets. All members are encouraged to reach out to these new chapters to identify new business opportunities. Directly following the council meeting, delegates were introduced to CREW Network s newest networking tool called CREWnet. Delegates were broken out into work groups and asked to post a professional or chapter-related request on their CREWnet board. Each member of the work group was then asked to think about some way to assist that individual with her request such as providing the name of an individual who could help with the issue or project or pointing the individual towards a certain resource available that addresses the issue. Members then posted their ideas for assistance under the related request on the CREWnet board. At the end of the exercise the member who posted the request walked away with a series of ideas for assistance. The exercise was very well received and delegates were encouraged to take this networking tool back to their chapters and implement it. Instructions for implementing CREWnet will be posted on the CREW Network Web site in the Chapter Resources area located in the Members Only portion of the site. Delegates finished out the day by participating in afternoon leadership and professional development sessions. The first session featured round table discussions regarding public relations and marketing for chapters. Six CREW Network presenters facilitated discussions about marketing chapters in challenging economic times, forming an effective marketing/public relations committee, using your Web site to market your chapter and members, how to write a superior news release, marketing on a shoestring and how to establish media partnerships. Handouts from this session are posted in the Chapter Resources section of the CREW Network Web site. The second afternoon session focused on Meeting Leadership Challenges in Uncertain Economic Times CREW Network Board members provided brief presentations on: Also new for 2009, CREW Network will roll out its ementoring program; an -based program designed to provide mentoring support to college age students and women considering a career change to commercial real estate. Delegates were also reminded about CREW Network s aggressive industry research initiative. To date, CREW Network has published its first benchmarking study in 2005 of the status and achievement of women in the industry and is gearing up for its second study to be published in 2010; a follow-up report titled Minding the Gap, that provides strategies for women to close the gap on the advancement and compensation disparities that exist within the industry; a 2008 white paper providing an introduction to compensation in commercial real estate; and a preview of CREW Network s most recent white paper (to be published in April 2009) titled Repositioning Your Career to Succeed in an Era of Change. CREW Network is committed to funding research that supports the careers of women in commercial real estate and serves as a catalyst for positive change in the industry. Business Networking: Networking to show the business value for your chapter and members. Selecting good leaders: Identifying the right skills to build a strong leadership Membership: Strategies for continued growth to support your chapter s good health Sponsorship: Tips for encouraging local companies to see your value? Following the brief presentations, participants broke out into smaller work groups to discuss best practices for each of these areas. A compilation of Best Practices collected from this section are posted on the CREW Network Web site in the Chapter Resources Section. While 2009 will no doubt be one of the toughest economic years many of us has every experienced, know that CREW Network is putting all of its energy towards one priority: your success is the Year of the Member. Stay strong. Stay committed. CREW Network is here for you.

10 February Luncheon Mentoring and Beyond Debra Morgan Debra is the founder of Saxton Morgan Realty Advisors, an asset management, acquisition and restructuring firm. Prior to forming Saxton Morgan, Debra was a vice president with JE Robert Companies where she managed in excess of $1 billion in commercial real estate debt and properties and participated in the acquisition and underwriting of over $30 billion in CMBS. Debra has been active with CREW for over ten years, most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer of the board of CREW Dallas (2008) and as Community Projects Director (2007). Under Debra s leadership, CREW Dallas entered into its first partnership with a charter school, the Irma Rangel Young Women s Leadership Academy for a one-day CREW Careers program. Debra has also served on CREW Network committees affiliated with CREW Careers and the CREW Foundation. In 2009, Debra has been selected to serve on the CREW Network s Finance Committee. Meet the speakers from the luncheon! Pictured Left: Speaker Julie Brand Lynch. Pictured Below: Debra Dyck of Real Synergy Consultants Julie Brand Lynch Julie is the Managing Partner and Principal of LYNOUS Talent Management for Real Estate. Over the last several years, she has developed a distinguished reputation as an adjunct professor, academic advisor, trainer and executive recruiter. Her unique diverse career experience in commercial real estate, strong academic background, forward thinking approach to course development and engaging delivery style results in superior learning outcomes in the classroom for her clients. She was awarded IREM Dallas Chapter 14 Academic Member of the Year in In the last three years, she has had many successes presenting at international, national and local real estate industry association conferences delivering tremendous value to the association s members. Over the last three years, she has served as the CREW Dallas Chair of the UCREW/University Outreach and has developed a highly effective program for college students. Eugenia Canakes Robbins RER SOLUTIONS was founded by Eugenia in 2007 after observing the need for a more integrated approach to resolving design/construction issues and a real world application of LEED guidelines in the commercial real estate industry. With 25 years of experience in nationwide tenant representation, project management, project leasing and investment property sales, Robbins provides a multi-disciplined perspective to green building consulting and project management. RER Solutions helps corporate tenants understand and navigate the compliance/ certification process under the LEED Rating System for Commercial Interiors, and helps owners of existing buildings find ways to remain relevant in an environmentallysensitive climate. Robbins blends her transactional and financial experience with technical insight and passion for the environment to deliver cost-effective, sustainable solutions.