February 2020

Chapter Newsletter

President's Message

Robert Teed
VP, Real Estate and Workplace
ServiceNow

Dear Northern California Chapter Members,

It’s hard to believe that this is my final message as your 2019/2020 NorCal president, with my term ending in March. There is a lot of truth in the well-worn saying ‘time flies when you are having fun.' I have enjoyed serving you and our amazing community far more deeply than I could ever put into words. Thank you for allowing me to do so, and for allowing me to continue as your immediate past president, where I plan to support the heck out of Andrea Tobias as she takes the helm in April.

There is a special camaraderie that exists between the president-elect, the sitting president, and the immediate past president. During my term as president, I have been flanked by Andrea and John Lucas; I could not have asked for a better set of partners and advisors. Add to that our world-class Executive Board and Leadership Team, plus our chapter staff, and, most importantly, all of you and, well, you have the most supportive and creative environment imaginable in which to be our chapter’s president.

In my first message to you back in May 2019, I laid out our strategic imperatives for 2019/2020. I checked back in on these in subsequent messages and talks throughout our time together, and I made every attempt to hold myself accountable for driving action in and around those imperatives and goals as the year unfolded. As I begin to wrap up my term, I feel it’s important to end where I began by sharing a scorecard of sorts covering at a high level what was achieved and what we are still working on accomplishing. This also helps to set the baseline for Andrea in her 2020/2021 term.

On whole, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished across our Executive Board, the Leadership Committee and our committee members. Collectively, this team did amazing work for you in 2019/2020, and I am so thankful for their efforts. The things we did not accomplish (as noted below), rest fully with me and I intend to support Andrea to accomplish these during her term. Your feedback on 2019/2020 is important as well. Please feel free to reach out to me at robert.teed@servicenow.com.

Lastly, I encourage you to take a few minutes to review our chapter’s Strategic Plan, which is our multi-year plan that has guided us for the past several years, and will continue to do so for the next several years. I also want to encourage you to make this the year you get involved with NorCal more deeply. Visit our website for opportunities and options, and please do not hesitate to reach out to the chapter staff, Andrea or me with your ideas.

Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing you soon!

We said we would do the following in 2019/2020…	We did the following in 2019/2020…
We will stay true to our Vision that, worldwide, companies and individuals consider CoreNet Global an indispensable resource.	We continued the great momentum from 2018/2019 as evidenced by our record attendance at several Program & Special events (Google, Day on the Bay, CRE Awards); our net-new membership growth of >5%; and our >350 attendees at the Americas Global Summit in November.
We will stay true to our Mission to connect corporate real estate and workplace-oriented professionals, to promote personal excellence and to add value to each individual and their respective enterprises.	We continued the great work started in 2018/2019, as evidenced by steady attendance at our monthly Programs; our very well-attended cross-program lunch and learn with CREW-SV & Women of CoreNet; and the success of our Professional Develop Program hosted by Young Leaders. We also had success in gaining net-new Sponsors, and in our retention of existing sponsors.
We will fulfill both our vision and mission by delivering best-in-class learning and networking programs, and by continuing to deliver our renown special events such as our Annual CRE Awards, Economic Forecast, Golf Tournament, Day on the Bay, Sponsor Appreciation Event and Holiday Party.	We experienced record attendance at several Program & Special events (Google, Day on the Bay, CRE Awards); we blew out attendance expectations at our cross-program lunch and learn with CREW-SV & Women of CoreNet; and we exceeded attendance expectations at our first of several Professional Develop Programs hosted by Young Leaders.
We will re-frame our efforts to include the broader topic of ‘workplace’	Where this was most evident was in our broadening of our monthly Program topics, including talks by renown experts Chip Conley (Becoming a Modern Elder), Jody Thompson (Results-Only Work Environments); and Lisen Stromberg (Mom’s, Men & Millennials).
We will prioritize Diversity & Inclusion across all aspects of our chapter	While the passion on the topic was ever-present across the team, as President, I was unable to deliver us to a place of clarity and overt action. This will be an important topic in 2020/2021.
We will increase attractiveness and stickiness for those who are Early-in-Career	Young Leaders continued to be one of our most active sub-communities. Additionally, we had a banner year with our CoreNet Apprentice Program (CAP), diversifying our schools from one to several and significantly increasing our student base over previous years. We struggled to grow our ranks of Young Leader end-users in a meaningful way, however, we had a small success with the launch of our San Francisco Special Interest Group (SF SIG) in its ability to attract potential non-member end-users based in San Francisco.
We will improve/modernize our approach to Social Media and communications in general	*We activated the chapter social media pages with increased content, held two social media training workshops and established a new social media sub-committee.*
We will focus on better understanding (and delivering) the value our members seek from our chapter	Key to achieving this is our Chapter Survey, originally scheduled for September 2019, now slated for March 2020.
We will develop Small/Smaller programs and look to expand methods of program and content delivery	We took important steps to deliver small programs by way of our Professional Development Series; our CREW & NorCal Lunch & Learn; our Social Media Lunch & Learn Workshops.

Chapter News and Updates

Featured Member Profile - Andrea Tobias

Andrea Tobias is natural connector who loves bringing people together. She has plenty of opportunities to do just that in her role at HGA Architects and Engineers. As Associate Vice President, Tobias oversees client relationship management and business development strategies. “I love connecting people who have the experience, education and skills to advance industry knowledge and enrich our world,” she said. “Bringing value to one another is what truly makes me feel a sense of accomplishment.”

One of her most exciting endeavors of late is developing a mentorship program within the San Francisco and San Jose offices of HGA called 41st Hour. Tobias and her team plan quarterly events designed to provide rich learning experiences in an informal setting for young or early-in-career architects. They delve into topics related to career development, business development, and industry education with programs centered around personal branding, presentation skills training, and DiSC personality profiles. “I especially enjoy bringing in guest speakers such as clients, brokers and project managers for roundtable discussions,” she said. “Our staff can ask questions and engage in a conversation in an unintimidating environment.”

Tobias, who will become CoreNet Northern California Chapter President in April, began her CoreNet journey in 2007 as part of the chapter’s inaugural Young Leaders Group (YLG). Notably, she is the first member of the YLG to become President. After broadening her involvement by attending more chapter meetings and special events, she volunteered to serve on the Communications Committee. Shortly thereafter, chapter leaders recognized her creativity and dedication and asked her to Co-Chair the Sponsorship Committee. “I was so honored to be asked and the experience ended up being a game changer,” she said. “My network expanded exponentially and I also developed leadership skills, learned to think strategically and built my corporate real estate knowledge base.” In 2017, Tobias was asked to join the Chapter Board and take on the role of Secretary which ultimately lead to her being elevated to President-Elect in 2019.

Passionate about inclusion and diversity especially as it relates to our industry, Tobias is proud to be part of a chapter with both woven into the fabric of its culture. “Our chapter serves a diverse membership, and it’s wonderful to see more awareness in this direction, from the make-up of the Board and Leadership, to our monthly program speakers, and our annual CRE award recipients,” she said. “However, there’s still more for us to do to ensure the full spectrum of our members are represented across all facets of the chapter.”

What Tobias values most about CoreNet is the abundance of resources and continued education opportunities made available to its members as well as the high quality content and research published by CoreNet Global. However, she pointed out that networking has been by far the most rewarding part of her involvement. “Our members are friendly, welcoming and show up to add value as opposed to sell. I have made life-long relationships over the years,” she said. “Some of my greatest friends, mentors, mentees, and partnerships are a direct result my involvement in CoreNet.”

In terms of advice for young professionals, Tobias encourages them to act with integrity. That means being professional and responsive, never burn bridges and follow through on all commitments. Of course, she also recommends getting engaged in CoreNet! “Volunteering on a committee is the best way to expand your network or at least attend chapter programs and events,” she said. “CoreNet promises high value to its members and we infuse fun into everything we do!”

On the personal front, Andrea was born in Jacksonville, Arkansas and grew up in Orange County where she spent most of her free time at the beach. “I take great pride in being a Californian, however, I will always be a Southern Girl at heart,” she said. Tobias came to the Bay Area to attend USF and fell in love with San Francisco. She now enjoys a DINKS lifestyle (duel income no kids) on the Peninsula with her husband, Thomas, who she met 23 years ago while in college. “I love our ability to go where we want, when we want and to have that freedom and flexibility,” she said. “I get my kid fix through my niece and nephew who consider me the cool Aunt.”

CoreNet Young Leaders Holiday Party Recap

CoreNet Young Leader’s Holiday Party was hosted on December 18th at the Checkr Space in San Francisco. Our Young Leaders gathered to wine and dine and recognize the hard work of our fellow young leaders over the course of the year. There was a small presentation and award ceremony at the end of the evening to highlight our committee chairs and to honor our Young Leader of the Year! We all agreed it was a great way to cap off the year and we look forward to the many great events in 2020 with even more Young Leaders!

CoreNet Young Leaders Real Estate Life Cycle Series Recap

CoreNet Young Leaders kicked off the new year with a five-person panel discussing the real estate life cycle series. The event was held in San Francisco and focused on the tenant rep brokers and the technologies they use day-to-day to help better the overall experience for the end-user through the leasing process. This is only Part 1, stay tuned for Part 2 in the upcoming year!

CoreNet Apprentice Program Corporate Outreach

The CoreNet Apprentice Program (CAP) committee thanks you for your support of CAP, either as a previous summer host, and/or for expressing interest in becoming a host in 2020. CAP can only exist if we have amazing partners like you who take an active role in the development of CRE talent and future leaders.

Over the next several weeks, we will be filling out our slate of talented student interns for Summer 2020, and expect most of our students to be undergrads in their 3rd or 4th year. With the student selection process in motion, we are now beginning the process of identifying host companies, which is where you come in.

It would help us a great deal if you would respond to this survey linked here over the next few days indicating your level of interest in hosting a CAP intern for the Summer 2020. Simply choose one of the options indicated in the survey, or feel free to send us any other comments.

We will follow up with you based on your response. For those of that are ‘in’ or ‘probably in’, we will reach out in the next few weeks to give you more info, to get a sense of where an intern can help you (projects, initiatives, etc.), gather any special skills you require, and to understand your company’s intern program (if one exists) so that we can ensure we are working within key dates, etc.

Thank you in advance for your support of CAP in 2020!! Please feel free to forward this to others inside or outside your organization as you see fit.

CoreNet Apprentice Program Site Tour Outreach

The CoreNet Apprentice Program (CAP) committee would like to call on our partners at CoreNet who are interested in engaging with the young vibrant CAP interns by volunteering to host a site tour and getting involved by being a speaker in our future events this summer (June - August 2020).

Over the next several weeks, we will be taking on approx. 10 lucky interns. We are grateful for the continual support of CoreNet as CAP can only exist if we have amazing partners like you who take an active role in the development of CRE talent and future leaders.

For those interested in either hosting a site tour and being a speaker (or recommending one during the site tour), please fill out the survey linked here by Friday March 13th, 2020 and we will promptly get back to you with more details. Additionally, if you have any recommendations for individuals or companies that may be interested in partnering up with CAP for our site tour with a speaker series, don’t hesitate to send them our way.

Thank you in advance for your support of CAP in 2020! Please feel free to forward this to others inside or outside your organization as you see fit.

2020 Annual CoreNet Golf Tournament // Monday, June 15
Sequoyah Country Club, Oakland

Save the date for the Annual CoreNet Golf Tournament on Monday, June 15, 2020 at Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland.

Upcoming Events

February Chapter Meeting // Thursday, February 20 // San Francisco
Break the Barriers of Change: Sway Stakeholders Beyond CRE to be Active, Involved and Engaged

If change is the new normal and only getting faster and more complex, how are CRE teams aligning and involving other teams and organizations to be active stakeholders for culture, company brand, marketing and technology to deliver great employee experiences? Successful change leads to ensuring a positive user experience which contributes to a successful project.

Join us for an interactive dialogue with peers and experts about how CRE teams are evolving how they work and who they work with to deal with continuous and multifaceted changes in their organizations.

Speakers:
Geeta Durham, Founder of ChangeIntel,
Maureen Welch, Managing Director, Consulting JLL
Camille Beard, Vice President, Change Management Consulting, JLL

Venue: Okta: 100 1st Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
Schedule: 3:30p: Registration // 4:00p: Program // 5:30p: Reception
Cost: Member: $35.00 // Non-Member End User: $60.00 // Non-Member Service Provider: $85.00

CNYL Professional Development Series // February 25 // San Francisco
Dale Carnegie Session #2

Join the CoreNet Young Leaders on February 25th for the 2nd session in our Professional Development Series! The Dale Carnegie Workshop #2, “Communicate to Lead & Lead More Effective Meetings”, will help our young leaders evaluate their communication styles and learn the proper tools to build cooperation and positive results in meetings. Through CoreNet we’re able to offer this series at a 90% discount to our Young Leaders, but spots are limited to so be sure to sign up now on the website! The workshop will be held at DPR Construction’s office at 945 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111 from 1:00PM – 5:00PM. We hope to see you there!

Venue: DPR Construction: 945 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Schedule: 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Cost: Young Leader Member: $90.00 // Young Leader Non-Member: $150.00

CoreNet Technology Program // Tuesday, February 25th // San Francisco
The Hitchhikers Guide to CRE Technology

Join us for a panel discussion with experienced technology consultants and representatives from medium to large-sized occupiers to learn how to develop a CRE technology roadmap, catalysts for implementing a new solution, how to evaluate different products, pitfalls and landmines to avoid, how to choose the right business partner and more effectively build a business case for new technology initiatives. This informal, interactive event features a panel of thought leaders to address these common technology issues that Corporate Real Estate leaders face today.

Speakers and Panel Members:
Nicholas Holzworth, Director of Global Sales at Saltmine
Carly Tortorelli, SVP Workplace Technology at Impec Group
Jeremy Kopstein, Sr. Manager, Global Systems Management at Uber
Amber Weaver, Sr. Workplace Strategist at Snowflake
Stuart Appley, Managing Director, Digital & Technology at CBRE

Venue: Cisco AppDynamics: 303 2nd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Schedule: 6:00p: Registration // 6:30p: Program // 7:30p: Networking Reception
Cost: Member: $25.00 // Non-Member End User: $40.00

Social Media Lunch N Learn Workshop // Wednesday, February 26 // San Francisco
Facebook for Business: Understanding the Essentials of the Facebook Suite of Apps including Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Workplace

Build your digital marketing knowledge, boost your career and add value to your company through training on these powerful apps. We’ll deep dive into making connections that matter and accomplish your business goals.

Venue: Kilroy Innovation Center: 660 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Schedule: 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Cost: Member: $10 (includes lunch box). Limited capacity.

Sacramento Life Science Event // Thursday, March 5 // Sacramento
Does Sacramento Have the Solution to Overspill Bay Area Demand? A Panel Discussion Regarding Aggie Square and the Capitol Region’s Emerging Life Science Industry

Join us for a presentation and panel discussion regarding Aggie Square, the new life science innovation district coming to market, led by UC Davis and their development partner, Wexford Science + Technology. As growing Bay Area life science firms continue to look for solutions, innovation and industry growth is finding strong opportunity in the Greater Sacramento region for expansion.

Venue: WeWork Sacramento: 400 Capitol Mall, 9th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
Schedule: 4:30p: Registration & Networking // 5:00 - 6:30p: Program // 7:00p: Optional basketball game
Cost: Member: $20.00 // Non-Member: $40.00

Women of CoreNet // Wednesday, March 11 // San Francisco
Managing Adversity, Transitioning & Owning Your Outcome Through the Eyes Of Elite Performance: Jackie Edwards - 5-Time Olympian

In honor of International Women’s Week, the CoreNet Global Northern California Chapter’s Women of CoreNet is excited to have the 5-time Olympic winner, Jackie Edwards. From humble beginnings being raised in The Bahamas, Jackie earned a full athletic scholarship to Stanford University, where she excelled both on and off the field. Following graduation, Jackie embarked on a successful 17-year career as a professional track and field athlete. Now Jackie is a very powerful motivational speaker who has spoken all over the world.

Jackie engages her audiences by relating life lessons through her athletic experiences. She is a mental health advocate, who leads by example to demonstrate with dedication and focus, you can accomplish anything. In this engagement, she will share how she was able to navigate her way against the best in the world; how she overcame self-doubt and injury; how she pushed herself beyond her own perceived limitations and how she transitioned from a sports career to successful event planning.

Some topics will include:

* Preparation - How having a strong foundation and successful mindset promotes success
* Adversity - How setting goals, having patience and looking beyond your present situation can yield immeasurable long-term rewards
* Transition - How do you move on after adversity? Who are you, what motivates you and what do you want to achieve?
* Owning Your Outcome - Own your successes and your failures and trust that what got you there, will keep you there!

Venue: Allsteel Showroom: 4 Maritime Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94111
Schedule: 3:30p: Registration // 4:00p: Program // 5:30p: Reception
Cost: Member: $35.00 // Non-Member End User: $60.00 // Non-Member Service Provider: $85.00

Volunteer with Your CoreNet NorCal Chapter

Get more involved in CoreNet NorCal! One of the best ways to increase your involvement and really get to know other members of CoreNet NorCal is by joining a committee. The CoreNet committees create and organize the events, meetings, programs and publications that you enjoy. Committees you can join are: Young Leaders, Special Events, Programs, Membership, Community Reinvestment, Communications, and Technology. All of our committees are looking for volunteers.

If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact our Administrative Director, Michelle Lagos, at michelle.lagos@cbre.com or (415) 720-0366, or log into www.nocal.corenetglobal.org and sign up on the volunteer portal.