Through the NAIOP Washington State Foundation, NAIOPWA is able to apply the skills and resources of our membership to initiatives that give back to our community, engage students and foster their careers, and help create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive commercial real estate industry. These initiatives are possible because of the generous support of our Foundation Committee Sponsors. Click on any committee name below to learn more about these sponsorship opportunities:

Bryce Taylor has been a fixture of the NAIOP community for over 30 years. He got involved in the early ‘90s to jumpstart his career, at the behest of Ted Sive with Lease Crutcher Lewis. Bryce says he “joined NAIOP and immediately got involved with the Community Enhancement Committee – and never regretted it.” Throughout decades of uncertainty and change, Bryce has remained connected to his colleagues through our association. “I have developed hundreds of great relationships through NAIOP.”

We interviewed Bryce about his involvement with NAIOP, the arc of his career, and the impact he’s had on the industry and community.

Ann Bishop has been with Wallace Properties for nearly 25 years and a NAIOP member for just as long. Her impressive tenure in commercial real estate makes her an expert voice on industry topics and trends, and her passion for NAIOP is clear from her continued involvement at all levels of our organization. Bishop serves on our chapter’s Board of Directors as Secretary, works with the Government Affairs committee on numerous legislative and policy efforts, and regularly volunteers with the Developing Leaders’ Mentorship Program each year.

When she joined over 20 years ago, she felt that NAIOP was an inclusive space for her, but with few contacts in the organization it was important to lean in early to carve out a place for herself. “If I [had] sat back and waited to be invited… I wouldn’t [have been] there. So you just pick up and go… You join in.”

Our much anticipated 2020 Summer Social gave the NAIOP community the much-needed chance to connect in person. With a wide range of COVID-specific guidelines, a socially-distanced version of the tournament allowed golfers to enjoy split tee times and a more relaxed pace of play in the breezy August heat. 

John Pietromonaco of Pietromonaco Jackson Properties has been a NAIOP Washington member for a very long time – 32 years, to be exact – and has enjoyed a distinguished career as a developer in the Puget Sound area. After serving as president in 1999 and spending 20+ years involved heavily in NAIOPWA’s annual Community Enhancement (CE) projects, Pietromonaco is a wellspring of NAIOP memories and institutional knowledge.  

A lot has changed since he joined in 1988, between technological advancement and market fluctuations. John says that “real estate is more complicated [now] than it was in the 70s-80s,” but that ultimately, the industry is very reliant on community and connection. “The only way to get the info you need is through contacts… I even talk to people who are competitors (friendly competitors). It makes the job easier than being a lone wolf and doing it from scratch.” 

McKenzie Darr (The Wolff Company) is one of the current co-chairs of NAIOPWA's Real Estate Challenge Committee. In her capacity as a co-chair, she helped spearhead the 2020 Challenge, even as COVID-19 altered in-person presentation and competition judging. She has been recognized by her peers for her excellent leadership and dedication to the committee's educational efforts. We asked McKenzie about her work with Wolff, the REC Committee, and her love of live music.  

How would you describe your company’s primary work and scope?
The Wolff Company is a fully integrated real estate investment firm focused on multifamily investment and development. Since 2000, Wolff has invested in, acquired, or developed more than 150 multifamily assets and more than 35,000 multifamily units.
The Northwest Division based in Seattle is responsible for the investment and development of multifamily and senior housing communities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

Morgan Sly (The Rush Companies) is a dedicated volunteer member of NAIOPWA's South Sound Committee. She's been with Rush since 2018 and has been an active NAIOPWA member since June of 2019. Her peers have recognized her for outstanding efforts in organizing unique and engaging events for the South Sound. We asked Morgan about her work in CRE, how she spends her time outside of her profession, and interesting tidbits about herself. 

NAIOPWA: What do you like best about your industry? 
Morgan Sly: My favorite part about working for Rush - a developer/builder is creating communities where people want to live and work. I enjoy identifying the next place where we believe future tenants or buyers will want to move to, through our projects we have the ability to add value to people’s day-to-day lives and that is exciting!

NAIOPWA is proud to welcome Shaun C. Leiser, owner of SCL Enterprises LLC, as a new member! Shaun is our lucky 1,000th member, receiving a free breakfast meeting ticket and an introduction to the community here in our blog and newsletter.

Did you know? The Washington State Chapter of NAIOP is the fourth-largest in North America, providing new members like Shaun immediate access to a wide, influential network of professional leaders. We also strive to offer networking opportunities—both online via our app and in real life via carefully curated events—that create deeper and longer-lasting relationships within the industry.

Welcome and congratulations to our new members!

NAIOPWA is proud to support more than 1,010 professionals and students in Washington State's commercial real estate community. We provide incomparable membership benefits, more than 40 educational, networking and community support events annually, and supports a beneficial environment for business in the state. 

Char Patterson is NAIOPWA's 975th member and is an architect and partner with JPC Architects. The company opened its doors in 1986 with a primary focus on interior architecture and design. Based on their long-term relationships and the strength of their work, JPC Architects has evolved into one of the largest firms of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. While corporate interior architecture is the foundation of their portfolio, they also excel in retail, healthcare, small-scale shell and core, and hospitality. JPC Architects' collective team of 75 includes architects, interior designers, technical and administrative staff who share a commitment to meeting the business objectives of our clients while crafting inspirational, sustainable, and productive work places.

How long have you been with your company?
Since 1994 – 24 years.

NAIOP Washington State Wins Three National Chapter Merit Awards Honoring Leadership in Government Affairs, Member Growth and Executive Leadership

SEATTLE – At the 2018 NAIOP Chapter Leadership and Legislative Retreat on February 6, NAIOP Corporate honored NAIOP Washington State with three Chapter Merit Awards, the most awarded to any single large chapter this year. NAIOP’s annual merit awards program evaluates chapter education, government affairs involvement, member recruitment and retention, communications, and chapter management. NAIOP Washington State won recognition for its Legislative/Government Affairs efforts; for membership growth, with the greatest number of new members in 2017; and for leadership, with Executive of the Year going to NAIOPWA Executive Director Peggi Lewis Fu. 

In 2017, NAIOPWA, led by its Government Affairs Committee, made significant impacts on state and local legislation affecting the business environment and commercial real estate; helped elect business-friendly leaders, including Mayor Jenny Durkan; and expanded outreach beyond Seattle with its first eastside mayors and elected officials event, and plans to broaden into Snohomish county as well. 

Congratulations to the NAIOPWA Government Affairs and Membership Committees, as well as our own Executive Director Peggi Lewis Fu for top honors at NAIOP's 2018 Chapter Legislative and Leadership Retreat! Our volunteer and staff leadership were honored with 2018 Chapter Merit Awards for above-and-beyond efforts, including the most new members in 2017.

Special thanks to our Government Affairs chairs, Nancy Rogers and Donnie Belk, and board liaison Ann Bishop; and our 2017 Membership chairs, Danny Jackson and Steve Cory, and board liaison Monty Kilcup; as well as 2017 Chapter President Kristin Jensen. You make NAIOPWA the leading organization for CRE professionals in Washington State.

Welcome and congratulations to our October 2017 new members!

Lanzi Li is Associate Project Manager with Heartland, a small, Seattle-based commercial real estate advisory firm that has been around for 30 years. Heartland’s portfolio of advisory projects encompasses the full range of economic sectors, real estate product types, geographies and client types. Despite the variety of contexts, we are advisors first and work with our clients from strategy development to analytics and on through implementation.

As NAIOP WA's 900th member, Lanzi received this opportunity to be featured on the NAIOP WA blog and in our newsletter, as well as a season pass to our 2018 breakfast meetings. Who will be our 1,000th member? Join today for your chance to be featured and receive a special event registration bonus.

Maria Elena Poyer is an Assistant Vice President and Portfolio Management Officer with Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Commercial Real Estate Banking division, where she's worked for three years. Maria recently moved to Seattle and joined NAIOP Washington State to build her professional network. She's also been featured on popular TV shows playing a well-known but unusual instrument. Read on to learn more about Maria, and be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn and introduce yourself at an upcoming event!  

What do you like best about your industry? 
Tangible results. It’s rare in the finance industry to be able to see or touch the results of your work. In commercial real estate, you get the opportunity to help clients build projects that could one day even be iconic, which excites me.

This is why NAIOP works.