In harmony with my platform and goals as president of the New England Chapter of CoreNet Global, I am proud of the contributions our chapter has made, with special thanks to our new Corporate Partners and our Community Reinvestment Committee supporting CoreNet New England’s philanthropic and volunteer initiatives. We are thrilled to have a partnership with The Boys & Girls Club of Boston. We have raised over $18,000 this year alone at our 21st Annual Charitable Golf Tournament and an upwards of $50,000 over the last several years. In addition to this, we’ve supported Cradles to Crayons, by creating care packages and collecting winter clothes for children in need so they can thrive. Please stay tuned for a career fair, more clothing drives and clean up days.

The New England Chapter of CoreNet Global has been busy planning events to bring our members, sponsors and peers back together in person. In keeping with our focus to strengthen mentor/mentee connections, the Young Leader Committee is excited about the upcoming ACCESS Lunch with Jacqueline Falla, Elaine Construction on November 11^th and our Annual Holiday Party supporting the Boys and Girls Club of Boston on December 8^th.

We had an intellectually stimulating and inspiring evening at Analog Devices Corporate HQ in Wilmington, Mass., on October 19^th presented by the Programs Committee. Thanks to our sponsors, Lee Kennedy, WB Engineering, Baker Design Group, Scalora, Teknion and Office Works, we celebrated Analog Devices’ 40-Year Campus Evolution with a project presentation and tour. Thank you to those who participated in helping us combat the issue of clothing insecurity right here in Massachusetts by donating to our Cradles to Crayons Clothing Drive.

We’re continuing to bring the best value in content and professional and organizational development opportunities across the corporate real estate industry, with our Career Strategies + Development (CS+D) and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committees strategizing on programs aimed at providing enhanced networking opportunities and career advice to The Commercial Real Estate Success Training (CREST) alumni, who have recently completed this paid internship program, sponsored by the New England Chapter, designed to introduce early career professionals who are historically underrepresented in corporate and commercial real estate to these industries in the New England region.

Mindful of the demands of a hybrid work schedule and the need for accessible programming, the Chapter continues to explore meaningful connections through virtual education. On October 18^th, the Career Strategies + Development Committee presented a webinar, ‘Uncover Your Strengths,’ with Suzanne Graves, managing principal of the Janus Company, using interactive dialogue with the attendees and real-world examples of the Clifton Strengths in action. Another outstanding virtual education program presented by our DEI Committee on October 27^th, Beyond Accessibility: Inclusive Design for the Workplace, provided a platform for understanding the difference between universal design, accessibility and inclusive design. Our panelists will then share their challenges and strategies in making their workplaces not only accessible for all but an inclusive place where everyone can do their best work.

Our chapter’s best work was recently recognized at the CoreNet Global Summit North America in Chicago last week from November 1-3, where we came together with chapters from across the globe to share ideas, make connections, provide leadership and define the future of corporate real estate and beyond. One of our esteemed University Relations Committee members, James Mandeville, was nominated for the H. Gordon Wyllie, MCR, Young Leader of the Year Award. I am overjoyed to consider our very own New England Chapter as the distinguished nominee of the Large/Mega Chapter of the Year. Each year we sponsor a student who is actively engaged in CoreNet to attend the Summit to network with industry professionals and learn more about the real estate industry. Congrats to Giuliana Iavarone Torres - we hope you had a meaningful first Summit experience!

In addition to our Chapter’s incredible member base, retention rate and highly involved sponsors, some notable programs that prove our worthiness of this honorable recognition include our collaborative “think tank” which will bring together experts in neurodiversity, behavioral science, life science, venture capitalists and more who are thinking about the workplace and real estate differently. We recently hosted a Tech Roundtable at the Toast HQ where Peter Miscovich from JLL’s strategy and innovation consulting practice, led a team of tech leaders from Google, Tripadvisor, CarGurus, Forcepoint and Rapid7, to weigh in on trends impacting the hybrid work environment.

It brings so much fulfillment when diverse companies, individuals and communities understand the true value of what CoreNet brings to the table, and all the better when the New England Chapter is able to drive impactful strategic initiatives and conversations on behalf of the CoreNet Global organization. Let’s keep Doing Well by Doing Good! Please be sure to check our member benefits page and reach out to Karyn Houde, our executive director to learn more about membership and sponsorship by emailing [email protected].

CoreNet New England Calendar of Events:

November 7
Young Leaders ACCESS Lunch presented by the Young Leaders Committee
12:00-1:00 PM
Elaine Construction,
Presenter: Jacqueline Falla

November 29
Sustainability Panel Discussion Event
12pm-1:30pm at COR Offices, 44 Thomson Place, Seaport

December 8
CoreNet Global New England Holiday Party
Presented by the Young Leaders Committee
5:30-8:30 PM

To view our calendar of events (updated weekly)  please visit www.newengland.corenetglobal.org

Maureen Rystrom is the president/chair of CoreNet Global New England Chapter and vice president of marketing | partner at J. Calnan & Associates, Quincy, Mass.