The Chapter had another busy month, preparing for our upcoming events and participating in our annual Strategic Planning Committee. This is one of the most important meetings of the year, as it revolves around the chapter's goals and objectives for 2014, as outlined by IREM National's overall plan. We looked at the following strategic principals when determining the direction of the chapter for 2014:
1. Develop opportunities for deeper engagement with industry practitioners at all career levels.
2. Create, curate, produce, and distribute meaningful industry content, trends, and business intelligence utilizing technology tools, subject matter expertise, thought leaders, crowd sourcing, case studies, social networks, and collaborations.
3. Ensure its credentialing programs align with current industry best practices and emerging business trends.
4. Enable and support chapters in providing value to and engagement with the real estate management industry within local and regional markets.
5. Extend and deepen connections with colleges and universities in order to attract students to and prepare them for careers in real estate management.
6. Enrich IREM's brands to increase their recognition and enhance market positioning.
7. Explore vehicles that will create business opportunities for and drive business to IREM's credentialed members and member firms.
The meeting was well attended by board members and a lot of exciting new ideas were discussed. Thank you to all who participated, we are looking forward to more educational opportunities, trainings and social events in 2014!
We would also like to remind everyone of the IREM Annual Fall Leadership Conference, to be held in Scottsdale, AZ at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa - October 15 - 19. We look forward to seeing a large group from Boston!
Upcoming Events:
September - Golf Tournament - Right around the corner! To be held at Granite Links on September 9. This is an afternoon event, with registration and the buffet lunch starting at 11:30 a.m., shotgun start at 1 p.m. and cocktail/dinner with raffle and silent auction from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We are also offering a golf clinic from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing everyone at this event!
November - Annual Awards Night - We are looking forward to our keynote speaker senator (MA) Scott Brown at the November 7 Annual Awards night. This will be held at the Seaport Trade Center in Boston, - we are expecting to see a large crowd, so please be sure to sign up early! All attendees will receive a copy of Brown's autographed book! Brown is a New York Times bestselling author with his book "Against All Odds" reaching #4 on the New York Times bestselling list.
Stay tuned in for more details on the December Holiday Meeting, which we hope to be a very special event this year!

Lisa Leary, CPM is the IREM Boston Chapter #4 2013 president and is also a regional manager at Peabody Properties, Inc., Braintree, Mass.