Natalie Herald, Fidelity Investments

On June 28, REFA hosted its second Members Only Luncheon of the year held at WilmerHale, 60 State St., Boston. The panel led discussion focused on e-commerce and its impact on retail, with topics ranging from retail showcasing to the future of warehouse space and transportation. The program was moderated by Dwight Angelini. managing & founding partner, Longpoint Realty Partners and the panelists included: Charlie Forbes, senior vice president, investments, Cabot Properties; Deena Friedman, portfolio manager, Fidelity Investments; and Douglass Karp, president, New England Development.

REFA will hold its Annual Charitable Golf Tournament on Monday, July 18 at Blue Hill Country Club in Canton, Mass. This year’s tournament will be benefitting FamilyAid Boston and Rosie’s Place, charities dedicated to helping end homelessness. For more information on the Tournament and how to register, please visit our REFA Golf Tournament website.

On Wednesday, August 3, REFA will host their Annual Summer Reception at Goulston & Storrs, 600 Atlantic Ave., Boston.  As part of the Summer Reception, there will be a panel discussion case presentation on the “Anatomy of a Deal.” Industry leaders will share their thoughts on a hypothetical site development case and explain step-by-step how they made their decisions leading to the formation of the deal. The program and reception will be from 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

On July 28, REFA will host a Women’s Roundtable Luncheon with speaker Lisa Greeley, senior vice president – commercial real estate banking, Capital One Bank. The REFA Women’s Luncheon Series was launched in 2015 to help engage women in the CRE industry. The luncheons provide an opportunity for women to hear from a senior-level female who shares information about her career path and provides insight for professional development.

Hans Nordby, managing director at CoStar Portfolio Strategy will be this year’s keynote speaker at REFA’s Fall Conference. Marci Griffith Loeber, principal, Griffith Properties will moderate a panel discussion including: Scott Tully, principal, Novaya Real Estate Ventures and Bill Lovett, senior development manager, Toll Brothers. More speakers will be announced shortly. The conference will be held at the Westin Waltham on September 9 from 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

The Annual REFA Gala will be held on Thursday, October 13 at the Westin Copley Place from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. John Drew, founder and president of The Drew Company will be the recipient of this year’s Robert S. Swain Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Join over 550 Member and CRE professionals for the premiere industry networking event of the fall.

To learn more about REFA, including membership, events, and ways to get involved, please visit us at www.refa.org. Follow REFA on Twitter @REFABoston.

Natalie Herald is a real estate loan originator at Fidelity Investments and 2016 president of the Real Estate Finance Association, Boston.