By BOMA/Chicago
Do you want to leverage your BOMA/Chicago membership and become more involved in the Chicago commercial real estate market? Supplement your CRE profession and gain a voice and active leadership role in the industry by joining one of our numerous and diverse committees today!
BOMA/Chicago’s 21 committees focus on the three main areas of membership: advocacy, education and networking. While some of the initiatives spearheaded by BOMA/Chicago committees are aimed at offering a more well-rounded professional and social experience for our building and affiliate members, did you know that many committees directly affect your building on a daily basis?
Below are five examples of how BOMA/Chicago’s committees play a vital role in advancing our industry and positively impacting our shared Chicago community:
The BOMA/Chicago Smart Grid Initiative team with our Automated Logic partners.
Finding New Ways to Promote Sustainability
For the past several years, BOMA/Chicago’s Energy Committee has been developing the BOMA/Chicago Smart Grid Initiative, the first of its kind in the U.S. Currently in its pilot phase, the initiative utilizes smart grid and demand respond technology to maximize energy efficiency use in commercial buildings. This groundbreaking program will have dramatic implications for the City of Chicago as well as buildings in other cities across the country and throughout the world.
Analyzing the Economic Impact of our Buildings
BOMA/Chicago’s Information Committee is responsible for all internal and external communications and marketing of the organization. In 2012, the Information Committee commissioned an economic impact study to measure BOMA/Chicago members’ impact on the City of Chicago and take a snapshot of the Chicago commercial real estate industry. The study revealed that BOMA/Chicago members represent a solid footprint within Chicago’s office market (more than 141.5 million square feet of office space) and are a driving force of the state’s economy (contributing $3.5 billion annually).
Keeping Chicago & Chicagoans Safe
Chicago hosts many large-scale events, from music festivals like Lollapalooza to political gatherings of world leaders like the NATO Summit in 2012. When the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2013, Chicago celebrated with a massive victory parade that drew an estimated two million attendees. BOMA/Chicago’s Emergency Preparedness Committee is responsible for preparing Chicago building owners and managers for these events, as well as managing communications and evacuation procedures during other emergency situations. BOMA/Chicago remains a key private sector voice on all security matters in Chicago’s central business district.
Feeding the Food Insecure of Chicagoland
BOMA/Chicago regularly partners with the Greater Chicago Food Depository for the 1 City, 1 Food Drive initiative. The Diversity & Corporate Social Responsibility Committee has played an integral role in coordinating event logistics, encouraging BOMA/Chicago members to participate and raising awareness of the drive throughout the city. Since 2008, BOMA/Chicago buildings have raised more than 137,000 pounds of food and have provided more than 100,000 meals to hungry Chicagoans.
Negotiating Labor Contracts on Your Behalf
In a sense, BOMA/Chicago owes its existence to what is today’s Labor Committee. As Bob Quast, BOMA/Chicago’s Treasurer and Chair of the Labor Committee, wrote in last month’s blog post, BOMA/Chicago was founded on the premise of labor negotiations when Chicago’s building owners came together to ensure reasonable labor contracts and negotiations with city unions. And these negotiations continue today, as BOMA/Chicago remains the only local BOMA in the country to negotiate with unions on behalf of its building members.
If you are interested in joining one of BOMA/Chicago’s committees, let us know! All affiliate and building members are welcome to participate. Applications are available online and any questions can be directed to info@bomachicago.org.
How have BOMA/Chicago’s committees affected your building or business? Please leave us a message below.
