Wow already a new year upon us. I know….we have been in 2009 for three months already, but it still seems like yesterday that we were on our Holidays. Oh well….new year and new opportunities await us in 2009.

I know the economy is hitting us all hard, but I can’t stress the importance of being involved with BOMA. The networking, the educational programming, the committee involvement, the advocacy that BOMA provides is so important to be plugged into. I want to personally thank all of YOU….our members, our corporate sponsors, our volunteers, and many others behind the scenes for making BOMA Oakland/East Bay the number one commercial real estate business solutions provider and support network. Your continued involvement and team work with BOMA, our principal members and our service providers will help us all weather this economic storm together. Challenging times call for innovative solutions, and the value that BOMA creates for its members WILL help us all surmount those challenges.

Ok….enough of the doom and gloom of our economy. We hear about it everyday on the television and in the news. Let’s look forward to this year, as BOMA has some exciting opportunities for our membership. Our first big event will be our Golf Tournament on April 27 at Round Hill Country Club. Registration information is now available online. We will also be offering five BOMI classes, and thanks again to our returning instructor Larry Morgan for continuing to push our BOMI classes and offer his expertise as our lead instructor. Our committees and Board of Directors have worked tirelessly in striving to provide a strong balance of both educational and networking opportunities for 2009. Please check out our newly designed web site at www.bomaoeb.org for all upcoming events.

Scott Kirkpatrick, Tod McKelvy, and myself had the pleasure of representing our local recently at the BOMA International convention held in Palm Springs, CA in January. There we learned that BOMA CAL received the BOMA International Government Affairs Award for our government affairs program. And not only that, our local was recognized as submitting the most Experience Exchange Report data in 2008 for our membership category size. Give yourselves a around of applause. I ask all our principal members to please visit www.boma.org/2009eersurvey and take the time to share your numbers for 2009. All data is kept in strictest confidence and only market level information is published.

Thanks to all of you who have stepped up to the plate this year with sponsorship dollars, especially our Platinum Corporate Sponsors; ABM, ABLE Services, ThyssenKrupp Elevator, and Universal Protection Service. Your funds help us put together our programs here at BOMA, and we are truly grateful.

I look forward to a great 2009, and remember…BOMA…..Now more than ever!

Robert Robledo
Executive Vice President