What's a Work Group and How do I get Involved?

• By: admin
• On: 04/05/2019 17:56:29
• In: BOMA Oakland/East Bay Buzz
• Comments: 0

Introducing a new resource from our organization, The BOMA Oakland/East Bay Buzz. Every quarter, we pose questions to our members--questions we've heard you ask, questions we're asking ourselves, even-- and have them answer. Who better to answer your industry or BOMA-related questions than your peers? This question concerns the new volunteer participation structure, taking BOMA OEB from the committees to something called "workgroups," and our very own Vice President of the Board, Liz Despins answers. 
Question: I hear there are no longer committees at BOMA Oakland/East Bay. What does this mean and how do I get involved in the new workgroups?

Liz Despin's Answer: In place of individual committees, the Board & committee leaders worked extensively to reorganize  and created workgroups comprised of the individual committees to better serve the  needs of our organization. The linear committee structure was outdated and not collaborative. Julie Taylor, the BOMA OEB Executive Director, did a great job of summarizing our four key strategic areas, referred to as “workgroups.” You can find this information in the December issue of Horizons here.  
Some committees will still function as a stand-alone group while falling under one of the four main “workgroups.” Emerging Professionals is an example of this. They fall under Engagement and Education but will also continue to focus on the needs of our emerging professionals, which might not always include all BOMA OEB members. Some of our committees will merge together and begin attending the quarterly workgroup meetings as opposed to independent monthly committee meetings. This allows for our committees to work together in determining our needs and implementing actions. Please reach out to any of the work group leaders if you have any questions or are ready to join a workgroup.
Governance & Finance:
Kelly Jauregui
kelly.jauregui@cushwake.com
 
Stakeholder Engagement:
Samantha Stires
samantha.stires@cbre.com
 
Education & Careers:
Jenna Hattersley
jhattersley@harvestproperties.com
 
Marketing & Collaboration:
Liz Despins
despinse@koll.com

Liz Despins, RPA is a Senior Property Manager at The Koll Company. She has served on the BOMA OEB Board of Directors since 2017 and currently serves as the Board Vice President. Prior to her work at The Koll Company, Liz was a Real Estate Manager for CBRE. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.