In the News!
Congratulations to Rajan Sandhu and thank you!
Brenda Southam met with out-going Governor Rajan Sandhu at the BC Assessment office in Surrey.
Rajan was unable to attend the Recognition Dinner to receive his certificate and portfolio. The REIBC thanks him for his contribution to the Board of Governors and the Institute.
Thank you Rajan for your service!
Cheryl Vickers is our newest REIBC member!
A recent visit was made to the offices of Lex Pacifica Law Corporation which presented the REIBC with the opportunity to meet with new RI, Cheryl Vickers who is Associate Counsel at the law firm. John Shevchuk,RI (left) and John McLachlan,RI (right) presented Cheryl with her member certificate.
Congratulations Cheryl!
Mercedes Wong, RI is making a difference helping others around the world. Her story will warm your heart!
The Rotary Club is an international organization whose volunteers are neighbors, community leaders, and global citizens uniting for the community good. The members share a passion for both community service and friendship. Mercedes Wong,RI is one of those volunteers making a difference, helping others around the world.
During Typhoon Yolanda, most of the buildings in and around the city of Leyte were destroyed. Mercedes and Builders Without Boarders - Canada initiated the re-construction of a local school and relocation center located on the hectare of land in Leyte, donated 60 years ago by Mercedes' father, Rotarian Daniel S. Bulante. Leyte is Mercedes hometown.
Keep up the good work Mercedes!
Congratulations to Robert Philipp, RI and E.O. of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board for completing the DEP - Canada's Leading Program for Directors.
You can read more about the program and see the announcement in The Globe & Mail here.
REIBC New Board of Governors
The 2016 – 2017 Board of Governors took office on July 1, 2016. There are eleven members of the board. New to the board are Keith MacLean, RI and Russell Cooper, RI. Both Keith and Russell work for BC Assessment, Keith in Vancouver and Russell in Abbotsford.
Welcome to the entire board and we look forward to a great year!
Back Row: (L to R) Russell Cooper, Susan Antoniali, Doug Gilchrist, Sean McGinnis, John Phillips & Keith MacLean
Front Row (L to R) Daniel John, Dan Wilson, Greg Steves, Troy Abromaitis, Andrea Fletcher.
The new Executive is
President: Greg Steves, RI
President-Elect: Troy Abromaitis, RI
Vice President – Dan Wilson, RI
Secretary/Treasurer – Daniel John, RI
Past President – Andrea Fletcher, RI
For more information on the board please see our website here
Meet A Member
In an effort to meet more of our members, we will be showcasing member profiles in our monthly eNews. Let us know if you would like to be the next member featured!
Meet Chadwick Choy, RI
I wanted to get into the development industry back in 2010 after graduating from UBC with a Major in Real Estate, so I started as a Development Assistant for UBC Properties Trust. In this position I provided assistance in the overall development of residential and mixed-use buildings. My experience there was valuable and helped broaden my perspective of how large and fast growing the real estate industry is in Vancouver.
I’m currently working at BC Hydro as a Property Representative for the Transmission Acquisition Services team. We work with project teams to acquire property rights and manage property owner relations for the construction of transmission lines, substations, and customer interconnection projects.
Working at BC Hydro presents an opportunity to explore and travel our beautiful province of British Columbia! The responsibilities also transition well from formerly being in the development industry. We each have our own portfolio of projects we’re responsible for with the objective of a customer driven product.
The training, opportunities, and company culture are also top notch. My career keeps my mind fresh as no two days are the same. On my downtime, though, I look forward to seeing what the Vancouver summer has in store, as long as it lasts! I hope to get out and do some lounging or hiking as long as we stay warm and dry!
Meet Gage Marchand, Student member
After completing my diploma in Professional Real Estate at BCIT's School of Business, I have started my career working at Woodbridge Properties.
My role at Woodbridge is as a Development Coordinator, where I help facilitate the development process by working with the city, public, other developers, consultants, and the rest of our team to ensure our vision can be achieved. I enjoy working in development and am eager to see my first project develop from start to finish.
Real estate is a strong passion of mine and I am very lucky to have the opportunity to work and live in Vancouver where real estate is currently one of the strongest industries in the province.
Meet Zoheb Ahmed, RI
I started my career in real estate approximately 10 years ago and I achieved my RI designation in 2010. My experience has been primarily focused on real estate analysis and valuation. I began my career in the industry on the appraisal side and have worked for both the public and private sectors.
More recently I worked as a Senior Analyst for a large institutional investor doing acquisitions and valuations for their Western Canadian Portfolio. After spending a few years in this position and travelling through Western Canada, I decided to make a change and focus my career on Vancouver.
This led me to an opportunity working for the City of Vancouver on the real estate team.
Overall, being a member of the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia has provided me with a window to opportunities and resources that have helped me throughout my career.
June 2016 Board Report
The Board met in person on June 16 at the Sutton Place Hotel. It was a busy day for the Board and the Institute. The 2015/2016 Board members met in the morning for their last meeting of the year and the incoming Board met in the afternoon. The 2016/2017 Board met for pictures just prior to starting the AGM at 5:00. The AGM was immediately followed by our enjoyable and very well attended annual recognition dinner.
The Board is pleased to report that Bryan Furman has been appointed as the RI on the Real Estate Council Education Advisory Working Group.
Secretary Treasurer, Daniel John, spent time reviewing the financials. There were several unique, one time expenditures during the last fiscal year aimed at stabilizing and increasing membership as well as supporting the launch of our strata governance training; a new line of revenue and relevance for the Institute. After discussion and questions the financial statement was approved as presented.
Steve Blacklock, President of the BC Chapter of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, joined us for the meeting. He thanked the REIBC for the joint conference in Tigh-Na-Mara as it was a great success. The professional photos taken at the conference were a great idea and well received by members. Janice O’Brien, AIC BC Executive Director retired and was recognized at the conference, she will be the interim Executive Director until a replacement is found. Among other items, Steve reported that there is new education on machinery and equipment appraisal they have worked on in conjunction with the American Appraisal Institute. He is grateful for the opportunity to attend our Board meetings.
The REIBC member services committee put forward a mentoring program that they have been working on for over 2 years. There was considerable discussion and it was felt that the younger members (student, professional & candidate) might be more inclined to remain part of the institute if they could be kept more engaged. There are three items to be decided upon:
- Do we need external assistance with setting this up?
- We need to find mentors.
- We need to find mentees.
A motion was carried to create a mentoring program implementation plan with a required budget and to create clarity over the ongoing administration of the program. This plan, with all details, will be reviewed at the September Board meeting.
A detailed terms of reference review was conducted on 7 committees. Minor changes were made to the terms of reference of the audit, golf, member services, professional conduct and standards and practice committees.
A review of 48 policies was conducted resulting in minor changes to 4 policies. Of note, there was a decision made to increase the limit for capital purchases to $5,000 before competitive bidding and Board approval is required. This will allow for greater flexibility and efficiency for staff undertaking capital purchases. In addition, staff were asked to create an additional policy regarding leave of absence requests to be reviewed at the September Board meeting.
The Board debated the role of the Institute with respect to ongoing government policy discussions relating to the high profile real estate market activity in the province. There was much discussion and it was decided that REIBC will write a letter to government advising them that there are knowledgeable and designated RI professionals that could be working on these task forces and policy issues. A more comprehensive discussion will be held in September regarding REIBC’s role in these types of issues generated by government or industry and will be discussed at the strategic planning session in September.
This was my last meeting as a Board member as my final term has elapsed. I have enjoyed my time on the Board and have great confidence in your 2016/2017 Board and the unique contributions each of the members will make to the future of the Institute during their terms.
Respectfully submitted,
Jason Grant, RI
Past President
REIBC Charity Golf Tournament
The REIBC continues to receive updates on the great wishes that are being granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of BC & Yukon as a result of many charitable donations, including dollars from REIBC's Charity Golf Tournament. We received the following email from it's CEO Mr. Ross Hetherington.
Dear Friends,
Kaydee’s wish came true because of you! Each wish that you help us grant carries the wish child and their family from a place of uncertainty to a place of hope.
Here is Kaydee’s Circle of Joy wish story with our heartfelt gratitude for helping us share the magic of a wish with so many inspiring kids throughout our province. It is our hope that you will share it with your groups, teams, employees & friends.
We grant wishes because wishes change lives. Some of the many wishes we are currently working on are – I wish to meet Roger Federer; I wish to go to Iceland; I wish to be a train conductor and I wish to have my own treehouse.
From all of us at Make-A-Wish, but especially from our wish kids, thank you for helping us share the power of a wish®.
Career Opportunities
Project Technologist - BC Housing
Executive Officer - Real Estate Council of BC
REIBC Events
2016 Presidents Luncheon - Save the Date!
December 1, 2016 11:30am - 1:30pm
Guest Speaker Jessica McDonald, President & CEO of BC Hydro
More info
REIBC Chapter Event
Vancouver Chapter Boat Cruise - Registration is open!
August 31, 2016 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Guest Speaker Michael Gordon, Senior Planner, City of Vancouver
More info
Industry Events
The newsletter is for our industry, so please let us know if you have any events, courses or conferences in your profession that you would like highlighted or promoted. Email the information to info@reibc.org
AIC-BC
Currently no posted events.
BCLSS
The BC Land Summit Society (BCLSS) has initiated a “Request for Proposals” (RFP) process to identify a suitable vendor qualified to plan, execute and deliver the redesign of the BCLSS website. You can find the details here.
CREW
Speakers Series Luncheon
September 21st, 2016 11:30 - 1:30 pm
Vancouver Club - Grand Ballroom
915 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
More info
Make A Wish Event - Helping Grant Wishes
Registration is now open for this new signature event in the Okanagan – Wishes in Wine Country hosted by Make-A-Wish BC & Yukon
Click here for more info.
UDI
2016 Awards for Excellence
November 23, 2016 6:00 pm - 9:00pm
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Regency Ballroom
655 Burrard, Vancouver
More info
ULI
Currently no posted events
REFBC
6th Annual Land Awards Gala
October 21, 2016
Rocky Mountaineer Station
1755 Cottrell St, Vancouver
More info
NAIOP
NAIOP Golf Tournament
September 6th, 2016
University Golf Club, Vancouver
More info
Conferences of Interest
NAIOP
Commercial Real Estate Conference
September 25 - 26, 2016
Fairmont Scottsdale, AZ
More info
CPTA - The Canadian Property Tax Association
50th Annual National Workshop
Pre-Workshop Golf Sunday Sept 25, 2016
Registration August 26, 2016
Fairmont Vancouver, Vancouver
More info
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