It’s hard to imagine two months have passed since I started as your CEO. I am bullish on NAIOP SoCal as the most important resource and voice for Southern California’s real estate industry.

We sincerely appreciate now more than ever your ongoing support and sponsorship. Like every other association and industry, we too are affected by COVID-19 and are working tirelessly to ensure we support our members and sponsors.

NAIOP SoCal has adapted to the global pandemic, mandated closures and enforced strict social distancing requirements imposed by state and local governments. Our focus remains to provide strong, member-driven programs and education that bring value to members.

NAIOP SoCal has accomplished much so far in 2020 including:

• Fifteen NAIOP U Zoom webinars including a dynamic “Resiliency and Recovery” series featuring leading experts in office, industrial, retail, mixed-use and capital markets
• Nearly 1,500 real estate professionals from Southern California and around the nation have participated in NAIOP SoCal webinars
• All NAIOP SoCal Corporate Sponsors are recognized at these webinars and this practice will continue through 2020
• Defeat of SB 939, proposed legislation which would have negated all commercial leases and allowed tenants the unilateral right to walk away from signed lease agreements, by providing valuable grass roots legislative advocacy
• Fighting and defeating a Los Angeles County Fire Department parcel tax ballot measure that was resoundingly rejected at the March 2020 election
• Assisting NAIOP SoCal members in the City of Carson to defeat an attempt to put a warehouse tax on the November 2020 ballot
• Launching a Diversity Task Force and NAIOP U Series focused on building and developing a more diverse and inclusive culture within our chapter and within the commercial real estate industry
• Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the NAIOP SoCal Young Professionals Group (YPG) program which has more than 500 alumni and 14 current board members
• Successfully arguing that the Judicial Council of California end two temporary emergency rules governing evictions and judicial foreclosures

My primary focus leading us through this challenging time is to ensure NAIOP SoCal continues offering top-notch programs to sponsors and members. We will eventually return to in-person programs but at the same time I am also committed to using technology (not just Zoom) to help us better engage with you and you with each other.

Unfortunately, one of the casualties of COVID-19 has been our in-person events. Regrettably, we will not be holding Night at the Fights in 2020. While we made every effort to modify the event based on the current situation, we are planning to bring it back in all its glory in 2021! Likewise, we officially deferred this year’s YPG class until 2021. We are not likely to hold any additional in-person events for the remainder of 2020 but will keep you updated as the situation evolves.

Much more is planned for the remainder of 2020. One of the most significant legislative challenges ever faced by commercial real estate is fast-approaching. Proposition 15 will be on the November 2020 statewide ballot and if passed will dismantle decades-long tax protections provided to commercial real estate. Proposition 15 would impose a $12 billion increase in commercial property taxes, the largest in California’s history. NAIOP SoCal is leading the effort to mobilize members in LA and Orange Counties to stop this harmful measure. We need to stand as one to defeat this dangerous measure by educating employees, colleagues, clients and the broader community on the damage this measure will cause to businesses and the state’s economy. For more information or to donate to this important campaign, please see the campaign’s web site: No on Proposition 15.

This fall, the Programs Committee is planning a series of engaging virtual townhalls with leading experts to provide insights on the upcoming national, state and local elections.

Once again, we greatly value your ongoing support of NAIOP SoCal and our work on behalf of the industry. We will be reaching out to you in the coming weeks to check in and hope to have your support again 2021.

In the meantime, I encourage you to contact me with feedback you have on our programs and activities as I have an open door to new ideas to improve member experiences with NAIOP SoCal.

Thank you.

Timothy Jemal
 CEO