January President's Message
2013 was a great year for our local organization highlighted by hosting the International Convention - our membership volunteered in droves to make the convention something attendees would not soon forget. 2014 is going to be an adventure for us as well and I thought I would take a few minutes to share my vision for BOMA San Diego this year. And that is: a productive, effective organization with each member participating and getting maximum value from their membership.
How do we accomplish this?
1) The first way is to join a committee! Over the past several months, I have enjoyed attending meetings of almost all of BOMA San Diego’s committees. Let me tell you, there are a lot of hardworking people behind the scenes making BOMA San Diego the best organization it can be and getting the most out of their memberships. However, as I attend various BOMA functions, I see some folks who are not on committees and I’m here to tell you that you’re missing out!
If you are not plugged in and attending a committee, your BOMA membership is not working to its full potential. I say this from experience. I joined BOMA San Diego in 2007 and like some, I only attended the luncheons. I showed up late, sat in the back and snuck out early just so I wouldn’t have to talk to people I didn’t know. Jaimi Lomas from A.O. Reed eventually invited me to the Membership Committee meetings by saying “we have fun because we ARE fun”. Who could resist that? I joined the committee and started nurturing relationships with the people on that committee and eventually, I joined another committee and ultimately was nominated for the Board of Directors. I’m not suggesting that everyone here needs to follow that route, but what I am trying to point out is that if you’re just going to lunches and special events YOU’RE MISSING OUT! Serving on those committees has helped me professionally several ways, but one of the most impactful is through networking - when I need a service provider now, I look to my fellow committee members rather than pull someone I don’t know out of the proverbial ‘phone book’ because I know and trust those committee members and I know they’re going to do right by me.
My personal challenge to those of you that are not part of a committee right now is to find a committee that speaks to you and join it: do you love charity work? Join Community Service! Do you need to meet more people and force yourself to be social? Join the Membership Committee! Do you love to plan parties? Join the Special Events Committee! We’ve got a place for you!
I challenge you to make the most of your membership in 2014 by plugging in to a committee. You won’t be sorry. Check out the “Committees” tab in the “Who We Are” section of our website for a full listing of BOMA San Diego’s committees.
2) The second way we can make BOMA San Diego more effective for all of our members is by each of us paying attention to and getting involved in what is going on politically – locally, statewide and at the Federal level. Our members routinely rank government affairs as one of the most important benefits of membership in BOMA. The impact of our Government Affairs Committee is HUGE for our industry but our success depends on each of you, the BOMA member. Even if you’re not a political junkie, this is the year to get keyed in to what is going on at the various levels of government.
Our current challenge, which has been our number one issue over the last several years, is protecting the economy and attempting to stop the City of San Diego from significantly increasing its tax on jobs creation. That tax is known as the linkage fee, and it is charged to new commercial construction and tenant improvements that change the use on the property. The Council voted late last year to increase the fee by between 400-900%. For commercial office construction, that equates to a $4 per square foot increase. BOMA San Diego has been leading the charge as a member of the JOBS Coalition and the Business Leadership Alliance, and we are helping to collect signatures to referend that decision by the Council.
If you are a registered voter in the City of San Diego, please sign the JOBS TAX referendum petition being circulated now. If you are interested in taking a petition to your friends, neighbors and colleagues, please visit www.stopthejobstax.org or contact the BOMA Office for more information.
There is a lot more on our political plate this year as well and you – we – are on the politician’s menu. So, we need your help, your attention, and your resources to protect our members and the San Diego economy.
Politics aside, I am so excited for what this year has in store for BOMA San Diego and I look forward to working with each of you this year!
How do we accomplish this?
1) The first way is to join a committee! Over the past several months, I have enjoyed attending meetings of almost all of BOMA San Diego’s committees. Let me tell you, there are a lot of hardworking people behind the scenes making BOMA San Diego the best organization it can be and getting the most out of their memberships. However, as I attend various BOMA functions, I see some folks who are not on committees and I’m here to tell you that you’re missing out!
If you are not plugged in and attending a committee, your BOMA membership is not working to its full potential. I say this from experience. I joined BOMA San Diego in 2007 and like some, I only attended the luncheons. I showed up late, sat in the back and snuck out early just so I wouldn’t have to talk to people I didn’t know. Jaimi Lomas from A.O. Reed eventually invited me to the Membership Committee meetings by saying “we have fun because we ARE fun”. Who could resist that? I joined the committee and started nurturing relationships with the people on that committee and eventually, I joined another committee and ultimately was nominated for the Board of Directors. I’m not suggesting that everyone here needs to follow that route, but what I am trying to point out is that if you’re just going to lunches and special events YOU’RE MISSING OUT! Serving on those committees has helped me professionally several ways, but one of the most impactful is through networking - when I need a service provider now, I look to my fellow committee members rather than pull someone I don’t know out of the proverbial ‘phone book’ because I know and trust those committee members and I know they’re going to do right by me.
My personal challenge to those of you that are not part of a committee right now is to find a committee that speaks to you and join it: do you love charity work? Join Community Service! Do you need to meet more people and force yourself to be social? Join the Membership Committee! Do you love to plan parties? Join the Special Events Committee! We’ve got a place for you!
I challenge you to make the most of your membership in 2014 by plugging in to a committee. You won’t be sorry. Check out the “Committees” tab in the “Who We Are” section of our website for a full listing of BOMA San Diego’s committees.
2) The second way we can make BOMA San Diego more effective for all of our members is by each of us paying attention to and getting involved in what is going on politically – locally, statewide and at the Federal level. Our members routinely rank government affairs as one of the most important benefits of membership in BOMA. The impact of our Government Affairs Committee is HUGE for our industry but our success depends on each of you, the BOMA member. Even if you’re not a political junkie, this is the year to get keyed in to what is going on at the various levels of government.
Our current challenge, which has been our number one issue over the last several years, is protecting the economy and attempting to stop the City of San Diego from significantly increasing its tax on jobs creation. That tax is known as the linkage fee, and it is charged to new commercial construction and tenant improvements that change the use on the property. The Council voted late last year to increase the fee by between 400-900%. For commercial office construction, that equates to a $4 per square foot increase. BOMA San Diego has been leading the charge as a member of the JOBS Coalition and the Business Leadership Alliance, and we are helping to collect signatures to referend that decision by the Council.
If you are a registered voter in the City of San Diego, please sign the JOBS TAX referendum petition being circulated now. If you are interested in taking a petition to your friends, neighbors and colleagues, please visit www.stopthejobstax.org or contact the BOMA Office for more information.
There is a lot more on our political plate this year as well and you – we – are on the politician’s menu. So, we need your help, your attention, and your resources to protect our members and the San Diego economy.
Politics aside, I am so excited for what this year has in store for BOMA San Diego and I look forward to working with each of you this year!