Leadership, Presence, and Care

Luci Smith, 2025-2026 chair and chief elected officer, bestowed two special awards on commercial real estate leaders—the 2026 BOMA International Chair Award and the Henry H. Chamberlain Leadership Award.

The Chair Award honored Don Fairgrieve-Park, executive vice president of operational excellence for QuadReal Property Group. Fairgrieve-Park’s work as BOMA’s secretary-treasurer “has been on a completely different level,” Smith said. “If you ever want to truly understand an organization, don’t look at an organization chart, sit in on the finance calls, because that’s where the real work happens. Don didn’t just sit in those rooms, he led them.”

The Henry H. Chamberlain Leadership Award, launched in 2024, is one of the organization’s most prestigious honors, Smith said. “It honors someone who is a respected industry advocate, an influencer, a strategic thinker, communicator, and mentor who helps develop future leaders,” she said. “Someone who’s visible for our industry and who makes our industry stronger because they’re a part of it.” One name immediately came to mind, Smith said: Spencer Levy, global client strategist and senior economic advisor for CBRE, who has helped shape the way we understand commercial real estate for more than three decades now.

Kjersten Jaeb Takes the Oath of Office

Joined by husband Tom, daughters Katie and Lizzie, and BOMA International’s 2021-2022 chair Mark Dukes, Kjersten Jaeb officially took the reins as the 2026-2027 chair. “Tonight is more than a ceremony,” Jaeb declared. “It’s a gathering of people who shape cities, strengthen communities, and open doors for others every day.”

Jaeb’s speech to the TOBYs audience acknowledged that buildings don’t stand because of steel and concrete alone: “They stand because people choose to come together. People who bring different languages, different histories, and different perspectives, but still find common purpose,” Jaeb said. She shared her belief that inclusion isn’t just a theme, but rather an intentional practice. (Hear more insights about leading with intention in our conversation with Kjersten Jaeb.)

Jaeb acknowledged that she’s not who you might picture when you think of a BOMA International chair. She’s 42 years old and a working mother of three, requiring her to navigate school and sports schedules “that should qualify as a second full-time job,” she joked. She began her CRE career as an administrative assistant after dropping out of college, and with “grit, determination, and the generosity of mentors,” she worked her way up.

“Inclusion changed the trajectory of my own life,” Jaeb said. “Inclusion is what happens when someone sees potential in you before you see it in yourself. Inclusion is what happens when your story, even the hard parts, are welcome and not hidden. Inclusion is what happens when a community says, ‘You belong here.’”

Who Won a 2026 TOBY Award?

The award for Over One Million Square Feet went to Century Plaza Towers in Los Angeles, California, managed by CBRE and owned by One Hundred Towers, LLC. A defining feature of the Los Angeles skyline, Century Plaza Towers’ twin triangular forms rise with bold geometry and enduring presence. Wrapped in gleaming aluminum, the towers frame an elevated tenant experience anchored by luxury amenities, curated retail, and refined gathering spaces. At the crossroads of Century City and Beverly Hills, the property delivers prestige, connectivity, and architectural distinction at a grand scale.

Other winners by size were:

• Under 100,000 Square Feet: 17 Executive Park, Brookhaven, Georgia, managed by Lincoln Property Company and owned by Emory University
• 100,000-249,999 Square Feet: Eleventh Avenue Place, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, managed by GWL Realty Advisors Inc. and owned by HOOPP Realty Inc.
• 250,000-499,999 Square Feet: Two Eldridge, Houston, Texas, managed and owned by Granite Properties
• 500,000-1 Million Square Feet: Bank of America Tower, Houston, Texas, managed by Transwestern and owned by Beacon Capital Partners

These buildings also won an international TOBY Award:

• Corporate Facility: 350 Mission Street, San Francisco, California, managed and owned by Kilroy Realty Corporation
• Earth: 325 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, managed and owned by Alexandria Real Estate Equities
• Historical: The Chicago Board of Trade Building, Chicago, Illinois, managed by R2 Companies and owned by Apollo Global Management, LLC
• Industrial: Transport Depot, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, managed by QuadReal Property Group and owned by bcIMC Realty Corporation and Canadian Core Real Estate LP
• Life Science: Gateway of Pacific, South San Francisco, California, managed and owned by BioMed Realty
• Medical: Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, Houston, Texas, managed by JLL and owned by LaSalle Investment Management, Inc.
• Mixed-Use: RBC Gateway, Minneapolis, Minnesota, managed by JLL and owned by Spear Street Capital
• Public Assembly: Community Link Alexandra Real Estate Equities, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, managed and owned by Alexandria Real Estate Equities
• Renovated: 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, California, managed and owned by Anderson Real Estate
• Retail – Enclosed Mall Under 1 Million Square Feet: Park Place Shopping Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, managed by Primaris Management Inc. and owned by Primaris REIT
• Retail – Enclosed Mall Over 1 Million Square Feet: Scarborough Town Centre, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, managed by Oxford Properties Group and owned by Alberta Investment Management Corporation and Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System, through its subsidiary, Oxford Properties Group
• Retail – Open Air/Strip Mall: Taunton Gardens, Whitby, Ontario, Canada, managed by Colliers and owned by Canada Post Pension Plan
• Suburban Office Park – Low-Rise: 1-5 Stories: Lakefront at Keystone, Indianapolis, Indiana, managed by RPO Property Management, LLC, and owned by Rubenstein Partners
• Suburban Office Park – Mid-Rise: 6-12 Stories: AERO Long Beach, Long Beach, California, managed and owned by Kilroy Realty Corporation

See You Next Year in Nashville!

Lea Sandoval, Amy Martin, and Finland Alejo returned to the stage to pass the planning committee torch back to BOMA/Nashville. Music City last hosted the BOMA International Conference & Expo in 2022, and despite the ever-changing landscape of the city, it still features the honky tonks you know and love.

Nashville’s commercial real estate market has experienced a period of hyper growth, according to BOMA/Nashville’s Ryan King, making it the perfect destination for BOMA attendees eager to learn what’s next in CRE. The 2027 conference is set for June 26-29.