Member Profiles
RICS Americas member profile showcases the talent and expertise of professional members who are experts in land, real estate, construction to investment and valuation. Read success stories directly from experts on project involvement and how RICS Americas has contributed to their professional evolution.
David C. Eldridge MRICS, ASA, AAA
President
Eldridge Appraisals Inc.
Number of years experience: 37
Q. What is your current job role and what does this involve?
Appraising antiques fine arts, silver, porcelains and other objects of vertu for estate, insurance or dissolution of marriage purposes.
Q. Why did you opt to pursue a career in this industry?
When asked about my profession I invariably need to point out that I am not ‘that kind’ of appraiser as my field is fine arts and antiques.
Growing up in the 1950s my appreciation of history and the arts was fostered by my parents. My father was a professor and my mother a school teacher and in this academic environment I was surrounded by various professors, early-to-mid-century antiques and my mother with her DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) friends all bringing history to life.
The precise moment when I realized my future was about the age of eight, when a docent at the Ninian Edwards home in Illinois, where I used to take my violin lessons, explained to me that I was sitting in the same room where Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd.
I was hooked.
While in high school I worked first as a volunteer and then as a paid preparator at the Illinois State Museum with the encouragement of my Boy Scout leader, who also happened to be the director of the State Museum. This work continued through college and graduate school where I worked in various university museums. Naturally my first paying job after graduate school was not at a university as planned but a museum.
I enjoyed the work immensely over the years until I became an executive director and in 1982 I transitioned into the private sector. I selected Naples, Florida, for the weather and the close proximity to an international airport and formed Eldridge Appraisals Inc. (www.eldridgeappraisals.com) specializing in appraisals for insurance, estate and dissolution of marriage purposes.
Because of my academic background I firmly believe in the necessity of professional testing and certifying associations to define one's skills and have been a member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA) since 1983 appraising American and European paintings, prints, sculpture, antiques, silver, porcelain and other objects of vertu and a Senior member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) since 1985 where I hold a triple certification in Antiques & Decorative Arts, Fine Arts and Personal Property/Residential Contents. I also have served as an ASA Southwest Florida charter member, chapter president and as a member of the ASA Personal Property Committee.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight?
Over the years I have discovered numerous historical or monetary treasures and with my museum background, preservation is of paramount importance to me and often I have assisted families with donations to the appropriate institutions.
On one occasion while reviewing the contents of a Florida estate I found blueprints, scale models and letters from Warren E. Hill who supervised the construction of the ironclad USS Monitor for the Continental Ironworks in Brooklyn N.Y. In 1862 the epic battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack in the Hampton Roads went down in naval history. The revolving turret of the Monitor proved very effective and as both ships were considered impregnable, the captain of the Monitor directed his fire at the rudder and propeller thus crippling the Merrimack. The battle was considered a stalemate; however it did result in the opening of the shipping lanes for the Union. The existence of these unique artifacts and historical documents was previously unknown and they are now in the collection of Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
James Arrow MRICS
Principal Specialist, Project Risk Management
KBR, Inc.
Q. What is your current job role and what does this involve?
My current role is primarily concerned with fostering a best practice risk management culture, largely through the facilitation of Risk Identification workshops, subsequent Risk Management training and development and/or review of project cost contingency via Quantitative Cost & Schedule Risk Analysis. Projects range in nature from FEED to full EPCM oil and gas to renewable energy, utility and other infrastructure or government initiatives. These projects could be valued in the range from a few million to several billion.
Q. Why did you opt to pursue a career in this industry?
I wanted a job that did not tie me to a desk.
Q. Do you have specific areas of expertise or specialist interest?
My current expertise is in Risk Management, though I am also interested in IT or Project Systems and their synergies with Knowledge Management.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight?
My career highlight or highlights really spin off the opportunity I first had to work overseas. Without wanting to be corny, it was my desire to attain chartered status that first put this chain of events in motion.
Q. How has being a member of RICS helped your professional career?
This item is really linked to the former. If it wasn’t for the RICS, I’m sure there would have been a lot less opportunity for me to work overseas.
Q. Have you attended any networking or industry events that RICS Americas participated in?
When I first came over here to the States I decided that I should Americanize my understanding of Project Controls. As a consequence of attending a local AACE training event I befriended Martin Darley FRICS (Director, Turner & Townsend Inc.) and he encouraged me to attend the local chapter events. The RICS Americas have allowed me to learn about and subsequently work with AACE International (Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineers). Because of my involvement with RICS I have attended the last three AACE Annual Meetings and I am currently a member of AACE’s Risk Management accreditation task force. Truly invaluable networking!
I believe RICS members here in the U.S. have got a similar appetite for events as I do.
Q. Why carry the RICS letters in addition to AACE accreditation?
Take my experience as an example: for those who want to work overseas, the RICS designation does open doors. It provides an opportunity to travel and we should get that message out to people.
I could also tell you about a guy I’ve met a few times at AACE events, he’s a Canadian guy who is well respected in AACE, and he often delivers seminars. He wants to join RICS because he sees how international clients recognize and respect the RICS qualification.
RICS doesn’t compete with AACE. That’s another great thing as well. If it wasn’t for the great relationship between AACE then it’s likely that I wouldn’t have been able to develop my risk management knowledge as quickly as I have. If it wasn’t for RICS then I wouldn’t have been able to join these AACE forums. There’s tremendous benefit to my membership in both organizations. We should encourage others to build on what both membership opportunities can offer.
"As (HVS) grew and expanded beyond the North American continent, it was important for my credibility and that of the company to have the world-renowned RICS designation."
Steve Rushmore FRICS, MAI, CHA
President and Founder, HVS
Steve Rushmore, FRICS, MAI, CHA, is the president and founder of HVS, a global consulting and services organization with more than 25 offices worldwide focused on the hotel, restaurant, timeshare, gaming, and leisure industries. Established in 1980, HVS has provided consulting and valuation services for thousands of clients in all 50 states and more than 60 foreign countries. The company specializes in complex issues involving hotel feasibility, valuations, and financing. Steve directs the global operation of HVS and is responsible for future office expansion and new product development. He was one of the creators of the Microtel concept, has written numerous books and articles on hotel feasibility studies, appraisals, and other aspects of hotel investing, and actually owns and operates hotels.Q. What is your current job role and what does this involve?
My role as President and Founder of HVS makes me responsible for the global operation of the company, which has more than 25 offices worldwide. I direct a professional staff of more than 400 industry specialists offering a wide range of services, including market feasibility studies, valuations, strategic analyses, development planning, and litigation support. Through its divisions, HVS supplies unique hotel consulting expertise in the areas of executive search, food and beverage operations, gaming, technology, hotel operations, asset management, marketing, interior design, parking, golf, and investment counseling.
Q. Why did you opt to pursue a career in this industry?
A high-school summer job as an assistant salad chef at a resort in New Hampshire introduced me to the hospitality industry and its food and beverage operations, which strengthened my burgeoning interest in hotels. A BS from Cornell’s Hotel School and an MBA from the University of Buffalo paved the way for a job with the late Stephen Brener in the hospitality division of Helmsley Spear. When I recognized the niche that existed for someone with a degree in hotel administration to provide professional hotel appraisal services, I founded HVS.
Q. Do you have specific areas of expertise or specialist interest?
As a leading authority on the topic of hotel feasibility studies and appraisals, I have written all five textbooks and two seminars for the Appraisal Institute covering this subject. I have lectured extensively on hotel trends and taught hundreds of classes and seminars to more than 20,000 industry professionals. Lecturing at major hotel schools around the world, including Lausanne, Cornell, Houston, and IMHI, is also on my agenda.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight?
One project under my direct oversight involved the Blackstone Group’s acquisition of Hilton Hotels Corporation, the biggest buyout in the history of the lodging industry. HVS was selected to appraise Hilton’s portfolio of hotels — in 25 countries across 6 continents — in 40 days. All HVS offices participated in producing uniform, high-quality appraisal reports that were accepted by all the lenders, making the transaction possible. This monumental task included not only hotels, but the Hilton brands, management contracts, gaming operations, and time-share operations.
When I founded HVS, I envisioned building the company to be a multi-faceted source for all hotel needs; the successful completion of the appraisals for the Hilton-Blackstone portfolio is evidence that this goal has been surpassed. No other company could have brought together on an international stage all the components necessary to value this large portfolio in such a seamless, quick, and efficient manner.
Q. How has being a member of RICS helped your professional career?
When HVS originated as a U.S.-centric company, my MAI designation was adequate. However, as the company grew and expanded beyond the North American continent, it was important for my credibility and that of the company to have the world-renowned RICS designation. Anyone who leads a global real estate consulting firm needs to have this designation to have credibility among owners and lenders of real estate.
“The MRICS designation is instantly recognizable on my business card, and opens doors worldwide. Even if I haven’t had a chance to make an immediate impression on someone, I have learned to wait a second or two until it sinks in…shortly, their eyebrows go up and they start asking good questions.”
Alexia Nalewaik MSc, MRICS, CCE
Principal, QS Requin Corp.
Alexia Nalewaik brings 17 years experience in management consultancy and construction to the job.
Q. Why did you opt to pursue a career in this industry?
Although my first degree is in physics, my lifelong passion is architecture. When I applied to graduate schools, my preferred universities had a waiting list for their architecture programs. The head of our physics department gave me a good shove in the direction of civil engineering. I soon graduated with an MSc in structural engineering, which set me on a career path in construction.
Q. Do you have specific areas of expertise or specialist interest?
My background is very diverse and encompasses the life-cycle of the building project from concept and funding through closeout and claims, because at the start of my career I took advantage of many interesting opportunities in management consulting. Even now, I attract unique engagements, which keeps me on my toes. My specialist interest is in cost management of building projects, largely because cost control is the primary concern for my clients. Even if a CFO doesn’t understand construction, he certainly understands money.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight?
A position as owner’s representative was a turning point in my career. The project started out as a 100,000 square foot expansion of a food and beverage manufacturing facility. At first, I was the only team member on site full-time, but over the course of three years I supervised and trained staff from multiple offices both on and off site in the construction of 18 concurrent building projects totaling more than $80 million. We conducted monthly probabilistic cost risk analysis, cost forecasting & reporting, schedule monitoring, bid package review, subcontractor selection, contract audit, requisition & purchase order issue, invoice review/approval/payment, estimate validation, change review & approval, and project closeout/asset allocation. In total, by the end of the project, the team identified more than $1 million in quantifiable savings and implemented a number of changes in project controls to avert additional excessive expenditures. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the engagement was a crash course in construction audit and personnel management that set the stage for the next step of my career.
Q. How has being a member of RICS helped your professional career
The MRICS designation is instantly recognizable on my business card and opens doors worldwide. Even if I haven’t had a chance to make an immediate impression on someone, I have learned to wait a second or two until it sinks in…shortly, their eyebrows go up and they start asking good questions. The camaraderie is palpable at professional society board meetings, technical conferences, and client engagements.
Q. Have you attended any networking or industry events in which RICS Americas has participated?
I have attended a number of industry events and networking events with RICS Americas. I am always impressed by the caliber of professionals I meet and I have made a number of industry connections at the events. Over the years, I have also attended joint meetings between RICS and other professional societies, and it has been a pleasure to see recognition of RICS grow within the Americas. “Viral” best describes certain aspects of the expansion.
If you or someone you know would like to share an interesting career highlight or story with the RICS Americas membership, please send brief details to wsafer@rics.org.
"I like to believe that my qualifications, experience and enthusiasm are the reason for my career progression, but coupled with the RICS designation, my resume definitely stands out and I have certainly been presented with more opportunities as a result of the RICS.
David Rogers, BSc MRICS
Sub Director of Construction, Kepler
Bosques de Alisos 47-A, Piso 3
Bosques de las Lomas
México DF 05120
México
Contact David Rogers
David Rogers has 12 years of experience specializing in property management. His current occupational responsibility as a Sub-Director of Construction involves a lot of travel throughout México overseeing a diverse portfolio of projects. Primarily, he provides support to the project managers on site, ensuring effect communications throughout his projects and accurate reporting to his clients.
Q. Why did you pursue a career in this industry?
My father was a Quantity Surveyor (now retired), my elder brother is also a Quantity Surveyor and I became a Chartered Building Surveyor. Also my younger brother is an Architect and my youngest brother is a Lawyer, specializing in Corporate and Property Law, so I guess we all decided to follow in our father’s footsteps. My brothers all practice in the United Kingdom.
After gaining over 10 years of specialist construction consulting and management experience working for private consulting firms in the United Kingdom I decided to take a sabbatical for one year, during which time I travelled extensively throughout Mexico and Central America. Having now completed my Sabbatical I have decided to remain in Mexico to pursue a new challenging and exciting opportunity.
Q. Do you have specific areas of expertise or specialist interest?
As a Chartered Building Surveyor my experience covers all the usual aspects of Construction and I provide a multi-disciplinary approach to any construction project providing design management, providing and managing comprehensive consultancy services, specifically contract administration, project management, value engineering, quality assurance, effective cost and program management.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight? Please explain the role you played to make this a success.
I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work on a diverse portfolio of projects throughout London and the United Kingdom and with many different people both within the Built Environment and from other sectors, all working together to deliver the end result. I continue to enjoy the challenge of a new project and meeting new people and as long as I enjoy this I will remain in this exciting and constantly changing industry.
Has being a member of RICS helped your professional career? Practicing in the United Kingdom, the RICS designation is a must for all property professionals. The RICS logo and designation is widely recognized and seen as a mark of quality and professionalism by our colleagues within the built environment and our clients throughout other industry sectors. I like to believe that my qualifications, experience and enthusiasm are the reason for my career progression, but coupled with the RICS designation, my resume definitely stands out and I have certainly been presented with more opportunities as a result of the RICS.
The RICS is of course a global brand and is becoming more recognized in the Americas and the RICS designation is of course a global symbol of professionalism that benefits both employer and client.
If you or someone you know would like to share an interesting career highlight or story with the RICS Americas membership, please send brief details to wsafer@rics.org.
"Marc Louargand, co-founder of Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers and its Chief Investment Strategist was essential in the design of the organization and guidance to its success and growth for 15 years...Our efforts grew the business from $800 million in assets under management to $10 billion in AUM while adding REIT investment and global strategies to our competencies.”
Marc Louargand, Ph.D., CRE, FRICS
Principal, Saltash Partners
1189 Prospect Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06105
Contact Marc Louargand
Marc Louargand has forty three years of experience in specialty property economics, market analysis, finance, portfolio strategy, investment strategy, property securities and angel investment.
Marc’s current occupational responsibility involves having an angel investment company that capitalizes young companies. He continues to be active in property markets as an investor, consultant, and advisor.
Q. Why did you opt to pursue a career in this industry?
I grew up in post-war California, spending weekends looking at land purchases with my parents. They had professional careers but focused on property as a means of wealth-building. I became active in development and property management while in college and have been in the industry since the mid-1960s.
Q. Do you have specific areas of expertise or specialist interest?
I have spent a major part of my career in investment management and strategy. I also spent 20 years as an academic where I focused on integrating property markets with mainstream finance.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight? Please explain the role you played to make this a success.
As a co-founder of Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers and its Chief Investment Strategist, I had the good fortune to help design the organization and guide it to success and growth for 15 years. Our efforts grew the business from $800 million in assets under management to $10 billion in AUM while adding REIT investment and global strategies to our competencies. We delivered exemplary performance for our investors during those years.
Q. Has being a member of RICS helped your professional career?
As I travelled and worked more in Asia in recent years I have come to realize how important RICS is in the global property markets. I plan to rely on my RICS colleagues as I broaden my global activities.
Q. Have you attended any networking or industry events that RICS Americas participated in?
I spoke at the Americas conference in 2007 and found that the contact and content value of these meetings is very high.
If you or someone you know would like to share an interesting career highlight or story with the RICS Americas membership, please send brief details to wsafer@rics.org.
"I went on a cruise to Antarctica last year, and one evening at dinner ended up sitting next to a woman from Vancouver. She was talking about all her property development partnerships, which seemed like potential business. I explained what I did, and mentioned my association with the Appraisal Institute (she politely nodded) and the ASA (another nod)—I continued with “oh by the way I’m a Chartered Surveyor.” She interrupted loudly “Oh, Chartered Surveyor!” and the recognition was gratifying. I have very positive expectations for my involvement with RICS.
Dennis Webb, ASA, MAI, FRICS
Principal, Primus Valuations
6601 Center Drive West, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Contact Dennis Webb
Dennis Webb is a business and real property appraiser with an unusual specialization in the valuation of real estate-related holding companies, including partnerships/joint ventures and property-related businesses. His 20-year valuation career includes speaking at US and international forums, teaching, and writing the definitive textbook on valuing asset holding companies. He is working on another book addressing the potential role of asset appraisers and valuers in avoiding future asset bubbles. More can be found at www.primusval.com
Q. What are your current job roles and what do they involve?
Primus Valuations is an independent valuation firm, and I am generally involved with and responsible for all aspects of the business. Valuation work is the most important, of course, but it is also important to pursue business and professional development on an ongoing basis. I try to contribute as much as I can to the profession with respect to writing and teaching, advancing the body of knowledge primarily in the much-neglected domain of fractional interest valuation. I feel that it is important to participate in professional societies whenever possible; over the years I have held task force and chapter board positions with the Appraisal Institute (AI) and was president of the Los Angeles chapter of the ASA. I have organized local and national events involving AI, ASA, IRS, and of course, RICS. I find the challenge and diversity of these various roles highly motivating and interesting.
Q. Why did you opt to pursue a career in this industry?
I have had several careers, beginning with engineering, and am pursuing valuation because it brings together many of my earlier skills and experience. Engineering is a discipline that draws on and applies tools from all the sciences to solve practical problems. The next step from engineering was to get more involved with business development. After that, I left engineering and started a small broker/dealer firm. My partner and I did a lot of work in wind energy and syndication, but tax law changes pretty much ended that industry. Real estate appraisal was the next step, and a logical one, since I had done a lot of due diligence for syndications. It got really interesting when I was first asked to value some partnerships that held real estate. This was a logical step since I also had legal and accounting experience from having structured partnerships. I soon discovered that the valuation professions were largely ignoring asset holding companies. I next became qualified in business valuation (with the ASA), and have focused most of my professional writing and teaching since on filling in this “discipline gap” in the development of valuation knowledge. This career is very satisfying, as it appeals to my desire, as an engineer at heart, to draw on the knowledge of several disciplines to solve practical problems.
Q. What do you think should be done to address the “discipline gap” you describe?
The professional associations really have not dealt very effectively with crossover applications in valuation. For example, the ASA has five disciplines that should communicate much more effectively with each other: residential appraisers would benefit greatly from understanding more about art that is part of the building or site, and business appraisers valuing holding companies would benefit from a deeper awareness of real property facts, just to name two. RICS includes many property-related disciplines, and I suspect that there are lots of opportunities to improve professional practice in areas where disciplines overlap. One way to facilitate this would be to offer more overview courses for “non-majors.” One example in valuation would be the ASA’s new review & management courses; also, multidisciplinary conferences focused on specific practice issues can be effective. These sorts of conferences have been much of the focus of my association involvement over the years.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight?
Some of the most interesting assignments involve large holdings, multiple positions within the company or partnership, and a contentions history. In one case, a well-known foundation held a 94 percent limited partnership interest, and had become disillusioned with the general partner. The GP had been taking a large property management fee for many years, leaving very little for distributions. Values had still not recovered to their pre-1990 levels, projections were not being met, and tension was growing. They came to us initially to determine what values would be likely outcomes under several different deal and litigation scenarios versus the GP. The assignment involved valuing the large apartment portfolio, the management contract, and both limited and GP positions under multiple premises of value. As the assignment proceeded, opportunities arose to sell some of the apartment projects for condominium conversion, so we opined on a range of prices that would be reasonable in what was suddenly a very hot market. This was critical, since the board of the limited partner/client had to approve any such sale.
In this type of case, the management role is taken by the client or counsel for the client. Our role is to be consultants and valuation experts. We are brought in once the client determines that they have a problem which is tied to values, and their ability to negotiate solutions is limited by not only the value itself, but by the applicability of a list of value premises that might be negotiated or imposed by a court. The outcome was that the client got past many years of bickering with the general partner, was able to approve sales of some properties and recover a lot of cash, and the GP got to keep its management fees. This sort of project is exciting because of the interaction of personalities, potential for real adversarial action, the need for the client to have a clear understanding of market conditions and risks, the need for counsel to understand the different ways rights and fairness might be viewed in court (premise of value), and, of course, it helps if lots of $$ are on the line.
Q. Has being a member of RICS helped your professional career?
Yes, and it is becoming more valuable. I hold the MAI and the ASA designations, so my FRICS is not specifically required for domestic work. Once outside the US, though, the picture changes: I went on a cruise to Antarctica last year, and one evening at dinner ended up sitting next to a woman from Vancouver. She was talking about all her property development partnerships, which seemed like potential business. I explained what I did, and mentioned my association with the Appraisal Institute (she politely nodded) and the ASA (another nod)—I continued with “oh by the way I’m a Chartered Surveyor.” She interrupted loudly “Oh, Chartered Surveyor!” and the recognition was gratifying. I have very positive expectations for my involvement with RICS.
Q. Do you attend networking or industry events that RICS Americas participates in?
Yes, as many as possible. I have attended Annual General Meetings in California, Jamaica and London, and numerous chapter events in Los Angeles. Such meetings are technically interesting, and create an opportunity to build relationships with peers. Knowing those who will take your phone call can help with a wide range of issues; it has been an important resource throughout my career, and is even more important with expanding geography. Besides, the events are fun, the RICS membership is an interesting group, and I find RICS Americas leadership to be enthusiastic and progressive. All in all, a very worthwhile professional venture!
If you or someone you know would like to share an interesting career highlight or story with the RICS Americas membership, please send brief details to wsafer@rics.org.
"I can look back and see major portions of the New York City skyline that I helped build. I can recall some of the cutting edge projects in the power and utilities industries that my work contributed to. It seems that I am regularly asked to participate in complex issues, unique issues and to have resolved complex problems.
Mark Pomykacz, MAI, MRICS
Managing Partner, Federal Appraisal & Consulting, LLC
372 route 22 West, Ste. 1A
Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889
Contact Mark Pomykacz
Mark Pomykacz has twenty-two years of experience, with seven years specializing in power plants, energy and utility properties. Currently, he is the Managing Partner of Federal Appraisal & Consulting LLC and serves as the Principal Appraiser of all major appraisal and advisory engagements.
Q. What are your current occupational responsibilities?
The clients we serve are expecting and receive world-class services. Their needs and projects are diverse and complex. It is my job to ensure that our services and reports are unrivalled, exceeding client expectations. There is a cliché in the appraisal industry that “you are only as good as your last report”. My job is to ensure that each of our reports is better than the last. Since I personally certify most of our reports, its personal, and my clients appreciate that.
Q. Why did you opt to pursue a career in this industry?
This industry is rewarding both financially and intellectually. I have been fortunate to participate in challenging projects throughout my career. From my fortunate early successes and through hard work, I have been well rewarded with recognition and financial compensation. I can look back and see major portions of the New York City skyline that I helped build. I can recall some of the cutting edge projects in the power and utilities industries that my work contributed to. It seems that I am regularly asked to participate in complex issues, unique issues and to have resolved complex problems. It’s intellectually challenging, which is emotionally satisfying to me. This industry is not for everyone, and not everyone in the industry will be as fortunate, but I am having a good time here.
Q. Do you have specific areas of expertise or specialist interest?
I specialize in complex, non-traditional real estate and business appraisal and consulting. I have developed expertise in complex and non-traditional income analyses and in the valuation of power plants (nuclear, natural gas, oil, bio-mass, bio-gas, coal, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind farms, and power transmission assets), telecommunications assets and equipment, refineries (ethanol, bio-diesel, and petroleum) and utilities (water, railroads, pipelines). Of course, I also regularly appraise general commercial properties, such hotels/casinos, malls, apartments, offices, and land.
Q. What has been a career or project highlight? Please explain the role you played to make this a success.
I don’t think of myself as old enough to start looking back, but after 22 years in the profession, I can list many great occasions, some of which are funny and others poignant and distressing. Its not that I ever get hugs for an appraisal well done, but Iately I am looking at the supreme debacle and am trying not to say (too often), I told you so. This isn’t the first time in my career that I saw it coming and helped my clients avoid the train wreck. At times like this I am keenly aware of the importance of my MRICS designation. I am proud of receiving it and proud of the professional standards that it entails. I have made a commitment to excellence, as exemplified by my designation, and I wish others would do the same.
Q. Has being a member of RICS helped your professional career?
My MRICS designation has been a big help to me in my international work, where my company and I are not yet known. It has been recognized in Central and South America, and has put me in a class above the competition.
Q. Have you attended any networking or industry events that RICS Americas participated in? Please describe any benefit(s) experienced at an event.
I have only attended one RICS event to date, a reception. It was an enjoyable affair, with business networking opportunities that I do not find elsewhere.
If you or someone you know would like to share an interesting career highlight or story with the RICS Americas membership, please send brief details to wsafer@rics.org.