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Weekly UpdatesAS IREM CELEBRATES ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY AS AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION SERVING PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE MANAGERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ROLE ITS 80 U.S. AND EIGHT INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS HAVE PLAYED IN ITS SUCCESS. What is clear is that across the globe, IREM chapters have provided IREM Members a supportive network in which to learn from peers as well as partake in educational seminars, leadership training, volunteer opportunities and much more.
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Rise of the Chapters
From the earliest days, IREM leaders realized the importance of strong ties between the IREM headquarters in Chicago and individual members living in cities large and small across the country. Even before the first chapter formed, Regional Vice Presidents (RVPs) were appointed and charged with growing their particular region of the United States. In time, these leaders worked hand in hand with chapter presidents to create and maintain steady communication with the national headquarters; this role of the RVPs' oversight and connection with the chapters in their designated IREM region continues to this day.
Through the years, IREM chapters began for a variety of reasons. In some cases, IREM Members within a local area were great enough in number to create a new chapter that would be closer to their businesses than any other, thereby providing incentives for others to join and creating opportunities for these local members to connect with IREM on a national level. In other cases, especially on the international level, the process has come about more slowly and carefully, often with market assessments conducted by IREM Members and leaders in a particular country before establishing an IREM hold in the area. (Refer to "Across the Borders," on p. 72 to read about the Institute's expansion into international markets).
From the 1930s to today, IREM, at the national and chapter levels has retained a steady and continuous growth, despite all the major challenges the real estate market has had to weather both domestically and internationally--everything from the Great Depression, World War II, the Baby Boom, political strife, oil crises--to, more recently, terrorism and natural disasters. This steady growth often came in response to the need for more professional management within growing cities as more office buildings, retail options and residential choices came online with the growing economies and globalization, but also came in response to owners seeking real estate managers who could provide better performing properties.
Strength Through Support
Having demonstrated its resilience to challenges through the years, by the late 1980s and early 1990s, IREM had over 75 of its 80 chapters firmly established and began to realize that more than the addition of new chapters, support of its current chapters would be necessary to keep the organization strong on a national level. The Institute began to evaluate its role with the chapters around the world and since has created a number of programs--under the guidance of work groups and task forces to be in tune with the needs of members at their local chapters.
Today, communication between chapters and IREM headquarters takes place frequently and through every possible way--at national meetings and regional leadership conferences, the IREM Web site, staff-to-chapter Web conferencing calls as well as direct phone and e-mail communication with IREM staff dedicated to chapter relations at headquarters. Institute leaders also regularly make chapter visits to see face-to-face the individuals who contribute to IREM on the local level and who may have potential to serve IREM on a national level. These are visits IREM leaders look forward to.
"It's all about the people--the members and volunteers we serve," said Pamela Monroe, CPM[R], IREM president-elect. "It is that personal one-on-one contact that connects us with our constituency. It allows us to personally hear their concerns at the chapter level, celebrate their victories and take action when necessary."
To better celebrate chapter victories and take action when necessary, IREM created a strategic goal in 2005 to identify and define the attributes of a successful, effective IREM chapter. Several member and chapter staff groups worked together to defined those attributes and ultimately arrived at three core elements that would encompass most of the characteristics of a successful, effective chapter: 1) sustainable leadership; 2) supportive administrative structure; 3) enthusiastic member involvement and worthwhile member services.
As a result, the Chapter Star Recognition Program was created as a means to recognize all chapters based on an objective set of criteria. The highlights include rewarding a chapter for its outstanding progress from the year before, contribution to the Institute's Income and Expense Program, and membership recruitment success. The program is designed with a set of minimum number of activities and programs the chapters must do and another set of activities and programs chapters can elect to do. To be sure chapters' achievements are weighted fairly, they are categorized by size--the total number of members--as small, medium and large.
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The Chapter Star Recognition Program extends across the borders and brings chapter members together in order to reach their goals. For Japan Chapter No. 110, that certainly has been the case. The 2007 Chapter President Katsuyoshi "Robert" Ishibashi, CPM, said receiving five-star chapter status is a testimony to the fact that Japanese members have truly become a part of IREM, which is very encouraging to them. Katsuyoshi Ishibashi said his chapter was able to receive a five-star award in just three years because of the support from IREM presidents, headquarter staff, and past Japanese leaders, including Sam Sadamura, CPM; Tak Kurahashi, Mark Fujisawa, CPM; Tiger Yamamoto, CPM; Meg Sakabe, CPM and George Shiomi, CPM, along with efforts made by many Japanese chapter members.
Another newer program initiated by members of a chapter and now garnering attention across IREM is the IREM Young Professionals (IYP) program. San Diego Chapter No. 18 started the IYP program in response to the need to attract young and up-and-coming real estate professionals to IREM on a local and national level.
Carolyn Perrigo, CPM, said that the idea really percolated when she was speaking with Mike Paeske, CPM and Rich Lee, CPM at the 2005 national meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., and encouraging them to participate in a national committee. Like other younger IREM Members, Paeske and Lee--CPM Candidates at the time--had difficulty seeing the appeal of serving on a committee with professionals who were so much further advanced in their careers.
The answer was IYP, a group that brings together a younger set of real estate professionals in a relaxed, casual environment and allows them to mingle and learn about other areas of the profession that they might not get to deal with in their everyday work environment.
"It's a way for people to come and build a database of individuals whom they can contact down road in their careers," said Mike Paeske, CPM, and chair of the IYP committee in San Diego. Paeske said the IYP meetings are not just for the younger generations; they welcome all attendees. In fact, they encourage it.
"I like to think of it as"'"up-mentoring,"' said Perrigo. "As more seasoned veterans, we need to find out what the younger generations like and how we can help them so that participating in IREM is appealing. We also need to see the industry from their eyes."
"It's a casual opportunity for younger professionals to connect with, get to know and pick the brains of those involved in the property management field for many years," added Paeske.
Paeske also shared that the meetings have provided opportunities to introduce people to the San Diego Chapter and IREM, as a good number of the attendees work for companies that aren't involved with the Institute.
"It's great exposure for people not even looking at IREM," said Paeske. The success of the program is spreading to other IREM chapters, including Seattle, Los Angeles, Houston and St. Louis.
Ties That Bind
New programs aside, IREM chapters have long been the greatest resource for some members when it comes to finding the right education, networking opportunities, and even a true sense of family and community in tough times.
Lisa L. Diehl, CPM, CCIM, of Minnesota Chapter No. 45, is celebrating her 15th year with IREM. It was a fellow chapter member who encouraged Diehl to take her first IREM course in 1988, which eventually led to her getting her CPM designation. Her positive experience continues today, and she's eager to help continue that original charge.
"IREM is a first class institute with talented individuals who I've had the good fortune of working with and meeting over the years," said Dieh. "I look forward to continuing to serve our chapter and industry for many years to come."
The same is true of Mel Schultz, CPM, also of Minnesota Chapter No. 45. Since joining IREM, he has gotten more involved with his local chapter and is very passionate about giving back to up-and-comers, the way chapter members gave to him early on.
"It's been awesome to get involved with the chapter," Schultz said. "Nobody has come close to helping me along in my career like this chapter has. I want to be as open and helpful to newcomers as everyone in the chapter was to me when I started out."
Karen L. Pharr, CPM, president of E1 Paso Chapter No. 84, says she came to her chapter for education. But getting more involved with her chapter also helped get her name out there. "I know there were contracts we wouldn't have gotten if I didn't have an IREM affiliation."
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