Giving back, improvement and building a better BOMA/NY; Kleeman is the newly-elected president

Jim Kleeman, BOMA

New York, NY BOMA/NY’s new leadership, led by James Kleeman, RPA as the newly-elected president, swept into office unanimously on Nov. 12^th, as announced at the BOMA/NY Annual Conference and Leadership Breakfast. Serving with Kleeman are Ronald Zeccardi, vice president and portfolio manager at The Moinian Group, as VP; Hani Salama, PE, LEED AP, global operations director/American Express Account at CBRE as treasurer; and Matthew Duthie, RPA, managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle, as secretary.

Kleeman, who serves as the deputy director of redevelopment for the WTC at the Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J., is letting no grass grow under his feet as he prepares to hit the ground running Jan. 1^st, when his administration takes office. A top priority will be to re-launch and re-vitalize the BOMA/NY Long-Range Strategic Plan by getting a working committee up and running as soon as possible. He’ll also be taking steps toward “building excitement and to engage members at all levels, from the board of directors to the committees, to town halls and other avenues of  involvement still to be developed.”

As the new leadership team prepares to run the largest local association in the BOMA International Federation, Kleeman’s officer team shared these thoughts on what they will bring to the association. 

“Creating excitement for our membership,” is a prime goal for Zeccardi and Salama. Zeccardi is focused on promoting member involvement, particularly in BOMA/NY’s educational platforms. Duthie, who is in sync with both, is looking forward to getting the “next generation actively involved with new programs to get them engaged.”

Zeccardi as VP-elect is thinking outside the “association box,” seeing his role as an opportunity to learn the best practices of other BOMA associations and “bring those experiences back to our members.”

Salama’s belief that BOMA/NY “has served me well over the years,” underscores his desire to serve; “this is an opportunity to give back.” Duthie seconds that belief, adding that “there is always room for improvement. By serving as an officer, I am hopeful I can make a difference.”

For Zeccardi, it’s “greater involvement with BOMA International on Advocacy Issues, especially codes.” Salana sees the challenge as “technology, including the integration of systems to improve energy efficiency and operations.” And for Duthie, “many new foreign entities are looking to buy properties in our city… a trend we need to recognize and adopt to, as it will directly affect BOMA/NY.”

Embracing the Association’s all-encompassing nature, Zeccardi sees belonging to BOMA/NY as “being part of an organization that enhances professional success. Salama sees it as “an organization with talented professionals that share ideas and advance the industry.” And Duthie sums it up this way, “if you’re going to spend half your life in property management, how can you not be involved with BOMA/NY?”