Happy New Year! As we enter 2021 and I look back at the previous year, my heart fills with gratitude, pride, and hope. Despite the year afflicted by a pandemic, rallies and social unrest, the commercial real estate industry carried New York City on its shoulders. From ownership to management to countless service companies—we collectively rose to every occasion. As chair and chief executive officer of BOMA New York, I was fortunate to have a front row seat to witness multiple strategy sessions with partner organizations, as well as be a part of the advisory process with many city agencies.

To quickly review, it was not long after another attendance record breaking Pinnacle Awards Gala that our world changed. The leadership and staff at BOMA New York collaborated to do what is best for the commercial built environment and continued to add value throughout the year. Despite the limitations, BOMA New York double downed on our commitment to our members and transitioned to 100% virtual programming. The change in scope proved positive for all.

The signature monthly Lunch & Learns went from a consistent 40 in-person event to over 100 online registrants per month. We programmed many webinars that attracted high level thought leaders, as well as continued our award-winning educational program with BOMI and exclusive Green & Wellness presentations.

The steadfast value did not go unnoticed, as BOMA New York was featured by the media including Bloomberg, ConnectMedia CRE, Commercial Observer, Engineering News-Record, and Real Estate Weekly. In fact, the New York Real Estate Journal featured BOMA NY as the “CRE Association of the Month” in December recognizing us for leading and advocating on behalf of the collective commercial real estate industry.

After a challenging 2020, I look forward to 2021 as a beacon of hope and positivity. I am confident in our ability to continue to add value every day. Most important, thank you to the many commercial owners and managers for your ongoing dedication to ensure New York City remains the greatest city in the world. It is you and the many BOMA New York members that nurture professional excellence and are an integral part of our continued success.

I wish everyone an incredibly happy and successful 2021. Let’s do it together!

Hani Salama, PE, LEED-AP, is the chair and CEO of BOMA New York.