NRTA’s 26th Conference is being held today though Wednesday, September 20 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Fort Lauderdale
The following Kickoff Speech was offered this morning by NRTA Executive Director Lisa Krizek. Krizek is in her third year at the helm of the “New NRTA”:
Good Morning Everyone,
I am so excited to be here with you in Fort Lauderdale. This is a spectacular venue. Before I give you a snapshot of what NRTA has been up to this past year, I would like to take the time to thank our subject matter experts who volunteered their time and talents. These are all folks with full-time jobs in the industry, who recognize that leaders never stop learning and sharing what they have learned with others.
This has been a very busy year for the NRTA. We are continuing to expand our education offerings. We are continuing “classroom live” online education program. NRTA has launched our Certified Commercial Lease Administrator certificate program. The certificate program is outperforming all our expectations and continues to grow.
Also, behind the scenes a talented group of dedicated industry leaders worked tirelessly to renew, refresh, and update our organization inside and out.
Fifteen separate committees over the past two years have looked at every aspect of the NRTA and made invaluable contributions. Initially we worked to protect and preserve the NRTA, and by looking objectively at our future, I’m sure you’ll agree we have set in motion a “New NRTA” with broader appeal and value propositions along with a new name National Real Estate Tenants Association.
Our subtle name change reflects a new area of growth for us. We have successfully expanded our base to include non-retail membership, new sponsorship opportunities, expanded certificate programs, more targeted conference structure, and we’ve formed partnerships with ICSC and Franchise Times. All in an effort to include and educate all commercial real estate leasees.
Internally we have improved our fee structure and tightened up our by -laws and board to lay a firm foundation for future growth.
Most of the strategic planning committee’s recommendations have been transparent. You’ve seen our improved marketing outreach every week in social media, you’ve seen our new tradename National Real Estate Tenants Association all over social media, you are using our newest communication tool Whova, you are seeing our new partner ICSC (who is helping us build trust and collaboration with our landlord partners) and lastly you know that we held our fee structure the same despite the volatility in inflation these last two years.
In terms of some internal housekeeping, to solidify the leadership of this organization, as part of the strategic planning initiative, we transitioned to a self-perpetuating board structure. Two key changes were made.
- First, we now allow retirees to remain members of the association.
- Second, vacancies on the board are now filled at the annual meeting of the board
At the 2023 annual board meeting the following officers and directors were ratified:
- Debbie Ravel – President, George Elefther – Vice President,
Pam Myers – Secretary, and Caleb Smith – Treasurer.
All four officers will hold a two-year term ending December 31, 2025 - Glenn Brown and Melissa Heisse – Board Governors, will each hold a term of three years expiring December 31, 2026
- Susan Rebelo and Kimberly Williams – Board Governors, will each hold a term of two years expiring December 31, 2025
- Kathy Powers-Middlecoop and Fredrick Busch – Board Governors, will each hold a term of one year expiring December 31, 2024
We very much look forward to the insights and new ideas they will provide, especially given our organization’s prospects for growth and change in the coming years.
Lastly, the new NRTA – National Real Estate Tenants Association is always on the lookout for talented individuals looking to make us better. If you are interested in providing your time and talent to this organization, please reach out to me or any NRTA ambassador, and introduce yourself, or leave your contact information at our registration desk.
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