At its recent awards gala at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA/Chicago) announced this year’s winners of the Gold Circle and “The Outstanding Building of the Year,” (TOBY) awards.
The BOMA/Chicago Gold Circle Awards honor individual excellence within Chicago’s commercial real estate community in five categories: Property Management Professional of the Year, Building Engineer of the Year, Security Professional of the Year, Emerging Leader of the Year and Affiliate Member of the Year.
Nominees were recognized their professional accomplishments, involvement in BOMA/Chicago and positive impact on Chicago’s commercial real estate community.
Judges looked at a variety of criteria, including their professional accomplishments, involvement in BOMA/Chicago and positive impact on Chicago’s commercial real estate community.
The following is the list of 2016 Gold Circle and 2016 TOBY award winners, along with statements by BOMA/Chicago.
The 2016 Gold Circle Award winners:
Property Management Professional of the Year: Bonnie Boden, Sterling Bay
As the General Manager of the Burnham Center at 111 West Washington Street, Bonnie Boden has made sustainability a top priority, achieving Energy Star every year and reducing energy consumption by 30% in a building that’s over 100 years old. Bonnie’s hands-on approach to tenant engagement has resulted in a nearly 20% occupancy rate increase at the Burnham Center, with more than 100 new and renewal leases executed over the past two years. Bonnie is also active with BOMA/Chicago and is a member of the BOMA/Chicago faculty.
Engineering Professional of the Year: Tom Looney, CBRE
Tom Looney with CBRE is the Chief Engineer at 100 N. Riverside. Dedicated to tenant satisfaction, cost reductions and operational excellence, Tom and his team completed $5.4M in capital projects, reduced hot/cold calls by 45% and cut work order completion times by 30%. In addition to revamping the operations and preventive maintenance systems and other major improvements, Tom also saved $70K and eliminated the need for new equipment for his largest tenant by identifying an alternative heat pump redesign.
Security Professional of the Year: Martha Meegan, Columbia College Chicago
With 26 years of security leadership as Security Director at Columbia College Chicago, Martha Meegan has established a local and national reputation in the security and higher education field. Martha is said to “bleed” Columbia colors, looking after the students, staff and faculty while protecting her Campus Community with a strategic vision. She secured grants to spearhead the development of a 24/7 security operations center that currently integrates dispatch, video surveillance, and access control systems, while advocating for partnerships with law enforcement and city agencies
Emerging Leader of the Year: Jennifer Hanson, CBRE
As the Assistant Real Estate Manager with CBRE at 250 South Wacker Drive, Jennifer received her Illinois Real Estate Broker’s License and is a LEED Green Associate. She was active on the building’s LEED certification team which garnered LEED Silver EB for her building and was a main team player in achieving the building’s BOMA 360 designation. Jennifer also provides superior service and immediate solutions to tenant needs, organizing events centered around recycling, life safety and LEED re-certification awareness.
Affiliate Member of the Year: Jack O’Rourke, Able Services
Jack O’Rourke is Vice President of the Midwest Region at Able Services, which includes more than 900 employees and over 110 million square feet in the Midwest. Jack serves as an instructor at Local 399 Training Program through Triton College and also at Oakton College for Facility Management and is an active member of BOMA/Chicago. When he’s not managing building operations in the Midwest and across the country, you’ve probably seen Jack networking at one of BOMA/Chicago’s many events and connecting affiliate and building members.
The following nine buildings earned TOBY Awards:
BOMA/Chicago also honored local buildings through the TOBY Awards, which recognize excellence in office building management. This year, 20 TOBY Award finalists competed in nine categories based on building size and facility type.
They were judged on tenant relations initiatives, commitment to environmental sustainability, emergency preparedness, budgeting, work order systems, security standards, staff experience and continuing education opportunities.
According to BOMA/Chicago, TOBY Award winners will be invited to participate in the North Central Regional TOBY competition, a chance to compete against local TOBY winners from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Regional winners can then compete for the BOMA International TOBY Awards, one of the highest honors in the commercial real estate industry.
The winners are:
- Corporate Facility: 300 East Randolph, managed by CBRE, Inc. and owned by Health Care Service Corporation
- Renovated Building: 111 North Canal – The Gogo Building, managed by Sterling Bay and owned by 111 N. Canal Realty Company LLC
- Retail: 730 North Michigan, managed by Colliers International and owned by Ponte Gadea
- Historical Building: The Wrigley Building, managed by Zeller Realty Group and owned by BDT Capital Partners, LLC and Zeller Realty Group
- Earth: 71 South Wacker, managed by Jones Lang LaSalle and owned by The Irvine Company
- Under 100,000 Square Feet: 564 W. Randolph, managed by Sterling Bay Property Management and owned by 564 W. Randolph, LLC
- 250,000 – 499,999 Square Feet: 550 West Washington, managed by JLL and owned by MetLife
- 500,000 – 1 Million Square Feet: 200 West Madison, managed by Transwestern and owned by MEPT 200 West Madison LLC, advised by Bentall Kennedy (U.S.) Limited Partnership
- Over 1 Million Square Feet: AMA Plaza, managed by Riverview Realty Property Management