The Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA/Chicago) announced the winners of the Gold Circle and “The Outstanding Building of the Year” (TOBY) Awards at their recent awards gala held at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile.
Now in its tenth year, BOMA/Chicago’s 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 judged on a wide range of criteria, including their professional accomplishments, involvement in BOMA/Chicago and positive impact on Chicago’s commercial real estate community.
“This year’s Gold Circle Award honorees represent the best professionals working in Chicago’s commercial real estate industry today,” said Michael Cornicelli, executive vice president of BOMA/Chicago. “The accomplishments of each of these award recipients are a testament to the strength of our City’s office building market and the commitment to excellence they each demonstrate.”
2019 Gold Circle Award winners are:
Property Management Professional of the Year: Nick Picerno, JLL
Picerno is property manager with JLL at 200 West Jackson. Nick serves as chair of BOMA/Chicago’s Emerging Leaders Committee and has achieved multiple TOBY awards for buildings he managed over the years. In the area of sustainability, Picerno helped obtain LEED certifications/recertifications for three buildings over the last five years, entered his building into Energy Star’s Battle of the Buildings and is participating in Chicago’s Retrofit Chicago program where he’s already reduced energy usage by over 15 percent in three years.
Building Engineer of the Year: Michael Moriarty, CBRE
Moriarty is the chief engineer at 353 North Clark Street with CBRE. As a trusted advisor and mentor, Moriarty leads a downtown transition team for newly acquired properties to familiarize each engineer on best practices. Always the first to volunteer for new projects, Moriarty led building efforts to achieve LEED Platinum certification and this year is working toward a sustainable future by leading a new Monitoring Based Commissioning (MCBx) program. Moriarty has been a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 for more than 27 years and is an active member in his community.
Security Professional of the Year: Jacqueline Davis, Zeller Realty Group and SecurAmerica
Davis is the director of security at the Wrigley Building with Zeller Realty Group and SecurAmerica. She has dedicated nearly 30 years to the International TOBY-winning Wrigley Building. Since the Wrigley Building’s massive $75 million redevelopment and new ownership, Davis has continuously heightened security awareness to building tenants by implementing homeland security safety programs, increasing the value of “see something, say something” awareness protocols and ensuring the security of building occupants with up-to-date life safety features. Her work confirms the vitality of the landmarked Wrigley Building, delivering white glove service and modern amenities, mixed with iconic class.
Emerging Leader of the Year: Tyler Kethcart, JLL
Kethcart was recently promoted to general manager with JLL at 303 East Wacker, and has been instrumental in creating professional development programs for JLL property administrators and tenant service coordinators. Kethcart’s assistance in a recent retrofit lighting project resulted in annual savings of 2M kWh and $177,000 in a 24/7/365 building.
Affiliate Member of the Year: Craig Sieben, AECOM
Sieben is the former CEO and president of Sieben Energy Associates who recently joined AECOM, where he continues to help organizations improve their buildings’ energy performance by providing consulting services in four key areas: retro commissioning, monitoring-based commissioning, energy management and energy audits and assessments. Sieben is an active member of BOMA/Chicago’s Energy and Sustainability Committee where he shares valuable market intelligence about both the energy supply markets and the local utility energy incentive programs.
BOMA/Chicago also honored local buildings through the TOBY Awards, which recognize excellence in office building management. This year, 11 TOBY Award finalists competed in six 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.
The Chicago Board of Trade Building, 141 West Jackson Boulevard, received the Historical Building TOBY. Managed by GlenStar Asset Management, the building won a 2015 TOBY Award in the “Renovated Building” category following its $30 million redevelopment and repositioning and has also earned BOMA 360, LEED Gold, EnergyStar and WiredScore Platinum certifications.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment by our team,” said GlenStar principal, Rand Diamond. “Their dedication to providing best-in-class service and operational excellence helps make 141 West Jackson one of the best office locations in downtown Chicago.”
Other individual building TOBY Awards went to:
Mixed-Use
737 North Michigan/Olympia Centre, managed by CBRE
Renovated Building
203 North LaSalle, managed by M&J Wilkow Properties
250,000-499,999 Square Feet
550 West Washington, managed by JLL
500,000 – 1 Million Square Feet
180 North LaSalle, managed by JLL and owned by Ivanhoe Cambridge
Over 1 Million Square Feet
500 West Madison, managed by Transwestern and owned by KBS Realty Advisors
“This year’s TOBY Award recipients demonstrate exemplary management and operations of Chicago’s commercial buildings and are true leaders within our industry,” said Lance Knez, BOMA/Chicago president. “TOBY award recipients continue to demonstrate an unparalleled level of excellence that enhances the dynamic of our downtown area and further elevates Chicago as an attractive destination for businesses and visitors alike.”
BOMA/Chicago TOBY Award winners will be invited to participate in the North Central Regional TOBY competition, where they will compete against local TOBY winners from cities in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Regional winners will then compete for the BOMA International TOBY Awards, one of the highest honors in the commercial real estate industry.
