Bryce Taylor has been a fixture of the NAIOP community for over 30 years. He got involved in the early ‘90s to jumpstart his career, at the behest of Ted Sive with Lease Crutcher Lewis. Bryce says he “joined NAIOP and immediately got involved with the Community Enhancement Committee – and never regretted it.” Throughout decades of uncertainty and change, Bryce has remained connected to his colleagues through our association. “I have developed hundreds of great relationships through NAIOP.”

We interviewed Bryce about his involvement with NAIOP, the arc of his career, and the impact he’s had on the industry and community.

Ann Bishop has been with Wallace Properties for nearly 25 years and a NAIOP member for just as long. Her impressive tenure in commercial real estate makes her an expert voice on industry topics and trends, and her passion for NAIOP is clear from her continued involvement at all levels of our organization. Bishop serves on our chapter’s Board of Directors as Secretary, works with the Government Affairs committee on numerous legislative and policy efforts, and regularly volunteers with the Developing Leaders’ Mentorship Program each year.

When she joined over 20 years ago, she felt that NAIOP was an inclusive space for her, but with few contacts in the organization it was important to lean in early to carve out a place for herself. “If I [had] sat back and waited to be invited… I wouldn’t [have been] there. So you just pick up and go… You join in.”

John Pietromonaco of Pietromonaco Jackson Properties has been a NAIOP Washington member for a very long time – 32 years, to be exact – and has enjoyed a distinguished career as a developer in the Puget Sound area. After serving as president in 1999 and spending 20+ years involved heavily in NAIOPWA’s annual Community Enhancement (CE) projects, Pietromonaco is a wellspring of NAIOP memories and institutional knowledge.  

A lot has changed since he joined in 1988, between technological advancement and market fluctuations. John says that “real estate is more complicated [now] than it was in the 70s-80s,” but that ultimately, the industry is very reliant on community and connection. “The only way to get the info you need is through contacts… I even talk to people who are competitors (friendly competitors). It makes the job easier than being a lone wolf and doing it from scratch.” 

McKenzie Darr (The Wolff Company) is one of the current co-chairs of NAIOPWA's Real Estate Challenge Committee. In her capacity as a co-chair, she helped spearhead the 2020 Challenge, even as COVID-19 altered in-person presentation and competition judging. She has been recognized by her peers for her excellent leadership and dedication to the committee's educational efforts. We asked McKenzie about her work with Wolff, the REC Committee, and her love of live music.  

How would you describe your company’s primary work and scope?
The Wolff Company is a fully integrated real estate investment firm focused on multifamily investment and development. Since 2000, Wolff has invested in, acquired, or developed more than 150 multifamily assets and more than 35,000 multifamily units.
The Northwest Division based in Seattle is responsible for the investment and development of multifamily and senior housing communities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

Ben Waiss (Tarragon) is one of the Co-Chairs for NAIOPWA's South Sound Committee. He has been recognized by his peers for his outstanding leadership and continued commitment to the committee's efforts. Ben joined NAIOP in 2014 after he began working for his current company. We spoke with Ben about his work with Tarragon, what he enjoys most about CRE, and what he does in his spare time. 

• Hands on developer that provides services from feasibility thru lease up and stabilization
• Portfolio developer that delivers highest quality assets designed to operate at a high level throughout the lifespan of the development
• Long term outlook that allows us to accumulate and hold land in the portfolio until market conditions are optimal to construct a commercial asset

How long have you been with your company?
I have been with Tarragon for about 6 years. In a previous life I was a Civil Engineer.

Morgan Sly (The Rush Companies) is a dedicated volunteer member of NAIOPWA's South Sound Committee. She's been with Rush since 2018 and has been an active NAIOPWA member since June of 2019. Her peers have recognized her for outstanding efforts in organizing unique and engaging events for the South Sound. We asked Morgan about her work in CRE, how she spends her time outside of her profession, and interesting tidbits about herself. 

NAIOPWA: What do you like best about your industry? 
Morgan Sly: My favorite part about working for Rush - a developer/builder is creating communities where people want to live and work. I enjoy identifying the next place where we believe future tenants or buyers will want to move to, through our projects we have the ability to add value to people’s day-to-day lives and that is exciting!

Len Psyk is NAIOPWA's lucky 1,000th member! 

Len joined Panattoni Development in October as their Senior Development Manager. Panattoni has developed more than 14 million square feet of industrial, office and build-to-suit projects in the Pacific Northwest, with 4.6 million currently under development. The Seattle office focuses on industrial and office development with 17 active projects from Everett to Portland.  Panattoni was named NAIOP Washington’s Developer of the Year 2017.

Char Patterson is NAIOPWA's 975th member and is an architect and partner with JPC Architects. The company opened its doors in 1986 with a primary focus on interior architecture and design. Based on their long-term relationships and the strength of their work, JPC Architects has evolved into one of the largest firms of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. While corporate interior architecture is the foundation of their portfolio, they also excel in retail, healthcare, small-scale shell and core, and hospitality. JPC Architects' collective team of 75 includes architects, interior designers, technical and administrative staff who share a commitment to meeting the business objectives of our clients while crafting inspirational, sustainable, and productive work places.

How long have you been with your company?
Since 1994 – 24 years.

With more than nine million square feet of real estate development to her name, Ada Healey’s name is synonymous not only with Seattle commercial real estate, but also with thoughtful, holistic development that carefully considers its community.

Dana Kimble, Assoc. DBIA, is a Business Development Manager with Coffman Engineers, a multidiscipline engineering firm that serves as both a prime and sub consultant for clients in various markets including industrial, retail, government, healthcare and institutional. Founded in Bellevue 1979, Coffman now has 12 offices with 465 employees that serve clients across the U.S. and overseas. Disciplines include: Mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, fire protection, and corrosion control engineering, as well as commissioning and testing and balancing services.

Lanzi Li is Associate Project Manager with Heartland, a small, Seattle-based commercial real estate advisory firm that has been around for 30 years. Heartland’s portfolio of advisory projects encompasses the full range of economic sectors, real estate product types, geographies and client types. Despite the variety of contexts, we are advisors first and work with our clients from strategy development to analytics and on through implementation.

As NAIOP WA's 900th member, Lanzi received this opportunity to be featured on the NAIOP WA blog and in our newsletter, as well as a season pass to our 2018 breakfast meetings. Who will be our 1,000th member? Join today for your chance to be featured and receive a special event registration bonus.

Be humble and always be flexible.

Anyone who knows Douglas Howe knows that his charismatic personality, dedication to his craft and keen business sense have made his success what it is today. His passion to develop buildings that make a positive impact on the built environment, his humility and the ardent viewpoint that he’s a student of his field even after forty years are also hallmarks of his tenure—one that’s made a significant difference to the Seattle urban core and the Puget Sound region.

NAIOP Washington State will honor and induct Douglas Howe, founder and former CEO of Touchstone, into its Hall of Fame at the 2017 Night of the Stars awards. The Hall of Fame was created to recognize the people who laid the groundwork for the industry today and have helped shape the character of the region and the great cities in Washington. Under Douglas’ leadership, Touchstone has broken ground on 12 projects comprising nearly three million square feet and is currently developing two million square feet of real estate.

Maria Elena Poyer is an Assistant Vice President and Portfolio Management Officer with Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Commercial Real Estate Banking division, where she's worked for three years. Maria recently moved to Seattle and joined NAIOP Washington State to build her professional network. She's also been featured on popular TV shows playing a well-known but unusual instrument. Read on to learn more about Maria, and be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn and introduce yourself at an upcoming event!  

What do you like best about your industry? 
Tangible results. It’s rare in the finance industry to be able to see or touch the results of your work. In commercial real estate, you get the opportunity to help clients build projects that could one day even be iconic, which excites me.

Brief description, size and scope of your company:
14 properties in the Puget Sound region representing a variety of asset types: office/medical office/retail and mixed use.

How long have you been with your company?
Since 2008

Brief description, size and scope of your company:  
Human Securities is a boutique retained Executive Search and leadership development firm, founded in 1996. Over the past 15 years, we’ve helped commercial real estate companies to hire nearly 300 talented people in investment, development, asset management, property management and A/E/C. Based in Seattle, our small team searches nationwide for the right match for our clients.