Executives

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

CAITLIN MCBRIDE (COMMONWEALTH COMMERCIAL PARTNERS) – 2024

GRACRE Members,

What an honor to serve as your 2024 GRACRE President! I am excited to fulfill this new role and am greatly
looking forward to the year ahead.

It is said consistently but bears repeating that our organization would not be where it is today without the
strength of our dedicated Board, committee volunteers, administrative team, members, and sponsors. We
could not accomplish a fraction of what we strive to achieve each year without the impressive level of
dedication and volunteerism that these individuals and companies consistently exhibit.

Special recognition is due to our Executive Committee, who, upon accepting their role, commit to a five-year
term:

First, I have to thank Jamie Thomas (Colliers) for an incredibly successful 2023 under his Presidency.
Please continue reading ahead for highlights of the organization’s accomplishments under his
leadership.

As Past President, Bobby Proutt (Clearwater Ventures LLC) remained active in our local chapter as
he continued to serve as VACRE President, keeping us well connected to the PAC Board. He has been
integral in streamlining our annual budgeting and financial review process, adding an incredible level
of organization.

In 2024, Marshall Agee (VHB) moves into the role of President-Elect. He fulfilled his previous role as
Treasurer with much attention to detail, acting as a well-informed resource to the Board and our
Accounting team. After nearly a decade of Board service, Marshall has also become our go-to expert
on the organization’s bylaws.

Ned Bowden (Emerald Construction) now takes over the role of Treasurer, though he is no stranger
to the behind-the-scenes world of GRACRE financials. In addition to the thoughtful preparation of
this year’s budget, he has led our Sponsorship efforts which have resulted in unparalleled sponsor
commitments. Becoming even more successful than we could have imagined, we are already on
track to exceed our ambitious goals for 2024. This is an integral and demanding role, and Ned’s
efforts truly cannot be overstated.

Joining the Executive Committee this year is Hayley Evans (W.M. Jordan), who will serve as
Secretary. Many of you will recognize Hayley, as she has taken the reigns of organizing our annual
golf tournament with incredible enthusiasm and organization. The golf committee continues to
strategically identify nonprofit partners with which to align our event each year, and we always look
forward to these new connections.

I would like to take a moment to highlight a few accomplishments from 2023 and initiatives for 2024:
Our Management and Administration team has now been with us for over a full year and are experts at all
things GRACRE. Our communications and social media channels have never looked better and there’s no
doubt that you have come to look forward to Veronika and Natalie’s smiling faces at all our events! A
major undertaking of 2023 for them has been spearheading the transition to a brand new GRACRE
website, which will be live for 2024 membership renewals. This platform promises to provide a more
intuitive user experience, with many added resources beyond what we’ve had to date.

Successfully transitioning our Sponsorship model to annual commitments, which puts us in the best
financial position when planning for the year ahead, has been a huge undertaking (dare I call it a labor of
love?) for Ned Bowden and his Sponsorship Committee. This committee prioritizes staying in constant
communication with sponsor companies to ensure they find value in their investment. The support of our
sponsors is one of our greatest assets, and we are incredibly grateful for their patronage.

Our Programs Committee successfully planned a year of interesting, informative, and fun events, despite
the challenges of rising event costs. We truly cannot thank them enough for the effort taken to keep our
organization positioned as a leader in local CRE-centric events. A special “thank you” to Angie Mellgren
(CoStar) who is rolling off as Director after multiple years at the helm! 2024 planning is well underway
under the leadership of our new Director, Brian Kinnear (South State Bank).

The Young Professionals Committee has developed a cadence of get-togethers that alternate between
intimate coffee conversations with local industry leaders, and fun happy hours that always draw a great
crowd of rising CRE talent. Thanks to Ned Bowden for leading this group!

Under Rob Benaicha’s (Hirschler) direction, the Legislative Committee strives to understand issues that
affect our members and provide an avenue for increased education and communication around
these.

Kelli Meadows (Meadows Urquhart Acree & Cook) and Alan Davis (Baskervill) have provided great value
in their leadership of GRACRE’S Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. In addition to highlighting a
variety of Spotlight Organizations throughout the year, they strive to coordinate with other committees to
ensure that all are approaching their planning and decision-making from the perspective of diversity and
inclusivity. We welcome new members bringing fresh perspectives to this initiative!

Membership Director, Kristen Costello, continues to create a variety of welcoming new- and prospective-
member experiences, from hosting intimate coffee meetups to beautiful welcome parties. Under her
leadership, GRACRE saw record numbers of monthly new-member applications, ending the year with an
impressive 467 members.

As ever, the 2023 GRACRE golf tournament was a huge success, partnering with Groundwork RVA as our
nonprofit partner and raising $22,000 – our largest donation to date! Planning for 2024 is well underway
and we look forward to sharing details with membership.

With such robust support from our Board of Directors and wonderful committee volunteers, I have no
doubt that 2024 will be a banner year. Please always feel welcome to reach out to me, our
administrative team, or the Board if you have suggestions for how to make GRACRE even better.

Thank you,
Caitlin McBride
2024 GRACRE President
Commonwealth Commercial Partners Senior Brand Ambassador

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