A Happy Holiday Season to you all!

It’s hard to believe 2022 is coming to an end and that I am wrapping up my term as CCIM Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter President. The year flew by, and I enjoyed getting to spend time with everyone and see so many new faces at our events. I leave you in good hands in 2023 with Emily Zarcaro, our incoming President.

I had the honor of pinning our four newest Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter Designees at the Annual Governance Meeting in October. A HUGE congratulations to Sam Chang, CCIM, JC Hearn, CCIM Mike Navarette, CCIM and Mike Pittman, CCIM. It’s so rewarding to see a new group of Designees get their Pin, and we know they’ll continue to do great things!

We’ve had some amazing events in the second half of the year, including our annual Mentor Program Kickoff Event, annual Scholarship Golf Tournament, University Alliance Career Roundtable, and our Dinner with the Designees, where we raffled off $2500 in core course vouchers to five of our Young Professional attendees. We still have some great events coming up, including the CI 101 Course, Young Professionals River Oaks Christmas Lights Bus Tour and end of year Holiday Party. Don’t forget to sign up!

I firmly believe the best way to get the most out of your membership with an organization is to volunteer to be on a Committee. If you’re interested in getting involved in 2023, I highly encourage you to reach out to a Board Member to find out about the opportunities available. There’s something for every skillset and time commitment capacity. Don’t hesitate to get involved so we can get to know you better!

We want to help YOU with the resources you need to get your CCIM Designation. Check out some available resources in addition to our Chapter Scholarships below:

§  If you haven’t had a chance, check out the CCIM Institute’s Cultural Diversity Education Program website. As part of the Institute’s commitment to advancing the professional growth of underrepresented groups in the commercial real estate industry, approved participants will receive a $100 discount on tuition for the Foundations for Success in Commercial Real Estate Course and a discounted tuition price of $915 on each CCIM core course (CI 101-104).

§  Are you a Veteran? Thank you for your service! Also, did you know the CCIM Foundation has a Veterans Scholarship Program? Qualifying U.S. military veterans can apply for up to $20,000 to use for non-degree-based commercial real estate education, including certification programs through National Association of REALTORS® affiliate organizations such as CCIM Institute.

§  Thinking about getting your CCIM Designation? NOW is the time! As a Chapter Member, if you take at least one required course (CI 101-104) located in Houston in 2022-2023 and sit for the Designation exam by the end of 2023, the Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter will reimburse you $350 toward your CCR Course cost to sit for the exam. There’s never been a better time to get your Pin!

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your 2022 Chapter President!

All the Best,
Kristen Wiehe, CCIM
2022 CCIM Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter President