Front row, from left: Rockefeller Group’s Mark Shearer, incoming NAIOP New Jersey President; Scott Perkins of NAI James E. Hanson; Hartz Mountain Industries’ Gus Milano, NAIOP New Jersey president, Emily Lamond of Cole Schotz PC and Joseph Galley of GZA. Back row, from left: Edwin Cohen of Prism Capital Partners, Geoffrey Schubert of Lee & Associates New Jersey, Gretchen Wilcox of G.S. Wilcox & Co., Levi Kelman of Blue Onyx and Jesse Harty of Prologis.
By Joshua Burd
NAIOP New Jersey welcomed a crowd of 300 for its annual President’s Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner, honoring eight commercial real estate industry leaders spanning multiple generations, in one of the association’s most popular events of the year.
This year’s honorees included longtime chapter members Edwin H. Cohen of Prism Capital Partners LLC, Scott K. Perkins of NAI James E. Hanson and Gretchen S. Wilcox of G.S. Wilcox & Co. Each was inducted into NAIOP New Jersey’s Hall of Fame, touting the organization’s role in the industry and the connections that it provides to owners and service providers.
“Look at how far we’ve come,” said Wilcox, president and founder of the Morristown-based mortgage banking firm, recalling the first President’s Awards more than 15 years ago. “It was just a very small audience at that point, and now I just thank everyone for their support for NAIOP, because it’s the most unbelievable organization, especially here in New Jersey.”
The program also honored individuals in five other categories:
- Legacy Award: Geoffrey L. Schubert, partner, Lee & Associates New Jersey
- Pillar Award: Jesse Harty, senior vice president, Prologis
- Advocacy Award: Emily M. Lamond, Cole Schotz PC
- Volunteer of the Year Award: Joseph M. Galley, vice president, GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.
- Rising Star Award: Levi Kelman, CEO, Blue Onyx Cos.
“The honorees are comprised of the most talented and dedicated real estate professionals in New Jersey,” said the chapter’s board president, Gus Milano of Hartz Mountain Industries. “Each honoree has helped make NAIOP New Jersey what it is today: Respected among policymakers, valued by the commercial real estate veterans and developing leaders seeking to succeed in this great industry.”
