Allison Buck (left) and Ella Berckmans
By Joshua Burd
JLL has strengthened its nonprofit, education and government practice in the tristate region with the return of Allison Buck and the addition of Ella Berckmans.
According to the firm, Buck rejoins its team after more than five years with Savills and will help lead its continued growth in serving mission-driven clients across the area. She’ll do so as a managing director and work alongside Berckmans, a senior associate who supports business development and client servicing initiatives within the practice.
“Allison’s return to JLL and Ella’s addition to the team will meaningfully strengthen our ability to serve nonprofits, educational institutions and government partners across the region,” said David Carlos, head of the tristate nonprofit, education and government practice. “Allison brings a rare combination of transaction experience and tenant-focused strategy that will deepen our advisory capabilities. Ella’s background in client service and business development will expand our capacity to grow the practice and deliver best-in-class outcomes for our clients.”
In a news release, JLL said Buck spent more than three years as an associate with its team before joining Savills, where she worked in transactional advisory and tenant representation roles. Having risen to the rank of managing director during her five years there, she brings extensive experience across a range of sectors and client types.
Buck holds a bachelor’s from The George Washington University School of Business and a master’s in real estate from New York University’s School of Professional Studies.
“JLL’s deep sector expertise and client-first approach align with my passion for serving mission-driven organizations, and I’m thrilled to return,” Buck said. “While I’m joining the nonprofit, education and government practice, I will continue to serve a variety of clients across multiple industries, applying my experience to help our clients optimize their real estate strategies and advance their missions.”
Berckmans also comes to JLL from Savills, where she worked alongside Buck for the past three years, the news release said. She began her career at Savills through its Junior Broker Development Program before transitioning into a full brokerage role.
Under Carlos’ leadership, JLL’s nonprofit, education and government practice has become a leading adviser to mission-driven institutions in the area including Weill Cornell Medicine, The New School, Hospital for Special Surgery, Museum of the City of New York, The Robin Hood Foundation and Bronx Defenders, among others. The practice is focused on delivering strategic real estate solutions including portfolio optimization and campus planning, lease negotiations, tenant representation as well as capital markets advisory.
Most recently, the team advised Hebrew Union College in securing a new home for its New York campus, the news release said. Following a two-year strategic planning effort, the team simultaneously sold HUC’s Greenwich Village campus for $76 million and purchased its new home on the Upper West Side for $32 million.
