WASHINGTON, DC-The Real Estate Roundtable began its fiscal year at the beginning of the month with Daniel M. Neidich, of Dune Real Estate Partners LP, returning as chairman and Robert S. Taubman, CEO of Taubman Centers, assuming the role of chairman-elect. Also new are the board of directors and policy advisory committee chairs, all voted in at the Roundtable’s annual meeting for the upcoming fiscal year.

The issues the association will be promoting to Congress and the White House, though, remain the same. They include advocating for a tax policy that does not unduly burden commercial real estate, careful implementation of Dodd-Frank provisions, ongoing support of environmental sustainability goals for commercial properties and the advancement of Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act.

This year the Roundtable made strides in most of these areas, Neidich said in a prepared statement, “but especially in terms of educating policymakers how overall US job growth and economic conditions affect the health of the commercial real estate sector.” As always, Taubman added, “we’ll need to ensure that real estate’s views are factored into Washington’s far-reaching policy decisions.” 

Policy decisions viewed favorably by the Roundtable include the energy efficiency retrofit incentives in President Obama’s “Better Buildings Initiative.” It also hopes to see reform of FIRPTA because this would attract additional foreign equity capital into US commercial real estate markets.
In addition to Neidich, Taubman and Jeff DeBoer, president of the Roundtable, the FY2012 board includes:

• William C. Rudin, vice chairman and CEO of Rudin Management Co. as secretary.
• Jeffrey Schwartz, chairman, Global Logistic Properties as treasurer.
• National Association of Realtor’s Bill Armstrong also as treasurer.
• Michael D. Berman, president and CEO of CWCapital and chairman, Mortgage Bankers Association.
• Debra A. Cafaro, chairman, president and CEO of Ventas.
• Michael Fascitelli, president and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust.
• Thomas M. Flexner, global head of real estate for Citigroup.
• Don Harrill, president and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts and Home to Holiday Inn Club Vacations and chairman of the American Resort Development Association.
• David Henry, president and CEO of Kimco Realty and chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
• Roy Hilton March, CEO of Eastdil Secured.
• Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton Worldwide. He is also the immediate past chairman of the Roundtable.
• Scott Rechler, chairman and CEO of RXR Realty.
• Richard Saltzman, president of Colony Capital.
• Douglas W. Shorenstein, chairman and CEO of Shorenstein Properties.
• Martin E. Stein, Jr., chairman and CEO of Regency Centers.
• David A. Twardock, president of Prudential Mortgage Capital Co.
• Donald Wood, president and CEO of Federal Realty Investment Trust and first vice chair of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.
• Boyd R. Zoccola, executive vice president of Hokanson Cos., and chairman and chief elected officer of BOMA International.

For the coming fiscal year, the Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee will be chaired by Anthony E. Malkin of Malkin Holdings. Brad Molotsky (Brandywine Realty Trust) will serve as vice chairman.

The Real Estate Capital Policy Advisory Committee will continue to be led by P. Sheridan Schechner of Barclays Capital as chairman; and D. Michael Van Konynenburg (Eastdil Secured) as vice chairman. The Roundtable’s Research Committee will now be chaired by Steven E. Pumper of Transwestern.

As for the Tax Policy Advisory Committee, Frank G. Creamer Jr. (FGC Advisors LLC) remains as chairman.

The Homeland Security Task Force leadership also remains the same, with Jim Reid (CB Richard Ellis) serving as chairman; and Joseph B. Donovan of Beacon Capital Partners LLC and James Rosenbluth (Cushman & Wakefield) serving as vice chairmen.