SOMERSET, NJ−Going into NAIOP-NJ's 27^th awards gala tonight at the Palace at Somerset Park, there is suspense, as always, over who will be the Deal of the Year winners for office, industrial and “creative” transactions. But three individuals – and one company - are already basking in the glow of knowing they will be recognized for solid, sustained achievement.

Lawrence Russo, Jr. of Russo Development will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Impact Awards,” designed to recognize industry trendsetting impact, will go to Robert J. Donnelly of Cushman & Wakefield and Vision Real Estate Partners (to be accepted by founder and managing partner Samuel J. Morreale.)

Also, Jorge H. Berkowitz of Langan Engineering and Environmental Services is receiving an Industry Service award at the sold-out, black-tie affair.

Lifetime Achievement

Russo, who founded his company 45 years ago after working for several years as a commercial real estate broker, has developed dozens of office and industrial buildings in northern New Jersey. In announcing Russo as a Lifetime winner, NAIOP noted his durability, as well as his accomplishments and integrity:

“Russo's ability to weather severe market downturns during his career is a reflection of his success as a real estate professional. His accomplishments include over 50 development projects for outstanding companies such as Polo/Ralph Lauren, Fuji Photo Film, First Union National Bank (Wachovia), Boise Cascade, Coach Leatherware, and JP Morgan Chase. His strengths include site planning and permitting for sites with complex development constraints. He has instilled his values of selective development, extensive site planning and superior construction into the rest of the Russo team.”

Impact Award

Donnelly, a 34-year veteran at Cushman & Wakefield, “is credited industry-wide with being a frontrunner in the development of comprehensive corporate services,” according to NAIOP. He has numerous long-standing relationships in his career portfolio.

His 33 years as the exclusive leasing agent for Headquarters Plaza, starting in 1980 when the 560,000-square-foot tower was being built in Morristown, is cited as being one of the longest-running brokerage assignments in the country. Throughout his career, Donnelly has represented numerous Fortune 500 corporations, including 20 years as account executive for AT&T and many years with General Electric.

Donnelly has overseen leases and sales totaling more than 100 million square feet, and negotiated land sales involving more than 3,000 acres that resulted in 20 million square feet of office construction.

Vision Real Estate Partners has acquired, developed and operated over 70 million square feet of real estate projects, mostly along the East coast. Last year, Vision and Rubenstein Partners won a Deal of the Year award for its transformation of the former Alcatel-Lucent campus in Whippany into the East Coast headquarters for Bayer Healthcare.

The Impact award recognizes “service to the industry and community, professionalism and integrity, and overall impact on the commercial and industrial real estate industry.”

Industry Service

Berkowitz, an environmental consultant since 1989, specializes in remediating and redeveloping contaminated sites, regulatory compliance and environmental health. He serves as an advisor to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and on the Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board and as chairman of the professional conduct committee.

Berkowitz worked with the state DEP from 1980-1989, serving as administrator of the Superfund program, director of the Air Quality program and the Water Resource Management and Protection program and – briefly - as acting assistant commissioner for environmental control.

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NAIOP Gala Tonight Honors CRE Trendsetters

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