Without a doubt, the retail sector has seen some dark days especially since the start of the pandemic, when predictions called for a recovery period that would take years. But, much like hotels which were supposedly on a similar grim path, the retail sector has rebounded nicely, even with Covid-19 still part of our lives. Shoppers have returned to the stores, e-commerce is taking less of a bite out of total retail sales and it is forecast that this year there will be more store openings than closures. In the following pages, we acknowledge the men and women who successfully navigated  these changes and made a meaningful impact on the sector in the last year.

Individuals

MATT ANNIBALE Matt Annibale has 12 years of industry experience, including two years in his current role as senior director of acquisitions at First National Realty Partners, where he is responsible for overseeing acquisitions in the eastern U.S., including marketing, underwriting, leasing and capital markets, as well as managing a team of analysts. He leads by example and is known for his work ethic, enthusiasm and dependability. With a focus on sourcing more and better retail centers in key markets, Annibale leverages his connections within the brokerage community and encourages his team to create networks and build relationships in markets across the nation. Since joining the firm in August 2020, Annibale has helped grow FNRP's portfolio by more than $465 million through 23 deals. He closed 18 of those deals in 2021 and achieved a 100% closing rate. Annibale has been a board member of CCIM for more than six years and is a NextGen committee member of ICSC.