After 10 Years, YPG Network is Solid

Editorial|&utm_term=|Website-Editorial-NAT(Website)|"> Auction.com Darren Foster tells GlobeSt.com. As the group celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year, GlobeSt.com spoke with Foster about the group's current projects, how it has evolved and how it has helped young professionals the most in their careers.

GlobeSt.com: What are the most prominent issues and projects on which YPG is currently working?

Foster: The Young Professionals Group is NAIOP SoCal's industry-leading professional development and leadership program. Each year, a select group of 35 commercial real estate professionals unite to take part in the 12-month, 72-hour course designed to educate, develop, connect and elevate the industry's emerging leaders. Following completion of the program, graduates join the ranks of the YPG Alumni. This group now numbers 325-plus following the culmination of our 10^th class. The YPG Alumni Committee, which comprises approximately 35 alums, aims to provide additional opportunities to educate/develop/connect/elevate our alumni via networking, professional development and community outreach and speaker events.

Some of the most prominent issues and projects of the YPG program include:

• Annual Y-Games event and charity fundraiser attended by more than 150 CRE professionals (held at the Back Bay in Newport Beach)
• Annual CapRock Cup Case Competition, which is based on a live development/redevelopment site. This year, the site was sponsored by Prologis.
• Industry speaker series
• Community outreach including events such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Building Block Foundation Fund and Kidworks
• Launch of a Los Angeles alumni group to continue the engagement of our L.A.-based alumni more specifically

 

GlobeSt.com: In your opinion, how has YPG helped young professionals the most in their careers?

Foster: Peer-group development allows young professionals to learn about other aspects of the CRE industry, i.e., a lender in the program can learn about the industrial development/construction process from one of the industry speaker sessions in class and then follow up with one of their developer or general contractor cohorts over coffee and round that out by working on a team to come up with a plan for a real development project at the end of the course. By having a broad cross-section of CRE professionals from across industry sectors, YPG alumni develop a broad-based CRE network of peers that isn't only specific to their sector of the business.

YPG members also have the opportunity to expand their network beyond just their peer group by gaining exposure to top-level executives and taking advantage of mentorship opportunities, strong professional and leadership development includes access to industry speakers and MBA-level leadership-development professors, and exposure to industry veterans allows young professionals to be exposed to, learn from and be mentored by local CRE industry veterans from across industry sectors.

GlobeSt.com: What are the group's goals in the next 10 years?

Foster: We want to continue to strengthen the YPG brand. We can do this by focusing on the needs and professional-development opportunities of our alumni; increasing the number of program applicants; improving the diversity of applicants; creating additional value for our sponsors such as LBA Realty, Auction.com, CapRock Partners and Prologis, among many others; building on networking opportunities to better integrate our current YPG program participants with YPG Alumni and other NAIOP developing-leader members (35 and under professionals who haven't participated in the formal YPG year-long program); and improve our outreach to local undergraduate and graduate students interested in a future career in CRE.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about YPG?

Foster: After 10 years, we now have a solid network that creates a lot of advantage for our members. We have a number of YPG members that have started their own firms as well as others who now hold senior-executive-level positions in well-known companies throughout the region.

The NAIOP SoCal YPG was also the forerunner of similar NAIOP programs in the Bay Area, Nevada and the national NAIOP developing leaders concept. With this program, the national association honors up-and-coming commercial real estate professionals, 35 years of age and under, for their valued contribution and commitment to the industry with an annual Developing Leaders Award. The award is presented to those who have shown exemplary achievements and demonstrated outstanding professional accomplishments in the commercial real estate industry. A number of NAIOP SoCal YOPG members have earned this designation, including 2006 recipients Ryan Gallagher and John Chun, HFF, Gregory Simon, Scienergy, and Patrick Strader, Starpointe Ventures; 2007 recipient Marco Vartanian, Waypoint Homes; 2008 recipient Brian Meihaus, Irvine Co. Apartment Communities; 2010 recipient Malcolm Johnson, J.P. Morgan Real Estate Banking; 2011 recipient Paul Jones, CBRE; 2012 recipient Zach Niles, JLL; and 2014 recipient Brain Baker, CBRE. There really is no better way to build a network and round out your career goals and leadership aspirations than being a NAIOP SoCal Young Professional.