CREJ

INSIDE by Michelle Z. Askeland Twenty-seven years ago, Jeannie Bernard accepted the executive vice president position for the Denver Metro Building Owners and Managers Association the week before Christ- mas. She inherited an organization with one full-time staff member and one part-time member to man- age, fewer than 200 members, shaky financials and no reserves. “I thought, ‘I need to whip this thing into shape,’” she said. Today, the staff has more than dou- bled, the budget has more than qua- drupled, there’s more than $1.1 mil- lion in reserves and there’s more than 500 people involved through building/ company memberships. Bernard was in the association management business – not in the commercial real estate business – when she accepted the position. She had a certified association executive designation and had been the execu- tive vice president for eight years for an insurance and financial services industry association. “I wasn’t looking for a new job,” she said. “But then I heard about this BOMA job, and I thought, ‘Well, what the heck? I’ll throw my hat in the ring.’ You never think you’re going to stay some place for a long time. I never dreamed I’d stay here this long.” Her CAE background stood out to interviewers. “Her knowledge of association management and the questions she asked showed all of us on the committee how far we had to go in terms of expanding the ser- vices delivered to the association’s Learn how the ordinance’s final revisions will impact existing buildings’ roof replacements. Green roofs rules PAGE 4 Denver facilities are benefiting from active threat response training by the Red Cross. Active shooter training PAGE 12 A supplement highlighting the results from the city’s benchmarking efforts Energize Denver Please see Page 21 January 2019 Bernard celebrates 27 years with Denver BOMA PAGES 26-33 Snapshots of Bernard’s time as executive vice president include helping to implement a full-scale disaster exercise and coordinating efforts during the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008 as well as advocating Legislative issues at the local and national level.