Meeting our Neighbors

It turns out, that the Associated's offices are right around the corner from ours. Even though we are in close physical proximity to each other, we have not had an opportunity to work with this great group. The Associated, also known as the Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, works to preserve and enhance Jewish life. They focus on charitable, educational, religious, humanitarian, health, cultural, and social service needs in the Jewish community locally, nationally and abroad.

I recently read an article in the Baltimore Business Journal that mentioned the Associated's Real Estate Industry Group (REIG). This is basically a group of Real Estate professionals that meet regularly to discuss trends and developments in the industry. What seemed really cool is that the networking events are held at a development project (last year-Silo Point, Legg Mason Building, Pratt Street Development and others) and the group is addressed by someone involved in the project (owner, developer etc) and then there is time for networking.

I was excited to meet today with Allyson Lestner, the staff person who heads up the REIG. While the REIG has focused primarily on commercial projects to date, Allyson was interested in the Michael Group's work and our focus on Affordable Housing and Community Development. I'm looking forward to getting involved in the REIG in the coming year. It seems like a great way to meet new people and find out about new projects. I'll keep you posted on the REIG's upcoming events as the calendar becomes available.