Real Estate Roundtable Elects FY2013 Board with Taubman as Chairman

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Real Estate Roundtable, a leading voice for commercial real estate in the nation's capital, has elected Taubman Centers, Inc. Chairman, President and CEO Robert S. Taubman to succeed Dune Real Estate Partners LP Chief Executive Officer Daniel M. Neidich as chairman. The new 21-member board and incoming leadership of The Roundtable's policy advisory committees began their terms on July 1.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120702/DC34426)

The board includes top executives from national real estate firms representing a range of property types and entity classifications (e.g., privately-held and publicly traded).  It also includes the elected leaders of six major national real estate trade organizations — out of 17 that hold permanent membership in The Roundtable.  Together, these industry CEOs and trade association leaders jointly develop strategies for addressing key national policy issues relating to real estate and the U.S. economy.

"I'm honored to have been asked to lead this incredible organization," said Taubman, noting that The Roundtable over the past decade "has built an outstanding reputation in Washington as an industry group that offers balanced, fact-based policy positions on issues of importance to the nation's income-producing real estate sector. Thanks to the terrific leadership of Dan Neidich and our outgoing board, the active engagement of our member CEOs, our ability to work well with like-minded coalitions, and the professionalism and dedication of The Roundtable staff, we continue to make significant progress on key policy priorities."

Added Taubman, whose Michigan-based company owns a portfolio of regional and super regional malls in major U.S. markets and Asia, "We owe a great debt to Dan Neidich for guiding the organization so skillfully over the past three years — in particular, for keeping us focused on the liquidity challenges facing our industry, and educating U.S. policymakers about what they can do to foster a broader real estate recovery."  Looking ahead, he said, the industry will "need to be pro-active" on its legislative priorities, "whether the focus is deficit reduction, tax reform, energy efficiency or building security matters."

Neidich, who became Roundtable chairman in July 2009, said, "It's been a great privilege to work with our dedicated board and Washington staff as well as our broader membership and coalition partners on the challenges of recent years, while positioning The Roundtable for future policy successes. The organization we have built for more than a decade — which continues to grow in stature in Washington's policymaking circles — is in very good hands with Bobby Taubman.  I am honored to pass on the baton to him."

Added Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer, "With so many significant policy issues requiring clarification — including budget, tax, and financial regulatory policies — The Roundtable will continue to present practical policy solutions supported by industry leaders and experts. This includes proposals for U.S. job creation, tax reform and deficit reduction, which are laid out in greater detail in our newly released Annual Report for 2012, Managing Risks and Opportunities."

Other officers for FY2013 include Thomas M. Flexner, Global Head of Real Estate at Citigroup, who will serve as Roundtable Treasurer, and William C. Rudin, vice chairman and CEO of Rudin Management Company, Inc., who will continue as Secretary of The Roundtable.  The FY2013 board also includes:

• Tim Byrne, President and CEO, Lincoln Property Company; Executive Committee Member, National Multi Housing Council (NMHC)
• Debra A. Cafaro, Chairman, President and CEO, Ventas, Inc.
• Richard B. Clark, CEO, Brookfield Properties Corporation
• Theodore (Ted) Eliopoulos, Senior Investment Officer, California Public Employees' Retirement System; Chairman, Pension Real Estate Association (PREA)
• Michael Fascitelli, President and CEO, Vornado Realty Trust
• Brad M. Hutensky, Principal, Hutensky Capital Partners; Chairman, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
• Nancy Johnson, Executive Vice President, Carlson Hotels; Chair, American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA)
• Roy Hilton March, CEO, Eastdil Secured
• Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman, Hillwood
• Scott Rechler, Chairman and CEO, RXR Realty
• Richard Saltzman, President, Colony Capital
• Douglas W. Shorenstein, Chairman and CEO, Shorenstein Properties LLC
• Robert J. Speyer, President and Co-CEO, Tishman Speyer
• David A. Twardock, President, Prudential Mortgage Capital Company
• Maurice Veissi, President, National Association of Realtors (NAR)
• Donald Wood, President and CEO, Federal Realty Investment Trust; Chairman, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT)

For FY2013, The Roundtable's Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) will continue to be led by Anthony E. Malkin (Malkin Holdings) as chairman, with Brad Molotsky (Brandywine Realty Trust) continuing his role as vice chairman. The Real Estate Capital Policy Advisory Committee (RECPAC) will be co-chaired by Mark Begor (GE Capital) and Jeffrey Horowitz (Bank of America Merrill Lynch), with D. Michael Van Konynenburg (Eastdil Secured) staying on as RECPAC vice chairman. The Research Committee will continue to be chaired by Steven E. Pumper (Transwestern Commercial Services).

The Tax Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC) leadership also remains the same, with Frank G. Creamer, Jr. (FGC Advisors, LLC) serving as chairman, and Fred Witt (Deloitte Tax LLP) as vice chairman. The Homeland Security Task Force will be co-chaired by Edward Glickman (Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust); Joseph B. Donovan (Beacon Capital Partners, LLC); and James Rosenbluth (Cushman & Wakefield).

www.rer.org

SOURCE Real Estate Roundtable