Record Crowd of Badgers and Friends Attend Biennial Reunion
A record crowd converged upon the UW-Madison Campus for the Biennial Wisconsin Real Estate Conference and Reunion with nearly 500 attendees celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the WREAA. Congratulations to Program Co-Chairs Andrew Weir (MBA 1997) and Cody Langeness (BBA 2006) who headed up this year's event! Read more on the WREAA Website.
Biennial Highlights
Wisconsin Award Presented
Daniel McCaffery, the founder and CEO of McCaffery Interests, is the recipient of the 2016 Wisconsin Award, presented by the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association (WREAA).  Highly respected within the real estate industry, Dan has thirty years of experience and has led the development of more than $2 billion of urban mixed-use projects. McCaffery accepted the Wisconsin Award during the Biennial Alumni Banquet and went on to share his insights with attendees during an interview with WREAA President Brian Berry.

Distinguished Real Estate Alumni Award 
 
The Biennial Alumni Lunch featured the presentation of the 2016 Distinguished Real Estate Alumni Award to Michael Casey, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone.  Having earned both a BBA in 1980 and an MBA in 1983 from the Real Estate Program at UW Madison, Mike continues to be an ardent supporter of the UW Real Estate Program and the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association.  In the words of Mike's colleagues and fellow alumni, "he has epitomized the value of personal relationships in the world of institutional real estate investment."  Graaskamp Academic Director Tim Riddiough was on hand to make the formal presentation.  Congratulations Mike!
 
Deal of the Year Awards Presented at Alumni Luncheon
 
The 2014 Deal of the Year Award was presented to Matt Bertram (BBA 2002), David Lenz (BBA 1973) and CJ Raymond (MS 1972) for a donation which resulted from a deal to refinance Madison area hotels. Jonathan Bogatay of the North Central Group, Barry Parker with the Raymond Group, and Matt Bertram of Prudential Mortgage Capital were on hand to accept the 2014 Deal of the Year Award from WREAA Board President Brian Berry.
 
The 2015 Deal of the Year Award was presented for a donation made by alumnus Brian Eisendrath (BBA 2000) of CBRE which was a result of the completion of two transactions between CBRE and the Bascom Group, represented by Jerry Fink (MBA 1990), David Kim (BBA 1989), and Chad Sanderson (MS 2004). The donation to the Wisconsin Connection Fund commemorates a 10-year long partnership between CBRE and the Bascom Group.

Since 1997, the Wisconsin Connection Fund has been the beneficiary of donations made by UW alumni and friends who are involved in real estate transactions with one another. The Fund is controlled by the Connection Fund Committee and is invested in the UW Foundation. To learn more about making a donation to the fund, visit the WREAA website or call the WREAA Office at 262-746-9030.

UW Real Estate Career Fair Slated
The UW Real Estate Career Fair will be held on February 13, 2017 at Union South on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus. A pool of more than 300 talented undergraduate and MBA students are available for full-time and summer internship opportunities in all areas of the real estate field. Don't miss this opportunity to recruit job candidates from one of the top ranked real estate programs in the country.  Contact Olivia Peniston or Ben Stevens for more information.

Atlanta Alumni Host UW Real Estate Students in October
The UW Real Estate Club will head to Atlanta, Georgia October 19-21, 2016.  Alumni Tyler Edgarton (BBA 1987), James Mazarelli (MS 1989), Jay McGinnity (BBA 2004) and Aaron Goldman (BBA 1990) are busily making tour plans for the students.  The 2-day Atlanta visit will kick off at Skyline Park at the Ponce City Market Roof and will feature a number of tours and discussions.  The WREAA will sponsor a networking dinner for alumni, affiliates and students on Thursday, October 20 and area alumni are encouraged to register to attend.  The field trip concludes on Friday with a tour of the Braves Stadium and Krog Street Market.  Contact Tyler Edgarton for complete details about the trip and visit the WREAA website to make a donation to help defray expenses.
Upcoming Events
October 7, 2016
Graaskamp on the Road Series in Washington, D.C.
Online Registration is Closed. 

October 11, 2016  Eastern Wisconsin - Tour of Northwestern Mutual Headquarters Building 
Event is Full!

October 15, 2016
San Diego Real Estate Networking Hour and Badger Football Viewing
Learn More

October 19-21, 2016
UW Real Estate Club Field Trip to Atlanta

October 20, 2016
Minnesota Region - Tour of Hines New T3 Office Development
October 25, 2016
ULI Networking Reception
Sponsored by WREAA & the Graaskamp Center
Details Coming Soon  

November 10, 2016 
Global Real Estate Markets 2016 Sponsored by the Graaskamp Center
Learn More  

February 13, 2017
Real Estate Club Career Fair at Union South
September 27-28, 2017
Wisconsin Real Estate
Trends Conference 
 
Meet Our Alumni Leaders
Say Hello to.... Katie Bergen
Katie Bergen (BBA 2009) has joined the WREAA Board as an At-Large Director. Katie is a Vice President at CenterSquare and is focused on growing CenterSquare's relationships with institutional clients and consultants. She is responsible for fundraising and investor relations related to the firm's various real assets strategies. Prior to taking on a role in capital markets, Katie was a member of the real estate investment team with responsibilities in acquisitions and asset management. She began her career with Clarion/Samuels Associates, a real estate consulting firm based in Philadelphia. Katie, originally from Madison, recently moved to Denver, CO. She enjoys hiking, yoga and traveling and is an active member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). WREAA welcomes Katie to the board!
Search Resumes in the Career Center
Did you know that you can use the Career Center at the WREAA website to find potential job candidates? As a WREAA member, you have access to hundreds of resumes. Login and click on the  Career Center link. Follow the Resume/CV Search link, fill out the criteria, click search and find the best candidate for your position. Would you prefer candidates send you their resume? Post your job opening on the Career Center by clicking "submit an opening "and filling out the form. 
Around the Regions
Eastern Wisconsin Tours
Drexel Town Square 
        

Seattle Badgers Tour
in Bellevue

New York City Alums
Enjoy Lunch and Learn
      





Names in the News
Robert Perry (MS 1992) has joined CBRE Global Investors as an Executive Managing Director / Principal in Los Angeles, California and can be reached at [email protected] .
 
Regan Kennedy (MBA 2016) has joined ValStone Partners LLC as an Associate in Birmingham, Michigan and can be reached at [email protected] .
John Simerlein (BBA 2003) has joined Bristol Group, Inc. as Senior Vice President in San Francisco, California and can be reached at [email protected] .
Katie Bergen (BBA 2009) has been promoted to Vice President for CenterSquare Investment Management in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. We would also like to congratulate Katie on being elected as the At-Large Director on the WREAA Board of Directors. Katie can be reached at [email protected] .
Dan Lessor (MBA 2010) has relocated from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Kirkland, Washington. He is a Development Executive for Mortenson Development, Inc. and can be reached at [email protected] .
 
To have your announcement included in the next newsletter, email Jane Miller.