I am honored to begin
2020 as REBA’s President and I look forward to an event-filled year ahead for our
members. As schedules often fill up quickly at this time of year, I would like
to take this
REBA’s nineteen practice
sections cover all topics and issues related to
real estate. The sections range in areas from affordable housing, to
litigation, to residential conveyancing, to trusts and estates, and many more. The
chairs of these sections schedule meetings on substantive topics of interest,
many of which members can participate in via webcast – thanks largely to our
Chief Information Officer Bob Gaudette. Notifications of these meetings go out
to members via email and the full schedule is available under upcoming events
on REBA’s website.
For members in the
Hampden County area, the Residential Conveyancing Section has scheduled a
lunchtime regional affiliate meeting on April 15 at Student Prince in
Springfield. The meeting, which REBA hosts in partnership with the Real Estate
Section of the Hampton County Bar Association, will focus on substantive issues
impacting residential conveyancers, is one way in which REBA reaches out to
members in areas outside of Boston.
In addition to
substantive lunches and meetings, some REBA sections plan for events centered
on networking. The Women’s Real Estate Networking Group is one such group,
hosting several receptions every year. This year, the group’s annual fundraiser
for the Women’s Lunch Place in Boston will be held on Thursday, April 23. This
well-attended annual event is open to all real estate professionals and will
feature Elizabeth Hopkins as a guest speaker. All funds raised from the event
are donated to the Women’s Lunch Place.
For a combination of
professional development and networking, the REBA Spring Conference is a go-to event. The chairs of the Continuing
Education Section work throughout the year on programming for the Spring Conference
as well Annual Meeting and Conference in early November and they welcome input
from members. If there is a topic you would like to hear about, I encourage you
to reach out. The Spring Conference will be held on Monday, May 4 at the Four
Points Sheraton in Norwood. For anyone that has not yet attended these
twice-yearly conferences, the full-day schedule includes numerous topical and
timely breakout sessions, lunch with colleagues and friends, as well as the
opportunity to earn 10 Rhode Island and New Hampshire CLE credits.
In terms of practice
resources, I should also mention REBA Dispute Resolution,
which has a panel of retired Appeals Court and Land Court judges as well as
many experienced attorneys, all of whom are well-versed in resolving business and
real estate disputes. I, and many of my colleagues, have utilized REBA Dispute
Resolution neutrals with great success and I can personally attest to the
quality and efficiency with which cases are approached. If you have a
particular matter that is in need of ADR, REBA’s Executive Director, Peter
Wittenborg, can assist in finding the right neutral.
Of course, there are many
more events and resources all of which can be accessed on REBA’s website. In the coming months I
will be thinking about ways REBA can be a more valuable resource to its members
in all areas of the Commonwealth and from all manner of diverse backgrounds. If
you have ideas or thoughts on how we can improve the organization, please feel
free to email jmarkowski@fmglaw.com
or call (617) 807.8962.
