Top Professionals from the World of Construction, Real Estate and Land Management Join Leading Global Property Association. Heather Feeley Joins RICS Americas Team as Brand Director.
New York, August 12, 2008 – RICS Americas, the New York City-based division of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), London, UK, the largest global organization for professionals in property, land, construction and related environmental issues, is pleased to announce the substantial growth of its membership by over 290 esteemed industry leaders over the last year, including key executives from The Altus Group, CB Richard Ellis and Integra Realty Resources. Significant names in construction – Faithful & Gould, BP Exploration Inc. (Alaska) and Petro Canada – have put members forward. Leaders of the rural valuation and farm management professions have also begun to join RICS.
In conjunction, RICS Americas has appointed Heather Feeley as its new brand director. Feeley is charged with raising the profile of RICS and its members throughout the Americas region. She joins the group from the Advertising Research Foundation, where she served as the director of marketing. Prior to this, Feeley also held marketing positions with the Toy Industry Association and Lucent Technologies in New York, as well as Remex World Class Exhibitions and Pitney Bowes de Mexico in Mexico City.
“We are thrilled to announce the continued growth of the RICS Americas member base and the expansion of our team to support that growth,” said Matthew Bruck, managing director of RICS Americas. “We have grown rapidly since RICS Americas was incorporated in 2001, nearly doubling our qualified membership since, and we look forward to the ongoing maturity, development and success of our organization in North America, Canada and the Caribbean.”
To support its planned membership development, RICS Americas has recruited four new staff members, resulting in a growing presence in New York and Toronto. The Americas expansion builds upon the overall membership growth of RICS which has recently opened offices in a number of developing regions including India, the Middle East and Russia, with plans in place to open a fourth center in China later this year.
RICS Americas currently has over 1,800 qualified members across the Americas and Caribbean, specializing in areas of land, real estate, valuation, construction, development and environmental issues, as well as nearly 1,000 students and trainees. The organization’s wide-ranging role involves providing members with access to professional networks and industry events, setting internationally recognized educational and professional standards and providing independent and impartial advice to the public. The association is increasing its industry visibility via the development of more seminars, events and conferences.
“There is no other association in the world that compares to RICS when it comes to providing the public with useful information and establishing international standards. I am thrilled to be part of the RICS Americas team,” said Feeley. “Every major global real estate organization is represented in RICS. Membership in this organization truly helps to advance members’ careers and earning potential, both nationally and internationally.”
RICS’ global membership includes 145,000 members in over 146 countries, with an extensive, independent research department. With a mandate to serve the public first and foremost, the organization is the leading source of international property-related knowledge, advising governments and global organizations across the world. RICS welcomes new members from diverse fields, based on a combination of academic and professional qualifications and relevant experience. Collectively, the global membership offers unprecedented analysis of key property-related topics.
“The growth of RICS Americas is a testament to the important need for leadership in establishing international standards and helping professionals navigate the increasingly global property marketplace,” said Tony Grant, past chairman of RICS Americas. “Building from our experience of creating European standards and policies for over a century, RICS has a special focus on the Americas and looks forward to continued expansion in the region.”
About RICS
RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), with headquarters in London, is the largest organization for professionals in property, land, construction and related environmental issues worldwide. We promote best practice, regulation and consumer protection to business and the public. Over 145,000 members in more than 146 countries operate across 17 disciplines, from development, brokerage and construction to environmental issues, valuation and fine arts appraisal. RICS is the preeminent source of real estate-related knowledge, providing independent, impartial advice to governments and global organizations. www.rics.org. The RICS credentials – MRICS and FRICS – are granted to practitioners who demonstrate professional competence and the highest standards of business practice and ethics through stringent evaluation procedures. RICS Americas, based in New York and covering North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, has over 2,800 members in commercial and residential development, ownership, construction management, brokerage, planning, engineering and finance. For further information, please visit www.ricsamericas.org or e-mail RICS Americas at ricsamericas@rics.org.
