Toronto

It's interesting to note that, while Elie sees the importance of raising the membership numbers--a focus for virtually all trade groups--he states that larger numbers are an outgrowth of the programs an organization offers. "We can grow the membership," he says. "But I'm more interested in expanding the educational content. We do that and the members will come."

One important part of the educational push is to roll out on a local basis the CoreNet Communities of Learning that debuted in Toronto. "We're fostering gatherings of different sectors of the industry to focus on issues that are important to them," the chairman explains. "Healthcare, financial, industrial--each has its own niche, and these communities provide the opportunity to meet in small, intimate groups to discuss what's important to them. We'll publish papers based on the results of those gatherings to share with the membership." The program is already getting local-chapter exposure, and the new chairman cites New York City chapter president Suzanne Heidelberger of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, who has already established a lawyer community here.

Forwarding the initiative of the Applied Research Center, which also debuted in Toronto, is another key to Elie, who is also vice president of global real estate and facilities for New York City-based Kaplan Inc. Headed by Dr. Bruce Ellis, ARC is an extension of CoreNet's research arm charged with focusing on such issues as capital markets, portfolio optimization, as well as social responsibility and workplace strategy. "We want to make ARC the knowledge repository for corporate real estate," Elie says. Three international research councils will be created over the next few weeks to support that effort.