Author Archives: admin
Chaos to Confidence During a Time of Economic Stress
- Jun
- 06
The COLBA Board was excited to invite back Economist, Andrew Busch, on June 4 for a virtual webinar: Chaos to Confidence During a Time of Economic Stress How to Overcome, Adapt and Thrive! The webinar was a great continuation of the January “Hope for our Economy” discussion. At the January luncheon, in answer to a question about “black […]
COLBA Cinco de Mayo!
- May
- 10

On May 5th, COLBA held a Virtual Fiesta to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Margaritas were required! The COLBA Board, led by Señor Maz, exchanged their thoughts from the Landlord Side (Greg Tait and Brian Atkinson) and the Tenant Side (Aaron Schuster and Corby Marx) perspectives during a colorful Happy Hour. COLBA donated $500 to Feeding America and $500 to GCFD. View […]
Member Highlight: Michael Lirtzman
- Jan
- 31

How long have you been a member of COLBA? 15ish years What do you appreciate most about COLBA membership? The camaraderie with other industry veterans and old-timers, and the pontificating and bloviating of many outstanding COLBA presidents over the years Tell us about your CRE background: Seen it all and done it all on the […]
Good News: Hope for the Economy
- Jan
- 31

Here is a synopsis from Andrew Busch from yesterday’s event. The goal is to move from the chaos that’s occurring today to have confidence in the future. We do this via using the simple planetary model of the economy to understand what’s happened in the past, what’s happening now and what may happen in the […]
Chris Voss Luncheon at 55 W Monroe
- Feb
- 19

COLBA kicked off 2019 with a fabulous lunch event at 55 W. Monroe. 55 W Monroe has a lot of exciting new features including… Brand New Spec Suites Brand New Conference Center and Tenant Lounge Upcoming Fitness Center Updates Master negotiator Chris Voss spoke to a packed house on his famous negotiation skills and how […]
Member Highlight: Scott Becker
- Jun
- 09

How long have you been a member of COLBA? I believe I (finally) joined in 2012. What do you appreciate most about COLBA membership? The ability to connect, and socialize, with my friends & peers within the brokerage community. Tell us about your CRE background: I was fortunate to have been given an internship with […]
Member Highlight: Cal Wessman
- Dec
- 12

How long have you been a member of COLBA? About 15 years. What do you appreciate most about COLBA membership? Monthly events with great guests & speakers; Also, a strong group of members who are leaders in Chicago commercial real estate. Tell us about your CRE background: I’ve been at CBRE my entire career. Started […]
Member Highlight: Brian Atkinson
- Nov
- 04

How long have you been a member of COLBA? Since 2005. What do you appreciate most about COLBA membership? The opportunity to connect with friends and former colleagues (I have a lot) on a regular basis. Tell us about your CRE background: Five years of tenant rep at Grubb & Ellis before CJ Dempsey and […]
Member Highlight: Daniel Arends
- Oct
- 07

How long have you been a member of COLBA? Probably around 10 years. What do you appreciate most about COLBA membership? The camaraderie and knowledge sharing. Tell us about your CRE background: I have been focused on representing tenants in the Metropolitan Chicago market for over 25 years. Throughout my career, I have completed more […]
Member Highlight: Jamey Dix
- Aug
- 16

How long have you been a member of COLBA? About 4 years What do you appreciate most about COLBA membership? Prior to this year, I had not been an active participant in COLBA and hadn’t attended the events. That was a mistake. The events are always fun and well attended. It’s a great way to spend time with […]