Celebrating sustainability and leadership

Each year, the IREM Foundation shines a spotlight on leadership, service, and commitment to education in real estate management. The Foundation’s distinguished honors recognize professionals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in teaching, mentoring, and advancing the industry. These awards celebrate the values that strengthen the entire IREM community: integrity, innovation, and the desire to elevate others.

Evolution of sustainability

Sustainable property management is nothing new. Over the past two decades, terms like “green building,” “energy efficiency,” “environmentally friendly,” or even “ESG” have been used to label efforts that have a positive impact on the environment. Regardless of the label, one thing is clear: Smarter building operations that reduce resource consumption are good business. They lower risk, cut costs, improve resilience, and create healthier, more attractive spaces for tenants and residents.

Ten years ago, IREM launched the Certified Sustainable Property (CSP) program to provide property managers with a practical, affordable, and credible way to measure and demonstrate the performance of their buildings. A decade later, nearly 1,800 certifications have been awarded across a range of asset classes, including office, industrial, multifamily, retail, and even self-storage. The CSP program has become a cornerstone in helping companies integrate sustainability into day-to-day management while also meeting investor and tenant expectations.

This February, IREM introduced CSP v.2025, the latest version of the program. Applicants are currently transitioning from the previous standard to this updated framework, which reflects evolving market expectations and IREM’s commitment to ensuring the CSP program meets the bar for sustainability performance.

Excellence among excellence

In 2023, Jackson Control partnered with the IREM Foundation to launch the Jackson Control Sustainability Awards. The Jackson Control Sustainability Awards recognize exceptional performance among CSP Properties. This award program highlights the teams of people behind sustainable building performance and encourages knowledge-sharing to help others on their sustainable property journeys.

Properties are recognized in three categories: Sustainability Leadership, Resource Efficiency, and Top Performers, with one final property being named the People’s Choice for Sustainable Property Award. This year, nearly 100 properties were recognized as top performers, with 18 excelling in carbon reduction, energy efficiency, and water conservation. These properties are benchmarked against their peers in the CSP program and identified as standouts in their asset class. The full list of top performers and resource efficiency honorees can be viewed on our website.

Top performers were then invited to submit an application to be considered for the honor of Sustainable Leadership Awards and reviewed by an esteemed panel of judges, who selected the properties below.

The 2025 Sustainability Leadership Award Winners

Sustainability Innovation Award:

Foundry Square II: a state-of-the-art office building in San Francisco, California, owned by Nuveen Real Estate, Ltd., and managed by JLL.

 

Sustainability Team Award:

Garden Village: a retail shopping Center in San Pedro, California, owned by InvenTrust Properties and managed by InvenTrust Property Management LLC.

 

Visionary Impact Awards (tie):

Avanti Brookhaven: an apartment building located in Brookhaven, Georgia, owned by MEPT BGO Diversified and managed by Carroll Management Group.

 

Fort Point Creative Portfolio A: an office building in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by MEPT BGO Diversified and managed by Synergy Investments.

 

People’s Choice Winner:

Fort Point Creative: This year’s People’s Choice Award, selected through a peer vote, went to Fort Point Creative Portfolio A in Boston, owned by MEPT BGO Diversified. The property, built in 1910, stands out for its company-wide approach to sustainability. Staff across departments participate in annual benchmarking, receive tailored ESG reports to guide decisions, and even include sustainability goals in their performance reviews.

On the ground, the site has implemented digital HVAC controls, intelligent irrigation, waste-stream optimization, and tenant education programs. Next steps include leak-detection sensors, EV charging stations, and AI-driven waste monitoring. This mix of culture and technology has made Fort Point Creative a clear favorite among peers.

Why it matters

“The Jackson Control Sustainability Awards celebrate real estate management teams that champion sustainable practices, inspiring others on their sustainable property journeys,” says Greg Ericksen, chairman and CEO of Jackson Control. “Buildings account for one-third of global energy consumption and emissions. Sustainable building practices deliver significant energy and cost savings while reducing carbon emissions and conserving resources. These awards highlight the people and teams who make sustainability real.”

Changes in building operations, such as efficient HVAC, water conservation, and healthier material choices, translate into lower costs, reduced carbon output, and improved tenant experience—with the benefits of reducing carbon emissions.

“Through these awards we’re celebrating the effort it takes to make change, and in particular, celebrating the teams who have boots on the ground, implementing new technologies and systems,” says IREM Foundation President Chris Mellen, CPM^®, ARM^®.

IREM Foundation individual awards

Each year, the IREM Foundation recognizes outstanding individuals who make valuable contributions and show extraordinary dedication to the real estate management profession and make the profession better. The objective of this awards program is not only to recognize those who do contribute, but also to encourage others to make similar contributions to the profession. Here are this year’s award winners.

The Louise L. and Y.T. Lum Award

In every profession, there are leaders who not only succeed in their own careers, but who also raise the standards of the entire field. For the real estate management industry, the IREM Foundation’s Louise L. and Y.T. Lum Award is a testament to that spirit. Since its creation in 1975, the Lum Award has stood as one of IREM’s most distinguished honors, celebrating professionals whose influence is felt far beyond their own properties and portfolios. (Read more about the Lums in this article from the July/August 2025 issue of JPM.)

The Lums were two individuals who believed deeply in the power of education and professional excellence. Their vision, carried forward through this recognition, has ensured that generations of real estate managers see their work not just as a job, but as a profession that demands thought leadership, ethical responsibility, and a commitment to advancing knowledge.

Unlike other awards that focus narrowly on instruction or community service, the Lum Award shines a light on those actively engaged in real estate management who contribute in more far-reaching ways. Its recipients are recognized for educating peers and emerging leaders, publishing insights that push the profession forward, and setting a high bar for ethical and professional standards. The award underscores a simple truth: real estate management thrives when its practitioners share what they know and inspire others to uphold the values of integrity and service.

This year’s winner, Erin Hopkins, PhD, associate professor of property management at Virginia Tech, currently teaches property management operations, which covers HR and relationship management, finance and accounting, maintenance and risk management, marketing, and leasing. She also teaches environmental and sustainability issues in housing, which considers buildings and building sites, lifestyle, air quality, and toxic materials with a holistic perspective on these issues in the built environment.

Another area of focus for Hopkins is mental health. She’s integrated contemplative practices into her property management operations course, and her students have responded positively. Virginia Tech is a Tier 1 research institution, and based on the positive results from her students, she’s focusing on the impact of contemplative practices in the property management industry. If these practices help employees, the positive impact would be reflected in productivity and profitability.

Hopkins’ book, Sustainable Property Management, explains how ecologically sustainable concepts may be implemented in property management and incorporates the theme of sustainable building practices as a human science as well as a building science by highlighting motivations and impacts to various stakeholders. The objective is to consider the green alternatives during the operations and maintenance phases of the building lifecycle.

In sharing her interest and passion for property management with students, she’s guiding our future leaders to follow in the profession.

The Lloyd D. Hanford Sr. Distinguished Instructor Award

Behind every skilled real estate manager, there’s often a teacher who made a lasting impact. In the world of property management, those teachers are IREM instructors—professionals who don’t just deliver material, but bring it to life with real-world insight, mentorship, and a passion for seeing their students succeed. To honor the instructors who set the highest standard for teaching excellence, the IREM Foundation established the Lloyd D. Hanford Sr. Distinguished Instructor Award in 1983.

Named after Lloyd D. Hanford Sr., a leader who believed deeply in the power of education to advance both individuals and the profession, the award recognizes instructors who embody that vision. It is not given lightly. Recipients are chosen because they inspire, because they challenge, and because they leave their students not only more knowledgeable, but also more confident in their ability to lead.

This year’s winner, Joe Greenblatt, CPM^®, is a seasoned real estate professional with over three decades of experience in multifamily investments and property management. As the founder and CEO of Cloudten Residential and former CEO of Sunrise Management, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation within the affordable housing sector. Greenblatt’s expertise encompasses a broad range of skills including asset management, financial analysis, and lease negotiations, which he has honed over years of leadership in both the California and Nevada markets.

He’s passionate about enhancing the living experience for residents while maximizing returns for investors. His strategic vision has led to significant growth in the organizations he has led, showcasing his ability to adapt to changing market demands. Greenblatt is also known for his hands-on approach and deep understanding of the real estate landscape, making him a respected figure in the industry. He’s spent the last 38 years climbing the multi-family real-estate ladder. During this time he’s come to realize that our business is not about buildings, it’s about people. That’s why he puts people first.

The J. Wallace Paletou Award

Every profession has individuals whose leadership extends beyond their own organizations to elevate the entire field. In real estate management, the J. Wallace Paletou Award is the embodiment of that ideal. Established in honor of J. Wallace Paletou, IREM’s 1957 president, the award recognizes those who’ve made significant contributions to the industry through their role in real estate management.

Unlike other awards that focus specifically on teaching or publishing, the Paletou Award is broader in scope. It honors those who advance the industry and improve communities and society. Whether through leadership in sustainability, advocacy for affordable housing, or service to professional organizations, Paletou Award recipients embody the idea that real estate management raises civic leaders and business professionals.

This year’s award recipient, Lynn Disbrow, serves as IREM’s Chief Operating Officer. She joined IREM in 1986 and has served in many leadership roles including membership, chapter development, meetings and conferences, marketing, the IREM Foundation, and governance and leadership.

In her time at IREM, Disbrow has initiated and led transformational programs, including developing and implementing a new credentialing assessment, creating IREM’s first chapter leadership conference, introducing the Institute’s first non-credentialed membership category, and creating an Industry Partner Program for service providers. She also earned an outstanding employee achievement award from her colleagues for her help in launching the Institute’s redefined education program. Disbrow was also awarded the 2023 IREM Foundation Presidential Citation in recognition of her significant contributions to IREM and the IREM Foundation over her many years of service.

While Disbrow has decided to end her long IREM career at the end of this year to explore the next chapter of her life, she leaves a lasting legacy that has shaped IREM into the organization it is today. She has guided countless real estate leaders over the past 39 years, she’s built unbreakable bonds, and has established herself as an icon in our profession.

By honoring those who teach, lead, and innovate, IREM ensures that excellence in real estate management is recognized in all its forms. From classrooms to communities, from mentoring to sustainability, these awards remind us that the profession is strongest when we apply knowledge, values, and action come together to leave the industry better than we found it.