BOMA California held its final board meeting of the year last Thursday at the architecturally impressive Orange County Museum of Art in conjunction with the 2024 Industry Awards in Costa Mesa. This meeting served as a critical one as the board elected its 2025 officers, which are included below:

• President – Glenn Good, Glenn Good Group (San Francisco)
• Vice President – Becky Rios, Edgewood Realty Partners (Greater Los Angeles)
• Treasurer – Ellen Ticknor, Seide Law (Orange County)
• Secretary – Alison Geddes, Weintraub Tobin (Sacramento)
• Immediate Past President – Sarahann Shapiro, Spencer Fane (Silicon Valley)

Congratulations to our newly elected officers! Special thanks are due to our outgoing Immediate Past President Tom Magnussen for his years of leadership and service to BOMA California!

Our industry achieved substantial success in California's 2024 elections, securing 21 wins out of 27 supported candidates across Assembly and Senate races. This year, BOMA California engaged at a higher level with more candidates and issues than ever before, aside from the 2020 campaign against Prop. 15 (Split Roll).

Our industry’s investment in propositions saw complete success: BOMA California went 4 for 4, with every supported initiative passing. Of particular note, Proposition 36 (Retail Theft), a top priority for BOMA California, passed with an overwhelming majority.

The 2024 legislative session led to numerous new laws impacting the commercial real estate industry. BOMA California has created fact sheets to help keep you informed on new laws. These legislative summaries include: 

• AB 98 - Warehouse Development Restrictions
• SB 1103 - Commercial Lease Mandates
• AB 2364 - Janitorial Regulations
• AB 2904 - Industry Sponsored Zoning Notice Bill 
• And more! 

While these summaries outline the significant provisions and implications of the new laws, it is not intended to serve as legal advice. Members are encouraged to consult with legal counsel for specific guidance on compliance on new laws.

A recent Sacramento Bee article highlighted the difficulty and expense of transitioning office buildings to housing. California’s plan to convert state-owned buildings on Sacramento’s Capitol Mall into affordable housing hit a roadblock when the private developer withdrew. The developer raised concerns about the adaptive reuse plan, which aimed to retain the buildings’ structure while renovating interiors for residential and commercial use. Without state funding for a pre-development study, the developer didn’t want to risk high out-of-pocket costs. Now, the Department of General Services is exploring other options. Adaptive reuse remains a key issue for our industry, though as this example highlights, it is not often a practical solution.