History

“Let’s all resolve that we’re going to make BOMA HAWAI'I Chapter THE VOICE of the building owners and managers here in Hawai'i in 1972. There is a tremendous potential for all of us to benefit from this association if we will all invest a little extra time and effort right now to really get it rolling.”

Keith Lysen had no idea just how closely his words would mirror reality when he wrote this in the first BOMA newsletter that was published in January 1972. Fifty years from the first meeting of BOMA HAWAI'I, our organization is over 100 members strong and the premier commercial real estate organization in Hawai'i. The first meeting of BOMA HAWAI'I took place on July 19, 1971, at the Ala Moana Hotel. Thirty-five out of forty people contacted attended this meeting and seven volunteered to serve as the interim slate of officers until the January, 1972 Annual Election Meeting. The original officers of BOMA HAWAI'I were Sander Waterhouse, Jack Rene, Fritz Irwin, Doug Lee, Jim Sirani and R.W. Davis with Keith Lysen serving as interim President. Keith also volunteered to write the association newsletter and was the person primarily responsible for developing the BOMA Hawai'i logo. Keith took a picture of the Honolulu skyline from the 12th floor of a Salt Lake condominium and sent it to Chet Tomczak who created the BOMA Hawai'i logo that we used until 2002.

As we look back on the history of BOMA HAWAI'I, the reason behind our success is readily apparent and can be summarized with just two words-our membership. Since 1971, 54 people have served as President and over 400 as Officers and Directors of this organization. During each calendar year over 85 individuals contribute their ideas and talents to our many programs, serving as committee chairs or volunteers. The diversity, creativity and synergy of this group of individuals have earned BOMA HAWAI'I its reputation as the “cornerstone of the commercial real estate industry.”

BOMA HAWAI'I has consistently delivered on the commitment to improve the business climate for the entire commercial real estate industry. BOMA has taken the leading role in shaping the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In educating and informing government and the public about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), changes in the commercial real-estate tax structure as well as a host of other issues.

To keep up with the changing times, in recent years, BOMA has focused on what we can do to influence our industry in becoming kinder and more thoughtful of our environment. In July 2007, BOMA has launched the Market Transformation Energy Plan and 7-Point Challenge to reduce energy consumption in commercial building by 30 percent by 2012. The 7-Point Challenge provides 7 tools for the participants to implement in their effort to improve energy performance. BOMA has also announced the development of the BOMA 360 Performance Program, a groundbreaking new program designed to validate and recognize commercial properties that demonstrate best practices in all major areas of building operations and management. In an ongoing effort to provide value and educate members, BOMA developed a course titled Foundations of Real Estate Management. This 5 module program covers fundamentals of commercial real estate administration, management, building systems, accounting and reporting. Such programs have continued to provide a competitive advantage for BOMA members and financially benefited those whose livelihood depends on a strong and profitable commercial real estate industry.

With your dedication and support, BOMA HAWAI'I Chapter is THE VOICE of the building owners and managers here in Hawai'i.

Past Presidents