Rolling with Change at the Rock By John Combs

As we predicted and shared with you in my last arti-

cle, this year is experiencing terrific marketplace

transactions. First, DTZ announced they are buying

Cassidy Turley. Next, they announced they will be purchasing Cushman and

Wakefield for $2 billion and the rolled up name will be Cushman and Wake-

field. The roll up of service providers continues with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)

purchasing Wilson Retail Group and Shelter Bay. So what does that mean for

us? Certainly you can rest assured we are not for sale and we are declining

any conversations with suitors. Second, it means that with each merger the

conglomerates get bigger and more diluted in client service for the regional

owners and we continue to move up the book of lists in each region because

with our successful growth, we get larger and competitors above us combine

and move to the top of the lists. For example, I am proud to say after 5 years of

doing business in Phoenix our team appeared this month as the 10th largest

manager in the Phoenix region. By year end with no additional growth, we will

be 9th largest after Cushman and DTZ combine.

On the property side of the capital equation, we are seeing some clients take

advantage of the frothy market and sell their properties. Likewise, we have

clients buying some of these properties, so we are still growing. For example,

AEW has moved to aggressively sell some of the Koll properties that they view

The Combover

Inside this issue:

New Assignments………...…… 2

LEED Gold Certification at

Farmers Plaza………………….. 2

6 Ways to Create Your Own

Happiness at Work………….… 3

New RockStars (Continued).. 3-4

6 Ways to Create-(Continued) 5

9 Habits of Profoundly

Influential People……………… 5-6

RockStars Out & About……... 6

[Continue Reading pg. 7]

Venous works

in the Newport

Beach office as

a Construction

C o o rd i n a t o r .

She joins us

from Vancou-

ver, Canada

where she at-

tended British Columbia Institute

of Technology and graduated as

an Architectural Building Engi-

neering Technologist. Born and

raised in Iran, Venous spent 10

years in Canada before relocating

to California last year when she

got married. She loves to travel

and explore the world – she’s al-

ready been to Turkey and India,

and next on her list are France

Italy and Greece! Venous is a

proud aunt, and in her spare time,

you can find her working out, lis-

tening to music, planting organic

vegetables and socializing with

friends. She is thrilled to be a part

of the RiverRock team.

Evelyn joins River-

Rock as a Project

Coordinator for

our Liberty Sta-

tion portfolio in

San Diego. Eve-

lyn comes from a

background of residential proper-

ty management where she has

done everything from leasing to

management. She plans to earn

her real estate license this year.

Evelyn resides in San Diego with

her high school sweetheart, kid

sister, and three dogs. When [Continue Reading pg. 3]

July 30, 2015

Issue 5

“Our people are our blueprint for success.”

Noteworthy Announcements.. 7

New RockStars Evelyn Martinez

New RockStars (Continued).. 7

Venous Shakibaei

Rolling with Change at the

Rock (Continued)……………… 7

[Back to Front]

Page 2 The Rock Pile

LEED Gold Certification at Farmers Plaza

On May 4, 2015 Farmers Plaza, managed by Joy Jugovic, was awarded the prestig-

ious LEED® Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Ex-

isting Buildings (EB) category.

To reach the Gold certification level, green features were implemented several

years ago including low flow water fixtures, which reduce indoor water usage by

33%, improved green cleaning policies and practices, and implementation of practical and measurable

strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in sustainable site development, water

savings, energy efficiency, recycling, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating system™ is a feature

-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The

six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and

Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certi-

fied, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the to-

tal number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types in-

cluding new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes,

neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.

Gold achievement demonstrates to our tenants and prospective tenants our commitment to managing

at the highest standard of excellence. We are proud to provide a high-performance green building, one

that promotes a healthier workplace and a more sustainable environment for our tenants and our com-

munity.

New Assignments

RiverRock Real Estate Group has been selected as the

management team for the Aventine located in the heart of

San Diego’s University Towne Centre Submarket. Created

by world-renowned architect Michael Graves, this 11 acre

property is home to an 11 story Class A LEED Platinum of-

fice building, as well as world-class dining and luxury ac-

commodations.

RiverRock will provide management services to the

Sparks Enterprises Portfolio, consisting of six mixed-

use properties located throughout Southern Califor-

nia. Due to maintaining good relationships with our

clients, this past client returned to RiverRock because

they have been pleased with our services. These

properties will be managed by Jane Coddington, out

of our Newport Beach office.

Aventine

Sparks Portfolio

Redwood Portfolio

RiverRock has been chosen to provide man-

agement services to an eight property portfo-

lio for Redwood-Kairos. The properties are

located in Southern California, San Jose, and

Phoenix. The relationship started with our

Construction Management team and has ex-

panded to Property Management as well.

This assignment will be managed by Jane

Coddington, Jessica Rosati, and Michelle We-

ber.

Page 3 The Rock Pile

she’s not at work, you can find

her taking the dogs to the park or

doing yard work.

Mary Cochran

Mary joins River-

Rock as General

Manager of The

Avent ine, a

LEED Platinum

Certified office

building in La

Jolla, which is

part of an 11-acre mixed-use pro-

ject that includes a AAA Four Dia-

mond Hyatt Regency and the

Sporting Club. Prior to joining Ri-

verRock, Mary was with CBRE,

managing a 23 story, Class A high

rise in downtown San Diego.

Mary started her 26 year career

in commercial property manage-

ment, while attending California

State University, Long Beach.

She moved to San Diego in 1992

and currently lives in Carlsbad

with her husband, Chris and 20

year old daughter, Amber. She

enjoys walking her Jack Russell

Terrier every day, attending boot

camps 3 – 4 days a week, playing

2-man beach volleyball and she

recently took up stand-up paddle

boarding. Mary loves summer

and cannot wait to start taking

her dog on her paddle board.

Valerie Pena

Valerie joins Ri-

verRock as a Pro-

ject Coordinator

at 2050 Main in

Irvine. She

comes from a

frontline custom-

er service back-

ground and has

a Bachelor’s degree in Communi-

cations. In her free time, Valerie

enjoys hiking local trails, visiting

new restaurants to sample origi-

nal and/or international dishes,

and spending time with her family

and friends.

Jennevi Sambrano

Jennevi works at

Concord Corporate

Centre as a Project

Coordinator. She

brings 7 years of

experience work-

ing in the residen-

tial and commer-

cial property management indus-

try and has worked for Archstone,

Essex, and Colliers International.

When Jennevi is not working she

likes to go to the gym, travel, and

try out new trendy restaurants!

[Continue Reading Pg. 4]

6 Ways to Create Your Own Happiness at Work

This suggested reading excerpt was selected by Reva Sanchez. For more of this article, please go to www.entrepreneur.com/article/245422

Those who rate themselves as happy are 36% more motivated, six times more energized,

and twice as productive as their unhappy counterparts according to an article recently

posted on Talentsmart.com. The good news is that just 10% of happiness is influenced by

genetics—the rest is up to you. When it comes to making yourself happy, learn what

works for you; once you discover this, everything else tends to fall into place.

1. Let Your Strengths Flow

A University of Chicago study of peak performance found that people who were able to reach an intense state of focus,

called flow, reaped massive benefits. Flow is the state of mind in which you find yourself completely engrossed in a pro-

ject or task, and you lose awareness of the passage of time and other external distractions. The result is not just happi-

ness and productivity but also the development of new skills through a heightened state of learning. Set clear goals

each day and experiment with task order until you find the secret formula that gets you flowing.

2. Give Someone A Hand

Taking the time to help your colleagues not only makes them happy, but it also makes you happy. In a Harvard study,

employees who helped others were 10 times more likely to be focused at work. As long as you make certain that you

aren’t overcommitting yourself, helping others is sure to have a positive influence on your happiness.

3. Clear the Clutter

Take a good look at your workspace. You should create a space that’s soothing and uplifting. Whether it’s a picture of

your family, a plant, or an award that you’re proud of, display them prominently to keep them on your mind. Get rid of

the clutter that hold no significance and do nothing positive for your mental state. [Continue Reading Pg. 5]

New RockStars continued...

Page 4 The Rock Pile

Alexis joins RiverRock as a Project Coordinator in our Long Beach office. She is a re-

cent college graduate from California Polytechnic University of Pomona, earning her

degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Exercise Science. Alexis enjoys the beach,

hiking, and running. She has been a runner since her freshman year in high school

and she’s completed the Disney half marathon twice.

Kim Davis

Kim recently joined our San Jose office as a Project Coordinator. She is a native Califor-

nian and enjoys staying active by bike riding, swimming, running, hiking, dancing, etc.

Kim has lots of friends and family in the area and always enjoys spending time with

them. She has a one cat and one dog, and loves spending time with them as well.

She’s very grateful to be a team member at RiverRock.

Rachel Jarvis

Rachel joined the RiverRock team as Building Concierge at the 6-acre Campus 2100

property located in El Segundo, CA. Rachel graduated from San Diego State University,

and returned to El Segundo where she grew up to work in the field of Municipal Recrea-

tion. With 10 years of experience in Parks and Recreation, Rachel loves working with

others and has a passion for planning fun activities and being outside. She enjoys being

at the beach, riding her bike, and hiking in her spare time. She also loves to travel, and

go to Dodger games!

Julien Bieckert

Julien works as a Project Coordinator at our new San Diego property, the Aventine. Born

and raised in Strasbourg, France, he has called San Diego his home for the last 16 years.

He attended SDSU and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. In his free time,

he likes to do handy work and enjoys volunteering at Habitat for Humanity. Julien is also

an avid traveler - he recently completed trips to Asia and Morocco. For hobbies, Julien en-

joys billiards, baseball, and scuba diving. He is also an accomplished painter whose medi-

um of choice is oil. He is thrilled to join the RiverRock team.

Leslie Sarmiento

Leslie is a Project Coordinator in our Newport Beach office. She recently moved to Costa

Mesa. She is married and has a baby boy who will be one in August. She enjoys kayaking,

eating out, and spending time with her family and dog Sugar. Her favorite city is Chicago

and she believes the city has the best food and restaurants in the country. Leslie holds a

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and has plans to get her California Real Es-

tate License.

Conrado Montes

Conrado is a Construction Manager for our Northern California region. He currently

lives in Aptos, and enjoys doing genealogical research on his family back in Texas,

reading, and driving along the California coast with his girlfriend. Conrado earned an

MS in Engineering Management and has over 25 years of experience in the construc-

tion industry.

[Continue Reading Pg. 7]

New RockStars continued...

Alexis Schuitema

Page 5 The Rock Pile

6 Ways to Create Your Own Happiness at Work continued...

By Dr. Travis Bradberry

Influential people have a profound im-

pact on everyone they encounter. Yet,

they achieve this only because they ex-

ert so much influence inside, on them-

selves. We see only their outside. We

see them innovate, speak their mind,

and propel themselves forward toward

bigger and better things. And, yet, we’re

missing the best part. The confidence

and wherewithal that make their influ-

ence possible are earned. It’s a labor of

love that influential people pursue be-

hind the scenes, every single day. And

while what people are influenced by

changes with the season, the unique

habits of influential people remain con-

stant. Their focused pursuit of excel-

lence is driven by nine habits that you

can emulate and absorb until your influ-

ence expands:

1. They think for themselves

Influential people aren’t buffeted by the

latest trend or by public opinion. They

form their opinions carefully, based on

the facts. They’re more than willing to

change their mind when the facts sup-

port it, but they aren’t influenced by

what other people think, only by what

they know.

2. They are graciously disruptive

Influential people are never satisfied

with the status quo. They’re the ones

who constantly ask, “What if?” and

“Why not?” They’re not afraid to chal-

lenge conventional wisdom, and they

don’t disrupt things for the sake of be-

ing disruptive; they do it to make things

better.

3. They inspire conversation

When influential people speak, conver-

sations spread like ripples in a pond.

And those ripples are multidirectional;

influencers inspire everyone around

them to explore new ideas and think

differently about their work.

4. They leverage their networks

Influential people know how to make

lasting connections. Not only do they

know a lot of people, they get to know

their connections’ connections. More

importantly, they add value to everyone

in their network. They share advice and

know how, and they make connections

between people who should get to know

each other.

5. They focus only on what really mat-

ters

Influential people aren’t distracted by

trivialities. They’re able to cut through

the static and clutter, focus on what

matters, and point it out to everyone

else. They speak only when they have

something important to say, and they

never bore people with idle banter.

6. They welcome disagreement

Influential people do not react emotion-

ally and defensively to dissenting opin-

ions—they welcome them. They’re hum-

ble enough to know that they don’t

know everything and that someone else

might see something they missed. And

if that person is right, they embrace the

idea wholeheartedly because they care

more about the end result than being

right.

7. They are proactive

Influential people don’t wait for things

like new ideas and new technologies to

find them; they seek those things out.

These early adopters always want to

anticipate what’s next. They’re influen-

tial because they see what’s coming,

and they see what’s coming because

they intentionally look for it. Then they

spread the word.

8. They respond rather than react

If someone criticizes an influential per-

son for making a mistake, or if someone

else makes a critical mistake, influential

people don’t react immediately and

emotionally. They wait. They think. And

9 Habits of Profoundly Influential People

[Continue Reading Pg. 6]

4. Reward Yourself

Working hard is important, but never allowing yourself to take a break is detrimental to your happiness. Effective re-

wards can be small things such as taking a walk down the hall or eating a snack.

5. Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

It’s all too easy to get caught up in things that could have been different or didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to.

Sometimes the best way to pull your mind away from negativity is to step back and contemplate what you’re grateful for.

Research conducted at the University of California, Davis, found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of

gratitude experienced improved mood, energy, and physical wellbeing

6. Believe the Best Is Yet to Come

Don’t just tell yourself that the best is yet to come—believe it. Having a positive, optimistic outlook on the future doesn’t

just make you happier; it also improves your performance by increasing your sense of self-efficacy.

Bringing It All Together

Applying these strategies won’t just improve your happiness at work; but will also improve your emotional well-being.

Pick those that resonate with you and have fun with them.

This suggested reading excerpt was selected by John Combs.

For more of this article, please go to www.realsuccess.net/9-habits-profoundly-influential-people/

Page 6 The Rock Pile

[Back to Front]

IREM OC 2015 Southern California Real Estate Conference

then they deliver an appropriate re-

sponse. Influential people know how

important relationships are, and they

won’t let an emotional overreaction

harm theirs. They also know that emo-

tions are contagious, and overreacting

has a negative influence on everyone

around them.

9. They believe

Influential people always expect the

best. They believe in their own power to

achieve their dreams, and they believe

others share that same power. They be-

lieve that nothing is out of reach, and

that belief inspires those around them to

stretch for their own goals. They firmly

believe that one person can change the

world.

Bringing It All Together

To increase your influence, you need to

freely share your skills and insights, and

you must be passionate in your pursuit

of a greater future.

RockStars Out & About

100 Bayview Fire Drill

Deana Marquis, Jennifer Cano,

Mayroth Urias, & Austin Brown

9 Habits of Profoundly Influential People continued...

Coauthor Emotional Intelligence 2.0 & President

at TalentSmart

Dr. Travis Bradberry

The Combover continued...

Congratulations to Michelle Goudeaux on earning her RPA® designation from BOMI International!

Orange County Business Journal names RiverRock “Best Places to Work” for 7th Consecutive Year!

Page 7 The Rock Pile

Noteworthy Announcements

as being in tertiary markets - with the plan to re-deploy the capital into new investments that we will man-

age. Likewise, we won a new office building in downtown Oakland that True North purchased. They at-

tempted to sell Hookston, which we currently manage, but were not successful in hitting the returns they

wanted. PK Green went from thinking True North was going to be a past client to now having 2 nice prop-

erties to manage. We were awarded our 4th office tower from Montgomery Advisors. This time it is The

Aventine in La Jolla, a 217,000 square foot, 11 acre mixed-use property.

The trend of outsourcing property management for owners who have been self-managing their properties

continues. We were awarded a portfolio of retail properties in Orange County from Sparks Enterpris-

es. The former asset manager with Red Mountain is now the asset manager for Sparks and personally

requested Jane Coddington to be on her account. Redwood Capital outsourced their property manage-

ment to us in Phoenix, San Jose, and Southern California. Redwood is comprised of the family of tennis

star Michael Chang and they also own Pieology restaurants.

Thought for the day: Fewer than half of unhappy customers ever bring a complaint to your attention. Of

those who don’t make an actual complaint, they tell an average of 11-15 people how poor their service

was. Therefore, no news is not necessarily good news. Bring on those customer complaints so we can

get better. Suggestions to improve customer service include:

1. Listen more than you talk.

2. Engage customers in developing their own solutions.

3. Overload customers with feedback on progress.

4. Balance customer complaints with staff innovation to move ahead.

5. Apologize when wrong.

6. Solve the problem or become the “go to” organization for problem solving assistance.

7. Deliver what you commit to.

Have a great summer and thanks to each of you for rolling with the Rock!

[Back to Front]

Carlos Alvarez

Carlos works as General Man-

ager of Liberty Station in San

Diego. He was born and raised

in Southern California and

graduated with a B.S. in Busi-

ness Administration from the

University of Southern Califor-

nia’s Marshall School of Business. In his free time,

Carlos enjoys all sports including: mountain biking,

swimming, hiking, gardening, photography, and

snowboarding. He is a father of two, a six year old

daughter and three year old son, and he loves

spending time with family and friends.

Suzie Billingsley

Suzie works in our Walnut Creek office as an Administrative Assis-tant. She holds a BA in Psychology and has previous experience in the education sector, youth and social work, event planning, and telecom-munications. Suzie has a large ex-tended family and group of friends that she enjoys spending her time

with. She loves the Oakland Athletics Baseball Team, attending live music concerts, reading, and relaxing at the beach. Suzie is passionate about giving back to the community by donating school supplies, as well as tutoring and mentoring foster youth in her spare time. She is excited to join RiverRock and is looking forward to meeting everyone in the near future.

New RockStars continued...