United Way of Morris County Events
Past Events

8th Annual Commercial Real Estate Network
Legacy Luncheon
Friday, March 23, 2007

Dynamic Coach Wins Crowd, as Legacy Luncheon Reaches Million Dollar Goal

Teamwork. Leadership.  Success.  These themes resounded at United Way of Morris County's Commercial Real Estate Network's Legacy Luncheon on March 23rd, 2007, when Keynote Speaker Greg Schiano, Head Football Coach for Rutgers University's Scarlet Knights, wowed the crowd with stories of tough losses, hard work, focused goals, and successful turnarounds.

"Success is that peace of mind you can live with when you know you've done everything you can to be the best you can be," he noted.  Schiano became Rutgers' coach in 2000, and by 2006, had turned the program into one of the nation's best.

The Legacy Luncheon, held at the Hilton Parsippany, attracted over 350 commercial real estate and related industry representatives.  The event grossed $159,000, which pushed The Network's total in dollars raised since 2000 over the $1,000,000 mark.  Event proceeds are used to fund critical capital improvements at United Way of Morris County member agencies.

In thanking the crowd for supporting United Way and the event, Schiano added, "It's great to see so many people who are incredibly busy taking time to raise over a million dollars for this great cause.  If each of you here today could get just one more person involved, you would solve a lot of problems."

Dave Szott, Vice President of Jones Lang LaSalle, was the Event Moderator.  In thanking the sponsors, he explained how agencies will be able to continue their work without the worry of budgeting for repairs and renovations.  "People you will never meet, and who will never be able to thank you, will all benefit because you came to this banquet today."

Key sponsors of the Legacy Luncheon included Jones Lang LaSalle, Turner Construction, Novartis Pharmeceuticals, and Newmark Knight Frank.

Other event sponsors included Arenson/Knoll, CB Richard Ellis, EvensonBest, GJ Cloninger, The Gale Company, The Garibaldi Group, Gilbane Building Company, Hunter Roberts Construction, Jovin Demo, Mack-Cali Realty, Normandy Real Estate, PSE&G, Pfizer, Prozio Bromberg & Newman, RexCorp Realty, The Rockefeller Group, StructureTone, and The Walsh Company.

An event highlight was the presentation of the United Way Commercial Real Estate Impact Award, which recognizes the property development project or transaction that has had the most positive impact in the Morris County community in 2006.  The finalists included HSBC (399 Jefferson Road, Parsippany), The Louis Berger Group (412 Mt. Kemble Ave., Morris Township), and Quest Diagnostics (3 Giralda Farms, Madison).

This year's award winner was the New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority for the purchase of a 20-acre site in Florham Park from a partnership between The Gale Company and The Rockefeller Group.  The New York  Jets, represented by Cohn Real Estate, will be leasing the property for their new training facilities.  Tenant's counsel was Drinker Biddle & Reath, and the project will also involve architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Langan Engineering, and Hunter Roberts Construction.

Also included at the luncheon were honorary guests from major Morris County corporations, including Jamie Ciarletta, Novartis, Craig McLaughlin, Quest Diagnostics, and Jim Stabenow, Novartis.