2026 Awardees
BROKER OF THE YEAR
Southwest Investment Sales Team | Colliers
Comprised of Vice Chair Sean Fulp, Executive Vice Presidents Mark Schuessler and Todd Tydlaska, and Associate Vice Presidents Jordan Garcia and Blake Hammerstein, Colliers' Los Angeles-based Office Capital Markets team has established itself as one of the most innovative, trusted, and effective advisory groups during one of the most challenging office market cycles in decades. Their combination of vision, discipline, and client‑centric execution makes them exceptional candidates for NAIOP SoCal’s Brokers of the Year.
The team continues to lead Los Angeles in institutional‑quality office dispositions and recapitalizations, including several of the region’s most complex and closely watched transactions. Their work spans trophy assets, value‑add opportunities, recapitalizations, and structured finance solutions. Whether representing private capital, institutional owners, or global investors, they consistently close deals that reset market benchmarks and attract new capital into Southern California across the Western U.S.
Demonstrating exceptional leadership, resilience, and creativity, the team's transaction success, market influence, and unwavering client advocacy distinguish them as a rare combination of expertise, performance, and professionalism. They not only represent the best of Colliers; they represent the best of the Southern California CRE community.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Alison Ramsey
Alison Ramsey helps set the standard for multifamily banking in Southern California. As an Executive Director and Client Manager at JPMorganChase, she delivers low cost of capital with uncommon ease and certainty of execution—because she pairs structuring acumen with operating insight. Her 20-year path—from Washington Mutual through roles spanning office, retail, industrial, and Commercial REO—gives her a 360-degree view that clients trust. In 2025, Alison led an all‑female lending teams who had a record year of originations, all while maintaining Presidents Club performance. Two transactions illustrate her impact: refinancing 55 units in Placentia to preserve affordability with a streamlined seven‑year fixed structure, and delivering cash‑out financing pre‑maturity on an 86‑unit Compton repositioning—both closed under tight timelines. Alison elevates our clients by integrating treasury solutions that improve collections, liquidity, and risk management, shortening time to close and enhancing efficiency. She also elevates our industry: chairing NAIOP SoCal’s Night at the Fights to record results and mentoring women across NAIOP and community nonprofits. Calm, solutions‑oriented, and relentlessly client‑focused, Alison advances Southern California's commercial real estate market, she is committed to mentoring early career professionals and giving back to her community.
NoRhett Walls
NoRhett Walls is an exceptional commercial real estate professional whose career is defined by excellence, leadership, and service. She consistently distinguishes herself through her ability to navigate highly complex transactions across industrial, retail, hospitality, office, and multifamily asset classes—often guiding clients through challenging entitlement and regulatory processes that require persistence, expertise, and hands‑on involvement. Her clients trust her not only for her results, but for her unwavering commitment to seeing even the most difficult projects through to successful completion.
Beyond her transactional success, NoRhett’s impact is felt through her leadership and mentorship. She is deeply committed to supporting others, particularly women pursuing careers in commercial real estate, and actively gives back through mentorship, scholarship initiatives, and leadership roles within CREW, NAIOP, and ULI. Her long‑standing service includes executive leadership, committee involvement, and the creation of scholarship opportunities that have opened doors for future industry leaders.
Recognized repeatedly for her influence and contributions, NoRhett exemplifies the values of integrity, collaboration, and service. Her professional achievements, combined with her dedication to uplifting others and strengthening the industry, make her a truly deserving candidate for Commercial Real Estate Woman of the Year.
DEAL OF THE YEAR
Runway at Playa Vista
Hines, on behalf of Hines Global Income Trust (HGIT), acquired Runway at Playa Vista—one of Los Angeles’ premier mixed‑use destinations and the vibrant town center of the Playa Vista master‑planned community. The 630,000‑square‑foot district brings together luxury residences, grocery‑anchored retail, medical services, dining, entertainment, and wellness offerings in a highly walkable setting that serves residents, visitors, and the surrounding Playa Vista workforce.
This acquisition stands out for its scale, complexity, and strategic timing. Secured through a $430 million transaction, Runway represents a rare opportunity to steward a high‑performing, fully integrated mixed‑use asset in one of the Westside’s most supply‑constrained and sought‑after neighborhoods. The deal required sophisticated mixed‑use underwriting, coordination across diverse tenant types, and thoughtful planning to preserve and enhance a multifaceted, experience‑driven district. Hines’ strategy focuses on elevating merchandising, activating the public realm, and strengthening Runway’s long‑term positioning through curated leasing and placemaking.
In a disrupted capital‑markets environment, Hines’ investment preserves and enhances a thriving community hub—demonstrating the creativity, operational sophistication, and long‑term value creation that define a standout Deal of the Year contender.
COMMUNITY IMPACT PROJECT OF THE YEAR
The Whole Child's Safe Families Interim Housing and Support Services Center
The Safe Families Interim Housing and Support Services Center, developed by The Whole Child, is redefining how Southeast Los Angeles County addresses family homelessness. This 26,173‑square-foot, three-story, trauma-informed facility provides 19 interim housing units alongside on-site mental health services, parent enrichment, and nutrition education—keeping families together while addressing both immediate needs and long-term stability.
Rather than dispersing services, Safe Families integrates housing, healing, and opportunity in one centralized location, enabling families to transition seamlessly into the adjacent Homeless to Homeowner Campus and achieve permanent housing, economic self-sufficiency, and stronger household resilience.
The project was made possible by a City of Santa Fe Springs land donation valued at over $1.4 million and more than $20 million in funding from city, county, state, federal, and philanthropic partners, demonstrating the power of strategic public-private collaboration.
Durable, energy-efficient construction reduces operating costs while providing local employment for construction workers and on-site staff. Safe Families is a replicable, high-impact model that strengthens families, enhances community cohesion, and illustrates how integrated design, services, and partnerships can create lasting social and economic benefits.
DEVELOPING LEADER OF THE YEAR
Louis DeFino | Nuveen Real Estate
Originally from Wisconsin, Louis began his real estate acquisitions career in Chicago with Henderson Global Investors, which later became part of TIAA. In 2017, he relocated to Newport Beach to focus on industrial acquisitions across the West Coast. Encouraged by peers, he joined NAIOP SoCal and quickly recognized its value—exceptional networking, top-tier education, and a strong professional community. After completing the YPG program, which significantly enhanced his emotional intelligence, public speaking, and leadership skills, he remained actively involved.
In 2024, he led the YPG Selection Committee, helping to evaluate over 100 applicants and select a final cohort of 35. He later served as Curriculum Committee Chair, coordinating speakers and venues while mentoring the class throughout the program. Watching their growth has been incredibly rewarding and reinforced his commitment to NAIOP SoCal.
Over the past five years, his role at Nuveen Real Estate has expanded, and he now leads industrial acquisitions in the Northwest and San Diego. A self-described “deal guy,” he is passionate about continuing to refine his investment expertise while growing his leadership impact. Long term, he aspires to build his own real estate investment portfolio and create lasting value through strategic investment.
CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Shawmut Design and Construction
In an industry that shapes how we live, work, and connect, Shawmut approaches construction with purpose. A $2.3 billion construction management firm, Shawmut differentiates itself by building spaces that reflect and strengthen the communities it serves. That means reinforcing Southern California’s vibrant culture while putting people first—through best-in-class project delivery, strong industry partnerships, talent development, and a safety program focused on physical and mental well-being.
Across its Los Angeles, Irvine, and San Diego offices, Shawmut delivers high-impact projects in sectors driving regional growth, including education, hospitality, life sciences, healthcare, sports venues, and commercial. From supporting venues preparing for LA28 to advancing sustainable construction, Shawmut is helping shape the region’s future. The strategy is working: its California revenue grew 47% from 2024 to 2025.
This momentum is fueled by Shawmut’s culture of care. As a 100% employee-owned company, it empowers its people through mentorship, early-career development, and an unwavering commitment to safety, mental health, and belonging.
As Southern California evolves, Shawmut is investing in the next generation—partnering with The Posse Foundation, ACE Mentorship Program, and STEM Advantage to build a strong talent pipeline and extend its impact beyond the jobsite.
INDUSTRIAL BUILD-TO-SUIT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Hesperia Commerce Center II
Hesperia Commerce Center II represents a new benchmark in industrial build-to-suit development defined by scale, innovation, environmental stewardship, and execution excellence. At 2.5 million square feet, this Amazon Central Hub is one of only five of its kind nationwide and will serve as a transformative logistics engine for the Southwestern United States. Purpose-built to support high-throughput regional distribution, the facility enhances supply chain speed, resilience, and operational efficiency at an unprecedented scale.
The project team successfully navigated complex High Desert environmental constraints, including protected Western Joshua Tree mitigation, while simultaneously delivering major infrastructure improvements such as a nine-mile electrical extension and a 7-megawatt solar- and battery-equipped microgrid. These solutions ensure long-term power reliability and sustainability.
Innovations including mass timber integration, low-carbon concrete applications, OptiPave systems, and a dedicated elevated pedestrian bridge demonstrate a commitment to safety, carbon reduction, and workforce experience. Coupled with a streamlined entitlement strategy and disciplined cost and schedule management, Hesperia Commerce Center II stands as a model of modern industrial development—transformational for its tenant and exemplary for the industry.
INDUSTRIAL SPECULATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR
The HUB @ Ontario International Airport - Phase I
The HUB @ Ontario International Airport (ONT) is a transformative 200-acre master-planned logistics campus located directly across from Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County. Upon completion, the development will total 4,263,000 square feet of Class A industrial space delivered over an accelerated 28-month schedule.
Designed to meet the demands of modern logistics users, the project combines premier location advantages with cutting-edge concrete decarbonization construction innovation. The HUB @ ONT is among the first large-scale industrial campus developments in Southern California to incorporate advanced concrete decarbonization strategies, including Total Integrated Panel Systems (TIPS) and low-carbon Type 1L concrete. These technologies significantly reduce embodied carbon by 35% while maintaining structural performance and operational efficiency.
Other sustainable elements incorporated into the design include rooftop solar arrays, drought-tolerant landscaping, and low-flow water systems that enhance long-term efficiency and environmental responsibility.
By integrating sustainability leadership, institutional-quality execution, and strategic adjacency to a major international airport, The HUB @ ONT sets a new benchmark for speculative industrial development in the Inland Empire and across Southern California.
INTERIOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Boos and Associates
The 2025 Boos & Associates full-floor office build-out in Downtown Long Beach exemplifies how thoughtful design and disciplined execution can redefine the modern workplace. Perched above the city with sweeping views of the skyline and harbor, the space was intentionally crafted as more than an office-it’s a destination that reflects Boos’ culture, hospitality, and forward-thinking identity.
Blending luxury with functionality, the space centers on a hospitality-driven social core anchored by a full-service bar, paired with a fully equipped gym that promotes health and long-term performance.
Custom wood storefronts, resin and wood flooring, decorative radius walls, and leather ceiling panels elevate the environment with refined craftsmanship and cohesive design detail.
Delivered under complex high-rise conditions with long-lead materials and tight logistics, the team maintained the schedule through proactive procurement tracking, weekly coordination, and split-shift installations.
The result is a polished, high-impact workplace that seamlessly integrates brand, experience, and performance, setting a new benchmark for interior excellence in Southern California.
Rodeo Drive Women's Health Center
The Rodeo Drive Women’s Health Center (RDWHC) stands as a masterclass in adaptive reuse and hospitality-driven clinical design. This 9,440-square-foot project transformed a windowless, constrained basement in Beverly Hills into a light-filled boutique wellness destination that elevates the standard of care. By anchoring the layout around an existing circular glass atrium, the design team at SAA introduced vital natural light and intuitive wayfinding into a once-forgotten subterranean footprint.
The project deserves recognition for its sophisticated balance of high-performance medical functionality and a warm, non-institutional aesthetic. Incorporating biophilic elements, advanced acoustic treatments for HIPAA compliance, and a strategic dual-circulation plan that offers specific discretion for VIP clientele, the clinic significantly enhances the patient journey. Beyond its interior beauty, the project represents a sustainable and efficient use of urban real estate, reducing embodied carbon by adapting an existing structure rather than pursuing new construction. RDWHC stands as a premier example of how thoughtful interior architecture can foster healing, privacy, and dignity in modern women’s healthcare.
MIXED USE/RETAIL PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Stadium Landing
This 16.8 acre development represents excellence in industrial design, construction quality, and collaborative execution. The campus includes two high-performance warehouse facilities, Building 1 at 228,431 sf with 265 auto stalls and 27 truck loading stalls, and Building 2 at 93,094 sf with 109 auto stalls and 10 truck loading stalls, each designed to maximize efficiency and tenant flexibility.
Constructed with concrete tilt up panels, structural steel framing, and wood framed mezzanines, the buildings deliver long-term durability and operational versatility. Elevated interior finishes, including a full height tile accent wall and floating staircase, distinguish the project within the speculative industrial market.
The Owner, consultants, and general contractor operated as a unified team, proactively addressing permitting challenges and maintaining a disciplined approach to schedule and quality control.
Strategically located near The Grove, Honda Center, and Angel Stadium with direct freeway access, the development offers exceptional regional connectivity. By transforming an underutilized site into a modern, market-ready industrial campus, this project establishes a benchmark for speculative industrial development and long-term economic contribution.
MULTI-FAMILY PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Tessera USC
Tessera (TesseraUSC.com) represents a new benchmark in student housing development near the campus of the University of Southern California (USC). Developed by George Alva and Carlos Delherra of Mosaic Development Partners, this seven-story, state-of-the-art building delivers 53 units and 250 beds in one of Los Angeles’ most dynamic neighborhoods. Ideally situated at Vermont Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, Tessera is steps from USC, Expo Park, and the Exposition/Vermont Metro station, offering unmatched accessibility and connectivity for residents.
A masterful collaboration between Sorensen Architects and SVA Architects, the building blends innovative design with elevated living. Its architectural presence enhances the surrounding streetscape while delivering a highly curated residential experience, including over 10,000 square feet of thoughtfully designed common-area amenities. The highlight of Tessera is its rooftop terrace, where the George Lucas Museum feels within reach and breathtaking panoramic views extend from Expo Park and USC across the downtown Los Angeles skyline to the Hollywood sign and the San Gabriel Mountains. At night, elegant building illumination and café string lights transform the space into a warm, vibrant gathering place. Through its design excellence, strategic location, and meaningful contribution to the USC community, Tessera sets a distinguished new standard for purpose-built student housing.
OFFICE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Boot Barn
Boot Barn’s new corporate headquarters in Irvine transforms a conventional office shell into a fully immersive brand experience inspired by a “modern Montana lodge at dusk” with a bold, fashion-forward edge. Spanning 118,000 square feet across four floors, the project rejects repetition entirely. No two conference rooms, break rooms, restrooms, or workspaces are alike, creating a dynamic environment that continuously fuels creativity and inspiration.
Organized around elemental themes of Stone, Leather, Iron, and Timber, the workplace embodies the brand’s “KEEP WEST” ethos through layered materiality, reclaimed woods, natural stone, custom hide installations, and vintage furnishings. At its heart is a four-story indoor waterfall engineered with innovative quiet-flow mylar technology, delivering biophilic movement without the noise or maintenance challenges of traditional water systems. Wrapped by a communicating stair, it fosters connection and shared experience across all levels.
More than an office, this headquarters blurs the line between hospitality and workplace. It strengthens brand alignment, elevates employee experience, and sets a new benchmark for experiential corporate design, making it a standout candidate for Office Project of the Year.
PRINCIPAL/OWNER/DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR
9th St. Partners, LLC
9th St. Partners is redefining industrial development in Southern California by transforming some of the region’s most complex and underutilized sites into next-generation logistics, manufacturing, and clean-energy infrastructure. Rather than pursuing conventional development opportunities, the firm specializes in high-barrier infill redevelopment - remediating environmentally impacted brownfields, repositioning obsolete industrial facilities, and solving infrastructure constraints that often prevent sites from being redeveloped.
Across projects in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange Counties, 9th St. Partners has demonstrated a consistent ability to unlock value where others see risk. By navigating complex environmental conditions, entitlements, and infrastructure challenges, the firm delivers modern Class A industrial facilities in some of the most supply-constrained markets in the world. These projects generate strong investment performance while restoring contaminated properties, creating quality jobs, and strengthening the region’s critical supply chain infrastructure.
The company is also helping position Southern California at the forefront of the next generation of industrial development, including projects supporting advanced manufacturing and clean-energy infrastructure.
Through disciplined execution, innovative redevelopment, and meaningful community impact, 9th St. Partners exemplifies the leadership and forward-thinking development recognized by the NAIOP SoCal Developer of the Year Award.
REDEVELOPMENT/RENOVATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Rexford Industrial: 14527 San Pedro St.
The redevelopment of 14434–14527 San Pedro Street demonstrates the power of strategic industrial revitalization. Originally converted from industrial use to a church, the site had fallen into significant disrepair. Rexford Industrial tracked the property for years and ultimately secured it through a relationship-driven off-market acquisition.
Rather than demolish and overbuild, the team preserved the higher-clear warehouse and reimagined the site into a best-in-class cross-dock logistics facility. The property now features 21 dock-high doors, ESFR sprinklers, a modern office pod, secured yard space and operational flexibility rarely found in Los Angeles.
Despite navigating complex challenges — including structural redesign and underground utility reconstruction — the project was delivered ahead of schedule, demonstrating the resilience, coordination and execution excellence of the in-house construction team.
Today, the 7.7-acre site stands as a model of adaptive reuse and disciplined redevelopment. Once underutilized, it is now a high-performing logistics hub serving the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and greater Los Angeles region. The project proves that strategic vision and thoughtful execution can unlock lasting value for tenants, investors and the community.
SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
Allen Matkins
Allen Matkins was founded with deep roots in real estate and has leveraged that foundation to grow and build prominent litigation, corporate, tax, labor and employment, land use, and environmental practices, allowing us to partner with clients throughout the commercial real estate ecosystem. Allen Matkins has advised on some of the largest projects in Southern California, including representing both the tenant and landlord in the largest office lease of 2024 in downtown Los Angeles (SoCalGas); advising on the sale of Maple Plaza, a Class A office campus in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County’s largest office investment sale in the third quarter of 2025; and representing the developer in Anduril’s early 2026 lease in Long Beach, one of the largest industrial/office leases in Southern California in recent years.
Given the depth of experience that our real estate lawyers possess, the range and breadth of our industry contacts, and our understanding of the varied marketplaces in which our clients do business, we are uniquely able to bring a “market-aware,” result-oriented approach to our clients’ real estate transactions. The value we add to each transaction results in a high level of client satisfaction.
SUSTAINABLE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
The HUB @ Ontario International Airport - Phase I
The HUB @ Ontario International Airport (ONT) is redefining sustainability in large-scale industrial development. Spanning 200 acres and totaling more than 4.2 million square feet at full build-out, the campus demonstrates how logistics facilities can significantly reduce environmental impact without compromising performance.
Designed to meet the demands of modern logistics users, the project combines premier location advantages with cutting-edge concrete decarbonization construction innovation. The HUB @ ONT is among the first large-scale industrial campus developments in Southern California to incorporate advanced concrete decarbonization strategies, including Total Integrated Panel Systems (TIPS) and low-carbon Type 1L concrete. These technologies significantly reduce embodied carbon by 35% while maintaining structural performance and operational efficiency. All Phase I buildings achieved LEED Gold certification by incorporating these comprehensive sustainability strategies.
Other sustainable elements incorporated into the design include rooftop solar arrays, drought-tolerant landscaping, and low-flow water systems that enhance long-term efficiency and environmental responsibility.
By combining measurable carbon reduction, advanced construction technology, and LEED-certified performance at an unprecedented scale, The HUB @ ONT establishes a replicable model for sustainable industrial development in Southern California and beyond.
Hall of Fame Inductee
Brett Dedeaux
Chief Executive and Managing Member
Dedeaux Properties
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Justin McCusker
MEMBER OF THE YEAR
David Salisbury
PUBLIC PARTNER OF THE YEAR
Juan Carrillo
California State Assemblymember