After more than a quarter century at the helm of NAIOP New Jersey, CEO Michael McGuinness will retire at the end of July.

The announcement came during the organization’s 36th Annual Commercial Real Estate Awards Gala, May 18 in Somerset. McGuinness will be succeeded by Dan Kennedy, who was introduced at that event and will join NAIOP NJ June 19.

That timing will allow for a six-week transition period between leaders.

“Saying goodbye to my commercial real estate family is not an easy thing to do,” said McGuinness in a statement. “It has been a privilege and honor to serve the needs of NAIOP New Jersey members and work alongside so many business leaders, entrepreneurs and visionaries who I now call friends. The memories, lessons learned, laughs and camaraderie are priceless.”

McGuinness joined the organization in 1997 after serving as acting director for Gov. Christine Todd Whitman’s Office of the Business Ombudsman in the New Jersey Department of State. Since then, he’s presided over dramatic growth of the organization, which represents owners, developers and related professionals in office, commercial, industrial and mixed-use real estate and the logistics sector, while helping to implement its mission.

Under his tenure, McGuinness set a proactive approach to lobbying, according to NAIOP, establishing the group as a leader and resulting in tangible changes and a more balanced approach to development in the state. Among those efforts to support sustainable work to build the economy, promote urban redevelopment and rebuild aging infrastructure here, NAIOP NJ counts among its achievements:

• Championing reforms to the state’s business incentive programs;
• Advocating for raising the Bayonne Bridge;
• Driving regulatory reforms at the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor to help protect and enhance the area’s robust logistics and distribution sector;
• Revising location local warehouse and inspection fees that capped the height criterion for industrial buildings; and
• Implementing the Licensed Site Remediation Professional program.

And that work persists. McGuinness cited recent legislation that allows for third-party reviews in construction inspections, which was signed into law this January. He added that a current proposal would also build on that work, allowing for self-certification by third-party professionals for plan reviews covered by the NJ Uniform Construction Code Act.

Looking ahead

Other current initiatives at NAIOP include: streamlining the repurposing of older, abandoned, vacant and stranded buildings and properties; reforming the state’s antiquated liquor license laws; and expanding and investing in energy, transportation, water and cyber infrastructure to make the state more competitive.

In a statement, McGuinness said that he felt good about leaving the organization at a time when it was poised to continue serving its members and helping to bring about change with Kennedy at the helm.

“The commercial real estate development industry is a catalyst for creating economic opportunity and putting New Jerseyans to work,” he noted.

Kennedy brings extensive experience in association management, public affairs and government relations, strategic planning, coalition building an policy to NAIOP, according to the group’s announcement. He has served as senior director/director of environmental and utility operations for the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association of New Jersey since 2017. Previously, he was a senior official in New Jersey State government.

Kennedy holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and a New Jersey Professional Planner license.

“I am appreciative of the selection committee’s confidence in me, and am honored to have the opportunity to carry on the important work of this impactful organization,” Kennedy said. “In the interim, I very much am looking forward to my shared time with Mike – who is such an accomplished and respected leader for this group and the larger New Jersey commercial real estate and business communities.”

Looking ahead McGuinness predicts NAIOP, and Kennedy’s work at the helm of the group, will focus on helping to mitigate adverse impacts from climate change with the introduction of renewable energy and smart growth principles, eliminating the hamstrings of the home rule mindset that he said contributes to unaffordable business and living conditions, and finding the right formula to attract and access a talented and right-skilled workforce.

At the NAIOP gala, McGuinness was recognized with a special Leadership Legacy Award that was bestowed upon him along with a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd of nearly 700 people.

“There’s a legacy here that Mike McGuinness leaves to this organization that will always be remembered,” Advance Realty Group founder and CEO Peter Cocoziello said presenting the honor.