Andy Hunt, director of the Center for Real Estate in the College of Business Administration, received the prestigious 2021 Developing Leaders Award from NAIOP, the national Commercial Real Estate Development Association, during its annual awards ceremony.
The Developing Leaders Award is given to young industry professionals from across NAIOP’s chapter network in all sectors of commercial real estate. The annual award honors exceptional professionals under the age of 35 for their remarkable professional accomplishments, strong leadership and significant community involvement. Hunt was one of four recipients of the 2021 award out of nearly 20,000 NAIOP members.
“This is such a prestigious honor for Andy and so well-deserved,” said Tim Hanley, acting Keyes Dean of the College of Business Administration. “He has been singled out for his leadership and commitment to the development of real estate professionals, including leading our Center for Real Estate, creating the Real Estate Asset Program — an applied-learning investment training program for students in the college — and his commitment to diversity in real estate training programs such as ACRE (Associates in Commercial Real Estate).”
Hunt is the first leader from a university real estate program to win this award in its 15-year history. The youngest Center for Real Estate director in the nation, he oversees all long-term strategic priorities, as well as day-to-day operations for one of the historically top-ranked programs in the country according to U.S. News and World Report. He provides thought leadership through in-depth research into cutting-edge real estate topics and has planned and led conferences on topics such as autonomous vehicles and their impacts on commercial real estate.
Hunt also serves as a member of the College of Business Administration New Building Design Committee with oversight over building design, functionality and utilization of the new $60 million home for Marquette Business.
“We are so proud to have Andy as a leader in our organization and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition,” said Jim Villa, NAIOP Wisconsin CEO. “Andy is a passionate, tireless, and committed leader that is helping to shape the future of our state and region through his work in the classroom, the community, and in NAIOP. He is, and will continue to be, the difference in how young minds learn and develop, and how our communities are built for many years to come.”
Hunt led a flash polling effort in partnership with NAIOP Wisconsin and the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin aimed at helping developers, owners and investors understand the market as the pandemic began. He has also played a critical role in Marquette’s involvement in the ACRE program, an industry-supported initiative that recruits and retains people of color for careers in commercial real estate.
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate. NAIOP advances responsible commercial real estate development and advocates for effective public policy. For more information, visit naiop.org.