Sarah Cowan, Author at Greenrock Real Estate Advisors

Greenrock CEO Gloria Mogavero Passes Baton to Barry Green

Sarah Cowan on December 21, 2020

Gloria Mogavero will be stepping down as CEO in the New Year after 11 years of leadership, feeling proud her vision for the company has been achieved. The role will be taken over by Greenrock Chairman Barry Green in January.

Gloria will be staying on with Greenrock on a part-time basis as the company’s new Officer of Administration.

Gloria was hired as Greenrock’s CEO in 2009, shortly after the company sold its interests in Greenwin in 2006 and transitioned to a self-management model.

Prior to joining Greenrock, Gloria held the position of Alliance Director for CB Richard Ellis as Operations Manager for a six million square foot commercial portfolio for the Bank of Nova Scotia, which included Scotia Plaza. Previously, Gloria was the Executive Vice-President of Greenwin Property Management Inc., at which time she helped manage over 40,000 units across Canada.

Gloria was instrumental in implementing a new company culture at Greenrock that makes giving back a priority. In 2017, she spearheaded the “RockStar Experience,” which represents the company’s cultural transformation dedicated to providing an exceptional experience to clients, strategic partners, residents, tenants, staff, and community members.

“Barry and the Green family’s vision to grow a company that cares about the communities they manage in is the reason I joined Greenrock,” says Gloria. “I am thankful for their support in working towards this mission for the past decade.”

Gloria has taken on countless complex files, such as the repositioning of Postmedia Place, which has significantly increased the value of this Greenrock core asset.

Barry, whose father Al Green developed the family business and built thousands of residential units across the GTA, wishes Gloria all the best in her new role.

“On behalf of Greenrock, I wish to express our gratitude for Gloria’s friendship and service over the last 11 years. For some time, Gloria and I have been discussing Gloria’s desire to transition to a place that would allow her more personal time for family and travel,” explains Barry. “I am confident that COVID will soon abate and Gloria will begin in earnest this next stage of her journey.”

Barry vows to carry on Gloria’s shared vision of building a company that demonstrates excellence in service to clients, residents, tenants, the community, and each other.

Greenrock Gifts Over $100,000 to Canadian Charities on Behalf of Residents, Tenants

Sarah Cowan on December 10, 2020

TORONTO, December 10, 2020 – In the season of giving, Greenrock residents and tenants voted for several charities across Canada to receive donations through the company’s annual holiday donation programs.

The Greenrock IMPACT Resident Donation is a unique program that was first launched in 2018 and directly involves residents in the nominating and voting process to select winning charities to receive funding each year.

At a virtual ceremony on December 9^th, the five Canadian charities below were announced as the winners of the 2020 Greenrock IMPACT Resident Donation and will each receive $20,000 donations:

“It is our pleasure to gift these donations on behalf of the caring and community-minded residents who shared their voice with us this holiday season,” says Gloria Mogavero, Greenrock Chief Executive Officer.

The Redwood received an additional $10,000 on behalf of Postmedia Place tenants, who participated in the annual Greenrock IMPACT Tenant Donation.

“It is truly inspirational the generosity that Greenrock Real Estate Advisors continues to show our emergency shelter and support services for women and children fleeing domestic violence,” says Abi Ajibolade, Executive Director of The Redwood.

The Greenrock IMPACT Committee carefully selected 11 nominees for this year’s voting ballots, which included a wide range of charitable organizations across the country that reflect Greenrock’s values and commitment to diversity.

About Greenrock IMPACT: The mission of Greenrock IMPACT is to build stronger, healthier, and environmentally sustainable communities while celebrating cultural diversity and promoting human rights across Canada through a variety of annual initiatives, volunteer programs, and donations. During the pandemic, Greenrock IMPACT has focused its efforts on COVID-19 relief initiatives.

About Greenrock Real Estate Advisors: For more information, please visit our website.

For Media Enquiries: Please email Greenrock’s Communications & Social Media Specialist, Sarah Cowan, at scowan@greenrockreal.ca

Postmedia Place 92% More Efficient Than Other Properties, According to Natural Resources Canada

Sarah Cowan on November 19, 2020

Postmedia Place is in the spotlight once again for its environmental prowess.

On November 10^th, 2020, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) awarded Postmedia Place with its ENERGY STAR certification, which recognizes properties with superior energy performance.

According to NRCan, Postmedia Place is 92% more energy efficient than similar properties across Canada.

“This is an amazing result and a huge deal for us at Postmedia Place. Well done team!” says Justin Taylor, Greenrock Chief Operating Officer.

This achievement follows Postmedia Place’s recent victory at BOMA Toronto’s Virtual CREST Awards on November 5^th, 2020, where it earned the Innovative Excellence Award.

To find out more about Postmedia Place’s green initiatives, visit www.postmediaplace.com/sustainability.

Greenrock’s COVID-19 Relief Fund Exceeds $2 Million

Sarah Cowan on November 17, 2020

Grocery gift card being packed into envelope

The season of giving is upon us, and with no clear end in sight for the pandemic, Greenrock extends further support for its residents and community members through donations and gifts.

Greenrock IMPACT announced in June 2020 the recipients of its $1.5 Million COVID-19 Relief Fund, which included $900,000 of donations to charities across Canada and $600,000 of grocery gift certificates between April and June 2020 to assist with residents’ household expenses.

Greenrock recently added a further $600,000 of resident support, bringing the fund’s total to $2.25 Million. All units in Greenrock’s 2000-suite portfolio will receive additional $100 grocery gift certificates in each of October, November, and December 2020.

“These unusual times have affected so many of us and we want to help those who have made their home in our buildings,” says Greenrock’s Chief Operating Officer Justin Taylor.

Many residents have reached out thanking Greenrock for its generosity, noting that with rising food prices and unsteady incomes, the extra grocery money is a big help. Some even passed part of their gift forward as an act of kindness and donated the money to local food banks.

Aside from the COVID-19 Relief Fund, Greenrock’s charitable support will carry on this holiday season through the 2020 Greenrock IMPACT Resident Donation. The five charities on this year’s ballot with the most votes by residents will each receive $20,000. The winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony in the coming weeks. Visit Greenrock IMPACT’s web page for more information about the annual resident donation program.

Postmedia Place Wins 2020 BOMA Toronto CREST Award

Sarah Cowan on November 6, 2020

Group photo of Postmedia Place team in lobby

Postmedia Place won a prestigious award this week from BOMA Toronto for its environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to commercial real estate.

Greenrock Commercial Services’ Postmedia Place property at 365 Bloor St. E in Toronto was announced as the winner of the Innovative Excellence Award (less than 500,00 sq. ft category) at the Virtual CREST Awards on Thursday, November 5, 2020.

The award “recognizes those who have deployed creative and effective approaches, strategies, and technologies to achieve their performance and sustainability objectives,” according to BOMA Toronto.

“We take the environment seriously at Greenrock and aren’t afraid to experiment with new initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint,” explains Greenrock’s Chief Operating Officer Justin Taylor. “We’ve made significant investments throughout the years at Postmedia Place, such as retrofitting all tenant suites with energy-saving LED lighting, to ensure our day-to-day operations are as ‘green’ as possible.”

Since its inception in 2017, Postmedia Place has participated in BOMA Toronto’s Race2reduce program to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. In 2018, Postmedia Place was awarded the first-ever Race2reduce Collaborative Excellence Award.

Postmedia Place sits in the top 25% of its building class with an Energy Star rating of 92%.

“I am incredibly proud of our team for their hard work and contributions,” says Postmedia Place General Manager Alaric da Cunha.

To read Postmedia Place’s tactics for creating an environmentally-friendly workplace, visit www.postmediaplace.com/sustainability.

Greenrock Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Donates $10K to Local Charities

Sarah Cowan on October 26, 2020

As part of Greenrock IMPACT’s company-wide initiatives for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, two local charities dedicated to improving the lives of women battling breast cancer received $10,000 through the Greenrock Charitable Trust.

Donations of $5,000 each were made to Look Good Feel Better and After Breast Cancer, which are both based in Toronto and focus on boosting the self-esteem of women fighting or recovering from breast cancer.

Look Good Feel Better offers complimentary workshops in hospitals and cancer centres across Canada to help women with cancer regain self-confidence and feel like themselves again. After Breast Cancer helps women with no insurance and limited financial resources become reacquainted with their new bodies by providing a mastectomy bra, camisole, and breast prosthesis at no cost to them after breast surgery.

Greenrock is a strong supporter of women’s health and appreciates the valuable work of organizations like After Breast Cancer and Look Good Feel Better in supporting women with breast cancer.

“It is so important for us support and empower women in our local communities. We hope to see these charities thrive for years to come,” says Greenrock’s CEO Gloria Mogavero.

Staff across the company, fondly referred to as “RockStars,” also sported pink hats and ribbon pins throughout the month to raise awareness for the cause (see gallery below).