Automotive properties expert Jodi Meade joins Avison Young in Los Angeles

Leading automotive sector specialist becomes Principal

LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2014 /CNW/ - Christopher Cooper, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company's Southern California region, announced today that 29-year commercial real estate industry veteran, and one of the nation's foremost automotive properties experts, Jodi Meade has joined Avison Young in downtown Los Angeles.

Effective immediately, Meade joins Avison Young as a Principal and will continue to specialize in automotive retail properties. Her primary initiative will be to develop and lead the newest affinity group for Avison Young, the automotive properties group. Meade was most recently Director of Automotive Properties Group with CBRE in downtown Los Angeles.

"Jodi is providing us with an incredible national platform in a rapidly growing sector of the retail and investment markets throughout the United States," comments Cooper. "Jodi's name is synonymous with automotive retail, and her relationships span across both regional and national dealership groups and investors, as well as global automotive manufacturers. This is a huge win for Avison Young, and we are thrilled to have Jodi join our growing company."

In her new role, Meade will continue to focus on the acquisition, expansion, leasing, relocation, disposition and auto-mall-development needs of owners, tenants, investors, developers, manufacturers and franchisees. Additionally, her numerous manufacturing industry relationships will complement Avison Young's enterprise solutions platform. Avison Young's global, Principal-led, enterprise solutions team comprises more than 100 members, and coordinates internal Avison Young expertise across clients' business geography while integrating external resources to optimize the goals of corporate users.

"Avison Young's Principal-led, entrepreneurial and collaborative culture attracted me to the firm," says Meade. "I am looking forward to being a part of this successful company that is attracting some of the industry's most talented and experienced commercial real estate experts. I see this move as an ideal opportunity to expand on my knowledge and the relationships that I have worked hard to develop and grow over the years. Avison Young will provide me with the platform and tools to accomplish this with integrity, exceptional client service and professionalism."

In 2005, Meade founded and launched CBRE's Automotive Properties Group. Past and current clients include Sonic Automotive, West Coast Customs, RP Automotive-Roger Penske, Jr., Jessup Auto Group, GM, Ford Motor Company, AutoStar, Budget Car Sales, Group 1 Automotive, Gulliver USA, KIA Motors, Nissan North America, Selman Chevrolet, JStar Motors, Subaru of America, Inc., and VW Credit, Inc.

Prior to joining CBRE in 1995, Meade served as Director of Retail Property Management with Shea Properties, overseeing the operations, management and leasing of its portfolio throughout California. In addition, Meade's past experience includes serving as Vice-President of the commercial properties division at Rescor, Inc. in Beverly Hills. Rescor's retail investments spanned the U.S. and included WalMart-anchored centers, and neighborhood, community and regional enclosed shopping centers. Meade led Rescor's successful revitalization of multi-site properties, which totaled in excess of 7 million square feet.

Meade holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University Northridge and is actively involved with the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA), Women's Automotive Association International (WAAI), Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and Southland Motor Car Dealers Association (SMCDA). She is also a Certified Retail Property Executive (CRX), Certified Shopping Center Manager (CSM) and a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM).

Over the past five years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 57 offices and from 300 to more than 1,500 real estate professionals across Canada, the U.S., and in Europe.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 1,500 real estate professionals in 57 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.

Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view and download photo of Jodi Meade
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Jodi_Meade.jpg​​

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959

• Christopher Cooper, Principal and Managing Director, Southern California, Avison Young: 213.935.7435

• Jodi Meade, Principal, Avison Young: 213.471.1060

• Earl Webb, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610

• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and 2012 and requalified in 2013 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.

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SOURCE: Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Media Relations: Sherry Quan, 604.647.5098 or 604.726.0959, [email protected]