Stirling Properties Shows The True Meaning of Christmas
Volunteers of America Christmas Wish Project
Stirling Properties Corporate Office Donations
For the past 4 years, Stirling Properties has participated in the Volunteers of America Christmas Wish project. Employees and agents from Stirling Properties donated Christmas gifts, food baskets and other essential items to local families. Stirling’s Stewardship Committee organized the company-wide event by partnering with Volunteers of America in Greater New Orleans, Greater Baton Rouge, Northwest Louisiana and the Southeast to serve the New Orleans Northshore and Southshore, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport-Bossier City and Mobile communities.
Volunteers of America helps over 2 million people every year. Their annual Christmas Wish Project helps bring joy to families and individuals who might not have a Christmas this year. Participating in this project is a great reminder of the true spirit of Christmas – giving and generosity. Stirling Properties is committed to supporting the community, and will continue to partner with Volunteers of America in the future.
Northpark Christmas Bake Sale
In addition to donating to the Christmas Wish Project, Stirling Properties hosted the first annual Northpark Christmas Bazaar, Bake Sale and Raffle on Friday, December 4th. Local craft vendors as well as employees of the Northpark office complex sold crafts, jewelry, etched glass, books, beauty products and many other great gift items. 
The event, organized by two, crafty Stirling Properties employees, raised over $600! All proceeds from the bake sale and raffle were donated to the Volunteers of America, Greater New Orleans’ Christmas Family Program. 
Thank you to all the participants and shoppers who helped make the Bazaar a huge success! Because of the great response, Stirling Properties plans on making it an annual event! For more information about Stirling’s Stewardship Committee, please visit our website or contact us by email at stewardship@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties’ Will Barrois Joins Board of Advisors of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
Stirling Properties is pleased to announce that Will Barrois, Vice President/Regional Manager of Alabama and Florida, is now a member of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors.
The Board of Advisors provides company executives an avenue for valuable input on critical Chamber and community issues, facilitates peer-to-peer interaction and provides a high level of recognition. The Board meets three times a year at various locations to listen to business and governmental leaders and other speakers address pertinent issues.
Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy (CCRE): Ecosystem Restoration Is Economic Development
As Chairman of the Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy (CCRE), I wanted to take a moment to introduce the coalition and give an update about the traction we’ve made in our first year. Launched in July 2014 by the economic development organization Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.), CCRE is a business-led coalition tasked with creating an educated, informed voice of advocacy for sustainable restoration efforts in Louisiana’s wetlands, rivers, deltas, and coastline. It is made up of non-partisan, Southeastern Louisiana business leaders that believe investing in smart restoration today will ensure continuing economic opportunities in the future. CCRE will advocate for policies that promote, protect and drive resources to Louisiana’s coast.
RESTORE Act Meeting – August 2014
In the last year, CCRE members and I have participated in several unique coastal experiences, including seaplane and boat tours of Louisiana’s coastline, designed to increase awareness of the needs, opportunities and plans for coastal protection and restoration. We’ve met with government officials, including U.S. Congressman Steve Scalise, to collaborate and discuss the most effective ways to utilize RESTORE Act funds to revive and protect Louisiana’s wetlands and coastline. As we approach the Katrina Anniversary, coastal restoration and resilience is bound to be a part of the media coverage about the region’s recovery over the last ten years. In fact, there was a terrific piece in the New York Times recently “How to Save a Sinking Coast: Katrina Created a Laboratory.” To ensure that the narrative around coastal issues is appropriately framed—furthering the region’s position as an international leader in resiliency and restoration—GNO, Inc., on behalf of the CCRE, is reaching proactively to media via coastal overflights, interviews and panel briefings. Also, GNO, Inc. Chairman Michael Hecht and I penned a Letter to the Editor and submitted it to the New York Times, providing additional context to the recent John Barry story, “Is New Orleans Safe?” Restoring the wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico coastline is arguably the region’s most pressing environmental and economic issue. With the coming influx of funding from the RESTORE Act and other oil spill-related settlements, CCRE has a unique opportunity to ensure the continued prosperity and sustainability of Southeast Louisiana. Now is the perfect time to implement smart, long-lasting solutions to improve the coastline, communities and economy. I am excited about the role the business community will play in this effort.
Jimmy Maurin and Roger Ogden, Founders of Stirling Properties, Give Back to LSU
Five Louisiana State Univeristy (LSU) business students – David Harms, Raju Marasani, Sawyer Chauvin, Saban Sellers, and James Guinn – received the 2015 ICSC Foundation Maurin Ogden LSU Scholarship Award. Funded by Jimmy Maurin and Roger Ogden, founders of Stirling Properties, this annual scholarship is awarded to a select handful of EJ Ourso College of Business students with an interest in Commercial Real Estate. The award provides an all-expense-paid attendance to the ICSC RECon Convention in Las Vegas.
David Harms, one of the award recipients, delivered the opening remarks as part of the ICSC Foundation Gala held on May 17th at the Wynn Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
More specifically, this scholarship is awarded to students enrolled in Finance 7720, Commercial Real Estate Investing, at LSU. This course is offered in both Spring and Fall semesters at LSU and taught by adjunct instructor Justin Landry of Stirling Properties. Each year Stirling Properties chaperones the five LSU Award Recipients to the convention, offering the students valuable exposure to industry leaders and potential employers at the convention.
“We’ve had tremendous success over the past two years with this scholarship award, in fact a handful of students have received jobs as a result of attending the convention,” said Justin Landry, Asset/Finance Manager for Stirling Properties. “None of this would be possible without the generosity of Stirling’s original founders, Jimmy Maurin and Roger Ogden who fund the scholarship yearly. There are no two people more committed to LSU, real estate and education.”
For more information about Finance 7720 – “Commercial Real Estate Investing” and its objectives contact Justin Landry at jclandry@stirlingprop.com or LSU Department of Finance at finance@tigers.lsu.edu.
Stirling Properties Stewardship Event Raises Over $40,000
Stirling Olympics
This past Friday, employees and agents of Stirling Properties gathered for the 3rd Annual Stirling Olympics, an event hosted by the Stirling Stewardship Committee to raise money for charitable causes. The event was a HUGE SUCCESS, with over $40,000 raised for charity!
Employees and agents divided into 10 teams with each team choosing their team name, colors, flag, and song. Charities were voted on in the weeks leading up to the event, with ALS Association and Alzheimer’s Association chosen as recipients of this year’s donations. Each of these well-deserving charities was presented with a check for $20,000.
Teams competed in 8 events – Hula Hoop Chain, Bean Bag Toss, Rubber Chicken Toss, Backwards Basketball, Word Scramble, Egg Relay, Pin the Mustache on the Partner and Shopping Cart Relay. Scores were tallied at the end of the day and individual medals were given for each event. Teams were awarded medals for top overall, top fundraising, most team spirit, most creative, and best sportsmanship. Events were judged by Tara Hernandez (JCH Development), Steve Zito (Zito-Russell Architects), Will Boudreaux (Netchex), Steven Serio (Fishman Haygood Phelps Walmsley Willis & Swanson, LLP), and Chip Songy (Former Stirling partner).
The Gold Medal overall went to Team Badditudes…congratulations to Justin Landry, Jeanne Taravella, Samantha Marshall, John Reynolds, Rhonda Creel, Brittany Orr, and Angie McArthur. Congratulations also to Ain’t Life A Beach who earned the Silver Medal – Melissa Serpas, Robin Zemke, Nathan Handmacher, Will Barrois, Ellen McCain, Bill Peitri, Paula Biggs, Jessica Zeringue, Robin Hayles, and Dominick Costanza. Townsend Underhill, Elaine Fullerton, Melinda Brazzel, Lindsey Palmer, Donna Allsup, John Toomey, Michele Wallace, Joe Gardner, Julie Watson and Mark Pinero of Stirling Funk You Up took home the Bronze Medal and Top Fundraising. Most Team Spirit awarded to Snow White & the Funky Dwarfs, Most Creative awarded to Wheelin N Dealin and Best Sportsmanship went to D’Funk Allstars.
At the end of the day, in an effort to raise even more money, the ownership team participated in a Bubble Soccer game versus 10 employees. For each goal the employees scored, the partners had to pay $500 to the Stewardship Committee. 16 goals were scored for a total of $8,000! This additional money will be used by the Stewardship Committee to donate to other charities throughout the year.
A special thanks to the Stirling Stewardship Committee for all their hard work organizing the event and making it happen.
Stirling Properties’ Commercial Agents among Top Producers at Annual NOMAR CID Awards Ceremony
Stirling Properties’ commercial agents were honored during the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors Commercial Investment Division’s 22nd annual awards banquet held Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at GW Fins.
Leading the way was Rhonda Sharkawy, who received the F. Poche Waguespack Award for having the highest volume of sales and leases in the marketplace for the year. This is her fifth consecutive year to receive this honor and one of only a handful of women to achieve it since it was created back in 1964. Ms. Sharkawy was also awarded with Overall Top Retail Producer, Top Landlord Retail Lease and Most Transactions. Gaines Seaman received the Overall Top Office Producer Award and the Top Landlord Office Lease. Joe Gardner, Ms. Sharkawy and Mr. Seaman were also among Achievement Award recipients. Stirling Properties received 1st Place and 3rd Place for the Largest Transaction Award.
