Fairfax County EDA president and CEO honored as “2012 TrendSetter” by commercial real estate group

Fairfax County, Virginia USA, Friday, February 10, 2012 -

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) President and CEO Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., last night received the “Trendsetter of the Year” Award at the 15th annual Washington, D.C. TrendLines event presented by national commercial real estate firm Transwestern, its research affiliate, Delta Associates, and sponsors Baker Tilly and PNC Bank. The event at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington drew about 1,000 attendees from the commercial real estate community.

Transwestern honored Gordon as its 2012 Public Sector TrendSetter of the Year, citing his “tireless advocacy and steadfast leadership” in promoting Fairfax County as a business location since joining the FCEDA in 1983. In that time, the amount of office space in the county has risen from 32 million square feet to more than 113 million square feet, making Fairfax the second-largest suburban office market in the United States. Transwestern noted that companies such as Volkswagen of America, Hilton Worldwide, Verisign, Northrop Grumman and Bechtel have established headquarters operations in the county.

During Gordon’s tenure, the real estate tax rate has dropped from $1.47 to $1.07 (per $100 assessed value). The number of jobs in the county has risen from 243,000 in 1983 to more than 600,000 today. Transwestern said Fairfax County is “perennially cited as one of the top jurisdictions in the country to live, work, shop and play.”

“I am honored to be recognized by the TrendLines program and am pleased to accept the TrendSetter award on behalf of the men and women of the county government, the Board of Supervisors, the business community, and the staff and board of the FCEDA who have, for 30 years, been consistently supportive of business growth and overall excellence,” Gordon said.

Transwestern honored George McKenzie, president and CEO of the Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, as its 2012 Private Sector TrendSetter of the Year. Greg Leisch, CEO of Delta Associates, gave a presentation highlighting opportunities in the Washington-area commercial real estate market. Attendees received a copy of the 15th edition of the TrendLines publication “Trends in Washington, D.C. Commercial Real Estate – Navigating Uncertainty.”