A newly launched sustainability fund will carry Elaina Tattersdale’s name, paying tribute to her memory and her commitment to commercial real estate operations that respect the environment and well-being of building occupants. The initiative of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Foundation has been launched with a $50,000 donation from 2020 IREM president Cheryl Gray and her husband Rick, in honour of their daughter.

“It was important for us, as a family, to honour Elaina’s short time here with something that had meaning to her,” Cheryl says. “Elaina’s legacy will be to encourage those in the industry to improve the environmental footprint that the buildings we manage have on our world.”

A young real estate professional and mother of two daughters, Elaina was an enterprise project manager with Morguard Investments prior to her illness and untimely death earlier this year. The new sustainability fund will align with efforts to reduce consumption of resources, boost recycling and enhance wellness within commercial real estate. In keeping with Elaina’s philosophy that every positive action contributes to an ultimate better outcome, the fund will provide support for a range of projects, big and small.

The IREM Foundation was established in 1977 as a non-profit charitable organization, sharing IREM’s mission to advance the real estate management profession. It sponsors scholarships, specialized funds and recognition programs that place a priority on diversity, supporting young professionals and expanding knowledge and skills for all industry practitioners. Donations in Elaina’s memory are welcome.

“We’re honoured to be entrusted with Elaina’s legacy by supporting sustainability in the real estate industry,” affirms Denise Froemming, executive director of the IREM Foundation.