Press Contact: Barbara Trent

The IDRC Foundation

(877) 525-9669

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The Board on Certification for Corporate Real Estate (BCCR) awarded certification this month to David Lester, president of Lester & Lester Realty Advisors of Richardson, Texas. Mr. Lester joins an elite group of only 36 others nationwide who have received the prestigious certification.

"These corporate real estate executives are among the best and brightest in the business and they have the credentials to prove it," said Sarah Todd, Executive Director of the Board on Certification for Corporate Real Estate. "The BCCR certification indicates a high level of understanding of a strategic approach to corporate real estate management, specifically in several key areas of corporate decision-making on which corporate real estate can impact.

Launched in 1996 as an industry-wide program for corporate real estate professionals, Board certification requires at least five years of industry experience and a bachelor’s degree, or 10 years of experience without a degree. Also mandatory is the successful completion of seminars and executive assessments in five areas: organizational strategy, real estate/workplace strategy, planning and financial management, decision support and service delivery.

Over 250 corporate real estate executives are currently working toward the BCCR designation, Ms. Todd noted. A number of major companies, including Lucent Technologies, SBC Communications, Ford and Capital One Services, encourage their real estate executives to participate in the program.

BCCR offers the courses and assessments at IDRC World Congresses, IDRC Chapters and Kaplan Educational Centers several times a year.