The Wisconsin Commercial REALTORS Education and Research Fund (CARW Foundation) is a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2018. It was announced at the CARW 25th Anniversary Celebration by Chairman, Steve Pape. The effort was formalized in 2020 by a group of commercial real estate professionals dedicated to enhancing the careers of commercial real estate professionals and the communities in which we live.
Purpose
The purpose of the CARW Foundation is to provide support for educational opportunities for commercial real estate students, and to fund research and programming benefiting the Wisconsin commercial real estate community.
Activities
- Support/fund grants for commercial real estate practitioners looking to further their knowledge through attendance at commercial real estate educational designation programs.
- Support/fund initiatives that grow commercial real estate programs that benefit commercial real estate students.
- Support/fund scholarships for college students pursuing commercial real estate brokerage.
- Support primary and secondary research for commercial real estate and community funding issues including community development initiatives.
23/24 Board of Directors
President | Joseph F. Lak Jr., The Heimat Group
Vice President | Benjamin Adank, Cushman & Wakefield | The BOERKE Company
Secretary / Treasurer of the Board | Adam Williquette, American Commercial Real Estate
Immediate Past President | Steve Pape, Revel Real Estate Investments
Director | Andy Hess, Founders 3 Real Estate Services
Director | Mike Kleber, Zilber
Director | Curt Pitzen, Newmark
Executive Director | Tracy Johnson, CARW (Commercial Association of REALTORS® Wisconsin)
Founding Members
2021/22 Officers:
President of the Board | Steve Pape, Revel Real Estate Investments
Secretary of the Board | Joseph F. Lak Jr., The Heimat Group
Treasurer of the Board | Benjamin Adank, Cushman & Wakefield | The BOERKE Company
Director | Curt Pitzen, Newmark
Director | Andy Hess, Founders 3 Real Estate Services
Executive Director | Tracy Johnson, CARW (Commercial Association of REALTORS® Wisconsin)
If you are interested in learning more about being part of the CARW Foundation efforts, contact Tracy Johnson at tracy@carw.com
Supporting the Foundation
Gifts / Individual Contributions:
Donate here today - https://carw.com/donate-to-the-carw-foundation/
Contact Tracy Johnson at tracy@carw.com with any questions about contributions.
The Wisconsin Commercial REALTORS Education and Research Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Contributions made to the Fund are tax-deductible.
Scholarships
Annually, CARW will award one or more scholarships to a Wisconsin student studying commercial real estate. This scholarship is granted through the Hall of Fame Award. We recognize annually an individual CARW member who has had signifficant impact on CARW, Commercial Real Estate and the community. The recipient will have a scholarship directed in their name at a Wisconsin College or University.
Hall of Fame
The CARW Foundation is introducing a new award – the CARW Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Award. This is an award that will recognize Commercial Real Estate practitioners who have impacted the industry and CARW over their lifetime. Recipients of this award, will have a one-year scholarship given to a four-year Wisconsin college or university student studying real estate, on their behalf from the CARW Foundation. We hope to stay connected to these students in the future and keep them engaged in our industry!
2021 CARW Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Inductees
Deborah Sobczak
Thomas Bernacchi (posthumously)
2022 CARW Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Inductee
2023 CARW Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Inductee
James Barry III, JD, CCIM
2024 CARW Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Inductee