Fresh off completing his two-year term as chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Glenn Rufrano has taken over as ICSC's foundation leader and donated $1 million to seed the group's effort to pay for students to attend the group's conferences.
Rufrano knows the role the organization's events can play in persuading young people to pursue careers in the industry, ICSC Foundation President Lauri Novick said. Rufrano served as CEO of Cushman & Wakefield from 2010 to 2013 and CEO of Vereit before Realty Income Trust acquired it in 2021.
“Coupled with curated student programs, these events provide young people with a significant toolbox of resources, including industry information and trends, industry career paths, structuring of a deal, introductions to industry leaders and networking and professional development skills," Novick said in a blog post written by ICSC's Brannon Boswell.
The ICSC Foundation is a nonprofit arm of ICSC that aims to create a healthy retail real estate industry by building a pipeline of ambitious and diverse talent. Its student conference fund provides grants to students to help them attend ICSC's national and regional conferences, including its flagship ICSC Las Vegas show in May, where the ICSC Foundation provided a customized schedule for the 388 students who attended.
With Rufrano's donation in hand, the fund is now seeking additional sponsors to expand it further, Novick said. “Investing in students now will have a huge impact on our industry’s future,” she said, adding that there are tax and other advantages for donors.