James Jerrett Didion (Jim) – a pioneer in commercial real estate who served as CEO of CB Richard Ellis and as former Chair of The National Realty Committee (predecessor of The Real Estate Roundtable) – passed away on April 2.

• “Jim Didion was a driving force not only in the commercial real estate industry – his decades of invaluable public service included work on the National Realty Committee (NRC), the predecessor organization that became The Real Estate Roundtable in 1999,” said Jeffrey DeBoer, Roundtable President and CEO.  He added, “Jim joined NRC in 1972, served in a variety of policy advisory roles for years, including as Chairman from 1993 to 1996 and beyond as NRC  Chair Emeritus.  He will always be remembered as a selfless contributor to the common good of the industry, the country and his community.”
  
  
• His real estate career began at Coldwell Banker Commercial, where he rose to become CEO and Chairman of CB Richard Ellis, leading the firm's growth from $400 million in annual revenues in 1986 to more than $1 billion in 1999.  Mr. Didion has been widely recognized as a pioneer in building a global, fully integrated, professional services business and credited with leading CB to its position as the largest commercial real estate company in the world.
  
  
• Mr. Didion consulted on real estate issues to the Chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley and served on the advisory board of the Fisher Center at the Haas Business School, as trustee of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and as National Real Estate Consultant to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

A video of his real estate advisory efforts, with his wife Gloria, on behalf of Montage Health illustrates their community participation and involvement.   (Full obituary, Monterey County Herald)

#  #  #