Individual Commitments to Communities Around the World
In addition to the community programs we support globally, regionally and in local markets, many of our people also pursue personal charitable causes. Examples include:
Mentoring Ethnic Minorities in the UK
Barry Osilaja, a Director on our Corporate Finance team in London, works with others in our industry to support and mentor individuals from ethnic minorities across the property industry.
Seven years ago, Osilaja was approached to mentor and talk to black and ethnic minorities referred to him by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors about opportunities in the property industry. Since then he has helped with advice, contacts and references, and a number have been successful.
Osilaja talks to or mentors at least one individual a year and has helped three individuals to be recruited by Jones Lang LaSalle. He also addresses City University students and invites ethnic minorities to approach him individually.
Pedaling Up, Down and Across France for Charity
Joining in an effort to raise £500,000 for charity, four of our English colleagues took a zero-carbon-emissions trip to the 2008 MIPIM conference in the south of France. The four – Mike Evans, James Findlater, Dominic Gibson and James Lewis – participated in the 1,500 km “Cycle to Cannes” event on behalf of Jones Lang LaSalle.
They departed London in early March. Biking across France in just five days, they tackled some of the most difficult stages of the Tour de France to arrive in Cannes for the opening of the annual property conference.
A Public Interest Group “Volunteer of the Year”
Matt Cash, an attorney in our Chicago office, was honored as the 2007 “Volunteer of the Year” for the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing Attorney of the Day program.
Program volunteers invest time and legal skills to help low-income families who would otherwise lack legal representation secure their rights in court.
Cash, who has earned the nickname “The Settlement King” for his negotiating skills, has been a member of the program since 1997.
Trekking Across Iceland to Aid Cancer Research UK
Shelley Frost and Emma Crowley traveled from London to Iceland to undertake a five-day trek along the Landmannalaugar route.
Tackling one of the most actively volcanic areas in Europe, the two raised funds for Cancer Research UK in the process
Hitting a Home Run to Support Hurricane Relief
Ryan Devlin, a member of the Americas Human Resources team, is a lifelong Chicago White Sox baseball fan and season ticket holder.
When the White Sox reached the 2005 World Series, Ryan sold his two tickets and used the $2,500 proceeds to deliver a truckload of goods he had collected for hurricane victims along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Later that year, Devlin was featured on a special episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show, where he was singled out by Oprah for his sacrifice and commitment.
The wife of White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle tuned into the show. She shared Ryan’s story with her husband, who worked with team management to plan another surprise for Devlin.
Invited back for a second Oprah appearance, Buehrle and a teammate praised Ryan and gave him a White Sox humanitarian award and tickets for the 2006 season. Ryan was also invited to spring training, attended baseball’s All-Star Game as a White Sox guest and threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the opening home game.
Ryan continues to return to the Gulf Coast each spring to help individuals rebuild their residences.