Get to Know...
Manuel Moreno
Manny Moreno has the intriguing title of property experience manager for Next Play Consulting, a third-party property management firm in Pleasanton, California. A past president of BOMA/Oakland-East Bay, he currently serves as president of the BOMA Pacific Southwest Region. Moreno was elected to BOMA International’s Executive Committee in June.
Property Experience Manager? Explain, please.
We started Next Play four years ago. Our titles help to differentiate a small company in a large market, and they underscore our focus on the experience for tenants and visitors. At Stoneridge Corporate Plaza, for instance, we offer amenities like food trucks, nail salons and bocce and volleyball courts, not just for tenants, but for everyone. We also did a $23 million landscaping project in partnership with the owners. We want to offer a unique experience from the time someone arrives until they leave.
How did you first get involved in BOMA?
I started working for Shorenstein in 2000, and my manager sent me to the BOMA International annual conference in San Diego so I could go through BOMA Boot Camp, a comprehensive education program BOMA used to offer. I met some really great people in Boot Camp and I started attending BOMA/San Francisco lunches and social events. In 2004, I moved to the East Bay, joined the local association in that area, BOMA/Oakland-East Bay, and found there was an opening on the Government Affairs Committee. I’m still on the committee 15 years later.
Tell us about your participation in BOMA International’s Leadership Academy, which was just renamed in honor of Dan Chancey.
The Leadership Academy was an amazing springboard for me to take my participation in BOMA to the next level. Working with BOMA Fellow and past BOMA International Chair Dick Purtell as my mentor, I was able to identify where my experience would best serve the association and develop a plan for future involvement, which culminated in me being elected to the Executive Committee.
What’s the biggest issue facing California?
The Split Roll Property Tax, which may be on the ballot in 2020. Currently, under Proposition 13, all properties are assessed at 2 percent of value. Split Roll challenges Prop 13, and commercial property would be assessed every two years based on current value. So, the tax bill for owners would go up significantly and, as per most leases, that would be passed on to tenants.
State officials want to use that revenue for various commendable social programs. The problem is that they see commercial real estate as deep pockets. But, we’re not all institutional players. We’re small investors and owners, and many of our tenants are mom-and-pops that won’t be able to afford that significant an increase. We’re currently ramping up our efforts, working with BOMA California and other associations to defeat the measure.
How did your BOMA Government Affairs Committee involvement inform your political interests?
It gave me the inspiration and confidence to run for public office. Since 2016, I’ve served on the board of the Mountain House Community Services District, a local unincorporated community. In politics at all levels, there are decisions being made daily that impact all of us, both professionally and personally, and having a voice is really impactful.
What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
When I was a kid, my sister and I were on a children’s TV program called "Romper Room." They asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told them I wanted to be president. So, maybe even then, I had an inkling about doing something in politics.
This article was originally published in the June/July 2019 issue of BOMA Magazine.