MEREDA to celebrate 25th anniversary May 13 at Ocean Gateway Terminal

The Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA), an organization whose mission is to promote an environment for responsible development and ownership of real estate throughout the state, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding this year. MEREDA will celebrate this milestone at a gala reception on May 13 from 5-8 p.m. at the Ocean Gateway Terminal. The event will focus on the association's past accomplishments, as well as what real estate development will look like in the future. Founding members of the organization will be recognized, and members have been invited to display their vision of what future development projects may look like. "In 1985, real estate owners, developers, and related service providers banded together to found the first statewide association established to represent the views of the state's commercial real estate industry to lawmakers in Augusta," said MEREDA president Ray Cota, a vice president of Webber Oil Co.. A volunteer-driven organization, MEREDA accomplishes its mission through legislative advocacy, regulatory oversight, sponsorship of programs and conferences, and by serving as a unified and proactive representative for real estate and economic development interests. MEREDA is best known for it annual Forecast Conference, which draws more than 500 participants each year to hear presentations from leading political figures, economists and prominent industry members. MEREDA also hosts educational seminars and social networking events. 25 years after its founding MEREDA has more than 240 member firms, which include developers, builders, managers, brokers, attorneys, accountants, lenders, engineers, consultants, architects, appraisers, suppliers, community development advocates, housing authorities, and municipalities. Looking to the future, Cota said that MEREDA will continue to establish itself as a strong and credible advocate for the real estate development community with lawmakers and will maintain an ongoing dialogue with regulatory agencies that affect its members' ability to do business. MEREDA also will continue to present first-rate educational programs on a wide range of timely and important issues and to offer its members opportunities to network with other industry members. For more information, visit www.mereda.org, call (207) 874-0801 or email info@mereda.org.