Keynote speaker Rick J. Caruso is the founder and chief executive of Caruso Affiliated, the company he started in 1992. In the 15 years since, he and his team have created unique and award-winning outdoor retail and entertainment environments; projects that reflect the character of the communities they serve and set a new standard in the retail industry.  

 

The company has created an impressive portfolio of properties that have, with each new opening, raised the bar in a category the industry describes as "the lifestyle center." Over the past decade,Caruso projects, which include The Encino Marketplace, The Promenade at Westlake, The Commons at Calabasas, The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, Waterside at Marina del Rey and The Grove, adjacent to LA's famous icon the Farmers Market, have garnered international attention and acclaim.

Richard F. "Dick" Gaylord, a REALTOR^® from Long Beach, Calif., is 2008 President of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®. NAR, The Voice for Real Estate^®, is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

 

Dick has been a REALTOR^® for 30 years. He is a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, a residential and commercial brokerage. He holds the professional designations of Certified Residential Specialist (CRS^®, Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB), Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), and Graduate, REALTOR^® Institute (GRI). He also is a member of several NAR affiliates including the Council of Residential Specialists, the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers and Women's Council of REALTORS^®.