A commercial real estate company in Boca Raton, Florida, has created a new position to help the firm better respond to the health crisis.
Crocker Partners has hired New York-based Dr. Walter Okoroanyanwu as the firm's Director of Environmental Health. Dr.Okoroanyanwu has extensive experience in epidemiology and HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. His expertise in infectious disease and healthcare operations will be tapped to develop a program to allow Crocker's properties to comply with the highest standards for safety and sustainability.
Crocker has over 30,000 employees working in the company's leased properties. The firm currently has 11 million square feet of real estate portfolio, including the Boca Center office, hotel and retail complex, Boca Center office, and Boca Raton Innovation Campus.
Angelo Bianco, a Managing Partner at Crocker Partners, said that the creation of the new role is an unprecedented partnership between the medical community and the commercial real estate.
He said that the firm recognized that they can only know so much as far as the best methods to protects their tenants, employees, and visitors and that they need someone to provide them that expertise to be part of the organization's long-term plans.
Although Crokers is the first in the industry to have an in-house expert, Mr. Bianco said that he is confident that others will follow suit. He expects that a newly-created position will help promote healthier indoor environments in the firm's environments.
Dr. Walter Okoroanyanwu's role will involve developing comprehensive environmental health, sustainability, and wellness program. His first mission if to enhance the comprehensive strategy already established by the firm's Remobilization Task Force. The current strategy includes a series of protocols and physical changes established to curb the spread of the coronavirus infections.
Dr. Okoroanyanwu's extensive epidemiological background includes leadership positions with the HIV/AIDS Planning Councils - New York City and the Newark Eligible Metropolitan Area - and his fellowship with Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center's Division of Infectious Disease. Likewise, he will leverage his network of colleagues at Rutgers University, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Emory University of Public Health for possible medical recommendations as the nation continues its fight against the pandemic.
One of the most important aspects of his new role is his ability to collaborate with his peers in the medical community, Dr. Okoroanyanwu said. While the pandemic will eventually cease to exist, Crocker will focus on improving indoor public space safety in perpetuity.
Florida has reported an additional 12,478 COVID-19 cases last Sunday, July 19, 2020, marking the fifth consecutive day that the state's known cases reached more than 10,000. Since the first COVID-19 case was made public on March 1, there have been 350,047 reported cases of COVID-19 infections in Florida. Despite the rising cases of infection, Gov. Ron DeSantis would not implement a statewide mask mandate.
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