Local commercial real estate broker, Todd Clarke CCIM of Grubb & Ellis has been named as Ambassador to Eastern Europe by the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute (CIREI).

Mr. Clarke is a multifamily specialist in New Mexico, and past president of the NM CCIM Chapter and New Mexico Commercial Association of Realtors in New Mexico.

CIREI's ambassador program is relatively new, and its goals include: espousing private property rights, free enterprise, and private ownership in international and public and private forums. This plan will be implemented using CIRIE's education and designation promotion tools.

As Ambassador to Eastern Europe, Mr. Clarke's duties will include

1. Foster better communications, understanding and common interests within the real estate industry at a variety of different levels and for a variety of different types of activities and services.

2. Encourage professionalism and promote standards of practice which are in the best interest of the respective memberships of cooperating association and all involved in the commercial real estate industry worldwide.

3. Develop an infrastructure to encourage Eastern European investment in the United States, and open the gateway to American investors into Eastern Europe.

4. Define, see, and build new relationships.

5. Anticipate, analyze, and develop policy on international issues.

Mr. Clarke was selected to represent CIRIE's interest in Eastern Europe based on his education, experience, and enthusiasm. Mr. Clarke was also one of several local business people who hosted Polish housing officials in 1995 in their exploration of how to effectively acquire, analyze, manage, and dispose of their real estate assets.

CIREI is the International organization that administers the prestigious Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation, with some 8,000 members worldwide, and is the national leader in providing education for commercial real estate practitioners.