Tom Darden, CEO of Cherokee in Raleigh gave a very informative and inspiring presentation that included his journey from UNC Chapel Hill with a Master of Regional Planning to Yale Law School with an intention of becoming an environmental lawyer.   Beginning in 1984, Tom served for 16 years as the chairman of Cherokee Sanford Group (CSG), a brick manufacturing and soil remediation company.  By 1990, CSG was one of the largest soil remediation companies in the country cleaning up nearly 15 million tons of contaminated material. 

Tom's journey continued with the creation of Cherokee, a private equity firm specializing in acquisition and remediation of contaminated real estate.  Cherokee has invested more than $750 million of equity in 54 transactions, purchasing a total of 525 sites across the U.S., Canada and Western Europe.  Cherokee currently has more than $2 billion in real estate assets under management.

Tom commented on the economy, the real estate market and the financial situation stating that he believes we have a way to go before any real recovery will be noticed.  Housing starts, typically a primary indicator of the economic climate are considerable behind what they were previously and show limited signs of picking up in the immediate future. It is not yet a good time to invest in real estate.

Tom concluded his presentation by sharing his beliefs about the definition of work. He recommended we ask ourselves what difference our work or business life is really making.  He suggested that we consider the impact our work and business pursuits make on the economy, people, and the planet.

Please feel free to comment on what Tom shared in his presentation.

Bob Moore, Co-host of The Greater Raleigh Thought Leader Community @ the Cardinal Club