Commercial Real Estate Forum

Description

Challenges and Benefits of Return to Office

Join the Morrisville Chamber for a Commercial Real Estate Forum examining the issues around return to office, highlighting economic, mental health, and corporate cultural impacts in a dispersed workforce. The COVID pandemic was a game changer in our economy. Hundreds of thousands of workers in North Carolina were forced to transition from working in corporate office spaces to working from home. When the ravages of COVID subsided, though, many workers did not want to return to the office. Our speakers will provide insight from their respective fields that should help us forge a path forward and keep our economy strong.

Meet Our Speakers
Christopher Chung, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
Christopher Chung, Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) since 2015, brings over 26 years of state-level economic development experience. Under his leadership, the EDPNC has secured nearly 1,300 corporate location and expansion projects, enhancing the state's economic well-being and quality of life. Chung serves on various boards, including the North Carolina Economic Development Association and the Carolina Public Press Board of Directors, and is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His accolades include being named Business North Carolina Economic Development Executive of the Year in 2024 and one of Triangle Business Journal’s CEOs of the Year in 2018. The EDPNC, with a staff of 70 and an annual budget exceeding $25 million, focuses on business recruitment, support, and promotion across multiple sectors.

Sarah A. Patterson, D. Min., LCSW, Supervisor, Behavioral Health Clinical Services , WakeMed Raleigh
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Sarah holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a focus on Health and Gerontology from the University of Cincinnati and a Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Amridge University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. With diverse experience in emergency shelters, wilderness therapy, and school-based therapy programs for youth, she has also spent over 8 years as a psychiatric clinician in the emergency department, gaining extensive expertise with both adult and pediatric patients. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys outdoor activities such as golfing, fishing, and camping with her four-year-old son.

Kimberly Sharman, Sr. Director of Human Resources, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies
Kimberly's professional and personal focus is to add value and enhance the quality of life and careers for others. She began her career as a business journalist on ‘Parliament Hill’ in Canada and transitioned to Human Resources at the Toronto Stock Exchange, hiring new graduates for the trading floor. Her strengths lie in developing talent, workforce development, talent attraction, and building employee engagement and empowerment. She aims to help grow a future pipeline of educated individuals to meet the biotechnology sector's demands in RTP and beyond. With over 25 years of experience as a Human Resources business partner, she holds a Master’s in Business and Human Resources Management and a Bachelor’s in Journalism. She has worked globally in Switzerland and internationally in Canada and the US for Pratt and Whitney and Syngenta before joining Fujifilm. Bilingual and dedicated to volunteer work, she supports the United Way, the American Heart Association, and promotes inclusivity, diversity, and inclusion. She is married to Jeff, a US Marine, and has a rambunctious but loving Weimaraner named Graycie.