CBRE Nabs GSA Veteran to Lead Federal Government Unit
By Keith Loria February 24, 2022 10:23 am
reprints
Darren Blue, who previously worked at the General Service Administration, has joined CBRE to lead its U.S. federal government services unit, operating out of Washington, D.C.
The government vet was previously the regional commissioner of the public buildings service for the GSA’s national capital region.
“I was interested in joining a company that had deep, existing capabilities and that would allow me to offer tailored solutions to our government partners,” Blue told Commercial Observer. “To go from working strictly on the transactional side, to now being able to present a full suite of services to help meet the needs and goals of the offices and agencies I’d gotten to know, is very important for me.”
In his role, Blue will be leading partnerships with the U.S. federal government and other associated institutions. Blue will rely on his past experience of overseeing federal space in the District to guide CBRE (CBRE)’s delivery of real estate solutions for U.S. federal government clients.
“We offer services that can help meet the needs of government agencies and bring efficiencies to our clients, like our smart portfolios and key sustainability tools,” Blue said. “I look forward to strengthening our existing relationships and finding new partners as well.”
With GSA, Blue oversaw approximately 25 percent of the agency’s U.S. federal portfolio, responsible for many of its highest-profile real estate developments and transactions in the greater Washington, D.C. region. Among his successful projects are the Department of Transportation’s headquarters building acquisition in 2020, and the expansion of the Department of Homeland Security campus at the former St. Elizabeth’s Hospital site in D.C., last year.
Blue’s initial goals in his new position include refining the platform that creates direct alignment between administration mandates, department missions and CBRE capabilities.
“This alignment is key to providing services that meet real needs,” Blue said. “We also want to advance our messaging on key capabilities and partnerships that CBRE can bring. We know we can bring clarity to executives, efficiency and advancement in execution, and investments in local jobs and communities in all projects we undertake.”
He cites the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as a great example of where CBRE has the capability to meet federal, state and local needs.
“We just need proper positioning to ensure we can bring our full capabilities to bear for public good and public goals,” Blue said.
An Army veteran, who continues his service in the U.S. Army Reserve, Blue also worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs between two stints at the GSA.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
