BRI is almost thirty and we're thriving!
July 1st marks twenty-nine (29) years in business for BRI! To celebrate, we're taking a walk down memory lane from the perspective of our owners and founders.
From left to right: Renee Baur (CEO), Steve Rosenthal (Founder), Dave Wraa (Senior Vice President)
FOUNDED IN 1997 - STEVE ROSENTHAL
Putting the R in BRI, Steve Rosenthal received his MAI and began to ramp up his appraisal career in 1997. After partnering with another appraiser and many agencies to provide appraisal services, it was time for Bender Rosenthal to form! BRI hired its first employee, Christy Lambdin, at this time to keep up with the workload. Steve is pictured below (third from right) with BRI's first employee and project coordinator, Christy (second from right), as well as BRI's youngest employee, Christy's daughter, Taylor Newell (far right)! BRI is quite the family!
A fun fact about Steve: he LOVES history! And he shared that with BRI whenever possible! When a holiday came around, Steve would send out company-wide emails detailing the holiday's history, so everyone could fully honor the day or celebration. Those who were here to read those emails still tell tales of the gems of information Steve bestowed upon everyone! Alas, we could not provide an example, but they are likely somewhere in the stacks from the early hard-copy days!
DAVE WRAA JOINS IN 2002
The growth does not stop! Improving capacity and efficiency and expanding BRI's client portfolio meant a bigger staff was needed! It was time for BRI to build out a team of appraisers, with agriculture expert Dave Wraa joining in 2002 after his move from the Bay Area. This work would lay the foundation for BRI's future in appraisal, specifically within the agricultural and conservation fields in California. We are extremely proud of the work we've done to protect our state's resources, food supply, species and habitats.
Dave became an owner of BRI in 2007 as BRI's Vice President of Appraisal, later President, and now serving as our Senior Vice President and one of two in an unbeatable leadership duo with Renee Baur. Like yin and yang, these two may differ in many ways, but their unique skillsets complement each other and contribute to the positive atmosphere of the right of way team and better project outcomes. Dave is our sweet talker! Whether you want to get into the weeds on agricultural valuations and complexities of valuing an orchard, learn some interesting facts about a whiskey distillery, or hear about his latest Lego creations, Dave is the go-to for a fun water-cooler chat!
RENEE BAUR JOINS IN 2011
Beginning as an Appraisal Research Analyst, Renee has done it all at BRI! Her ambition could not be ignored. In fact, you could say her middle name is efficiency, and many at BRI would say, "Sounds about right!" She rose through the ranks, eventually starting and leading BRI's land department and staking our claim in the California real estate services industry. As her BRI star rose, so did an opportunity to get in on BRI's ownership. Renee became an owner of BRI in 2019 and served as Executive Vice President. In 2022, Renee transitioned into her current role as Chief Executive Officer of BRI. Renee leads our small business with heart. No matter the challenge, she has gone above and beyond to make sure our company and our clients are fully supported. Her compassion, combined with her communication skills, has taken BRI to new heights, improving efficiency and service delivery while diversifying the type of projects BRI delivers right of way for.
After 29 years in business, BRI has learned a lot. In that time, it has become clear that the people you spend your days with make the biggest difference. Thank you to everyone we work with, from the staff who make it happen to the agencies and clients we have built lasting relationships with! BRI would not be here without you!