Mary A. Marx

Senior Vice President

Voit Cos.

Claim to Fame: Manages more than 20 million square feet of commercial property

Mary Marx has a way with managing stuff whether it’s buildings, client relationships, tenant negotiations or legal and governmental issues.

“Fortunately, I have the ability to juggle a lot without compromising any minute detail,” Marx said.

Marx has juggled so well that she was able to quadruple Voit’s property management division, in terms of square footage. She said her secret is not being afraid to set aside a daily agenda when she gets calls from clients in some sort of crisis, or when deals are proposed that need to be investigated. “The business is so complex that the only thing you can count on is that every day will be unpredictable,” Marx said.

With a staff of three regional managers and 102 employees, Marx is responsible for more than 20 million square feet of commercial properties in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Utah.

“I have never known her to take more than a couple of hours to respond to her voicemail,” said Geoffrey M. Ely, president of the Building Owners and Managers Association, which Marx formerly chaired.

That kind of promptness is unusual for someone with her responsibilities, Ely said. “She is aware of the importance of staying in touch with people,” he said. “They can trust that she will deal with their issues on a timely basis.”

Marx learned the ropes as the first vice president and director of property management for Tishman West Cos., where she was responsible for the management of 6 million square feet of commercial space. Prior to that, Marx was involved on the development and start-up side of projects, including a major office building, restaurant and hotel.

Marx earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal State University, Chico.

Jeannette DeSantis