Richmond, VA – April 10th, 2026
CCP30, Part IV: The Evolution of the Commonwealth Commercial Forum
When Leah Zeigler first walked into Commonwealth Commercial Partners (CCP) in October 1999, she wasn’t thinking about industry-wide influence or high-tech keynote speakers. She was a former paralegal looking to shake up her career. The local, five-person real estate office founded just three years prior by Mark Claud seemed to be a good fit.
Fast-forward 26 years.
Zeigler, who just retired from CCP in October 2025, has been a cornerstone of the company since that five-person beginning. She left an indelible mark on the firm as the driving force behind one of its most successful public initiatives: the annual Commonwealth Commercial Forum.
The “Roll Up Your Sleeves” Era
The transition from the rigid world of law to the scrappy beginnings of CCP required a rapid shift in mindset for Zeigler. In those early days, she wasn’t just a “Brokerage Coordinator”—she was the company’s Swiss Army knife.
“Back then, we just rolled up our sleeves and did whatever needed to be done in that moment,” reflects Zeigler, who advanced from Brokerage Coordinator, to Marketing Services Manager, and finally retired as Brokerage Services Manager at CCP. “I’ve done everything from painting office walls and buying furniture to preparing property flyers by hand.”
At her start, Zeigler was formally in charge of the bulk of administrative and marketing tasks, working closely with Mark Claud and the other early members of the team. As the business began to expand both its service offerings and its geographic reach, Zeigler took on the new challenges that came along with new growth.
“Mark is a leader who constantly throws out new ideas to see what sticks, and that’s what has kept the company going,” says Zeigler. “He gives people total control over their work with absolutely no micro-managing.”
One area Zeigler oversaw for 15 years was the Commonwealth Commercial Forum, and, similar to the company as a whole, the Forum didn’t start out as the large-scale, influential event it is today.
Building the Forum
The idea for hosting some type of industry-focused education event first popped up at CCP in 2011. In its infancy, the forum was actually just a modest gathering focused on CCP’s proprietary land data.
“We would meet for two hours with around 75 attendees and showcase charts of property costs across Henrico and Hanover,” says Zeigler. “Our land team has a proprietary database that they’ve kept for decades, so this was a good opportunity to review those numbers.”
This gathering quickly evolved into the forum known today: a large-scale, half-day event with more than 350+ attendees from across Virginia. This year’s forum will take place on April 22 at the Dewey Gottwald Center at the Science Museum of Virginia.
“The goal of the Forum today is to create a learning experience for our clients, property managers, and economic development partners,” says Zeigler. “We want to showcase the trends we’re noticing, things we predict will happen in the future, and the work we’re involved in.”
Since 2011, there isn’t a part of the Forum that Zeigler hasn’t touched, from invitations and catering, to mailing lists and sponsors. As CCP redirected the focus of the event beyond land sales, Zeigler booked nationally recognized speakers to discuss trends like AI, generational demographics, and global economic shifts. Following the speaking component, CCP now hosts two hours of premier networking. “The networking gives people the chance to leave this event with great contacts and relationships,” says Zeigler.
For Zeigler, perhaps the greatest challenge wasn’t the logistics involved with the forum’s growth, but the personal growth required to scale the event. For years, she managed so much of her work entirely alone. As CCP expanded into new cities and offices, she faced a difficult realization: to make the forum great, she had to stop doing it alone.
“For so long, I was able to own my projects completely and see them through from start to finish,” reflects Zeigler. “I really learned the importance of being a team player.”
Given the growth of the forum into the large-scale event it is today, a multi-member subcommittee of CCP employees is now tasked with managing all of the event’s planning and execution—this year, those individuals are Caitlin Kash, Will Stettinius, Scott Keeton, and Taylor Fodill. There are even talks of taking the show on the road, hosting a similar event in Hampton Roads.
A Legacy in Motion
As Zeigler prepares for a well-earned retirement involving global travel and animal rescue work, her impact remains visible in every detail of CCP’s signature annual event. The forum is no longer just a meeting; it’s a reputable, honorable platform that reflects the core values Zeigler helped instill in the firm.
“Even though we have grown significantly, the people you work with at CCP are still family,” says Zeigler. “We support each other through the good days and the bad, and that hasn’t changed since the beginning. Our core values are more than just words in a pitch; they are the foundation of how we show up for one another.”
To learn more about the 2026 Commonwealth Commercial Forum, “Beyond 2026: Inflection Points in Commercial Real Estate and the U.S. Economy” featuring keynote speaker Victor Calanog of Manulife Investment Management, please email Caitlin Kash, ckash@former.commonwealthcommercial.com.