In this award presentation, colleagues and leaders from Duke Energy and the broader community honor Calvin Saboorian as the 2019 CRE Executive of the Year. Speakers highlight his forward‑thinking mindset, describing his desire to be born in the future, and praise his pivotal role in transformative projects such as Optimist Hall and the Innovation Center. They emphasize his visionary leadership, ability to align projects with corporate imperatives, and his collaborative, supportive nature—calling him a “dynamo” who consistently provides support and fosters connections to the neighborhood and light rail. The overall tone is celebratory, underscoring Calvin’s impact on the company’s evolution and community integration.
Chapters
Coronet Carolina's 2019 CRE Executive of the Year. Congratulations, Calvin Sephorian of Duke Energy.
Calvin is a— thinks about the future. In fact, one of the comments he's made to me in the past is if he could, he would love to have been born in the future. Optimist Hall was a very unique project in that it's got so much history But then it's bringing it so far in the future, especially for Duke Energy and how we do business and how we are transforming. It's like he knew the place. He knew it. He must have been there back in the 1800s and helped build this thing.
I've worked for many years, and I'm not going to tell you how many years, but a long time. So I'm very proud of what the team has produced in here. It just is just an amazing place.
Calvin's awesome, and he saw what could be in a creative office space, and he helped guide the rest of the company saying, this is where the Innovation Center needs to be. Its connection to the neighborhood, to the light rail, just having the foresight to know what could be, that's what makes him special.
Calvin has been a pleasure to work with. He's really not only adapted to what are the needs that we have for this space, but also the way Calvin's been a dynamo.
Any support that the project team could ask for, Calvin was there to provide it. Calvin has a vision. He's aligned with our leadership imperatives and truly believes in working as one.
Calvin is very, a very strong leader. If he's in it, he's all in. Congratulations to you. I think you truly deserve this and more.
Congratulations, Calvin Sobourian, the 2019 CRE Executive of the Year.
