The Building People Appoints Christine Abod as Director of Occupier Services

Advancing integrated real estate strategies that help organizations maximize portfolio value and workplace performance

Leesburg, Va. – January 28, 2026 The Building People announced today that Christine Abod has joined the company as Director of Occupier Services, bringing more than 30 years of leadership experience in federal real estate, facilities management, and workplace strategy to advance the company’s integrated services portfolio.

In this role, Abod will lead The Building People’s Occupier Services practice, helping clients maximize the value of their real estate portfolios by aligning how space is planned, utilized, and managed with organizational performance and mission outcomes. Occupier Services at The Building People integrates workplace strategy, portfolio optimization, lease administration, transaction management, and facilities operations into a coordinated, data-driven approach.

“Managing real estate is complex, from supporting a single transaction to developing large-scale facilities strategies,” said Abod. “Occupier Services is about helping organizations get the most value from the space they already have. It’s not about more or less real estate, it’s about how effectively that real estate functions and supports the people and missions inside it.”

Abod joins The Building People following a distinguished career with the U.S. General Services Administration, where she held senior leadership roles overseeing some of the federal government’s largest and most complex real estate portfolios. Her experience includes directing approximately 30 million square feet across over 250 locations, managing large operating budgets, and leading cross-functional teams responsible for facilities operations, customer service, and long-term portfolio strategy.

“Christine brings a rare combination of credibility, scale, rigor, and customer-focused leadership,” said Lawrence Melton, CEO of The Building People. “Her ability to translate complex real estate challenges into practical, value-driven solutions strengthens how we support our clients as trusted advisors, not just service providers.”

Abod has led large campus environments serving agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Food and Drug Administration. She began her work with a strong foundation in project management, supporting complex planning and delivery efforts that shaped her disciplined, outcomes-focused leadership style. That combination of experience informs her approach to integrated operations and continuous portfolio optimization, aligning real estate decisions with operational demands, regulatory requirements, and long-term objectives.

As Director of Occupier Services, Abod’s immediate focus will be deepening trusted advisor relationships with clients, strengthening integrated delivery across service lines, and helping organizations better understand and optimize how their real estate supports business performance and employee experience.

Abod holds a master’s degree in architecture and brings extensive experience in federal contracting, facilities management, and project delivery. She is an RPA-certified Real Property Administrator, brings LEED Green experience, and is currently pursuing professional architectural licensure.

Her appointment reflects The Building People’s continued investment in integrated services that connect workplace strategy, facilities operations, and mission support to deliver consistent, measurable results across real estate portfolios.

About The Building People

The Building People delivers integrated solutions that combine smart building technology, real estate strategy, full lifecycle facilities operations services, integrated workforce and workplace design. We transform organizations and portfolios using real-time data, automation, and AI to optimize performance, reduce costs, and extend asset life. Whether supporting a single building or an enterprise portfolio, we tailor every solution to meet client-specific needs, helping create spaces that are agile, innovative, sustainable, and built for long-term success. Learn more at https://thebuildingpeople.com.