Women in real estate. - Free Online Library

Women in real estate. - Free Online Library
PIONEERS
Adrienne Albert
Adrienne Albert, a licensed real estate broker in NYS, is nationally recognized as a marketing and
sales expert in residential real estate and property development. Through her firm, The Marketing
Directors, Inc., Ms. Albert has been responsible for the marketing and sales of over $10 billion in
properties. Over the past 20 years, The Marketing Directors has served a wide range of projects,
from single-family homes to high-density multi-use development, from NY to CA, and from Toronto to
Florida. After graduating from Simmons College, Ms. Albert earned a Master of Architecture from
MIT. Though she never formally practiced architecture, her knowledge of (and love for) the field has
been of enormous help to countless developers in choosing layouts, amenities and other vital aspects
of their projects. A leader in the industry, Ms. Albert pioneered site selling through the use of
miniature models, vignettes, electronic media and full size recreations of condominium homes. In
addition, she has instituted training programs across the country to raise the standards for other
real estate sales professionals. Her success is evident in the large volume of repeat business from
top developers throughout country, as well as the many awards she has received over the years,
including the Associated Builders and Owners' Woman of the Year Award. She has also been named
the National Sales and Marketing Council Marketing Director of the Year, and has been awarded
hundreds of gold and silver awards for marketing and sales excellence. Ms. Albert is an approved
IRM Course II instructor and an adjunct faculty member at New York University's Real Estate
Institute. She is also a member of many professional trade organizations, including the Appointed
Board of Governors of the Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York (ABO) and the Real
Estate Board of New York (REBNY).
Elisa J. Baudanza, MAI
Elisa Baudanza, MAI has been actively involved in real estate since 1980. In 1990 she joined
Citigroup and is currently Senior Vice President. From 1990 to 1996 she worked in the Technical
Services/Appraisal Group as the Northeast Regional Manager. As manager she was responsible for
staff supervision and management of the Northeast real estate appraisal/valuation services.
Valuation services were provided to Citigroup's business managers within the Private Bank,
Commercial Real Estate Group and the Consumer Bank.
Since 1997, Elisa has been with Citigroup Corporate Realty Services as part of the Strategic
Planning Group. As Relationship Manager and Strategic Planner she works with Citigroup Corporate
Center, Corporate Staff Groups, the Private Bank and the Corporate Investment Bank on long-term
real estate/space strategies within the New York City/Tri-State area. She also worked on the
relocation of Citigroup Corporate Center into 399 Park Avenue.
Prior to joining Citigroup Elisa worked for a New York City real estate appraisal and valuation
company. Elisa has been a member of AREW since 1982 and served as AREW President in 1987-88.
In 1990 she received the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute and holds a commercial real
estate license in New York State.
Deborah B. Beck
Deborah Beck began her real estate career in the early 1970s as an owner's representative and
construction consultant. Later in the decade, while completing her MBA, she took a job at the Real
Estate Board of New York, rising through the ranks to become Executive Vice President in 1988, a
position she held until her retirement in May 2003. Perhaps it was Mrs. Beck's first career as a
psychotherapist that prepared her to deal with a diverse group of public figures and politicians
locally and in Washington who were heavily regulating the real estate industry for the first time. She
took on these issues from a common sense point of view. If the proposals would make buildings and
their occupants safer, she ensured that the proposed changes were cost-effective and could be
implemented by a responsible owner-builder.
Upon her retirement from REBNY, Mrs. Beck formed Beck Creative Strategies L.L.C. which is
devoted to organizational development and problem solving for real estate entities as well as
environmentally sound building and maintenance practices.
While at REBNY, she served on the Commissioner's Advisory Councils at the Department of
Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) as well as the Buildings and Fire Departments of the City of
New York. She also co-chaired the Citizens Advisory Committee on Water Quality for the NYCDEP.
She is currently on the board of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Betances Health Center
an affiliate of Beth Israel Hospital, Treasurer of the Seaview Association of Fire Island and,
continues as a member of the Council on Transportation as well as the Bar of the City of New York's
committee on Lower Manhattan. Mrs. Beck is listed in The World Who's Who of Women, Who's Who
of American Women and West's Who's Who in Executives.
Peggy Carnegie
Peggy Carnegie was truly a lady of distinction. The beautiful bows in her hair said it all! Born March
26, 1916 and raised in Manhattan, a place she dearly loved, she was a true pioneer in the male-
dominated world of real estate. She once brokered a sale of the Woolworth Building downtown and
was on a "first name basis" with the City's biggest owners and developers, from Harry Helmsley to
Donald Trump.
Peggy started her own real estate brokerage firm and, after many good years there, concluded her
career in the Commercial Real Estate Division of Simon Rudd & Associates. She was the first woman
ever made a director of the Real Estate Board of New York. At the time of her death, in December of
2002, she was, as usual, in the forefront of the industry, brokering "brownfields" for commercial and
residential development. She had a very good memory for addresses, square footage and who had
bought and sold what in the New York real estate market.
Peggy maintained a cabin in Chappaqua and a residence in New York on Park Avenue. She was a
true gourmet and savored everything from Lobster Bisque to Chicken Paprikash. She once told a
New York apartment purchaser (purported to be Stanley Winston--Harry's Brother) that her dream
was to eat through a bathtub filled with caviar ... and after she won a bet with him, he presented her
with a kilogram of the best caviar available--apologizing that a bathtub full was beyond his means!!!
She is fondly missed by her dear friends who fortunately have great memories of Peggy's joie de
vivre', and we remember well that Peggy could tell a joke with the perfect lead up to the punch line.
Arare talent indeed! We miss you Peggy!
Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Corcoran's amazing rise to the top has become the stuff of legend and inspiration. Her
credentials include straight D's in high school and college and over twenty jobs by the time she
turned twenty-three. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful
entrepreneurs in the country--when she borrowed $1000 from her boyfriend and quit her job as a
waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City. Over the next twenty-five years, she'd
parlay that $1000 loan into The Corcoran Group, New York City's leading real estate company with
over $5 billion in revenue. Barbara now leads over 800 agents in 11 New York City offices and an
additional 200 agents in Palm Beach, The Hamptons, North Fork, and Shelter Island. How'd she do
it? She listened to her mother.
Barbara's National Bestseller, "Use What You've Got and Other Business Lessons I Learned From My
Morn," reveals that her secret to success has been to steadfastly apply her mom's kitchen table
wisdom. The paperback edition is titled, "If You Don't Have Big Breasts, Put Ribbons in Your
Pigtails." All of Barbara's profits from the book fund the specialized education of dyslexic children.
Motivational, inspirational, and sometimes outrageous, Barbara Corcoran's tell-it-like-it-is attitude is
a fresh approach to success. According to CNN, Barbara is "the most sought after broker" in the city
and is considered one of the most powerful brokers in the country.
Diane B. Diamondstein
Following her graduation from Cornell University in 1973, Ms. Diamondstein began her career in
real estate by working for privately held real estate firms and joined Chase Manhattan Bank in 1980.
In 1986 she was named Division Manager for the Real Estate Valuation unit responsible for New
York State. As a member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI) and Real Estate Board of New York she
served on various committees. She also lectured at the NYU Real Estate Institute.
Upon completing her term as President of AREW 1988/89, she served as Dinner Chairperson for
AREW's first fundraising event, which established the initial endowment for the AREW Charitable
Fund.
At the invitation of President Rhodes, she served on the first President's Council of Cornell Women,
whose mission is to advance the involvement and leadership of women students, faculty and
alumnae.
In recognition for her work done on behalf of the Path to Peace Foundation, she was awarded a
Papal Silver medal and a Proclamation from Pope John Paul prior to his 1995 New York City visit.
She retired in 1996 to pursue other interests.
Patricia Goldstein
In 2001, Patricia Goldstein joined Milstein Brothers to run a new venture in acquisitions and
development. Prior to joining Milstein Brothers Realty Investors, she founded a real estate
investment banking firm, providing advisory services that included raising capital for owners and
developers.
Goldstein also served as Division Executive of Citicorp Global Real Estate, with responsibility for
investment decisions on new real estate business opportunities, including CMB S worldwide and
loan syndication, as well as workouts and OREO portfolios. She developed extensive experience with
all asset classes for both investment and direct real estate owned properties. She also managed
sales/ leasebacks, emerging market financing transactions and real estate transactions with large
global customers. She managed a global real estate organization with offices in eight countries and
had responsibility for management of a substantial bank owned portfolio in Mexico. She started
Citibank's Capital Markets and Securitization programs in Europe, which was recognized as #2 in
global securitization in 1997.
Goldstein was Executive VP and COO at M.J. Raynes from 1988-1990. Before that, she was Senior
Vice President and Treasurer for Olympia & York Companies (USA) from 1983-1988. While in this
job, she was voted "Treasurer of the Year for Swaps" by Euromoney and was responsible for billions
in financing.
Presently, Ms. Goldstein is trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and a member of the Real
Estate Roundtable. She is a former Chairman of the Real Estate Advisory Committee of the New
York Retirement Fund (the second largest pension fund in the US). She was selected YWCA "Woman
Achiever of the Year" in 1994; was named as Commercial Real Estate Woman Achiever of the year
by CREW in 1995, and was the honoree at the 1996 Real Estate and Construction Council gala
benefit at Lincoln Center, the first woman ever to be so honored.
Joan Gordon
Beginning as a property manager at Tewkesbury Management, Inc., a family-owned real estate
company where she managed apartment buildings and professional offices, Joan Gordon spent time
as a high school guidance counselor before rising to become one of the most influential women in
real estate as Director of the NYU Real Estate Institute from 1978 to 1996. She developed and
administered courses for the Real Estate Institute, provided counseling and job referrals for students
and served as liaison to the Real Estate Institute's Advisory Board and Real Estate Round Table.
Along the way she married Donald J. Gordon, a partner in Digby Management, and had two children,
Debbie Fechter and Larry Gordon, who both work for Digby Management acquiring, leasing and
managing residential and commercial properties.
Ms. Gordon served as one of the first presidents of the Association of Real Estate Women in 1982
and was president of the League of Women Voters of New Rochelle in 1971. Upon her retirement,
NYU established the Joan Gordon Scholarship, awarded annually to an outstanding student in the
Master of Science Real Estate Program.
Joan currently volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, still takes continuing education
courses, enjoys Pilates, water aerobics and travel, when she's not spending time with her "five
wonderful grandchildren."
Merle Z. Gross-Ginsburg
Beginning with the renovation of a rooming house on the Upper West Side into a seven-unit
apartment building where she and her family would live, Merle Gross-Ginsburg Soon became
involved in the community, starting a block association, planting trees, engaging city agencies in
starting local self-help organizations. From 1969 to 1972, she renovated four other properties from
SRO's into multi-unit co-ops, among the first to be converted in the city. In 1972 she joined L.B. Kaye
Associates, then a small independent residential brokerage selling co-ops and brownstones. Two
years later, she was recruited by Edward Gordon as his assistant, the beginning of her career in
commercial management. From a small office of six professionals, ESG grew rapidly into one of
Manhattan's most successful commercial real estate firms. Merle started ESG's management
division in 1976. Named a partner of the firm in 1978, the first woman partner in a commercial real
estate firm in the city, she built a department originally managing 500,000 square feet to one
managing 7 million square feet by 1980.
In 1975, after attending a Real Estate Board dinner where there were only two other professional
women in attendance, it appeared there was a dearth of women in the commercial sector of real
estate. But when asked by the Board in 1976 to participate in a seminar for women in the field, 100
women showed up. Merle realized there were no professional networking availabilities for women
and decided to try to create something, and so the Association of Real Estate Women was created.
Merle served as its first President from 1978 to 1980. From its' beginning, the Association's goals
have been to support women in their professional lives through networking opportunities,
educational seminars, and professional development. The organization is now celebrating its' 26th
Anniversary.
Constance J. Milstein
Constance J. Milstein is an attorney and a Principal of Ogden CAP Properties, LLC, a property
management and development company in NYC. In 2003, Crain's included Ms. Milstein among the
top 100 women real estate executives. In recognition of her support for the homeless, Ms. Milstein
was honored in 2004 by the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS), one of the largest homeless
shelters in New York.
From 1992 to 2003 Ms. Milstein served as Director of Emigrant Savings Bank, New York's fourth
largest savings bank. From 1992-1999 she also served as Co-Chairman of Douglas Elliman Inc., New
York's largest residential real estate brokerage. Under her direction, the firm sold $2 billion worth of
property in 1998. Douglas Elliman was sold in July, 1999.
Previously, she served as an attorney in the General Counsel's office of the Federal Department of
Transportation and practiced law at the Washington law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver &
Kampelman.
Ms. Milstein is a philanthropist and patron of sciences, arts, and education. She is a Board
member/Trustee of the New York Presbyterian Hospital, and a Member/Governor of the New York
Presbyterian Foundation, Inc. Ms. Milstein is also a Board Member of the American Hospital of
Paris, where the nursing services have been named in her honor. In addition she is a Board Member
of the New York City Parks Foundation, Director of the New York City Opera, a Director of the
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation, and a Trustee of the Democratic Leadership Council.
Ms. Milstein supports various projects and programs at Columbia University (the Milstein Library),
New York Presbyterian Hospital (the Milstein Hospital Building), the New York Metropolitan
Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Opera, the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the American
Jewish Committee (AJC), and the United Jewish Appeal (UJA).
Carol Nelson
Carol Nelson, recently retired vice chairman of Insignia Real Estate, a New York Stock Exchange
Company, has been the trailblazer for women in commercial real estate. She has been an inspiration
and role model for women brokers throughout the industry and has mentored other women who
have achieved major success in their own careers.
During a 28-year career she has been widely recognized for her involvement in many of the nation's
largest real estate transactions valued in the billions of dollars. Her achievements include: Sony's
900,000 square foot net lease of the AT&T Building, 550 Madison Avenue; the Random House
450,000 square foot transaction, 250 East 50th Street; the disposition of Empire Blue Cross Blue
Shield's headquarters, 622 Third Avenue; the IRS headquarters, 1133 Avenue of the Americas; IBM's
sale of 590 Madison Avenue; and the Conde Nast headquarters transaction, 4 Times Square, which
jump-started the Times Square redevelopment.
Carol was honored by the Real Estate Board of New York with Ingenious Broker Awards on three
separate occasions and her transactions were featured in The New York Times, The New York Daily
News and Crain's New York Business, among others.
Currently she is chairman and CEO of CSN Equities, her own company specializing in acquisitions,
and acts as consultant for various corporations. She is an owner of two successful restaurants,
Baldoria, New York City, and Cafe Blue, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Carol has served on the boards of American Women's Economic Corporation, American Red Cross.
Women's Project & Productions, Washington Scholarship Committee and New Milford, Columbia
Presbyterian Hospitals.
Carol D. Nichols
Nichols often professed that she didn't work well with intangibles. She likes ideas to eventually
become "concrete," deriving pleasure from working on projects that altered a city's skyline. Before
has recent retirement, she was Senior Managing Director Insignia/ ESG's Capital Advisors Group
(CAG) where she managed contacts with all major institutional clients. The group assists national
and international clients with acquisitions and dispositions, debt placement, securitization advice
and restructuring, and provides expertise in sale/leasebacks for investment grade and sub-
investment grade credits and financing for build-to-suits. Among her most prominent transactions
with which she was involved were NationsBank Tower in Miami, 757 Third Avenue in New York and
a 1.6 million square-foot portfolio of office buildings in suburban Detroit. Nichols joined CAG in 1997
after her retirement from Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, where she was
managing director in the Mortgage and Real Estate Division. This top-performing professional
considered the greatest achievement of her 30-year career to be survival. She expresses concern
regarding the potential of e-commerce to dramatically alter the commercial real estate industry.
Karen A. Phillips
In 2002, Karen Phillips was the NYC Public Advocate appointment to the NYC Planning Commission.
She also provides consulting services in community development to private planning and
development firms, community development corporations and municipalities. She's often a
participant in discussions about urban issues with graduate educational programs and community
development professionals. She was 2002-03 Mid-Career Community Development Fellow of the
Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at the New School University. In 2002,
Mayor Bloomberg appointed her to the Board of Directors of the Studio Museum in Harlem.
She was previously a founder, president and CEO of the Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC),
a community-based not-for-profit organization initiated in 1986 by volunteers from Harlem's
Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of NY's oldest African-American congregations. Upon her appointed
as City Planning Commissioner, ADC had invested almost $200 million in the Harlem community,
employed 55 people, created over 1,000 units of housing and fostered proposals for the
redevelopment of four large properties containing over 500,000 square feet of commercial space.
Phillips was initially trained as a landscape architect at the School of Environmental Design,
University of Georgia, and in 1982 graduated with a Master's from the Graduate School of Design at
Harvard University, with a concentration in real estate development and urban planning. A resident
of Harlem, she is a member of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the NY Women's Forum and the
American Society of Landscape Architects, and serves on the Board of Directors for New Yorkers for
Parks and the Manhattan Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Karen also serves on the Fannie Mae
North East Regional Office Housing and Community Development Advisory Board, the State Farm
Bank Community Reinvestment Advisory Board, and is on the coordinating committee of New York
2050, a participatory visioning process for the region.
Janet Levy Rivkin
Janet Levy Rivkin spent 35 years in real estate areas ranging from regulatory agency work to
management, brokerage, construction and building inspection. She has a Masters from Columbia
University and was the first woman named an Assistant Professor at the NYU Real Estate Institute.
She spent 10 years at the Rent Stabilization Association as Membership Director. Her years after
RSA included building and project management for Starrett Housing, and the development of her
own full service real estate firm. Janet Levy Associates focused on small and mid-sized property
management, consulting work for institutions such as hospitals with large blocks of housing,
building sales and quality control services. She continues to work on special projects for owners and
is an investor as well.
Over the years she has been have involved with numerous business organizations, including the Real
Estate Board of New York, Associated Builders and Owners, and has served on many of their boards
and committees. She was a founding member of AREW and was on the very first six-member
Steering Committee. During her year as President of AREW, she stressed the importance not only of
professional life, but the health and well being of each woman member. Her friendships with so
many of these and other real estate women have been her greatest rewards
She would like to acknowledge the support and teachings of several men. Firstly, her Dad, Bill Levy,
who took her as a child to building and construction sites for Saturdays together. Special thanks to
mentor Don Gordon, the "not in the book teaching" of Barry Levites, and the master of "how to build
it," the late Sid Silverstein. Special admiration goes to her husband and real estate lawyer, Larry
Rivkin. "Meeting him at a Real Estate Board dinner was the best deal I ever made."
Marilyn Kramer Weitzman, MAI, CRE
Since 1981, Marilyn Kramer Weitzman has been a principal of The Weitzman Group, Inc., real estate
specialists providing advice and counsel to those engaged in evaluation, buying, selling, leasing,
financing or developing real estate. The firm provides acquisition and disposition counseling,
regional economic analysis, market research, due diligence, development planning, appraisals and
expert testimony. Prior to that, she was a principal of Korpacz and Weitzman, Inc., real estate
consultants and appraisers providing market and investment analyses and property valuation
services from 1977 to 1981. She spent five years prior to that as Assistant Vice President of
Investment Services Division of Landauer Associates Inc., after a short stint as a regional economist
at the American City Corporation in the early Seventies.
She received her MBA from New York University's Graduate School of Business Administration in
1980, 11 years after completing her Masters and undergraduate degrees at the University of
Pennsylvania.
A frequent lecturer and adjunct professor at NYU's Real Estate Institute, Marilyn is a member of the
Appraisal Institute, Urban Land Institute, Young Men's/ Women's Real Estate Association, Real
Estate Board of New York, Association of Real Estate Women and is a licensed salesperson in the
State of New York.
CURRENT LEADERS
Ruth A. Agnese, MAI
Ruth A. Agnese is Senior Vice President of Appraisers and Planners, Inc. a full service appraisal and
real estate consulting firm based in New York City. She has been involved in commercial real estate
valuation for over 20 years and holds the MAI designation. Her clients include major law firms,
developers, financial and non-for profit institutions. Over her career, she has been involved in major
New York City commercial projects valued in excess of a billion dollars. Notable office buildings
appraised include the Empire State Building and Crown Building among others. She is frequently
sought after to serve as an expert in arbitration and litigation matters. Ms. Agnese is a certified
general appraiser in the State of New York and State of Connecticut.
Ms. Agnese is very active in the Appraisal Institute on a national, regional and local level. She is the
Past President of the Metropolitan Chapter of the New York Appraisal Institute. She is a frequent
lecturer for the Appraisal Institute and Real Estate Board of New York.
Highlights of past and current professional accomplishments: Past President of the Association of
Real Estate Women (AREW); Past President of Metropolitan New York Chapter of the Appraisal
Institute; Recognized as one of the 100 Women Real Estate Leaders for the 21st Century by Real
Estate Weekly; Awarded the Galaxy Award, Woman of the Future in 2000 by the New York Women's
Agenda; Presently serves on the Appraisal Advisory Council of New York University's Real Estate
Masters Program; Past Chair of the Appraisal Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York
(REBNY); Appointed to the board of REAC, (Real Estate Advisory Coalition), a non-profit established
to assist tenants affected by the 9/11 tragedy.
Susan Boyle, AIA, IIDA, ASID
Susan Boyle is Managing Partner at HLW, an international architecture, interior design,
engineering, planning, and consulting firm. In 1994 Susan was promoted to Partner--the first female
partner in HLW's 118-year history. Within three years she was promoted to Senior Partner, and soon
after to her current position as one of four Managing Partners in the 250-employee firm. As part of
her responsibilities, Susan is involved in the establishment of HLW's business practices and
operational structure. Recently, she was instrumental in the roll out of a firm-wide restructuring, as
well as a new mission, vision, goals and values initiative.
Susan actively participates in development and management of design projects for HLW. She is
partner-in-charge for the interior design of Dechert's new 200,000 sf law offices in Philadelphia.
Susan is also involved with the Millennium HS, a progressive learning environment that fits into
Governor Pataki's plan for the revitalization of Downtown Manhattan. Her projects have received
many awards, including the Business Week/Architectural Record Award for SAP's Global Marketing
Headquarters in 2001, and Interior Magazine Awards in 1999 and 2000 for Columbia-Presbyterian
Medical Center and La Palestra Center for Preventative Medicine.
As a registered architect and licensed interior designer, Susan is very active in professional
organizations for the built community. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and
American Society of Interior Designers, and a board member of the International Interior Design
Association (IIDA). She has also served as chairwoman for the IIDA Commercial Design Forum,
which hosts the annual Pioneers of the Industry series celebrating innovators in the interior design
profession. AREW honored Susan in 1999 as one of the 100 most influential women in real estate.
Susan balances her career with an active family life, raising two boys, Jack (12) and Connor (6) with
her husband John.
Aine Brazil, P.E.
Aine Brazil is a Managing Principal at Thornton-Tomasetti Group. Throughout her 28 years'
experience she has been responsible for the design and construction of high-rise offices, hotels, air-
rights projects with long span transfer systems, hospitals and parking garages. High on The list of
her accomplishments is the role she has played in leading the structural engineering teams for the
design of over three million square feet of office development in Times Square at 5 Times Square, 7
Times Square and 745 Seventh Avenue, all completed in the last five years. Other notable projects
for which she was responsible include the 850,000 square feet expansion of New York Hospital
spanning over the FDR highway and the Embassy Suites Hotel in Battery Park City.
In 1999 Ms. Brazil was named one of "New York's 100 Most Influential Women in Business" by
Crain's New York Business. She was also featured in a New York Times article entitled "More
Engineers in Hard Hats and Heels," which explored the hurdles she overcame as a woman in the
construction industry. In May 2001, Ms. Brazil was honored by Professional Women in Construction
(PWC) in their Salute to Women of Achievement.
Ms. Brazil has authored numerous technical papers and lectured in Universities throughout the
country including Cornell and Princeton and Columbia University. She was the first president of
SEAONY, Structural Engineers Association of New York, and an active member in the American
Concrete Institute (ACI), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Institute of
Engineers in Ireland. Ms. Brazil holds a B.S. degree in Engineering from the University College in
Galway, Ireland and a M.S. degree in Engineering from the Imperial coldwell real estate for sale
College of Science and Technology in London.
Midge Brogan
Marguerite M. (Midge) Brogan is a Managing Director in Lehman Brothers' Global Commercial Real
Estate Finance Group and is in her 13th year with the firm. Ms. Brogan's responsibilities have
included the valuation, purchase, restructuring / resolution, sale and structured financings of all
types of commercial real estate assets. Principal transactions activities in which she has been
involved include the financing and acquisition of various property types across the country including
land, office, regional malls, hotels, multi family properties and condominium conversions as well as
the acquisition of commercial real estate loans and REO from: Bank of America, Sumitomo Bank,
Fuji Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Westinghouse Credit, Fleet Financial Group, Chase Manhattan
Bank, NationsBank, the FDIC, HUD and the RTC. Ms. Brogan was previously responsible for
underwriting both performing and non-performing commercial real estate assets in Lehman's
Contract Finance Department.
Prior to joining Lehman Ms. Brogan consulted to corporate clients in maximizing the value of their
surplus and underutilized real estate assets and advising private sector and not-for-profit clients in
real estate investments. She started her real estate career in Metropolitan Life's Real Estate
Investment Group where she had direct responsibility for underwriting, structuring and closing debt
and equity investments in the development, financing, acquisition, and management of commercial
real estate. Ms. Brogan earned an MBA in Finance and Real Estate from George Washington
University and graduated cum laude from Boston College with a BS in Business Management with a
concentration in Accounting. She has over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry.
Stephanie Butler
Stephanie Butler is excited to have recently joined Title Associates, a division of Stewart Title, as a
Senior Vice President. Its boutique environment specializing in commercial and high-end residential
transactions provides the perfect atmosphere for a type of professional service that is unique in the
title insurance industry. Butler has over 25 years of experience in all phases of the title insurance
industry. She previously served as Sr. VP at First American Title Insurance Company of New York;
opened and managed the New York City Office for Lawyers Title; and managed the National Division
for LTIC Assoc., Inc. She is the 2005-2006 Secretary of the Association of Real Estate Women and a
member of the AREW Charitable Fund Board and has formerly served as Member-at-Large, and co
chaired the Special Events and Luncheon Committees. Butler was the only woman to have chaired
the Young Mortgage Bankers Association.
Vivian Chavez
As a Senior Partner of HLW International, LLP, and President of HLW Design/Build, LLC, Ms.
Chavez is responsible for developing and maintaining the philosophy and management of the
design/build group. Her expertise in directing a project delivery methodology to meet client's goals
is a result of having over 24 years of integrated experience in design and construction. Highly
responsive to diverse client expectations, Vivian has crafted HLW's "design-led approach" to the
design/build practice. By focusing on the special needs of the industry and providing superior
management skills, she ensures the success of complex, quolily projects.
Ms. Chavez is a Member of the American Institute of Architect (AIA), and the Design Building
Institute of America (DBIA); Board of Directors of the DBIA Tri-State Metro Chapter; Business
Week/Architectural Record Award--"Good Design's Good Business", 2001; DBIA Design/Build
Excellence Award--2001; Skyscraper Museum Making NY History Award--2001; Articles featuring
her work or carrying her by-line have appeared in Interior Design, DBIA The New York Times,
Design/ Build Magazine, Interiors and various other publications; Honored in 1999 and 2003 as one
of the 100 most influential women in Real Estate in New York by the Association of Real Estate
Women; Speaker at the Notional DBIA Conference, the Construction Summit and various industry
events.
Faith Hope Consolo
While there are many successful businesswomen today, not many can claim they transformed a city.
However, Faith Hope Consolo, Chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman's Retail Leasing and Sales
Division, can. In representing and consulting for some of the world's most stylish national and
international retailers and landlords, she has elevated the retail landscape of Manhattan and other
major cities around the world.
During her stellar career, Ms. Consolo has brought many prominent retailers to Manhattan,
including: Benetton, Versace, Bruno Magli, Paul Smith, Paloma Picasso, Godiva, Salvatore
Ferragamo, Floris of London, Bally of Switzerland, Christofle, Creed, Manolo Blahnik, Wempe, Gant,
Asprey, Fendi, Agatha, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Calypso, Fresh, Zara, Bare Escentuals, and
recently, Barneys Co-Op to the Upper West Side.
Ms. Consolo's resume reads like a "Who's Who" in fashion and real estate. She is an ongoing
consultant to the Onassis Foundation, Richemont and LVMH, among others, in the acquisition and
disposition of their retail properties.
She served as management consultant for Times Square and Penn Station's redevelopment, helping
to mold these districts into the business and tourism hubs that they are today. Ms. Consolo was also
the sole advisor to the Alliance for Downtown New York.
She even finds time to author an on-line publication bearing her name, "The Faith Report."
Prior to joining PDE in January 2005, she spent nearly 20 years as vice chairman of another firm,
whose international division she founded, in Paris, in 1987.
Sherry Frankel
Sherry Frankel, principal and president of Caran Properties, also serves as vice president of AFA
Asset Services, a real estate investment and asset management firm, where she focuses on analysis,
acquisitions, financings and management of real estate investments. Sherry is asset manager of a
real estate portfolio of residential and commercial properties in Manhattan, Miami and Maryland.
She has spent her entire career with AFA, beginning in 1979. In addition to managing AFA's client
portfolios, she converted two buildings to cooperative and condominium ownership, helping create
the offering plans and managing the successful marketing and sales programs.
In 1988, Sherry found the need to improve the management and financial controls of AFA's client
buildings. From that experience, she founded Caran Properties. This relationship between the asset
management and property management interests resulted in Caran's trademark intelligent and
aggressive style of management. By managing the property with an owner's perspective, the
buildings are more closely monitored and expediently serviced.
The Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York honored Caran Properties as
"Management Company of the Year" in 2000. Sherry has twice been the recipient of the ABO's
Emma Lazarus Award for her contributions to the real estate industry and NY business environment
and was chosen by the Association of Real Estate Women as one of the Women Real Estate Leaders
for the 21st Century.
She is a member of the Real Estate Board of NY and serves on its Residential Council and Inter-firm
Forum, the board of directors of the Rent Stabilization Association and the Neighborhood
Preservation Political Action Fund. Sherry is secretary of the ABO and is on the executive committee
of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. She's also a consultant for NYU Cancer
Institute and board member of the AREW Charitable Fund.
Jane Gladstein
Jane Gladstein is a principal of Metropolitan Housing Partners (MHP), responsible for oversight of
the firm's development projects. MHP is an urban housing company specializing in development of
multifamily condominium and rental properties in downtown neighborhoods, including the
metropolitan areas of New York and Philadelphia. With institutional partners, MHP is currently
developing more than 1,000 units in projects valued at more than $60 million.
Previously, Gladstein was head of Jane Gladstein Real Estate, focusing on residential and retail
properties. She has provided development consulting, asset management, owner's representation,
marketing consulting and/or sales services for more than $6 billion of residential property.
Prior to managing her eponymous firm, Gladstein was a Vice President and the Director of the
Residential Asset Management Group for North America for Citicorp Real Estate, where she created
and led their marketing consultancy for the US-based asset management teams. Prior to joining
Citicorp, Gladstein managed the Development Consulting Group of MJ Raynes Incorporated, where
she led a team of 50 product development, marketing and sales professionals who provided strategic
consulting services for over $1 billion in new housing. She previously was Senior Project Manager
for The Marketing Directors.
Gladstein was honored as Developer of the Year (1992) by the Associated Builders and Owners of NY
and recently was the recipient of their Emma Lazarus Award for her contribution to the real estate
industry. Gladstein holds Registered Apartment Manager and Institute of Residential Marketing
designations from the National Association of Home Builders and was a founding Governor/Director
on the NY-based boards of these organizations on behalf of NAHB. Gladstein is a founding member
and served for five years on the Board of Directors of AREW, and has served on the Housing
Committee of the REBNY, where she is currently a Broker A member.
Veronica W. Hackett
Veronica W. Hackett is Co-Managing Partner of The Clarett Group, a NY based real estate company
that develops high-rise properties in urban areas and provides development advisory services to a
select group of clients. Since its founding in 1999, Clarett has completed three luxury Manhattan
residential towers. Clarett Capital, formed with Prudential Real Estate Investors, has acquired two
Manhattan properties. OPUS, a 22-story luxury condominium is currently under construction and
207 East 57th Street is in the design stage. Prior to founding Clarett, Mrs. Hackett and co-founder
Neil Klarfeld were executive vice presidents of a major NYC development firm where they developed
a myriad of real estate projects exceeding 12 million square feet. In addition to her work as a private
sector developer, Mrs. Hackett has been a corporate real estate executive in the U.S. and Europe, a
real estate pension fund asset manager and a real estate lender. She received her MBA in Finance
from New York University and a BA in History and Economics from the College of Notre Dame of
Maryland. She is married and the mother of one son.
Leslie Wohlman Himmel
Leslie Wohlman Himmel has been called "the highest ranking female landlord in Manhattan's
commercial property market," recognized as one of NYC's most successful business leaders and
listed among the "100 Most Influential Women in Business." She's also made AREW's list of "100
Women Real Estate Leaders for the 21st Century."
Himmel has been Managing Partner of Himmel + Meringoff Properties since 1985. She and partner
Stephen Meringoff own and control a portfolio of over 2,400,000 sf, with an asset value over $485
million. Their acquisition strategy has been to purchase well-located properties with an opportunity
to create value through repositioning, renovation and re-tenanting. The company is vertically
integrated with its own management, leasing and construction staff.
Previously, Himmel served as Assistant VP with the Acquisitions Division of Integrated Resources,
involved in the acquisition of over $500 million in commercial properties and working on corporate
sale-leasebacks nationwide.
Himmel's board memberships include the REBNY's Executive Committee and Board of Governors.
She has co-chaired their Economic Development Committee since 1995. She was elected to the
Trustees Council of Penn Women (University of Pennsylvania) and the Wharton School Zell Lurie
Real Estate Center, and is a member of the board of the NY Metro Young Presidents' Organization.
She is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Association for a Better New York, the
Harvard Business School Club of NY, the Harvard Business School Network of Women Alumnae,
Young Men's/Women's Real Estate Association and Young Mortgage Bankers Association. She is a
frequent guest speaker and panelist.
Himmel graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania. She
received her MBA with high honors from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. She lives in NYC
with her husband of 20 years and their two children.
Meredith J. Kane
A Partner in the Real Estate Department of the NY office of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &
Garrison, LLP, Meredith Kane regularly represents developers, equity investors, institutional and
entrepreneurial owners and government agencies in all aspects of development, finance,
acquisitions and sales, leasing and securitization of real estate. She has special expertise in the
finance and development of complex public/private joint venture projects, including the long-term
lease acquisition of the World Trade Center complex, the development of the proposed new stadium
for the NY Jets on Manhattan's West Side, the retail redevelopment and restoration of Grand Central
Terminal, the redevelopment of historic theaters in the 42nd Street Development Project, the
development and financing of a huge office and hotel complex in downtown Brooklyn, the
development and financing of a new arena for the Miami Heat, the development and financing of
Trump World Tower, and the development and financing of numerous office, residential and mixed-
use complexes.
Kane was recently named to the WTC Memorial Center Advisory Committee by the Lower
Manhattan Development Corporation, where she is a member of the Residential Advisory Council.
She was formerly lead official of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development in
charge of the development of 8,000 new housing units, and a former City Planning official for the
City of New Haven in charge of mixed-use retail and commercial districts. She is a regular speaker
on real estate development and finance, including stadium and housing finance. Kane is a
commissioner of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and a member of the Real Estate
Board of New York (Economic Development and Real Estate Finance Committees), Urban Land
Institute and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. She is chair of the Executive
Committee of the Avenue of the Americas Association.
Suzanne Kliegerman
Suzanne Kliegerman has been Senior Vice President of Commerce Bank's New York Real Estate
Lending Division since 2001. She has 19 years experience in the industry working for EAB, Bank of
Tokyo Trust Company, and Chemical Bank.
She currently sits on the boards of the Association of Real Estate Women and the Real Estate
Lenders Association and is a former President of both organizations. Kliegerman is a member of the
Real Estate Board of New York and is a licensed New York State real estate broker. She has been a
guest speaker at NYU's Real Estate Institute, Columbia University's Master of Science in Real Estate
Development and RENBY. Kliegerman is a recipient of the 2004 Galaxy Award presented by the New
York Women's Agenda. Kliegerman graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, and lives in
Westchester with her husband and three sons.
Susan J. Kurland
Susan Kurland is an Executive Vice President with the New York Tri-State Region Retail Services
Group. Prior to CB Richard Ellis, Ms. Kurland was Executive Director of Retail Brokerage Services
with Cushman & Wakefield's New York office, where she had been since 1998.
Kurland is recognized as one of the top retail real estate professionals in the industry. While at
Cushman & Wakefield, she consistently achieved recognition as their highest grossing national retail
broker, and earned the distinction of being the firm's senior-most retail brokerage professional.
During her more than 15 years in the industry, Ms. Kurland has been instrumental in helping many
of the world's top international retailers enter the US market. In addition to her tenant
representation experience, she also specializes in developing local, national and international retail
projects, and providing retail consulting and advisory services to both retailers and property owners.
Kurland is a two-time Real Estate Board of New York award winner, having won the 1999 "Deal That
Most Significantly Impacts a Neighborhood" Award for the 36,000-square-foot H&M transaction at
640 Fifth Avenue, followed up in 2002 by the prestigious Most Creative Retail Deal of the Year
Award for arranging the much-publicized 45,200-square-foot American Girl transaction at 609 Fifth
Avenue.
Patricia J. Lancaster, FAIA
After six years in the private and non-for-profit sectors, Patricia Lancaster has returned to municipal
service. In 2002 she became Commissioner of the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), the agency
responsible for setting local construction standards, enforcing related laws and regulating the
construction trades.
Commissioner Lancaster is a NYS Registered Architect with more than 20 years experience in
construction, teaching and government. She is well-suited to bringing positive change to DOB.
Lancaster has taken on the challenges of creating a structure for the agency that deters corruption
and improves services to property owners and the building community. In the aftermath of
September 11, 2001, she is seeking revisions to the Building Code to enhance building performance
under catastrophic conditions.
Lancaster previously owned the Lancaster Group, offering owners' representation and project
management, primarily for not-for-profits. As a member of LCOR, Inc., she was in charge of
public/private development for the northeast region with a portfolio of more than $2 billion. She was
Assistant VP for the Department of Planning, Design and Construction at Columbia University,
where she headed up an $850 million capital program. Under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, she was
Deputy Commissioner for Design and Construction, where she managed a staff of 600 with an
annual budget of $600 million. Her other experience includes the re-development of Penn Station,
the Foley Square Office building and a mixed-use building for Rutgers University for LCOR, Inc., as
well as associations with top architectural firms such as Perkins and Will and Michael Lynn.
In 2003, Lancaster was named "Woman of the Year" by ABO. In 2000, Real Estate Weekly named her
one of the top 100 Women in Real Estate. In 1996, Professional Women in Construction named her
Woman of the Year.
Patricia Van B. Madsen
Patricia Madsen is a partner in Winston & Strawn LLP's real estate department concentrating her
practice in project development, investment, acquisition, sale, financing and leasing matters,
including sale-leaseback and lease-leaseback transactions. She has extensive experience
representing a broad range of domestic and foreign commercial real estate developers, investors,
buyers, sellers and lenders, as well as landlords, tenants, not-for-profit institutions and
governmental agencies.
Recent real estate projects in which Ms. Madsen has been involved include the development of
apartment buildings on Roosevelt Island for Cornell University; the development of a mixed-use 40-
story tower by Vornado Realty Trust; the leasing of properties across the country for the Rosa
Mexicano restaurant; and the sale and development of Colgate Center in Jersey City, NJ.
Ms. Madsen received an A.B. in government from Harvard University in 1980 and a J.D. from
Columbia University School of Law in 1984. She served as president of the Association of Real
Estate Women from 2000-2001 and is a member of the advisory board of Stewart Title Insurance
Company and the editorial advisory board of Real Estate New York.
In the spring of 2004, she taught advanced leasing topics in a Real Estate Board of New York
Continuing Education course and restaurant leasing in a restaurant management course offered by
the French Culinary Institute.
Louise M. Matthews
As Vice President of Global Real Estate for Avon Products, Matthews is responsible for developing
and implementing plans for purchase and lease of real estate assets to support Avon's business
needs around the world. Avon is the world's leading direct seller of beauty and related products,
with $6.8 billion in annual revenues. Avon markets to women around the world through 4.4 million
independent sales Representatives in over 100 countries.
Working with the senior leadership and the real estate community, Louise is assessing short--and
long-term real estate needs and identifying opportunities to optimize Avon's investments. She is also
responsible for the team constructing Avon's $100 million research and development facility in
Suffern, NY. Overseas, she is involved in a new development project in Romania, as well as the sale
of surplus properties in the United Kingdom, Mexico City and Como, Italy.
Matthews was the 1997-1998 President of the Association of Real Estate Women, was awarded the
New York Women's Agenda "Woman of the Future" Galaxy Star, was named one of the "100 Women
Real Estate Leaders for the 21st Century" by Real Estate Weekly, and received the Women of
Outstanding Achievement Award for Corporate Real Estate in honor of AREW's 25th Anniversary.
She currently serves on the Board of CoreNet Global, and was a board member of Habitat for
Humanity from 1994 to 1997.
Prior to joining Avon in 2004, she was Director of Corporate Real Estate at Colgate-Palmolive
Company, where she was responsible for the sale of 13 sites at Colgate Center in Jersey City, a
former manufacturing site, which will be developed into a total of 7 million square feet of office,
residential and retail buildings. Prior to joining Colgate, she was a principal in The Praedium Group.
She has a degree in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University.
Carol J. Patterson
Carol J. Patterson is a senior partner in the law firm of Zetlin & De Chiara LLP, where her practice
addresses the needs of clients in real estate, construction and the design professions. Zetlin & De
Chiara specializes in complex construction and design industry matters for a national and
international clientele, and Ms. Patterson represents clients on a variety of projects such as the
design and construction of major office and residential buildings, performing arts centers, museums,
hospitals, educational institutions, transportation facilities and other public buildings. Ms. Patterson
advises clients on the diverse legal issues involved in planning and executing such large-scale
construction projects. Since her practice often focuses on solving problems that may arise during or
after construction, she represents her clients in arbitration, mediation or court proceedings.
Ms. Patterson frequently lectures on issues affecting the construction industry and design
professions and has taught at the New York University Real Estate Institute. She is also a past
President of the Association of Real Estate Women in New York City, is an affiliate member of the
New York Chapter of American Institute of Architects, and serves as Counsel to the Metropolitan
Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. She is active in the legal community as a member
of the Forum on the Construction Industry of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar
Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. She received her law degree from
the University of Chicago Law School, a Master's Degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor
of Arts from Bryn Mawr College.
Rita Pierre
Rita Pierre is a partner in Berdon LLP, a top-20 CPA firm widely regarded as one of the premier real
estate accounting firms in the Northeast. A specialist in auditing and accounting, Rita works with
many of New York's most prominent real estate owners, investors and developers, dealing with sales
and acquisitions, special-purpose financial statements, cash flow allocations, and related matters. In
addition, she performs internal audit services for institutional investors and family real estate
owners. Rita was named one of Real Estate Weekly's top 100 women and has received the New York
Women's Agenda Galaxy Award. Rita also serves in state and national accounting organizations. In
addition, Rita works with law firms and other professional services businesses, advising them on
partnership agreements, mergers and acquisitions, financing and related internal control issues.
Rita is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is also a member of
the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, where she has served on various
committees including Real Estate, Hospitality, Advertising and the Future of the Profession. She
serves on the board of directors of the Association of Real Estate Women.
A magna cure laude graduate of Bernard M. Baruch College, Rita Pierre received her license as a
certified public accountant in New York in 1984.
Amy Rose
Amy Rose is Executive Vice President of Rose Associates, Inc., an 80-year old real estate developer
and manager of commercial, retail and residential properties throughout the Eastern Seaboard with
projects in New York City, Connecticut and the greater Boston area. The company manages 30,000
residential units and four million square feet of commercial space, and is one of the largest
managers of street-level retail space in Manhattan.
Ms. Rose has been employed for the past 15 years and is a member of the firm's New York City
residential leasing, management and development operation. She also supervises all aspects of Rose
Associates' corporate marketing program and human resources.
For the past eight years, Ms. Rose has been a key member of the firm's consulting group, which
provides real estate advisory and asset management services to financial institutions and
professional investors. Her responsibilities include market studies, business plans, project
administration and implementation of sales and marketing programs.
Ms. Rose graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree. She is an
active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Young Men's/Women's Real Estate
Association of New York, the Real Estate Board of New York, Urban Land Institute and the Women's
Forum Inc. Ms. Rose also serves on the Dean's Advisory Council of LSA for the University of
Michigan, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the 92nd Street Y and Central Synagogue.
Ms. Rose lives in New York City with her husband Jeffrey and their three children.
Sylvia Smith
Sylvia Smith directs Fox & Fowle Architects Educational/Cultural Studio, which has won numerous
awards for design excellence and environmental responsibility. Her current work includes the new
Martin J. Whitman School of Management for Syracuse University, the redesign of the Lincoln
Center public spaces and the expansion of the Juilliard School with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the
renovation of The Spence School in Manhattan, and the adaptive reuse of the Lion House and the
new Center for Global Conservation--both at the Bronx Zoo. Her design approach is rooted in an
investigation and understanding of a client's goals and aspirations and how this can inform the
specific character of the architecture. She is constantly cultivating new ways to make architecture
more expressive and enriching. In addition to her project responsibilities, Sylvia sits on the Dean's
Advisory Board for the University of Virginia School of Architecture and is a member of the Board of
at both Dickinson College and Yestermorrow Design/Build School.
Darcy Stacom
Darcy Stacom, who serves as Executive Vice President and Partner in the Investment Properties
Institutional Group (IPIG), joined CB Richard Ellis in 2002. She has over 23 years of real estate
experience and specializes in advisory and disposition services, acquisitions, development
transactions and real estate finance. In each of the previous five years, advisory and sales
transactions have exceeded $1 billion, predominantly in New York City. Ms. Stacom and her partner
are responsible for the sale and advisory of over $10 billion of commercial real estate in New York
and the restructuring of over $2 billion of mortgage and ownership positions. In 2002 and 2003, she
closed advisory and sales transactions of $1 billion, including 222 East 41st Street, 150 Fifth
Avenue, 420 West 42nd Street, 360 Lexington Avenue and the Simkowitz and Cosmopolitan
portfolios. Areas of specialization include the sale of commercial office buildings, residential
apartment houses, development deals and hotels, including joint ventures and recapitalizations.
Through the course of her career, she has participated in over two million square feet of leases and
five million square feet of agency business. Her professional affiliations/accreditations include:
Governor of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY); member of the Academy of Woman
Achievers of the YWCA; Big Brothers and Big Sisters of New York and the Lincoln Center Real
Estate and Construction Council.
Louise M. Sunshine
Louise M. Sunshine is President and CEO of The Sunshine Group, Ltd. The Sunshine Group is
recognized as the nation's premier marketing and sales company for residential real estate and hotel
condominiums in the luxury market and is committed to creating value for its clients through a
unique understanding of residential real estate, innovative marketing and a commitment to integrity
and service. Ms. Sunshine has managed the sales and marketing of over 50 residential
developments, completing more than $7 billion in sales over the past decade. The Sunshine Group is
active in major markets throughout the United States including New York City, Palm Beach, Miami,
Las Vegas, San Diego and Philadelphia. The Sunshine Group is the exclusive sales and marketing
agent for One Central Park @ Time Warner Center, One Beacon Court, The Hubert, 165 Charles
Street designed by Richard Meier, DOWNTOWN by Philippe Starck, Spring and Riverlofts in New
York City and The Brazilian Court in West Palm Beach.
On June 26, 2002 NRT, Inc., a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation and the nation's largest residential
real estate brokerage company, acquired The Sunshine Group, Ltd. This affiliation, which has a
strong platform throughout the nation, has helped The Sunshine Group continue its growth and
expansion.
Prior to starting the Sunshine Group, Ms. Sunshine was Executive Vice President of the Trump
Organization, where she was instrumental in the development of many high profile properties.
She has served on the board of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Real Estate Development
Advisory Board of Columbia University and was a commissioner for the New York City Commission
on Women's Issues.
She is currently a member of Urban land Institute, Economic Club of NY, Real Estate Board of New
York and International Real Estate Federation.
Marilyn Jordan Taylor, FAIA
Recently serving as SOM's Chairman, Marilyn Jordan Taylor joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
(SOM) in 1971. Marilyn is a world-renowned architect and urban designer, and has gained
international acclaim for her passionate involvement in the design of urban projects and civic
improvements. She has been a major contributor to such City-shaping projects as the new Penn
Station, Columbus Centre, Riverside South, JFK's International Arrivals Terminal and the East River
Waterfront Masterplan. Ms. Taylor has been a major force on issues surrounding the reconstruction
of Lower Manhattan. Educated at Radcliffe, MIT and the University of California at Berkeley, Ms.
Taylor has served as President of the AIA's New York City Chapter, and as Chairman of the national
AIA's Regional and Urban Design Committee, She currently serves as Chairman of the New York
Building Congress, sits on the boards of the Urban Land Institute, WX (Women Executives in Real
Estate) and the Institute for Urban Design. She has been a visiting professor at the Harvard
Graduate School of Design and a David Rockefeller Fellow of The Partnership for New York City. She
remains deeply committed to the role architects must play in the public realm and to the
extraordinary value the real estate and construction industry creates for New York.
Mary Ann Tighe
During 19 years in real estate, Mary Ann Tighe has been responsible for over 44 million sf of
commercial transactions. She has conceived, structured and negotiated virtually every form of deal,
including ground leases, air rights acquisitions/ dispositions, net and gross leases, government
incentive packages, and a range of equity transfers from partnership and condominium interests
through fee simple sales. Her deals have anchored more than 5.5 million sf of new construction in
the NY region. Most significantly, Mary Ann has enjoyed unbroken, long-term relationships with a
number of public and private companies and non-profit organizations, shaping and implementing
their real estate strategies.
Tighe was named CEO of CBRE's NY Tri-State Region in 2002 and is a member of the Company's
Board of Directors. She began her real estate career as a broker at Edward S. Gordon Company,
ultimately rising to Vice Chairman of Insignia/ESG, where she was regularly recognized among the
firm's top producers. Prior to entering the real estate, Tighe served as a Vice President of ABC,
where she launched the A&E cable channel. Recognized nationally for her expertise in the arts,
Tighe was formerly Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Advisor to Vice
President Walter Mondale, and a staff member of the Smithsonian Institution.
She was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of REBNY in 200l; won
REBNY's 2002 Most Creative Retail Deal of the Year Award; received REBNY's 2002 and 1997 Henry
Hart Rice Achievement awards; received REBNY's 1998 and 1992 Robert T. Lawrence Memorial
awards; and NAIOP's 2002 New Jersey Deal of the Year award and 2003 New York Deal of the Year
award. She is a Board member of The New 42nd Street, the NYC Ballet and Joan's Legacy: The Joan
Scarangello Foundation to Conquer Lung Cancer.
RISING STARS
Amy Applebaum
Amy Applebaum is the Vice President of the Real Estate Development group of the New York City
Economic Development Corporation ("NYCEDC"). During her nearly 5-years at NYCEDC, Ms.
Applebaum has been involved in numerous redevelopment projects including Times Square / 42nd
Street, the Atlantic and Court Street Garage and the Hub in the Bronx. In addition, she oversees the
real estate requests for proposal ("RFP") process, represents NYCEDC on all New York City Empire
Zone Boards and is responsible for overseeing all property appraisals. Prior to NYCEDC, Ms.
Applebaum spent nine years in commercial real estate lending for international banks. Ms.
Applebaum is a graduate of Cornell University and received a Master's in Business Administration
from NYU Stern School of Business.
Marie-Claire Cunningham
Marie-Claire Cunningham is a Managing Director in the Corporate Services Practice Group at GVA
Williams which provides strategic planning, transaction management, project management, lease
administration, facilities management and real estate consultancy to Fortune 500 companies.
At GVA Williams, she has been involved in global acquisitions and dispositions for clients totaling
more than two million square feet, as well as developing and implementing a global strategic plan
for a corporate client's real estate portfolio totaling more than six million square feet.
Prior to joining GVA Williams, Cunningham was Real Estate Manager at Colgate-Palmolive
Company, where her responsibilities included disposing of surplus space. Significant
accomplishments included the disposition of eight million square feet of development rights in Jersey
City, NJ and restructuring of the company's world headquarters lease at 300 Park Avenue.
Cunningham spent 13 years at Corporate Property Investors (CPI), now Simon Property Group, in
the asset management department, where she was assistant vice president. Her accomplishments
include expanding and renovating several shopping centers including Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden
City, NY, one of the top ranked malls in the country. In addition, she was responsible for managing
CPI's annual appraisal of its multi-billion dollar portfolio. Cunningham is President of the Association
of Real Estate Women (AREW). Founded in 1978, AREW is the foremost industry association
dedicated to the advancement of women real estate professionals by providing mentoring,
networking and career development opportunities. She has participated as a panelist at Columbia
University's Real Estate Roundtable programs and at NYU's Real Estate Institute. In addition, she
has been a volunteer at New York City Ballet since 1993. Ms. Cunningham earned a BS in Finance
and International Business from NYU and is a licensed New York salesperson.
MaryAnne Gilmartin
MaryAnne Gilmartin is Executive VP--Commercial Development and Director of Corporate Leasing &
Business Development at Forest City Ratner Companies, where she heads the development of the
New York Times Headquarters in Midtown Manhattan and directs leasing of all Forest City Ratner's
commercial space at MetroTech Center in Brooklyn.
Gilmartin is responsible for the development of several major hotel, entertainment and retail
projects, including the $220 million, 650,000 square-foot 42nd Street mixed-use project that
includes a Hilton hotel, Madame Tussauds, an AMC movie complex and HMV Records. Gilmartin
also managed the development of the $155 million, 600,000 squarefoot Battery Park City complex.
She is also responsible for corporate leasing and business development for Forest City Ratner's NYC
office portfolio.
Prior to joining Forest City Ratner, Gilmartin was Managing Director for consulting services at
Grubb & Ellis, where she advised corporations and developers on real estate and relocation needs.
Previously, she served as Assistant Vice President for Commercial Development at the NYC
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) during the Koch and Dinkins administrations. During her
tenure at EDC, she managed the City's multi-million dollar corporate retention program, which
played a key role in retaining companies considering relocation from New York City.
A native New Yorker, Gilmartin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fordham University, where she
also completed her Masters Degree. She is a licensed Real Estate Broker and has held memberships
in the NYC Partnership International Business Committee and the Real Estate Board of New York's
Economic Development Committee. She is a former board member and current member of
Commercial Real Estate Women, a prior board member of Urban Pathways and current member of
the Association of Real Estate Women, the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives
and the NYC Ballet Advisory Committee.
Leslie Harwood
Leslie Harwood joined Newmark & Company in 1993 as managing director specializing in tenant
representation. In her tenure as a real estate professional, Ms. Harwood has received numerous
honors and awards for her contributions to the industry. Among the most prestigious include the
esteemed Emma Lazarus Award for "Dynamic Women in Business" in 1996 from the Associated
Builders & Owners of Greater New York; the Max Feld Industry Achievement Award in 1995
awarded by Israel Bonds to salute service towards Israel's economic development; and the Young
Men's/Women's Real Estate Association Young Real Estate Person of the Year Award in 1993 for
integrity, knowledge and accomplishments in the field of real estate. Additionally, Ms. Harwood was
the guest of honor at the 1994 Inaugural Luncheon of the New Leadership Real Estate Cabinet of
Israel Bonds for her dedication and commitment to raising money for Israel. She is a member, and
on the Scholarship Committee, of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women, New York). In 2001, she
was appointed to be member of the Board of Directors of the Women's Executive Committee of the
UJA and now heads the new real estate homes for sale Start Loan Fun, a micro lending mechanism
helping women in need. Ms. Harwood is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Young
Men's/ Women's Real Estate Association of New York and former Co-Chairman of the Economic
Development Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York, Inc. She is Co-Chairman Emeritus of
the Real Estate New Leadership Division of the Development Corporation of Israel. She is active
with Planned Parenthood as well as the Pencil Principal-for-a-Day Project that brings private
corporations into the public schools. Ms. Harwood is involved with the re-development of Times
Square, concentrating on a residential development on 8th Avenue.
Dorothy "Dottie" Herman
Starting as a financial planner and part-time sales broker, today Dottie Herman owns and directs a
real estate empire that last year generated $200 million in revenues, $6.5 billion in sales volume,
has over 50 offices stretching from Manhattan to Montauk, and is recognized as one of the fastest
growing full service residential real estate companies in the US.
She acquired Prudential Long Island Realty from Merrill Lynch Realty in 1989. In the early 1990's,
Dottie overcame the challenges of a sluggish real estate market to steadily grow her firm into the
largest privately--owned real estate company on Long Island. In 2001, Dottie expanded her vision
into Manhattan, opening a Prudential Manhattan Realty office on the Lower East Side. Then, in
March 2003, Dottie and her partners acquired Douglas Elliman, a legendary 92-year-old real estate
company with 850 sales associates and nine Manhattan offices. In one fell swoop, she created the
largest residential brokerage firm in the metropolitan NY marketplace, with 2,050 sales agents and
offices stretching from Lower Manhattan to the tip of Long Island. Moreover, as part of that
transaction, she also acquired Insignia Residential Group, Manhattan's largest property manager
with over 800 buildings and 60,000 residential units located throughout NYC, New Jersey and
Westchester County.
Today, Dottie Herman's growing real estate empire is an extraordinary blend of interrelated and
complimentary services and opportunities for the real estate consumer. In addition to sales
brokerage and management, there's also a title company, Liberty Land Title, and a growing
mortgage finance firm, Preferred Empire Mortgage Company, which achieved $500 million in
originated loan volume in 2002 and is currently ranked as one of New York's and the country's
largest mortgage brokers.
Rebecca M. May
Rebecca M. May has an impressive understanding of real estate, the market, sales and people. As
Executive Director of the residential brokerage division of Caran Properties, Rebecca is responsible
for the group's management, marketing, business development and listing activities.
She joined Caran Properties in 1993 and served as Caran's Special Projects Manager, focusing on
asset management, and has supervised more than $8 million in construction projects. As a result,
Rebecca can help prospective buyers quickly estimate renovation costs. Rebecca has been involved
in mortgage refinancing, negotiating commercial and retail leases and overseeing tenant
improvements.
Rebecca is a licensed real estate broker. She is active in industry associations and serves on the
Board of Directors of the Association of Real Estate Women and is a member of the Real Estate
Board of New York (REBNY).
Michele Medaglia
Since taking the helm as president of ACC Construction in 1995, Michele Medaglia has tripled the
staff and dramatically diversified her company's client base. Moreover, her efforts have helped to
establish ACC as the leading WBE (Woman-Owned Business) general contracting and construction
management firm in the greater New York metro area with service lines covering everything from
interior fit-outs to new construction. During Ms. Medaglia's tenure, annual revenues for the firm,
which celebrated its 20th year in March, have increased tenfold.
The consummate executive, she never shies from challenges. Early on, she made it her mission to
hire top-flight executives and established a training program to encourage promotions from within
the company. She also moved the firm in September 2002 from Long Island City to expansive offices
in midtown Manhattan to better service her clientele, which include Commerce Bank, Columbia
University and Vornado.
The mother of toddler twins, she has kept her company a family business, working in tandem with
husband John Bennardo and sister Danielle Medaglia. The newly elected president of AREW,
Michele Medaglia is recognized for her unfailing energy, generosity and passion for fine work.
Jodi Pulice
Jodi Pulice, an innovative business leader with over 24 years of experience in the commercial real
estate sector, is Founder and President of JRT Realty Group. Ms. Pulice directs all activities of the
organization, including transaction management and implementation; strategic consulting and
project planning; property management; and leasing. She also spearheads the company's strategic
alliance with Cushman & Wakefield, which permits JRT access to Cushman & Wakefield's vast
brokerage, research and property management capabilities, both in New York and nationally. To
date, Ms. Pulice has personally negotiated leasing and sales transactions with an aggregate value in
excess of $1 billion. She is presently responsible for exclusive assignments totaling approximately 6
million square feet of commercial space.
Current high-profile clients include AOL, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Teachers
Insurance and Annuity Association. In addition to her activities in the New York Metropolitan area,
Ms. Pulice is currently involved in new leasing and management assignments in Florida, California,
Washington, and Illinois. She was instrumental in arranging and closing the sale of more than $500
million in real estate, most notably the world famous Seagram Building for $370 million in December
2000.
Ms. Pulice earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Wagner College. She is a member of the Real
Estate Board of New York and is an outspoken leader on behalf of women-owned businesses. Her
views on commercial real estate have appeared in several local and national publications, including
The New York Times, Crain's New York Business, Real Estate Weekly, Real Estate Forum, The Law
Journal, The Mann Report and Accounting Today. Most recently, Ms. Pulice was awarded the 2002
Minority/Woman Business of the year award given by The National Minority Business Council.
Pamela Samuels
Ms. Samuels has brought her extensive experience in the acquisition, finance and development of
multi-family luxury residential properties to The Clarett Group. She joined the firm in October 2003
and was promoted from her position as Vice President to Managing Director. In this position she
focuses on new acquisitions as well as the development of The Clarett Group's next luxury
residential condominium, a $75mm project on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Ms. Samuels worked as an executive at Rockrose Development Corp. for several years where she
acquired, planned and developed urban projects as part of a team. These include Queens West in
Long Island City, a 20-acre waterfront development with seven luxury towers totaling nearly 3,000
rental units as well as 2 Gold Street, a 50-story, 650-unit luxury rental in Lower Manhattan.
Previously, Ms. Samuels developed luxury residential condominiums throughout Manhattan with
developers Tamarkin & Co, and Hamlin Ventures. As an architectural designer, Ms. Samuels worked
with TsAO & McKown Architects, and Gensler Worldwide. At Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Architects, she
worked on special projects including the Windows on the World Restaurant Complex, and The New
Amsterdam Theater. Ms. Samuels began her career at Sotheby's auction house where she worked
for several years in 20th Century Decorative Arts, and Business Management.
Ms. Samuels received a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors from the University of Chicago, a
professional degree in Architecture from Rice University and completed post-professional studies in
Real Estate Finance from New York University. She was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia
University's Graduate School of Architecture and is an active visiting critic at Harvard, Yale and
Columbia Universities. She serves on the Economic Development Committee at REBNY, and is active
within the Real Estate Division at UJA.
Marcy M. Stein
As the person who directs the marketing and business development for Gardiner & Theobald Inc.,
Marcy M. Stein is responsible for creating project and cost management opportunities for one of the
world's leading project management firms. It is a job in which she confers with many influential
developers, tenants, brokers and architects on a daily basis.
She also oversees Gardiner & Theobald's corporate positioning in the New York and Washington, DC
offices, guiding its public relations and advertising programs. Her keen marketing expertise has
been garnered through a diverse, 12-year career in which she has evaluated and processed
commercial construction loans, implemented retail build-outs and project managed major office fit-
outs. She was on the team that prepared the damage calculations and capital redevelopment plan for
The World Trade Center after the 1993 bombing. Just prior to assuming her current position, she
project managed the 400,000-square-foot build-out for Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. at 140
Broadway.
Ms. Stein holds a Masters of Science Degree in Construction Management from Pratt Institute
School of Architecture. The mother of two, she is married to Jason Cohen, Senior Director, Ackman-
Ziff Real Estate Group.
"Honorees in this section were selected by the Association of Real Estate Women (AREW) through a
nomination process
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