The 20th annual Achievement Awards took place on April 25 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza with over 300 guests gathered to honor 19 members for their outstanding and impressive accomplishments in commercial real estate. In addition to our Achievement Award honorees, we also recognized two very special groups this year, our Mentor/Mentee program, as well as the cohort of members from our inaugural Leadership Academy. Through these three groups that we recognized – our earnest Mentees; our future Leaders; and our esteemed Achievers – attendees saw how the CREW organization supports its members as they grow both personally and professionally.
CREW Boston President, Lisa Serafin welcomed everyone and thanked all our sponsors, especially Goulston & Storrs, P.C., Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation and New England Development for being our Corporate Sponsors. Incoming president and Awards Co-Chair Barbara Oddo thanked the 2017 Leadership Recipient Joan Parsons with Riemer & Braunstein for sharing this special evening with CREW Boston as the master of ceremonies and invited everyone to moving into the ballroom for food, drinks and a lot of networking.
Honorees
Andrea Daskalakis of Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation received the Leadership Award as someone who has inspired, motivated and supported CREW Boston year after year and contributed time, energy and talents to CREW Boston as well as the community at large. As a long-standing member and leader of CREW Boston, Andrea has positively influenced both our traditions and our innovations in in significant ways. These contributions combined with Andrea’s integrity, generosity, strong work ethic, warm and inclusive leadership style, and passion for helping others make her a very deserving recipient of our leadership award.
Andrea has been an active member of CREW Boston since 1994. As Chief Investment Officer of MHIC, a nonprofit lender for affordable housing and community development, Andrea has funded over a million square feet of new commercial development in predominantly low-income neighborhoods since 1993 - and developed a reputation for being a skilled financial analyst. Andrea is highly regarded by her peers and respected as a dependable leader who will get the job done if she’s at the helm.
The Networking Award was presented to team of 14 members of CREW Boston who served in the various transaction disciplines for the
Holmes Beverly Project. Holmes Beverly is a 67-unit mixed use multifamily development in Beverly, MA. Currently under construction, the project is expected to deliver this summer. Bringing it to reality was no small feat. Cooperative efforts by the team included: transaction of an MBTA ground lease within 10 months of designation; permitting within 3 months with the City of Beverly; 75% of soft cost expenditures to WBE firms, and an additional 26 women providing skills and expertise in their fields. Holmes Beverly is an inspiring example of CREW professionals working together to change the landscape of a city. Through their involvement in CREW many of these women had relationships that predated their involvement in this deal, which is what CREW is all about.
- Sarah Barnat of Barnat Development, LLC
- Lauren Armstrong of the MBTA
- Ellen Caracciolo of Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp
- Lauren Kaplan of Greystone/Massachusetts Realty Group
- Marty Jones formerly of Mass Development
- Danielle Kinkel of Nolan Sheehan Patten, LLP
- Cynthia LaCasse of MassHousing
- Pamela McDermott of McDermott Ventures
- Kathleen McGilvray of Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp
- Kathryn Cochrane Murphy of Krokidas Bluestein
- Deborah Myers of DMLA Landscape Architects
- Anne Reynolds of Langer & McLaughlin, LLP
- Esther Schlorholtz of Boston Private Bank
- Lynne Stewart of Nolan, Sheehan Patten, LLP
Nancy Davids of Goulston & Storrs, P.C. received the Professional Service Award for her consistent years of service and notable accomplishments and success. Nancy is a Partner in her firm, and Director and Co-Chair of the Goulston & Storrs Retail, Restaurant & Consumer industry group. Nancy has also served in varying capacities on the firm's Executive Committee, Compensation Committee, Work-Life Balance Committee, and Associate Development Committee. Nancy has a long and accomplished career representing retail landlords and tenants in enclosed mall, lifestyle and mixed use projects. Representation in lease negotiations have included big box retailers such as Marshalls, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, TJX, Wegman’s and Staples. She also represents developers of office and retail projects in connection with zoning and land use issues.Nancy is highly respected by clients, who rely on her not only for her guidance and counsel - but also for her pragmatic and personal approach to get the deal done. With completed transactions measuring in the millions of square feet, Nancy is recognized as one of the leading commercial real estate attorneys in her field. Through her work and her outreach, Nancy is a model and example for all women making connections that lead to enhanced professional development.
Lauren Armstrong of MassDOT & MBTA received the Suzanne King Public Service Award for devoting her time and talent to strengthening the community through effective action and leadership. In August of 2015, Lauren left a 23-year career in a private Boston law firm to become Deputy General Counsel for Real Estate at Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA – a transition not taken lightly and one that demonstrates her dedication to the public sector. Lauren was brought in to instill best practices, create efficiencies and develop a sustainable business model. As Deputy General Counsel, Lauren is involved in real estate matters across all platforms – rail, subway, highway and aviation – work that includes rail line acquisitions and reconstruction projects; transit-oriented developments; land dispositions; telecom; bike paths; air rights development, and climate resiliency issues – just to name a few responsibilities! Lauren is equally active in CREW and is longtime participant in the “Lawyer for the Day” program at Boston Housing Court and was recently included as an honoree of the Forbes “40 Women to Watch Over 40” –a list that celebrates women who are disrupting industries and creating new pathways to breakdown the systemic barriers that drive women to opt out of the workforce or miss the C-suite altogether.
Johnna Barry of Bridge Property Services was presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. After more than 15 years of increasing responsibility in property services at some of the regions most recognized firms, Johnna took a leap of faith and struck out on her own. She created a boutique Property Management company, primarily serving the Back Bay, South Boston and the South End, and has begun to strategically expand her business to broader areas. Johnna has a reputation amongst her clients as being knowledgeable, hardworking and conscientious – and someone whose goal is to enhance their asset and maintain it as if it were her own. Johnna is an inspiration for other female real estate professionals who are considering starting their own business.
Abigail Roberts of Turner Construction Companyreceived the Esprit de Coeur Award for embodying the spirit and principles of CREW Boston through her embrace of CREW Boston’s overall mission. Abby is a Senior Project Manager with Turner and joined CREW after a long search to find a professional organization that had relatable programs and could enhance her networking opportunities. Abby quickly learned that involvement was the key to finding meaningful connections within CREW, and joined as many groups as time would allow. Abby’s committee work includes serving on the: Community Involvement Committee; Programs, Seminars & Project Spotlight, and Public Strategies. In addition to her committee work, Abby’s passion for connecting with others led her to help organize CREW Boston’s newest networking group - the Development Project Management Group - whose disciplines include a focus on architecture, engineering, owner/developer and construction. Abby is also an active participant in the Rising Leaders and Sustainability Networking groups, and a past participant in our Mentor program
.
Founded in 1982 CREW Boston has grown to over 500 members and focuses on educational programs, networking, mentoring and other activities that support the professional development of women working in commercial real estate throughout New England. CREW Boston has been a member of the CREW Network, a federation of like-minded organizations throughout North America, since 1996.
