The 22nd annual Achievement Awards took place on April 28 with the celebration being held live via zoom from the Ora Seaport.  Over 225 guests gathered virtually to honor 16 members for their outstanding and impressive accomplishments in commercial real estate.
 
CREW Boston President, Laura Gregoriadis, welcomed everyone and thanked all our sponsors, especially Arrowstreet, Phoenix Property Company/Lincoln Property Company, and
Samuels & Associates, our corporate sponsors of the Awards. Laura was joined by incoming president Kerry Hawkins who thanked everyone for responsibly gathering togethering to give the deserving recipients the recognition they deserved.  Together, Laura and Kerry honored these remarkable women and throughout the night, our generous Award sponsors shared a brief word of congratulations for this year’s honorees.
 
Honorees
The Networking Award was presented to a team of 11 CREW Boston members who, along with partners from Massport, Phoenix Property Company, Rockwood Capital, Suffolk Construction, McDermott Ventures, Epsilon, and Group One, among others, helped transform what was once a barren piece of land into Ora Seaport. This project was part of a mixed-use development with flexible space for potential restaurant, office, and retail tenants.  Ora's 304 luxury apartments range in size from studios to 3 bedrooms, with sweeping views of Boston Harbor - many featuring terraces - and amenities that include: a rooftop pool; 12th floor Skydeck; gym & wellness studio; game room; exterior courtyard, 24/7 concierge service; a pet spa;  a 436-car valet parking garage, and access to the Silver Line. Also situated across a courtyard on the parcel is a 294-room Hyatt Place hotel and conference center. With construction wrapped up in the summer of 2020, Ora Seaport delivered on September 1st and residences are currently more than 65% leased.
 
The challenges of designing, permitting, constructing and marketing a project in an urban environment required continuous coordination (and sometimes dogged determination) on the part of everyone involved. The result is a development that is diverse in its design; mindful of its proximity to the harbor; anticipates public access to the common areas; and is richer for the collaboration that occurred for almost a decade amongst the parties.  
 
The CREW members receiving tonight's award for Ora Seaport were part of that collaborative effort, with some continuing to work on the project today, and are an inspiring example of CREW professionals working together to change the landscape of a city. 

• Amy Korte, Christine DiLallo, and Sallyann Thomas-Furman from Arrowstreet
• Adelaide Grady from Leggat McCall
• Barbara Oddo & Alicia Simonds from Lincoln Property Company
• Melissa Noone, formerly with Neoscape
• Marianne Ajemian, Wendy Fiscus, Mary Marshall, and Beth Mitchell from Nutter

 
Amy Blomeke of Langan Engineering and Environmental Services received the Esprit De Couer Award for embodying the spirit and principles of CREW Boston through her embrace of CREW Boston’s overall mission. Amy personifies the very essence of CREW Boston with her enthusiasm, dedication, and infectious energy. As a co-chair of the Golf Committee, she has been instrumental in getting our members involved, engaged, and networking. She is also an active recruiter for our organization, especially for the golf committee which currently boasts the most robust member roster in recent history. Over the past year, Amy has found inventive and new ways of keeping her committee involved over zoom, with trivia nights, virtual networking hours, and an aggressive path to get our members back out on the course in a responsible and distanced manner. Amy continuously puts her heart and soul into CREW Boston.
 
Julie Brown was presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Julie is no doubt a risk taker – leaving the stability of a full-time, salaried position, to start her own company. With $500 from her personal checking account and a used laptop, she set out to help firms and individuals craft their business development strategies, harness the power of relationship building, and most importantly, stay accountable to their goals. 
 
Julie has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy into creating thought provoking and useful presentations to help people overcome their networking fears, build authentic business relationships, and increase their success.  She provides tangible and humorous advice with her video series: 1-Minute Pro Tips for Business Development.  In addition, last year Julie published her first book, This **** Works, a no-nonsense guide to networking your way to more friends, more adventures, and more success. 
 
Like any entrepreneur, Julie ran into obstacles, stumbled through the unknown, and pushed through the fatigue of running her own business.  Her greatest challenge was overcoming her fear and anxiety of public speaking. Her perseverance and determination has paid off; she runs a successful business development company with clients that sing her praises and she was recently accepted into the National Speakers Association.
 
Christine Vincenti received the Suzanne King Service Award for devoting her time and talent to strengthening the community through effective action and leadership. Christine plays many roles that benefit the people of Boston. As a Senior Investment Officer at Mass Housing, Christine spends her days ensuring the viability of affordable housing and community development as an innovative private financier.  Christine is an active volunteer and advocate for many charitable organizations in our community, particularly those benefitting women and children in need.
 
In her personal time, Christine has volunteered as a Playspace Activity Leader for Horizons for Homeless Children, and as an alumni affairs member for Brooke Charter Schools, a network of high performing charter schools serving urban communities.   As an integral member of our Membership Committee, Christine has been the point person for events such as a holiday gift drive benefitting the Carolina Hill Shelter, a transitional shelter for homeless families, and the Stone House, formerly the Elizabeth Stone House, a refuge for adult and child survivors as they rebuild their lives after trauma. This past year, when the Stone House experienced a devastating flood just weeks before reopening after a major rebuild, Chrissy was quick to act, notifying CREW Boston and enabling us to reach out to our members for possible support.
 
Hayley Suminksi received the Professional Service Award for being a significant contributor and leader within her company and consistently demonstrating her leadership by delivering superior service and achieving great results. As Vice President and Senior Multifamily Mortgage banker at KeyBank Real Estate Capital, Hayley is responsible for originating multifamily loans on properties in the Northeast and nationally, through direct lender offerings. Over the last 20 years, she has accumulated well-rounded experience on both the debt and equity sides of the business. Her experience allows her to uniquely advise clients and provide a superior client experience.  Clients view Hayley as an integral part of their team; she helps them get deals done.
 
Hayley is also actively involved in the local and national real estate communities. She is a past board member of CREW Boston, past board member of the CREW Boston Educational Foundation, and past board member of the Real Estate Finance Association. In addition, she is a frequent panelist on local industry events. She is passionate about supporting other women advance in their own careers. She played an integral role in the CREW Boston mentor program, which provides members with 1-on-1 pairing and a forum to focus on their career goals and aspirations. 
 
Leslie Cohen received the Leadership Award as someone who has inspired CREW Boston with her professional achievements, leadership, and myriad contributions to the commercial real estate industry. Deeply admired and respected by her colleagues, Leslie works tirelessly to create an inclusive environment, lead by example, and pulls other women up, somehow making it all look easy.
 
As a Principal, Chief Operating Officer, and Head of Asset Management at Samuels & Associates, one of Boston’s premier development companies, Leslie was chiefly responsible for the transformation of Boston’s Fenway neighborhood and others with such notable projects as The Pierce, The Van Ness, The Verb Hotel, Continuum, and 1001 Boylston Street. A graduate of Tufts University with a degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA from Babson College, Leslie boasts over 20 years in the development business. She is responsible for executing the strategic vision of the firm across numerous multi-million-dollar developments in Boston and the surrounding communities. She spends her time focusing on staff engagement, organizational health and efficiency, and leading efforts in improving diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the firm. She also oversees operations of the S&A portfolio consisting of retail, residential, office, and hotel product. In her years at Samuels, Leslie has been the project executive on over 2.8 million square feet of development valued at well over a billion dollars. Leslie has provided countless hours of mentoring for women, including implementing a “Women of S&A” forum for women to collaborate, support, and learn from each other’s experiences. Over the past several months, Leslie has authored many articles on the unique challenges facing working women during Covid and on employee wellness in a time of uncertainty.
 
Leslie possesses a deep intellectual curiosity. Leslie has utilized that curiosity, combined with her great expertise, to innovate, collaborate, and lead both within her company and within the industry. Leslie is a past President of CREW Boston, 2020 President of NAIOP, Member of the Building and Grounds Committee at Tufts University, a co-chair of the Heading Home Housewarming committee, and a recent appointee to the Heading Home Board of Directors. Past accolades have included being selected as a 2013 Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40, one of Bisnow’s Power Women in Commercial Real Estate, and in 2019 as a BBJ top Woman in Business in Boston. At home, Leslie is a wife and mother of two special boys, who if they don’t already, will someday learn of their mom’s remarkable legacy.
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CREW Boston is the region’s leading professional organization promoting the advancement of women within the commercial real estate industry. Since its creation in 1982 by a small group of women professionals with considerable vision, CREW Boston has been an important force behind the increasing success of women in New England's real estate community. Currently, more than 400 women gain opportunities for professional growth and business development as members of this vital organization. CREW Boston's goal has always been to provide professional support, development, education, encouragement, and networking opportunities to its members and the commercial real estate community.
Since 1996, CREW Boston has been a member of the CREW Network, founded in 1989 to bring together women involved in the many aspects of commercial real estate to exchange information, develop business contacts, and help each other succeed professionally. Today, CREW Network is the premier business network dedicated to transforming the commercial real estate industry by advancing women globally. We provide support to our 12,000 members worldwide through business networking, leadership development, industry research, and career outreach.