Our 24^th Annual Achievement Awards took place on Wednesday, April 26^th at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston.  Over 250 guests were in attendance to honor and celebrate 17 CREW Boston members for their outstanding and impressive achievements in commercial real estate.  In addition to our Achievement Awards honorees, we also recognized two very special groups this year, our Mentor Program and our cohort of members from our Leadership Academy.  Through these three groups that we recognized – our earnest Mentors and Mentees, our future Leaders, and our esteemed Achievers- attendees witnessed how the CREW organization supports its members as they grow both personally and professionally.
 
CREW Boston President Tricia Pinto kicked off the ceremony by welcoming everyone and thanking all our sponsors, especially our two corporate sponsors, BioMed Realty and Samuels & Associates. Also joining Tricia were incoming President Maureen McCaffrey and our emcee of the night, Claudia Piper, last year’s recipient of CREW Boston’s Leadership Award.
 
Honorees
The team that worked on 585 Kendall, comprised of 12 CREW Boston members, were the recipients of the Networking Award. This award recognizes a transaction, project, or project team that most clearly exemplifies the goals and purposes of CREW Boston and showcases a business-to-business networking success story. This team of 12 were intimately involved in ensuring the success of this project. 
 
In June 2022, BioMed Realty signed an approximately 600,000 square-foot lease with global pharmaceutical company Takeda for the entire lab/office component of BioMed’s forthcoming 585 Kendall project in Kendall Square, an innovative development where “science meets art.” The historic lease signing, followed by a project groundbreaking ceremony in October 2022, represents the culmination of years of complex site assemblage, community engagement efforts, permitting and entitlement activities, design and engineering, and leasing outreach that involved 12 CREW Boston members along with other professional women across a breadth of disciplines in the real estate industry. 
 
585 Kendall will incorporate a 15,000-square-foot all-season flexible space on the ground floor, a 400-seat theater on the upper floors, and ample indoor and outdoor seating for community members, employees, and visitors alike.  In total, the project will contribute over one acre of new indoor/outdoor open space to the urban grid.
 
585 Kendall will serve as headquarters to one of the world’s most prominent pharmaceutical companies. Its community spaces and support make this project both a component of a critical life science infrastructure as well as a neighborhood destination and a champion of the arts. CREW members from BioMed Realty, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, Redgate, Sanborn, Head, & Associates, and other key organizations worked together and played vital roles in bringing this project to fruition.

 
Our 12 recipients of the Networking Award were:

Susan Amato, Joanna Hilvert, Carlye Murphy, Colleen O’Connor, Andrea Windhausen, and Emily Yu with BioMed Realty.
Leslie Cook with Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company.
Lucilla Haskovec and Amanda Keefe with Redgate.
Lisa Serafin with Athena Real Estate Development LLC, formerly with Redgate.
Patricia Pinto and Sara Roy with Sanborn, Head & Associates.
 
Accepting the award on behalf of the team was Carlye Murphy, who shared more details about the project:
 
Speaking on behalf of BioMed, a real estate developer/operator for the life sciences, one of the things that is so valuable about CREW is being able to access a network of professionals who are not only experts in their field, but who you know and trust.  We wanted to share five of the many ways the BioMed team of CREW members (myself, Susan Amato, Joanna Hilvert, Colleen O’Connor, Andrea Windhausen and Emily Yu) partnered with CREW members from other companies to tackle challenges and advance this project while having a great time together along the way!
 
Immediately after BioMed acquired the site in 2018, we turned to Lisa Serafin and Amanda Keefe at Redgate to lead a robust community engagement process.  We knew the community wanted and expected an arts facility, and Lisa and Amanda spent 3 years gathering feedback and building relationships, which was critical to refining the vision.  The result? Unanimous City approval of the entitlements, and broad community support.    
 
The project’s unique combination of uses – lab/office adjacent to performing arts – had no real precedents and was quite challenging from an engineering and design perspective.  We looked to Lois Goodell and her colleagues at CBT for both technical excellence and  an interior and exterior design that reflected the vision.
 
Another hurdle was figuring out how to relocate the Eversource gas transfer station to another suitable spot, and then actually building a new station for Eversource.  This involved negotiations with multiple utilities, lots of new easements and complicated construction.  Leslie Cook at Commonwealth Land Title Insurance spearheaded the complex title work that was essential for the relocation.
 
Since the site was a former manufactured gas plant, environmental concerns had also been at the forefront. We knew that we wanted Tricia Pinto of Sanborn Head as the LSP, and she and Sara Roy came up with innovative ways to address the historic contamination.  Apart from environmental issues, constructing such a large project in a dense urban setting was full of its own challenges and we are thrilled Lucilla Haskovec of Redgate is overseeing project management.
 
Finally, the lease with Takeda – which was the largest life science lease signed in the Boston market last year -- was negotiated in record time.  We believe this is largely because the BioMed and Takeda leasing teams, both led by women, have a long-standing relationship and partnered throughout the process. 
I’ve highlighted the work of CREW members, but we also want to acknowledge the immense contributions that many other women have made to this project – we are at 72 women and counting! 
 
Thank you to everyone who has supported the 585 Kendall Project, and to CREW for connecting us and for hosting this amazing event tonight.
 
 
 Mika Gross, Development Manager at Samuels & Associates, received this year’s Espirit de Couer Award.  This award recognizes a member who demonstrates a strong commitment to CREW Boston’s goals and purposes and embodies the heart and soul of our organization.
 
From the moment Mika joined CREW Boston in 2017, upon graduating from Brown University, she jumped in with both feet and hasn’t stopped since.  Mika is a member of the Golf Committee, a past co-chair of the Rising Leaders Group, and was a member of the CREW Boston Educational Foundation Build Her Up Committee. She was also asked to serve as co-chair of CREW Boston’s 40th Anniversary Committee, which was celebrated last May.

 Mika serves as a great role model for all CREW Boston members, especially new members. She is the consummate networker and is not afraid to put herself out there. Mika has truly harnessed the power of CREW, taking full advantage of her CREW Boston membership and always offering to lend a helping hand, meet new people, and learn more about the organization.  Her leadership and commitment to CREW Boston are remarkable.  We are so grateful to have her as a member.

After receiving her award, Mika thanked CREW Boston and credited its culture of “building each other up” for making her success possible.  “When I learned that I'd been selected for the Espirit de Couer award, I was honored  and shocked. It had come out of nowhere. Yet, the more I thought about it, I realized that the only way I could ever make it here was because of the women I've met through this incredible organization. CREW has been part of my life before my professional career officially began. It has shepherded me through all my career milestones to date. “

Rebecca Bachand was presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. This award recognizes a member who isn’t afraid to take a risk and has the courage to step out on her own to either start a business or grow a business organically within an organization.
 
Rebecca, along with a colleague, started a two-person landscape architecture practice back in 2010. In 2017, Rebecca went out on her own and established her current firm, RBLA Design. She is focused almost entirely on affordable and mixed income housing developments, expanding the scope of work and fees while also introducing services through subcontractors and/or joint ventures.   Rebecca’s strong client relationships have fostered her company’s growth.
 
Rebecca is an inspiration for other professional women in commercial real estate who seek to start their own company.  She takes a hands-on approach to her work while providing Principal-level experience. Her WBE and Disadvantage Business status in MA, NH, and RI allow her to be pursued – and sought out – by clients in need of Women-owned consultants and clients working with public funding.
 
Rebecca has been a CREW Boston member since 2006. She has served on numerous committees and groups, been on our Board of Directors, and is the current co-chair of our Entrepreneur Exchange Group.  Clients are always singing Rebecca’s praises, highlighting her commitment to excellence and her ability to consistently deliver successful projects. 
During her acceptance speech, Rebecca credited CREW for being an integral part of her success, thanking her CREW Boston connections, mentors, and friends for their invaluable resources.   “From my formal and informal mentors to my Leadership Academy cohort, from various lunch hour ‘support groups’  to the professionals who responded to desperate email requests for a CPA or legal counsel, so many CREW Boston members have stepped up to support me throughout my membership and career.”

The Suzanne King Public Service Award was presented to Nancy McCafferty, a woman who exemplifies the essence and spirit of Suzanne’s legacy.  This award recognizes a CREW Boston member who, either as a career or through volunteer activities, is committed to strengthening the community through effective action and leadership.

Not only has Nancy been a long time CREW Boston Member, having served on our Board of Directors and on numerous committees, she has been with Massachusetts Housing Partnership for 20 years. She joined MHP as a loan officer and moved her way up to Senior Relations Manager, working on some of MHP’s largest and most complicated loans in the organization’s history. In 2020, Nancy was named Director of Business Development, providing strategic oversight of new multifamily financing opportunities, and delivering thoughtful leadership for marketing MHP’s lending programs. 
 
Among her many achievements and recognitions are BisNow Boston’s Top 40 “Power Women in Commercial Real Estate” and Banker & Tradesman “Woman of FIRE”, an annual award that honors women who have had success in the field of finance and have demonstrated a commitment to personal and professional growth.
 
Nancy began her career in finance at age 12 when, as paper girl for the Lowell Sun and Boston Sunday Globe, she provided interest free loans to customers that were behind on weekly subscription payments.
 
In addition to her work at MHP, she currently serves on the boards of Fidelity House Career Resource Center and Local Initiative Support Corporation Boston. In the past, she has served on the board of the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development as Treasurer.
 
Upon receiving her award, Nancy thanked CREW Boston for the impact and influence it has had in her career. “Over the past 20+ years that I’ve been a part of CREW, it’s exceptional programming, supportive members, and networking opportunities have not only been instrumental in my career growth but have inspired me from a personal and professional standpoint to give back by dedicating time and energy to non-profit organizations. “ 
 
She further went on to thank Andrea Daskalakis, a long time CREW member, who, through her connections with CREW, helped Nancy find a rewarding position in the affordable housing industry.

 Emily Paparella received the Professional Service Award, honoring her significant contributions and leadership within her company as well as her commitment and dedication to delivering superior service and achieving great results.
 
Growing up in a suburb in central Florida, Emily was a first-generation college graduate, receiving her Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Florida in 2004. After graduating, she applied exclusively to MIT’s Master of Architecture program, was accepted, and moved to Boston sight unseen that same year. She began her career at Elkus Manfredi Architects as an intern in 2006 and has advanced to her current role as Vice President over the past 17 years.
 
Emily has been an active member of CREW Boston since 2016.  She is the co-founder and current co-chair of the Development Project Management Group. This group focuses on women professionals specifically involved in design/construction projects, including architects, contractors, engineers, owners, and developers.
 
Emily leads by example, constantly modeling superior customer service and design excellence. She is committed to her clients and projects while equally devoted to her teams, making time to mentor and lead. She is a tireless advocate for women in the industry. In addition to mentoring her younger colleagues, Emily has also created new mentorship paths for both women in CREW as well as Boston’s Society of Architects. 
 
As an accomplished and talented multi-disciplinary architect and planner, Emily brings a broad perspective and a wide range of creativity to every project. Presently, she is responsible for projects totaling approximately 15 acres/1 million square feet. As evidenced by her professional resume, Emily has worked on a wide variety of projects during her career, all of which have contributed to the depth and breadth of her skill set.
 
Going forward, Emily knows that we must create environments that are inclusive for all participants, not just a select few. She has walked the walk of change, demonstrating her deep commitment to bringing more women into commercial real estate. There is no doubt that she will continue to be at the forefront of the commercial real estate community.
 
During her acceptance speech, Emily thanked both Elkus Manfredi Architects and CREW for supporting her professional development and being a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.  “I’m very fortunate to be with a firm that cares about and has their eye on my professional development, and I feel so grateful to CREW for their advocacy and the great friendships I’ve made.  You all have inspired and energized me over the last 7 years. I feel very honored.”

The final award of the evening was presented to Tamie Thompson, recipient of this year’s Leadership Award. This award recognizes a member who has inspired, motivated, and supported CREW Boston year after year and contributed her time, energy, and talents in leadership roles within the Greater Boston real estate community. It honors an individual who leads by example and works both personally and professionally to advance women in the real estate industry.  Recipients of this award are some of the most well respected and committed women in our industry, and Tamie is no exception.
 
Tamie’s diverse career in commercial real estate spans over 40 years.  She was the first women broker in any major real estate firm in Boston when she was hired by Spaulding and Slye in 1980. She joined JLL during the 2006 acquisition of Spaulding and Slye, where she held various leadership roles as Manager, Partner, Broker, and Leader of the firm’s global network through their affiliation with Colliers International.   Tamie’s years of experience as a strategic real estate advisor for corporate headquarters and real estate portfolios earned her many distinctions, including the Commercial Broker of the Year Award in 2005.  This prestigious award, presented by the CBA of Boston, seeks to recognize an individual who best exemplifies a career of achievement, professionalism, high ethical standards, and charitable giving. Tamie was the first woman recipient of this award in the city of Boston.
 
Tamie has received numerous recognitions throughout her life, including Boston Business Journal’s “Women’s Business Hall of Fame,” Bisnow’s Top 50 “Power Women in Real Estate,” Boston College Women Athlete of the Year, and BC Hall of Fame for both soccer and lacrosse. In 2021, Tamie was named one of 6 legends in BC athletics, the only woman to ever receive this award. In addition to Tamie’s many accomplishments, she also serves on several Boards and supports various charitable organizations.
 
What sets Tamie apart is not only her success as a leader, but also her willingness to support the advancement of women in commercial real estate.  She has been a tremendous role model to young women entering the field and her impact as a colleague, mentor, and friend is unmatched. Not only does she create trusted relationships with her clients, but she has touched the lives of so many individuals by listening intently, providing guidance, and creating connections.  Her contributions and leadership to our industry is incomparable.  

After receiving her award, Tamie spoke about her 40+ year career in commercial real estate, crediting four pillars for her success. “In my case, the foundation upon which I have drawn inspiration, motivation, education, and community to build a career has been primarily through four pillars: family, Boston college, Spaulding and Slye, now JLL, and NEWIRE, now CREW.” 
 
Elaborating further on CREW, Tamie said:
 
As a new broker I found a professional community for women in commercial real estate at NEWIRE, now CREW.  Founded in 1981, visionaries like Ranne Warner, Roz Gorin, and, Susan Winston Leff, aggressively recruited me and other women with a proven track record.  In the early years, membership was small and perhaps 25-50 women would gather. 
 
CREW has always played a vital role in my life. When I started in the business it was even helpful just to see how professional women dressed.  This was the era of stockings, heels, shoulder pads and silk bow ties, among other fashion statements for women.
 
Additionally, CREW has always offered some of the best training, mentoring, educational and networking programs in the industry, not to mention programs geared specifically to women at every stage of their career. For example, I’ve participated in many mentorship programs over the years; however, CREW was without a doubt the best organized and executed.  It is no wonder the CREW membership continues to grow to record levels locally and nationally.
 
Tamie also shared some words of wisdom for younger women just starting out in their careers. “The best advice I can give to the younger women in the room: Think about the long game, focus on opportunities vs obstacles, and always Network, Network, Network.  Even the smallest of steps can inspire others to new heights never imagined and be a source of great pride. “
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 
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, CREW Boston has been an important force behind the increasing success of women in New England’s real estate community. Currently, more than 550 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 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.