CREW Boston's 27th Annual Achievement Awards took place on Wednesday, April 29 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. More than 300 guests gathered to honor and celebrate 12 CREW Boston members for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the commercial real estate industry. In addition to recognizing our Achievement Awards honorees, we also celebrated two very special groups this year - participants in our Mentor Program and members from our Leadership Academy. Through these three groups that we recognized – our dedicated mentors and mentees, our emerging leaders, and our accomplished award recipients –  attendees saw firsthand CREW supports women throughout every stage of their personal and professional  growth.
 
CREW Boston President Kate Moran Carter opened the ceremony by welcoming guests and thanking all our sponsors, especially our two corporate event sponsors, Arrowstreet and Haley & Aldrich, Inc. She was also joined by President-Elect Amy Prange and the evening’s emcee, Barbara Oddo, the 2025 recipient of CREW Boston’s Leadership Award. 
 
Honorees

The team behind Franklin Cummings Tech received the Networking Award, which recognizes a project or team that best exemplifies the mission of CREW Boston and highlights the power of business-to-business collaboration. The seven-member team played an instrumental role in bringing this transformational project to life.
 
This project delivers a new, state-of-the-art campus designed to support hands-on technical education and expand economic opportunity for students across Boston. Located in the heart of Nubian Square, the campus represents a major investment in both the future workforce and the surrounding community.
 
What truly defines this project, however, is the collaborative effort behind it.
 
Over more than six years, the project required extraordinary coordination across design, financing, permitting, and construction, bringing together public and private partners to navigate a highly complex development process and assemble more than $80 million in funding.
 
At the center of it all was the power of the CREW network.
 
Seven CREW Boston members served as catalysts – leveraging relationships, creating opportunities, and activating a network of more than 50 women across every phase of the project, from architecture and engineering to legal, finance, and public leadership.
 
The result is more than a new campus – it is a powerful example of how collaboration, leadership, and strong professional networks can create lasting community impact.

Recipients of the Networking Award included:
·      Gail Sullivan, Studio G Architects
·      Marty Jones, MLJ Insights.
·      Ashley Brown, Goulston & Storrs, P.C.
·      Natasha Espada, STUDIO ENÉE
·      Shauna Gillies-Smith, GROUND Landscape Architecture
·      Melissa Restrepo, Howard Stein Hudson. 
·      Cindy Schlessinger, Epsilon Associates. Inc.

Accepting the award on behalf of the team were Gail Sullivan, Founder and Managing Principal at Studio G Architects, and Marty Jones, Principal at MLJ Insights. Together, they reflected on the collaboration, creativity, and persistence required to bring the project to fruition.
 
Gail began by sharing the team’s vision for the project, discussing the early design challenges, budget constraints, and the importance of creating an inclusive, community-centered educational environment.

This has been a dream project, starting with the conscious focus on an inclusive and diverse team thanks to the inimitable Dr. Aisha Francis, FC Tech's President since 2020, who leads with vision and grace.

Endowed by Ben Franklin as an apprentice program for young men, Franklin Cummings Tech has been providing technical education since 1908.  It is a two-year private technical college that creates economic opportunity for its 70% students of color, 46% first generation college, 93% of whom receive financial aid.

When our team began work, it was obvious their 120-year-old South End building lacked the facilities for 21^st century technical education, but we found the perfect site on Harrison Ave in Nubian Square. 

This collaborative team shared the goals of advancing the college’s educational mission, building a high-performance, low-carbon building to serve as a teaching tool, and contributing to the renaissance of Nubian Square.

One Challenge was that the college was reimaging academic programs while we were planning the building. We centered student learning and faculty support in the design of a collaborative and flexible educational environment that allows the college to adapt new programs over time. Today the building supports automotive labs and opticianry, construction management, HVAC, practical electricity, smart building tech, and robotics - in-demand jobs that deliver household incomes.

With a tight budget, we made two critical decisions  - build on only half the site, holding land for future expansion; and start with a simple box with classrooms and labs on the perimeter, and gathering and connecting spaces at the center of each floor. Learning extends to the roof with rooftop learning labs, social and workspace around a skylight that draws light through the building.

Our vision was to create a distinct beacon of accessible education and economic opportunity in the heart of Nubian Square that instills community pride of place, displays educaiton to passersby, and welcomes everyone.

Next, Marty shared what it took to bring this project to the finish line.

While Gail was tackling the design challenges, I joined the team five years ago to help pull together the resources to build it. FC Tech is mighty, but it is a small institution without a big endowment or a large base of wealthy alums. In addiiton to its amazing leader, Dr. Francis, the college had one valuable asset to leverage into a  new building - its existing South End campus. This turned out to be a transaction so compliated that I've been thinking about FC Tech as the capstone project of my career. The end result: 6 lenders, 6 New Markets Tax Credits, MassDevelopment Brownfields loan, City of Boston funds and property tax agreement, State MassWorks for infrastructure, federal and state equipment grants, innovative loans from local foundations, Brownfields Tax Credits, and private philanthropy (Ha).

What made this a true networking success story is that Gail and I were able to pick up the phone and call on the women on this stage and many other women we met through CREW. They all helped us do the creative, outside-of-the-box work necesssary to make the new building a reality.

In the end, we created a transformative project for a mission focused Owner and the neighborhood, an important educational resource for the workforce that Boston needs, and a pathway to economic opportunity for lower income students. We counted over 50 private and public sector women involved. Proof positive that this kind of real estate work can happen with the significant participation of women and women owned businesses in design, permitting, financing, legal services, marketing, and construction.

I've been invovled in CREW for more than 40 years and I stay engaged because I continue to learn new things from CREW programs, and to forge relationships with amazing real estate professionals. That is what CREW netowrking is about - knowing smart people you want on your team and having so much fun working together because of the depth of the relationships you have nurtured.

 

 Judy Cazeau, Founder and Principal Broker of The OPAC Group, received this year’s Espirit de Couer Award.  This award recognizes a member who demonstrates a deep commitment to CREW Boston’s mission and truly embodies the heart and soul of the organization.
 
While Judy’s professional accomplishments are impressive, what truly sets her apart is the way she consistently shows up for both the organization and its members.
 
From the moment she joined CREW Boston, Judy has been an intentional and energizing presence – someone who leads with authenticity, generosity, and a genuine desire to see others succeed.
 
As a Board Member and Co-founder of the Women of Color Committee, she has helped cultivate a powerful and growing community within CREW, creating space, opportunity, and meaningful connections for others in the industry.
 
Often, it is the smaller moments that define Judy’s impact most clearly.
 
Whether welcoming a new member at their first event, making a thoughtful introduction, or simply taking the time to connect, Judy has a unique ability to make people feel seen, supported, and part of something bigger.
 
She is a mentor, connector, and advocate who consistently lifts others as she grows – opening doors and encouraging the next generation to step through them.
 
Judy’s presence has made CREW Boston stronger, more inclusive, and more connected. She truly represents the spirit of this organization.

After accepting her award, Judy reflected on the important role CREW Boston has played in both her personal and professional growth. 

When I first entered commercial real estate, I came in hungry, ambitious, and determined, but I did not come in with a built-in network or a blueprint. I knew I wanted more for my life, my future, and the way I showed up in this industry. So when I found CREW Boston, I did not ease in. I jumped in with my whole body, mind, and spirit.
 
Very early on, Rebecca Bachand welcomed me in and opened doors for me. Then I met Kim Walters, who poured into me in a real way. On one of my first major deals, she helped save my client $20,000 and made me look like a superstar. I never forgot that. Then I joined the mentor-mentee program and was paired with Karen Hurd, who I still consider the GWOAT (greatest woman of all time) of networking and business development. Karen was an absolute boss, and I treated that mentorship like the opportunity of a lifetime. I came prepared, I followed through, and I took it seriously because I knew I was not just building a career, I was building capacity.
 
Through all of it, CREW became more than a networking organization to me. It became a professional home. It became a place where I could grow, lead, ask questions, be stretched, and be seen. And over time, what CREW helped build in me was not just knowledge or relationships. It helped build my voice.
 
That matters because my journey has not been easy. There were seasons that tested me deeply, professionally and personally. But I kept going. I kept building. I kept believing. And today, I stand here not only as a commercial real estate broker, but as the CEO of my own firm, The OPAC Group.

 
Robin Adams was presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, recognizing a member who is willing to take risks and has the courage to build something meaningful on her own.

Robin is a visionary designer, architect, and entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience shaping projects across Boston and around the world. Yet one of her most defining moments of her career came less than two years ago, when she made the decision to leave a successful corporate leadership role and launch her own firm.

At a time when many would choose stability, Robin chose to take a leap.

She founded Robin Adams Design with a clear vision: to create a boutique, high-impact practice centered on thoughtful design, strong relationships, and measurable results. From day one, that vision resonated.

Today, her firm is growing, profitable, and trusted by clients across the industry, all while maintaining a commitment to mentorship, collaboration, and supporting others in the field.

Robin’s journey reflects resilience, leadership, and the belief that sometimes the most important step is simply deciding to begin.

During her remarks, Robin spoke about the support and encouragement she found within the CREW community and the role it played in both her personal and professional growth.

Two years ago—almost to the day—I left the largest commercial interior design firm in the world to start the smallest commercial interior design firm in South Boston. I remember talking to Megan Rapone about it while we were watching our kids at M Street Playground. Her immediate response was, “Commercial interior design? Then you need to join CREW.”
 
She immediately added me as a guest and personally Ubered me to the May and June luncheons. After about five minutes of introducing me around, she said, “You already know everyone.” I did not. But I could feel that I was in the right place.
 
That fall I officially joined and went straight to a Leadership Summit in Florida, where Jocelyn Goglia pulled me aside and told me I was ‘an Eagle’ I had no idea what that meant, but she quickly added that she was an Eagle too, so I knew it had to be a good thing.
 
Turns out it’s one of four bird personality types. I won’t get into all of it, but let’s just say the ‘shadows’ of my strengths made me feel like the corporate world was holding me back… but they are showing me that the sky is the limit when I’m running my own firm.
 
At Robin Adams Design—RAD—we’re building the design firm of the future. We’re a network, not an office. An ecosystem, not employees. We have fans, not clients. And we don’t switch between ‘good process’ and ‘fast process’—we just stay nimble all the time, because that’s reality.
 
There’s no A team vs B team. There’s just the right mix of X-Women for each project.
 
And speaking of X-Women, Judy Cazeau—this year’s Esprit de Coeur winner—can tell you more about that philosophy if you corner her later.
 
Thank you to all CREW members for holding this space for women in CRE.

The Suzanne King Public Service Award was presented to Rebecca Sullivan, a woman who truly embodies the essence of Suzanne’s legacy. This award recognizes a CREW Boston member who devotes her time and talent to strengthening the community through leadership, service, and meaningful action.

For more than two decades, Rebecca has dedicated her career to advancing public infrastructure and community development across Massachusetts.
 
As Senior Vice President at MassDevelopment, she has helped close hundreds of transactions supporting projects that create housing, strengthen nonprofits, expand educational opportunities, and invest in critical infrastructure across communities throughout the Commonwealth.
 
Much of Rebecca’s work happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt everywhere.
 
From schools and museums to renewable energy and human service organizations, she has helped bring together the financing and partnerships needed to turn meaningful, community-focused projects into reality.
Her commitment to public service extends well beyond her professional role.
 
Rebecca serves on multiple nonprofit boards, contributes her leadership to CREW Boston, and supports initiatives that strengthen and connect our communities. She understands that this work is not just about financing projects – it’s about creating opportunity, stability, and long-term impact for the people these projects serve.
 
To know Rebecca is to understand her steady commitment to service, thoughtful leadership, and dedication to making a difference.
 
Following the presentation of the award, Rebecca reflected on the privilege of working in public service and thanked CREW Boston for the meaningful role it has played throughout her professional journey.
 

Public service has always mattered deeply to me because, at its core, it is about taking responsibility for the places we help shape, the communities we serve, and the opportunities we create for others.
 
Real estate and finance, when used for economic development, are powerful tools.   Used thoughtfully and equitably, they can open doors, strengthen neighborhoods, and create impact that lasts far beyond any single project.
 
I’ve been fortunate to work alongside amazing people who deeply believe in the importance of this mission.  I want to thank my CEO Navjeet Bal and my colleagues at MassDevelopment.  
 
It has been a privilege to be part of an organization so deeply committed to economic opportunity, housing, and community investment across the Commonwealth, and I share this recognition with the many talented people I am fortunate to work with each day.
 
Like many people, my career has not been a straight line. I have faced challenges along the way, navigating not one but two industries, both real estate and finance, that have not been as welcoming to women. 
 
I want to thank CREW Boston, an organization that has played a meaningful role in my professional journey. CREW Boston has provided not only networking and education, but also a community, one that supports women, challenges us to lead, and reminds us that we are stronger when we lift each other up.
 
I am grateful for the mentors, sponsors, and friends I’ve gained through CREW, and for the organization’s long-standing commitment to advancing women in our industry.

Marya Gorczyca, Chief Principal Consultant at Haley & Aldrich, Inc., received the Professional Service Award, recognizing her exceptional leadership, industry expertise, and longstanding commitment to delivering outstanding results for both clients and colleagues.
 
Marya is widely respected throughout the industry for her expertise in some of the most complex underground engineering challenges, guiding projects from concept through construction with precision, insight, and a deep understanding of risk.
 
She is often the person teams turn to when the challenges are greatest – whether involving deep foundations, complex excavations, or dense urban environments where there is little room for error.
 
Her work has helped shape some of Boston’s most transformative projects, from air rights development over the Mass Pike to the continued evolution of the Seaport and major campus expansions.
 
What truly distinguishes Marya , however, is the way she leads.
 
She brings together multidisciplinary teams, aligns stakeholders, and approaches every project with a collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset focused on achieving the best possible outcome for her clients.
 
Her ability to anticipate challenges, manage risk, and drive innovative yet practical solutions has earned the trust of clients and colleagues alike, making her a respected leader on some of the industry’s most demanding projects.
 
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Marya is also deeply committed to advancing the industry and supporting CREW Boston, where she currently serves as Chair of the Programs Committee.
 
Marya’s leadership, expertise, and dedication to excellence represent the very best of the profession.
 
In her acceptance remarks, Marya reflected on her career journey – from field engineer to Senior Principal – and spoke about the evolution of both her company and the industry over the course of her career.
 

 When I was finishing graduate school in Civil Engineering one of the Principals from Haley & Aldrich came to give a talk to students. He spoke about a great geotechnical project the firm was working on.  I immediately decided that Haley & Aldrich was the place I wanted to start my career as a geotechnical engineer.  I sent out one resume, had one interview, got the job and have spent my entire career at one firm. 
 
At the time I was only the second female Engineer hired.  There was no maternity leave policy, no Family Leave Act, or flexible work schedules. I’m very pleased to say that this has changed significantly over time.  We are now over 1,000 people with more than 40 offices across the country and have over 40 % female professionals with women in three out of our five C-suite/Executive Level positions. Women representation has also been on our Board of Directors as long as I can remember. 
 
I started at Haley &Aldrich as a field engineer working on a construction site, monitoring slurry wall installation and excavation for a new high rise commercial office building in Kendall Square, Cambridge.  Over the years I worked my way up to Project Manager, became a Shareholder, and Senior Principal.  As Haley &Aldrich evolved and grew, I was challenged with opportunities to take on new roles and leadership positions including serving on the Board of Directors.
 
For me the accomplishments I am most proud of have been the projects I have been able to work on and clients and other professionals in the real estate industry I have worked with.  A couple of career highlights include:

• The Central Artery Tunnel was a one-of-a-kind project that transformed the city of Boston by depressing the elevated highway into a tunnel below the city.  Through working on this project, I learned so much technically but also saw how investment in infrastructure resulted in innovation and advanced engineering and construction practices and contributed to the thriving commercial real estate market that followed. 
• This led to my being able to contribute to many mixed-use buildings and developments including new neighborhoods that didn’t exist such as the South Boston Seaport, I worked on over a dozen new buildings built where there was formerly a sea of parking lots.
• And finally, Lyrik Back Bay/on Mass DOT Air Rights Parcel 12 is example of both an infrastructure and commercial development.  This project challenged me to apply all my past geotechnical expertise and experience for a project designed and constructed in the air space over an active highway and railroad.

 Thank you to my colleagues from Haley & Aldrich that are here tonight, It takes a team and I am honored to work alongside you on many of these challenging projects.

I’d like to think that I have been able to contribute to positive changes in the industry even in a small way through serving as a role model, speaking up about issues of importance, and advocating for others, especially women in this industry.  So in closing I would encourage each of you to provide Inspiration, support, and opportunities for others.  That’s what makes this industry great.

The final award of the evening was presented to Amy Korté, recipient of this year’s Leadership Award. This award honors a member who has consistently inspired, supported, and led both CREW Boston and the greater Boston real estate community. It recognizes an individual who leads by example - personally and professionally -  while remaining deeply committed to advancing women within the industry. 

As President and Partner at Arrowstreet, Amy is a highly respected industry leader whose work has helped shape some of Greater Boston’s most impactful mixed-use and multifamily developments. With a multidisciplinary background and a forward-thinking approach, she brings creativity, technical expertise, and innovation to everything she does – continually pushing the boundaries of design and how people experience the built environment.

At Arrowstreet, she has not only led complex projects but also helped drive the firm’s evolution by championing research, innovation, and emerging technologies, including the use of virtual and augmented reality in design.

Her leadership within CREW Boston has been equally impactful. As a former Board member and current Chair of the DEI Committee, Amy has played an important role in helping shape a more inclusive, thoughtful, and forward-looking organization for all members.

Beyond CREW, her influence extends throughout the industry through leadership roles with organizations including ULI, NAIOP, and the Boston Society of Architects, along with recognition as a Woman of Real Estate by Banker & Tradesman.

What truly sets Amy apart, however, is the way she leads.

She is a mentor, an advocate, and a role model who consistently supports and elevates those around her while continuing to push the industry forward. 

After accepting the award, Amy reflected on the importance of finding joy in the work, building a more inclusive industry, and the powerful role CREW Boston has played throughout her career.

When I was growing up, my parents told me I could do anything. I believed them completely. So when I landed my first real architectural internship during college, I showed up ready. I won an exceptional performance award at the end of the first summer, and during the second summer, for the same company, I found a missing door that the contractor had forgotten to install. I thought: I've got this.
 
Then one afternoon, as my manager and I were reviewing drawings, he looked at me and said: You smile too much.
 
I froze. Smile still on my face — because I am not good at snappy comebacks. And at that exact moment, the company photographer walked by, saw me standing there, and said: Oh good, one of our summer interns — smile for the camera!
 
I still have that photo. Me, in the 90s, frozen smile, manager sitting right beside me. I've kept it all these years as a reminder: to succeed in this work, in this industry, in this life — you need to know what you're doing, and you need to know how to navigate the personal and political curveballs that come at you while you're doing it.
 
But I've also kept it because it reminds me that joy belongs in this work. The work we do — designing buildings, shaping neighborhoods, building cities — has the power to bring real joy to the people who experience our spaces. I never want to lose sight of that.
 
What I didn't fully understand at the time, was that my experience wasn't just a quirky moment with a difficult manager. It was part of a much larger pattern. There's a project called The Missing 32% — launched by AIA San Francisco — and its findings are striking: women make up nearly half of all architecture school graduates, but by the time you look at licensed practitioners, that number drops to around 20%. And when you look at partners and principals — the leadership level — it falls to just 17%. Nearly a third of the women who enter this profession simply disappear along the way. Not because they weren't talented. Not because they didn't love the work. But because of the accumulated weight of the curveballs — the bias, the pay gaps, the glass ceilings, the subtle and not-so-subtle messages that they didn't quite belong at the table.
 
And yet — I entered this profession because I love design. I love creating buildings that make people feel something. No single comment — or really the many comments that I, and frankly most of you, have endured — can take that away. What has kept me going is all of you in this room. Because Boston is different. The commercial real estate community here is built on women helping other women: sharing ideas, comparing notes, amplifying each other, and building projects in this city together. Over the course of my career I have been lucky to count so many of you as peers, mentors, and friends. And it is through these connections — the monthly coffees, the small groups that have spun out of organizations like CREW — that our voices are genuinely changing the industry.
 
When I joined Arrowstreet, I found a firm that embraces change. Because we aren't named after a single person, we've been able to transition ownership seamlessly across five generations since the 1960s — and more importantly, that freedom has allowed us to keep reinventing how we practice. When I was named a Partner alongside three remarkable colleagues, we shifted the firm from 40% to 60% women — and today, that same 60% holds true at the leadership level. And as President, I think about that every day: not as a statistic, but as a responsibility. A responsibility to make sure that the people who walk through our doors feel like they belong there — that they can challenge the way things have always been done, bring their best ideas, and yes, bring their joy to the work. Because at Arrowstreet, we believe design helps us respond to change — new technologies, climate challenges, the evolving needs of our cities and communities. But just as important as what we build is how we lead through the building of it: by making room for new voices, mentoring the next generation, and pushing for an industry that is more inclusive and more equitable. And that is exactly why CREW's mission resonates so deeply with me.
 
So thank you — to CREW Boston; to everyone at Arrowstreet; to my husband Jeff, who holds down the fort and does all the cooking; to my mom, who first taught me to draw; and to my daughter Anna, who is already a far more talented artist than I'll ever be. And to the many people in this room and beyond who have helped shape my path - I'm excited for everything we will continue to build together. Keep smiling. Keep finding joy in the work.

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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 it began 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 650 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 industry’s premier business networking organization. Membership offers unparalleled business connections, leadership development opportunities, and access to CREW members in your local market as well as nearly 15,000 professionals across the globe.