The most successful women in the Detroit area commercial real estate industry shared their triumphs, challenges and success stories during the Detroit Women in Real Estate Summit held May 21 at The Community House in Birmingham, Michigan.
It’s no secret that women have long been building thriving careers in commercial real estate. But in a industry that still boasts many more men than women, it’s important to celebrate those female CRE professionals who are succeeding.
And that’s what happened earlier this month at the Detroit summit. Female commercial real estate professionals who are veterans in the industry mingled with newcomers to the field, sharing stories about the hurdles they’ve overcome and the triumphs they’ve earned.
The event led off with the Women in Development, Construction & Design panel. Speaking on this panel were Leslie Horn, CEO and Founder, Three Squared, Inc.; Amanda Shaughnessy, General Counsel, Walbridge; Whitney Kutcher, Regional Business Development Manager, Rockford Construction; Linda Rosati, Vice President Business Development, BOLDT; Lily Diego, Design Director, Gensler Detroit; Kara Martini, Project Delivery Director, Barton Malow; and Tracy Sweeney, Associate Principal Design and Architecture, HED.
The Notable Women in Commercial Real Estate: Industry Leaders panel included veteran CRE professionals Cathy Clark, Chief Investment Officer, Bedrock; Tracy Brown, CPM®, Senior Managing Director, Friedman Real Estate; Barbara Eaton, Executive Vice President, Colliers; Tori Manix, Partner, Plante Moran Realpoint; Beth Kmetz-Armitage, Director of Commercial Development, Michigan Central; Kimberly Montague, President and CE, Albert Kahn; and Jill Ferrari, co-Founder and Managing Partner, Renovare Development.
The State of the Market Update: Industrial Office, Retail, Multifamily, Finance and Property Management panel featured the insights of Erica Dunlap, Co-Founder, AERES Real Estate; Leslie Etterbeek, President, LR Management; Rachele J. Downs, Vice President, JLL; Cynthia Kratchman, Principal, Mid-America Real Estate – Michigan, Inc.; and Anne Galbraith Kohn, Senior Vice President, CBRE.
Participating on the Women in Economic Development panel were Angela Fortino, Deputy Director of Economic Development, City of Dearborn; Cristia (Tia) Brockway, Economic Development Director, City of Farmington Hills; Nicole Whitehead, Director of Real Estate and Outreach, Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Vicky Rowinski, Director, Department of Planning and Economic Development, Macomb County; and Laura Dodd, Deputy Director of Economic Development, Oakland County, Michigan.
