A season of inspiration for New England Women in Real Estate

For 30 years, NEWiRE has served Greater Boston's commercial real estate community by offering top-notch educational and networking opportunities. In celebration of our 30th anniversary, we have been focusing on women and leadership. Our annual meeting on June 21st will continue with this theme when we will have the honor of hearing Judge Nancy Gertner speak about the challenges and accomplishments in her career. As a women's advocate, Judge Gertner will provide advice for women professionals. Judge Gertner is a shining example of a woman who has conquered her own battles to create success in a male-dominated environment. Throughout her distinguished career, Judge Gertner has not been afraid to reach for the extraordinary in order to effectively promote fairness and justice. A renowned federal court judge, criminal defense lawyer, and civil rights activist, Judge Gertner is also a teacher whose accomplishments have been recognized by numerous organizations and academic institutions. Having stepped down in September 2011 as a U.S. District Court Judge, a position she held since 1994, Judge Gertner has joined the Harvard Law School faculty as professor of practice. Judge Gertner has participated in international programs teaching women's right and human rights, as well as critical issues involving the judicial system. Please join us on June 21st to hear from Judge Gertner. On April 23th, members of NEWiRE were invited to hear CREW Network's CEO, Gail Ayers, discuss CREW Network's most recent white paper, "Success and Satisfaction of Women in Commercial Real Estate: Retaining Exceptional Leaders" and the CREW benchmark study that was completed in conjunction with Cornell University. The benchmark study provided insight into issues related to the success and satisfaction of women in the workplace in the hope that organizations will develop and implement plans designed to retain and promote women. While women have made significant strides in the business world, the ability to move beyond the talent-rich level of management just below the C-suite remains a challenge. The white paper focuses on three key issues: factors that drive career satisfaction, career success progression and sponsors and mentors. Ayers's interactive discussion of these findings included several strategies for women to strive to achieve parity. Her suggestions focused on first understanding the market value of their skills, networking to get information and make connections, communicating wants, needs, and achievements clearly, and finding sponsors who can help propel them to the top of the ladder. CREW Network's white paper is a snapshot of success and satisfaction of women in commercial real estate today. The benchmark study and white paper can be found on the CREW Network website at www.crewnetwork.org. The mission of CREW Network is to influence the success of the commercial real estate industry by advancing the achievements of women. CREW Network does this by looking outward to bring more women into the industry, showcasing member successes and serving as a key resource to its members and the industry. CREW Network members represent all disciplines of commercial real estate - every type of expert required to "do the deal." Members comprise 8,000 commercial real estate professionals in 74 chapters across North America. NEWiRE is an affiliate chapter of the CREW Network. Janet Pirrello is a senior vice president at BayNorth Capital and the 2011-2012 president of New England Women in Real Estate (NEWiRE), Boston, Mass. Please visit our website at www.newire.org for a complete listing of upcoming events and registration information.