Theresa Fesinstine
Being the first female executive at a company that has been around for more than 90 years gives Theresa Fesinstine a bit of clout when it comes to helping others develop in their careers. As the director of people & culture at Sage Realty, Fesinstine oversees the organization's people strategy and works to build a productive culture through talent acquisition, performance management, employee engagement and compliance. She encourages employee development by creating peer learning and research opportunities for employees who express interest in working outside their department, and she has taken an interest in helping her team members develop personally and professionally by providing public speaking and training opportunities, public recognition and other skill-building initiatives. Her example and encouragement have helped female leaders rise into management roles at Sage Realty, including the appointment of a second female executive. Fesinstine additionally mentors and guides people who are re-entering the workforce by helping with resume building and interview techniques through NY Cares. Fesinstine has also been selected as a Women of Influence within the diversity champion category due to her contributions to furthering diversity, equity and inclusion at Sage Realty.
Char Fortune
With 30 years of industry experience, Char Fortune holds deep knowledge of many areas of the commercial real estate business, and she readily shares that knowledge with others. In her role as global director of learning and development at Avison Young, Fortune has developed the firm’s internal training program and personally delivered dozens of workshops and online training sessions that have reached nearly every member of the organization. She also created and oversees the emerging leader program at Avison Young, which provides mentorship as well as personal and professional guidance to the company’s future leaders. During the COVID-19 crisis, Fortune provided support and guidance to members of the emerging leader group concerning pandemic-related disruptions. She is now assisting in transitioning more than 4,000 employees back to the office by helping develop the company’s return-to-work strategy while adhering to the evolving health and government policies. Recently, Fortune launched the global Avison Young mentorship program, which has reached more than 300 active participants and is expected to grow to more than 500. Outside the office, Fortune has impacted young women in the industry through her work with CREW, including co-founding Atlanta’s Leadership CREW initiative, which has graduated hundreds of rising female professionals throughout the past two decades.
Bre’an Fox
Bre’an Fox has been helping women advance in their careers for more than 30 years, including employing six women at the planning, design, management and relocation services firm, FS Design Group, which she founded in the early 1990s. Fox, who is president of FS Design Group, has held several board positions with CREW San Diego. In her current role as chapter advisor, she is helping design and launch a nonprofit branch that will provide scholarships for members who are interested in pursuing a degree, certification or training that will help them advance their careers. In addition, Fox has mentored three women through CREW San Diego’s CREWMates program and has provided internships at her firm to more than 20 mentees. Fox also helped start CREW Careers for the San Diego Chapter, which engages middle and high school students, particularly girls from underprivileged schools. Fox recently extended her influence internationally. In 2019, she began mentoring a woman in Florence, Italy, who is now starting her own business, as well as a woman in Abu Dhabi, who is hoping to do the same. Fox’s volunteer efforts further showcase her passion for helping women advance their careers. She volunteers her time as a personal shopping consultant for Operation Dress Code; assisting women transitioning from military service to civilian careers by helping them create attractive, professional outfits.
Julie Fuhrman
Julie Fuhrman quickly rose to the role of real estate manager at NAI Elliott, and after just two years leading a management team, the company called on her to take over its largest management account, which included coordinating a struggling team. Fuhrman employed a successful strategy of constant training, delegation and ongoing mentorship to turn the team around. Her success was based on establishing trust, determining roles and responsibilities, and putting in place communications protocols that rapidly aligned all team members with a focus on working toward client goals. Fuhrman has now transitioned to managing the firm’s longest-held client and has established herself as a successful mentor working with future potential leaders. She has mentored two women who received promotions over the past year. Her mentorship approach, developed over several years, includes discussing goals, filling in knowledge gaps and focusing on communication. Fuhrman is known for taking opportunities to teach and helps assistant real estate managers or anyone in the company who desires to learn more about the business and advance in their careers.
Nandi Malindi
As a young professional herself, Nandi Malindi is in an ideal position to help guide students and young professionals in their real estate careers. An asset manager for Eris Property Group in South Africa, Malindi works with up-and-coming property management professionals and even visits high school students to share the opportunities that a career in real estate provides. She currently mentors university students who are on the path to real estate careers; assisting with assignments, exam preparation and certifications. Malindi also mentors employees at Eris Property Group and she hired a student intern to work in the company’s asset management division. A key element of her mentoring philosophy is helping young professionals develop soft skills that will benefit them in their careers. As VP of her local IREM chapter, Malindi takes this focus even further by introducing incoming professionals to the various learning resources, certifications, networking and volunteer opportunities available through the organization. Her focus on mentoring women in particular in a traditionally male-dominated industry is her way of guiding commercial real estate into a new and equitable future.
Vera C. McPherson
Vera C. McPherson is dedicated to making commercial real estate management a more diverse, equitable and inclusive profession. According to one woman she has mentored for more than a decade, McPherson is someone who leads by example and pushes others to challenge themselves; helping them expand professionally by making herself available for guidance and advice. As managing director of W.H.H. Trice & Co., McPherson is responsible for day-to-day operations, managing staff, legal issues and keeping residents and building owners happy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this meant altering the way that her teams operated so they could continue to safely serve their tenants and residents. McPherson credits her success in the industry to training and education opportunities, including certifications that she was able to achieve with the help of the IREM Foundation. Her success, fueled by these learning opportunities, is now paid back in the form of mentorship, which she provides to young professionals, many of whom have gone on to develop successful careers of their own. McPherson’s dedication to mentorship recently earned her the IREM Hampton Roads Virginia Chapter Legacy award.
Erika Meinhardt
After nearly four decades in the industry, Erika Meinhardt stepped back from her role as president of agency operations at Fidelity and decided to focus on helping empower women to take on leadership roles. Her decision was triggered by the realization that while the majority of the title insurance industry’s workforce is made up of women, very few women hold executive positions in the industry. To help foster a culture that empowers women, Meinhardt, now EVP at Fidelity National Financial Inc., formed the firm’s women’s leadership program to expand leadership opportunities for women and to encourage other underwriters in the industry to do the same. From the program, a mentoring initiative was launched, which pairs mentors with mentees to help them better understand their role in the organization. Meinhardt’s mentoring efforts include engaging with female undergraduates involved in Georgia State University’s WomenLead program, which provides skills, experience and networking opportunities needed to prepare them for the workforce. In addition to her responsibilities in overseeing corporate events, managing travel and providing consultative business services, Meinhardt speaks on behalf of the company on a variety of topics centered on women in leadership.
Misty Moore
Networking with ambitious women that are making inroads in their respective fields has been key to elevating Misty Moore’s career. Moore, managing director of JLL, is now one of a small group of female power brokers in San Diego, and she parlays that success into supporting other women in her profession, not just at JLL but across the industry. Moore has formally and informally mentored more than a dozen female brokers during her career, even women at competing brokerage firms. She was selected to serve as one of 14 annual mentors across the country by JLL. As a protégé member herself of JLL’s mentoring program in 2009, Moore brings a unique perspective to those she mentors. Moore’s efforts to elevate women led to her launching a formal maternity mentor program for JLL and establishing maternity leave guidelines that leadership rolled out to all brokerage markets across the country. Moore has worked with multiple women in various career stages, including mentoring three pregnant women at JLL to help plan their maternity leave. Last year, she also worked closely with two female brokerage interns at JLL to demonstrate her business development process as she prepared for two client pitches. Moore is currently working with a junior male broker at JLL to mentor his growth and strategy in negotiating transactions and successful business development.
WOMEN OF INFLUENCE 2021
MENTORS
Jennifer Nyquist is no stranger to obstacles. As a first-generation American and a woman of color, Nyquist is reminded daily of the need for more diversity in commercial real estate. She is passionate about the career advancement of women, especially in affordable housing careers, and uses the obstacles she has overcome to fuel her drive to help the next generation. Nyquist, senior asset manager at Columbia Residential, serves on the board of directors of the CREW Network Foundation, which provides scholarships and career outreach to assist women in commercial real estate. Nyquist also chairs the board of directors of the Women’s Affordable Housing Network, which offers networking opportunities to women in Georgia’s affordable housing industry. Under her leadership, WAHN developed a mentorship program that pairs a protégé and seasoned real estate professional based on capabilities, goals and strengths. While working with CREW’s Atlanta Chapter, Nyquist was instrumental in producing Career Days, a program that introduces students at two public high schools to the benefits of careers in commercial real estate. She has also helped connect college students in Atlanta to professionals working in the industry through the UCREW program. In 2016, she was awarded the CREW Atlanta Impact Award - Career Advancement for Women for her efforts in elevating the status of women in commercial real estate in Atlanta.
Tanya Ragan
Tanya Ragan is not afraid to break the rules; a trait that has helped her blaze trails and become a disrupter in the commercial real estate industry. Ragan, president of real estate management, development and investment company, Wildcat Management, is a minority business owner and self-made entrepreneur who has found success in many arenas, including historical preservation, venture capitalism, oil and gas and more. Ragan is a champion of diversity and women in business, and she regularly coaches and advises young female professionals. She is passionate about helping women break down walls and accomplishes this by investing in projects with strong female leaders that may have limited exposure. Ragan believes that hiring and contracting female professionals is an optimal way of mentoring, opening doors and facilitating future opportunities. She makes this a reality by maintaining a majority female staff and high ethnic representation at her company, as well as hiring female contractors and vendors on projects. During civil unrest last summer, Ragan recruited artists to paint murals with positive messages across boarded-up businesses and pioneered an art walk in an effort to transform a tumultuous event into a community-building activity.
Jennifer Nyquist
Design by Roberto Jimenez/ALM
Bre’an Fox
Julie Fuhrman
Nandi Malindi
Tanya Ragan
Heidi Roth
Emily Sobel
Vera C. McPherson
Erika Meinhardt
Misty Moore
Jennifer Nyquist
Char Fortune
Bre’an Fox
Julie Fuhrman
Nandi Malindi
Vera C. McPherson
Jennifer Nyquist
Tanya Ragan
Erika Meinhardt
Misty Moore
Theresa Fesinstine
Char Fortune
Heidi Roth
Heidi Roth is the highest-ranking female employee at Kilroy Realty Corp., where she serves as EVP and chief administrative officer with a focus on people development, process improvement and technology initiatives. During her 23 year tenure, Roth has moved through many positions, starting as a property accountant and advancing to controller and chief accounting officer before taking on her current role. Throughout her career, Roth has helped open doors and inspire other women to take on leadership roles in commercial real estate through mentorship and accessibility to all employees. As a working mother herself, Roth implemented a parental leave coaching program to support both expectant mothers and fathers in planning and navigating their parental leave and their return to work. Roth also focuses on cultivating the company’s culture and expanding diversity through learning opportunities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Roth was instrumental in developing a virtual culture program to keep employees connected while working remotely. She also implemented strategies to protect and support the company’s workforce, including developing an internal internet site for shared resources on navigating pandemic-related challenges such as managing parenting and caretaking responsibilities. Roth is now focused on safe strategies to return employees to the office.
Emily Sobel
Emily Sobel, EVP at Macro, a Savills company, has served as a hands-on mentor before and throughout the pandemic and has provided leadership that has sustained a culture of learning and inclusivity at the company. During the COVID-19 crisis, Sobel spearheaded programs that promoted wellness and helped strengthen relationships within her team and throughout the company. Last year, Sobel was instrumental in founding Macro’s mentorship program, which pairs mentees with senior-level colleagues for a year, and she helped ensure the continued success of the program despite challenges related to remote work during the pandemic. As a leader of the mentorship program, she offers guidance to prospective mentors on how best to exhibit leadership, provide support, set mentee goals and measure outcomes. At six months into the program, 100% of mentees said they would recommend the program to colleagues, and mentors reported a similarly high level of satisfaction with the program. With Sobel’s support, Macro also formed a women’s mentorship group for female employees to discuss industry and work-related topics.
Heidi Roth
Heidi Roth is the highest-ranking female employee at Kilroy Realty Corp., where she serves as EVP and chief administrative officer with a focus on people development, process improvement and technology initiatives. During her 23 year tenure, Roth has moved through many positions, starting as a property accountant and advancing to controller and chief accounting officer before taking on her current role. Throughout her career, Roth has helped open doors and inspire other women to take on leadership roles in commercial real estate through mentorship and accessibility to all employees. As a working mother herself, Roth implemented a parental leave coaching program to support both expectant mothers and fathers in planning and navigating their parental leave and their return to work. Roth also focuses on cultivating the company’s culture and expanding diversity through learning opportunities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Roth was instrumental in developing a virtual culture program to keep employees connected while working remotely. She also implemented strategies to protect and support the company’s workforce, including developing an internal internet site for shared resources on navigating pandemic-related challenges such as managing parenting and caretaking responsibilities. Roth is now focused on safe strategies to return employees to the office.
Emily Sobel
Emily Sobel, EVP at Macro, a Savills company, has served as a hands-on mentor before and throughout the pandemic and has provided leadership that has sustained a culture of learning and inclusivity at the company. During the COVID-19 crisis, Sobel spearheaded programs that promoted wellness and helped strengthen relationships within her team and throughout the company. Last year, Sobel was instrumental in founding Macro’s mentorship program, which pairs mentees with senior-level colleagues for a year, and she helped ensure the continued success of the program despite challenges related to remote work during the pandemic. As a leader of the mentorship program, she offers guidance to prospective mentors on how best to exhibit leadership, provide support, set mentee goals and measure outcomes. At six months into the program, 100% of mentees said they would recommend the program to colleagues, and mentors reported a similarly high level of satisfaction with the program. With Sobel’s support, Macro also formed a women’s mentorship group for female employees to discuss industry and work-related topics.
Heidi Roth
Emily Sobel
Beth Swanick
Beth Swanick
As a licensed professional counselor, Beth Swanick is adept at bringing empathy, support and problem-solving skills to her role as employee relations manager at Transwestern Real Estate Services. She is responsible for providing employee support in matters concerning professional development, performance management and employee relations for more than 2,200 team members at Transwestern. Swanick makes time to listen to each person who seeks her advice and helps design solutions that support the best interests of not only the company but also each individual. Her efforts in guiding the company through pandemic-related disruptions included helping employees cope with stressful situations, such as technology issues while working from home, disconnection from colleagues and challenges related to balancing work and family pressures. Swanick addressed these challenges via companywide virtual presentations called TW Talks, which focused on topics including stress management and back-to-school support for kids and parents. She assisted team members dealing with salary cuts and workshare programs throughout the summer with unemployment filings and treated each employee situation as if it was her top priority. Swanick supports employees in situations ranging from work-related challenges to addiction and substance abuse, all with an eye toward bridging the company and employees so that they can better understand each other’s needs. Swanick remains involved in the community and shares her expertise with others by providing pro-bono human resources consulting for Chicago-area charitable organizations.
Beth Swanick
Design by Roberto Jimenez/ALM
Beth Swanick
As a licensed professional counselor, Beth Swanick is adept at bringing empathy, support and problem-solving skills to her role as employee relations manager at Transwestern Real Estate Services. She is responsible for providing employee support in matters concerning professional development, performance management and employee relations for more than 2,200 team members at Transwestern. Swanick makes time to listen to each person who seeks her advice and helps design solutions that support the best interests of not only the company but also each individual. Her efforts in guiding the company through pandemic-related disruptions included helping employees cope with stressful situations, such as technology issues while working from home, disconnection from colleagues and challenges related to balancing work and family pressures. Swanick addressed these challenges via companywide virtual presentations called TW Talks, which focused on topics including stress management and back-to-school support for kids and parents. She assisted team members dealing with salary cuts and workshare programs throughout the summer with unemployment filings and treated each employee situation as if it was her top priority. Swanick supports employees in situations ranging from work-related challenges to addiction and substance abuse, all with an eye toward bridging the company and employees so that they can better understand each other’s needs. Swanick remains involved in the community and shares her expertise with others by providing pro-bono human resources consulting for Chicago-area charitable organizations.
