Suzanne Abair
While working at Wall Street law firms early in her career, Suzanne Abair followed the example of strong female attorneys who were breaking the glass ceiling every day. Now, as president and chief operations officer at Northland Investment Corp., Abair has prioritized the firm’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and in turn she sets an example for the industry. Her focus during her tenure at Northland Investment Corp., particularly throughout the past year, has been on racial equity, LGBTQIA+ equality, women’s empowerment, eradication of homelessness and other social justice initiatives. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, she is invested in embedding diversity and inclusion initiatives in all aspects of the company’s culture. She organizes workshops and trainings, ensures company-sponsored events are a culturally welcoming experience, and strives to create a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can succeed. Outside of her work at Northland and in line with her personal mission of advocating for women and people of color, Abair serves as the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream Women’s NBA team, where she targets similar goals as she does at Northland, such as supporting team member advocacy efforts and working toward systemic change while also focusing on the goal of winning on and off the court. Abair also serves on the board of directors of YW Boston and engages with several local organizations focused on homelessness, social justice and women’s initiatives.
Kimarie Ankenbrand
Kimarie Ankenbrand, managing director at JLL and head of the company’s Raleigh-Durham office, has made it her mission to lead by example and advocate for positive change in JLL’s recruitment process, maternity leave program and professional development offerings. Her goal is to create an inclusive and more productive work environment in the Carolinas region. Certain best practices that Ankenbrand has implemented in her area have been exported to other markets across JLL’s Americas network. When Ankenbrand noticed potential improvements to JLL’s recruitment process, she took it upon herself to create a more inclusive program. As one of her focuses, Ankenbrand has implemented a more comprehensive maternity leave framework that better supports female brokers as they re-enter the workforce. As a working mom herself, Ankenbrand advocated for change with senior leadership, including JLL’s CEO. Thanks to Ankenbrand’s work, female employees who apply for maternity leave are now paired with another woman who has taken maternity leave to serve as a mentor throughout their leave and after their return. More than 14 women have participated in the program and five women serve as mentors. Ankenbrand also assisted in launching a peer networking group for young female associate brokers at JLL, which facilitate conversations about the unique challenges that women face in the commercial real estate industry.
Nadine Augusta
Nadine Augusta brings more than 13 years of diverse leadership experience to her new role as Cushman & Wakefield’s first chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer. Augusta offers critical expertise and perspectives to the industry through a proven track record of driving diversity programs in large organizations, such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Augusta’s goal is to drive transformation and sustainable change in CRE and to build an infrastructure that advances DEI in the workplace through a unified culture where employees feel safe, valued and supported. She also aims to advance DEI in the workforce through equitable access, opportunity and advancement for historically underrepresented groups, as well as in the marketplace to deliver better results and greater inclusion of diverse businesses. In the short time that Augusta has held the firm’s DEI position, she has spoken candidly about the challenges and opportunities in the industry and has prioritized communicating with clients to understand their needs and share the firm’s commitment to DEI. Internally, she has participated in town halls and spearheaded a global survey of Cushman & Wakefield employees to learn their views on DEI. Outwardly, Augusta speaks at events to share her perspectives on diversity in CRE and she has written articles focused on diversity in recruitment and supply chains.
Susan Bands
Susan Bands is spearheading the expansion of Marcus & Millichap’s diversity and inclusion program. She recently launched an internal women’s network called MMWomen, along with a quarterly newsletter, a mentorship program, monthly networking events, quarterly webcasts and community outreach initiatives. Bands is a frequent panelist at the Real Estate Women’s Forum and an active member of CREW NY. As regional manager of the Manhattan, Westchester and New Haven offices at Marcus & Millichap, Bands oversees more than 250 commercial real estate investment professionals and an inventory of $2.5 billion in exclusive listings. At the onset of the pandemic last year, Bands quickly shifted her colleagues to remote work, allowing employees to continue work without missing a beat. She credits the firm’s flexibility and adaptability for its increase in activity among prospective employees.
Laura Bush
For more than two decades, Laura Bush has worked tirelessly for the inclusion of women and minorities throughout the construction industry. Bush has worked her way up at Lendlease from a technical role to a leader of not only her own teams but across the industry. In her current role as director of operations and assurance for construction at Lendlease Americas, Bush connects with people around the world, allowing her to move the needle for women and minorities. As someone who lacked a female role model when she first started in the industry, Bush prioritizes teaching and mentoring the next generation of construction industry employees. She works to foster open communication and aims to be approachable to peers and mentees. Bush is involved with the Women of Lendlease group, which meets monthly to focus on career growth and mentoring. She is also part of Lendlease’s construction executive committee, as one of only two women who are members, and she recently joined the board of the Women Builders Council in New York City. She volunteers with Nontraditional Employment for Women, a nonprofit that prepares women from the city’s underserved minority and low-income communities for skilled construction, utility and maintenance jobs. Bush also participates in the NEW Signature Projects program, which reaches out to developers, contractors and subcontractors to secure their pledges to employ a target percentage of women on their projects.
Debra A. Cafaro
Ventas Inc. chair and CEO, Debra Cafaro also serves as the first female chairman of the Real Estate Roundtable and has led an equity, diversity and inclusion effort with the organization’s board that aims to create more economic opportunities for Black, Latino and historically underrepresented groups so they can prosper in the commercial real estate industry. As conversations around racial inequities increasingly surfaced across the country during the past year, Cafaro challenged Ventas and the industry to raise the bar on diversity efforts. She believes these efforts must be multidimensional, such as through hiring, training, contributions to causes that further racial equality, board composition and business partnerships with minority-owned firms. Cafaro’s immediate response to the high-profile death of George Floyd was to pen an open letter to employees denouncing racism and reaffirming the company’s commitment to social equity and racial justice. She then launched a Ventas employee engagement effort to enhance education, philanthropy and cultural efforts and invited teams to collaborate virtually to research a nonprofit organization focused on social justice. Each team created a presentation and all employees voted for a favorite organization to receive a donation from the Ventas Charitable Foundation. The top three causes received donations totaling $50,000.
Barbara E. Champoux
Barbara Champoux, principal and owner of Champoux Law Group PLLC, has consistently dedicated her career to the advancement of all women in commercial real estate; believing that the success of each woman benefits every industry female. Champoux led the development of DIG This, a CREW careers program that set out to educate women about opportunities available in CRE, encourage women to enter and advance in professional CRE fields, provide speaking and community outreach opportunities for CREW NY members, and enhance greater diversity and inclusion within the CRE community. Despite several delays related to the pandemic, the program took place in the fall of 2020. She also provided many opportunities for CREW NY members to gather in small, informal groups during the first few months of the pandemic by facilitating discussions around the challenges that members were facing. The pandemic caused retention and engagement challenges at CREW NY and Champoux worked to reverse those trends by launching a new committee to improve engagement and increase member inclusion and diversity. She was also involved with launching a DEI task force with members of the New York Women Executives in Real Estate to understand where diversity and inclusion are lacking and to increase diversity within the group. Colleagues say that Champoux is someone who makes time for questions, assistance and mentorship, both formally and informally.
Rachele Downs
Rachele Downs recognizes the impact that long-standing discriminatory practices and unconscious bias have had on commercial real estate. Downs is the founder of Downs Diversity Initiatives LLC, a community and economic development consultancy that specializes in strategy, program design and project management focused on diversity and inclusion in real estate, entrepreneurship and workforce development. During the pandemic, Downs has worked with women, particularly women of color, to provide the financial support that they need to begin a career in commercial real estate brokerage. In addition, Downs serves as a special advisor and consultant to Build Institute, which provides entrepreneurial education, technical assistance and support to underserved individuals and communities in an effort to grow businesses. Previously, Downs led inGAGE, which focused on attracting high-growth women entrepreneurs to Michigan. During her tenure, 75 women incorporated 38 new companies and created 234 new jobs. As a founding member of the CREW Detroit diversity, equity and inclusion committee, Downs has taken a leading role in designing and launching the chapter’s work. She has donated many hours of professional services to Alternatives For Girls and First Step Project Against Domestic Violence and she was recognized as CREW Detroit’s Woman of Impact in 2018.
WOMEN OF INFLUENCE 2021
DIVERSITY CHAMPION: FEMALES
Last year, in an effort to elevate female BIPOC members of the real estate industry, Jill Marie Ferrari, co-founder and managing partner of Renovare Development, swapped social media accounts with a Black female leader as part of a #Sharethemicnow campaign to encourage cross-racial dialog on diversity, equity and inclusion. It was one of many efforts Ferrari undertook last year to support and elevate women and BIPOC members in the commercial real estate industry. Ferrari also launched a monthly breakfast series that provided an opportunity for women to engage with female industry leaders. She co-designed a program called WEdevelop that supports equity participation for emerging female developers, particularly BIPOC women, in projects that impact low-income communities. Ferrari also launched Tamarillo Table on Clubhouse, a space for emerging female developers to network, learn and share with each other about capital raising, technical issues and gaps in the industry. Ferrari launched the diversity, equity and inclusion initiative for the ULI Michigan District council, which was designed to inspire local leaders to adopt principles and practices that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Renovare Development is a woman-owned, social impact real estate development company focused on transformational projects in Michigan that serve a deep community need. As managing partner at Renovare Development, Ferrari works in urban areas and rural main streets, with a priority focus in opportunity zones with projects ranging from affordable multifamily housing to community-centric commercial spaces.
Theresa Fesinstine
Among Theresa Fesinstine’s responsibilities as director of people and culture at Sage Realty is to create a supportive and productive culture at the company. She spearheaded a working group to lead the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion and anti-racism initiatives last year when social injustices took center stage across the country. Fesinstine has organized two virtual workshops on race and equity, leveraging technology to facilitate conversations among employees. She also responded with transparency by opening up the company’s demographic information and sharing responses the company received to its most recent sentiment survey on how individuals feel about the level of diversity and inclusivity at Sage Realty. Feedback became insights, which made it possible to identify areas of improvement. Throughout her tenure at Sage Realty, Fesinstine has also supported the expansion of hiring to increase the number of females at all levels of the organization, and she champions their ascent into advanced roles. As the first female executive in Sage Realty’s 90-year history, Fesinstine serves as a trailblazer for other women at the company and in the industry. Fesinstine has additionally been selected as a 2021 Women of Influence mentor for her extensive efforts in assisting young professionals with career advancement.
Jill Marie Ferrari
Suzanne Abair
Kimarie Ankenbrand
Nadine Augusta
Rachele Downs
Jill Ferrari
Theresa Fesinstine
Suzanne Abair
Laura Bush
Debra Cafaro
Barbara Champoux
Kimarie Ankenbrand
Nadine Augusta
Susan Bands
Laura Bush
Debra Cafaro
Jill Ferrari
Theresa Fesinstine
Barbara Champoux
Rachele Downs
Toni Harris
Deryl McKissack
Rebecca Rosario
Jill Sharif
Audrey Sokoloff
Peggy VanEepoel
Genevieve West
Deborrah Willard
Design by Roberto Jimenez/ALM
Toni Harris
Toni Harris’ public service spans years and causes, from education and food insecurity to helping those with disabilities and creating a path to leadership for women and people of color. Her mission is to help change lives in the same way her life was changed. When she was 17 years old, Harris joined the Army and remained part-time in the military for nearly two decades. It was during her service that she learned to value diversity and was guided to a career in commercial real estate when she began working as an affordable housing leasing specialist. Harris now serves as SVP of property management at Avanath Realty and has advanced the real estate management profession’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through both her work at the IREM and at her company by leading DEI initiatives. Harris provided easier access to C-suite executives for on-site team members at Avanath-managed properties and fostered education to help leaders engage in conversations about diversity and inclusion. She was awarded the 2020 visionary award by the Property Management Association for her work in guiding the company’s diversity efforts. Outside of the office, Harris is a member of Autism Speaks and works with local universities to help guide college and high school seniors in their educational plans.
Deryl McKissack
Deryl McKissack traces her roots in the design and construction industry back five generations to her great-great-grandfather who was a master builder and a former slave. In 1990, with a business plan, a budget of $1,000 and one employee – herself – McKissack founded McKissack & McKissack, which has grown to become one of the nation’s largest architecture, engineering and construction management firms founded and led by a Black woman. The firm, of which McKissack is chairman and CEO, manages more than $15 billion in projects nationwide and employs more than 150 professionals. Last year when attention in the nation turned to racism and discrimination – issues that struck home for McKissack as a Black woman – she developed a seven-point plan to combat racism and discrimination in the architecture, engineering and construction industry and she shared insights on racist incidents on construction job sites. McKissack has always been interested in working to advance women in construction and design, beginning with efforts at her own firm. Many of her management employees are women and the majority of her advisory board is female. She devotes herself to mentoring women both internally and outside her company. Among the company’s landmark projects are the Museum of African American History and Culture, the Obama Presidential Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC. McKissack & McKissack was the first African American and woman-owned business to win two prime contracts with the city of Fort Worth.
Rebecca R. Rosario
Rebecca Rosario, owner of Full House Marketing, has been a mentor to both women and men from diverse backgrounds who seek careers in commercial real estate. The pandemic magnified Rosario’s long-standing investment in diversity initiatives at Full House Marketing, including transparent hiring practices, equal opportunities for advancement, mentorship, gender equality and a workplace where open discussion is welcomed and encouraged. Rosario also founded a new company, the Diversity Connection, through which she provides diversity and inclusion training designed to eliminate misunderstandings, relieve stress, increase confidence and foster positive relationships among employees, suppliers and other colleagues in the industry. She is focused on creating a safe space for her diverse team of employees to thrive and feel comfortable and is heavily involved in charitable initiatives such as Habitat for Humanity, food and supply drives and lobbying for or against issues that directly impact the real estate industry. Rosario is described as kind and empathetic with compassion for people and a desire to find ways to give back to humanity.
Jill Sharif
As the 2020 president of CREW Boston, Jill Sharif spearheaded an effort to address diversity and inclusion challenges in the commercial real estate industry. Sharif, VP of national business development at First American Title – National Commercial Services, helped create a diversity, equity & inclusion roadmap for the chapter that evolved into the CREW Boston DE&I Committee, which promotes the idea that underrepresented groups must be included in the advancement and parity of women in CRE in order to overcome institutional biases and racism. Sharif noted that the pandemic has been particularly unkind to women by erasing some of the gains that they had been making in several industries, including CRE, and she saw there were opportunities to make progress even during challenging times. Sharif plans to continue doing her part, using her network and platforms in order to keep women moving forward in the industry. Sharif has been a part of the DEI Collaborative, a group of trade organizations in Boston that are committed to diversity and inclusion at the leadership and board levels as well as in all of its activities, programs, forums and conferences. Sharif has also been a member of the Heading Home housewarming committee and she is part of Team Wonder Women, a group of real estate professionals who have banded together to raise funds for Heading Home to help women struggling with homelessness.
Audrey L. Sokoloff
While she holds one of the top leadership positions at Skadden, Audrey Sokoloff is known as a trailblazer for gender diversity and empowerment within both real estate law and across the CRE industry. Sokoloff, partner and global leader of transaction practices at Skadden, is a key member of the company's diversity, equity & inclusion committee. She works closely with the executive team, local office committees and administrative professionals to generate and sustain recruitment, development and retention strategies intended to increase diversity and equity at all levels of the firm, as well as to foster an inclusive workplace culture. Sokoloff also sponsors Skadden's LGBT affinity group and led the launch of the firm’s straight-LGBT alliance. She promotes the firm's programs for women attorneys, including the global women's initiative committee, the women's leadership forum, and work-life policies and resources, particularly related to measures to help team members through COVID-19 stressors. Sokoloff supports numerous charitable organizations, including Treatment Action Group and the Task Force in the area of LGBTQ rights, and others focused on sustainable agriculture and the arts.
Peggy Van Eepoel
Peggy Van Eepoel found herself facing challenging situations last year surrounding the pandemic, social change and racial equality. During remote work necessitated by COVID-19, Van Eepoel, senior principal at Thornton Tomasetti, developed strategies to remain connected with employees and for employees to remain connected to each other, including writing a weekly email to team members, all while keeping the operations of the company running smoothly. Last year, Van Eepoel was also integral to facilitating discussions regarding social change and racial equality. In February 2020, Van Eepoel became involved in Thornton Tomasetti’s employee network groups, which reimagine how the company’s inclusion and diversity committee efforts will be structured and implemented. As one of two executive advocates for the employee network groups, Van Eepoel connects and empowers these network groups by meeting with them monthly to understand their goals, status and the support they might need. She advises on everything from scheduling, staffing and outreach to professional development on equity, diversity and inclusion. Van Eepoel was selected to lead the people pillar of the firm’s Action Leadership Challenge. In this role, she impacts the direction of the company by grooming future leaders and is responsible for developing strategies that will allow the company to invest in the continuous learning and leadership development of its employees, and increase inclusion and diversity among its staff, leaders, owners and board of directors.
Genevieve West
Genevieve West became the first female VP of Howard Building Corp. last year, and since stepping into the role, she has transformed the business development and marketing departments all while funneling her energy into HBC’s inclusion efforts with resounding results. In addition to helping refine the company’s hiring and retention practices to be more inclusive, she also has worked to partner with leading women-based industry organizations, including Women in Construction Operations and the National Association of Women in Construction. During the pandemic, West formalized these efforts with the creation of HBC’s diversity & inclusion program, a detailed outline of how the company currently supports underrepresented populations and a roadmap with tangible steps to improve. As a result, HBC has committed to hiring and retaining a more diverse workforce, building alliances with forward-thinking companies and integrating diversity and inclusion into long-term company initiatives. As an advocate for women in the construction industry, West has participated in several events that support leadership and empowerment. Recently, she led a panel discussion at NAWIC’s Women in Construction Week event to discuss the power of connecting, networking and making allies in the industry.
Deborrah A. Willard
Deborrah Willard co-founded the Foundation for Affordable Housing Inc. in 1988 with the mission of providing safe, comfortable, high-quality homes that uplift residents and enhance neighborhoods. Willard has spent the past 30 years serving low-income families across the country and has made it a goal within the company to promote women and provide equal pay. Notably, the company named its first female COO this year. During the pandemic, Willard anticipated the needs of the company and its employees and acted on them quickly and efficiently while remaining calm and communicating to everyone from the top down. She ensured all employees impacted by the pandemic received help, including providing company-sponsored in-home tutors, financial help with supplies, COVID-19 testing and personal protection equipment. As a mother and grandmother, Willard understands all too well the burdens that working families, especially working moms, have on their shoulders and she goes to any lengths to ensure these needs are met. Willard is also president and co-founder of Foundation for Affordable Family V Inc., the company’s family of nonprofits, and she is a member of the California Council for Affordable Housing, the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association and ULI.
Toni Harris
Deryl McKissack
Rebecca Rosario
Jill Sharif
Audrey Sokoloff
Peggy Van Eepoel
Genevieve West
Deborrah Willard
Design by Roberto Jimenez/ALM
Susan Bands
Toni Harris
Toni Harris’ public service spans years and causes, from education and food insecurity to helping those with disabilities and creating a path to leadership for women and people of color. Her mission is to help change lives in the same way her life was changed. When she was 17 years old, Harris joined the Army and remained part-time in the military for nearly two decades. It was during her service that she learned to value diversity and was guided to a career in commercial real estate when she began working as an affordable housing leasing specialist. Harris now serves as SVP of property management at Avanath Realty and has advanced the real estate management profession’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through both her work at the IREM and at her company by leading DEI initiatives. Harris provided easier access to C-suite executives for on-site team members at Avanath-managed properties and fostered education to help leaders engage in conversations about diversity and inclusion. She was awarded the 2020 visionary award by the Property Management Association for her work in guiding the company’s diversity efforts. Outside of the office, Harris is a member of Autism Speaks and works with local universities to help guide college and high school seniors in their educational plans.
Deryl McKissack
Deryl McKissack traces her roots in the design and construction industry back five generations to her great-great-grandfather who was a master builder and a former slave. In 1990, with a business plan, a budget of $1,000 and one employee – herself – McKissack founded McKissack & McKissack, which has grown to become one of the nation’s largest architecture, engineering and construction management firms founded and led by a Black woman. The firm, of which McKissack is chairman and CEO, manages more than $15 billion in projects nationwide and employs more than 150 professionals. Last year when attention in the nation turned to racism and discrimination – issues that struck home for McKissack as a Black woman – she developed a seven-point plan to combat racism and discrimination in the architecture, engineering and construction industry and she shared insights on racist incidents on construction job sites. McKissack has always been interested in working to advance women in construction and design, beginning with efforts at her own firm. Many of her management employees are women and the majority of her advisory board is female. She devotes herself to mentoring women both internally and outside her company. Among the company’s landmark projects are the Museum of African American History and Culture, the Obama Presidential Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC. McKissack & McKissack was the first African American and woman-owned business to win two prime contracts with the city of Fort Worth.
Rebecca R. Rosario
Rebecca Rosario, owner of Full House Marketing, has been a mentor to both women and men from diverse backgrounds who seek careers in commercial real estate. The pandemic magnified Rosario’s long-standing investment in diversity initiatives at Full House Marketing, including transparent hiring practices, equal opportunities for advancement, mentorship, gender equality and a workplace where open discussion is welcomed and encouraged. Rosario also founded a new company, the Diversity Connection, through which she provides diversity and inclusion training designed to eliminate misunderstandings, relieve stress, increase confidence and foster positive relationships among employees, suppliers and other colleagues in the industry. She is focused on creating a safe space for her diverse team of employees to thrive and feel comfortable and is heavily involved in charitable initiatives such as Habitat for Humanity, food and supply drives and lobbying for or against issues that directly impact the real estate industry. Rosario is described as kind and empathetic with compassion for people and a desire to find ways to give back to humanity.
Jill Sharif
As the 2020 president of CREW Boston, Jill Sharif spearheaded an effort to address diversity and inclusion challenges in the commercial real estate industry. Sharif, VP of national business development at First American Title – National Commercial Services, helped create a diversity, equity & inclusion roadmap for the chapter that evolved into the CREW Boston DE&I Committee, which promotes the idea that underrepresented groups must be included in the advancement and parity of women in CRE in order to overcome institutional biases and racism. Sharif noted that the pandemic has been particularly unkind to women by erasing some of the gains that they had been making in several industries, including CRE, and she saw there were opportunities to make progress even during challenging times. Sharif plans to continue doing her part, using her network and platforms in order to keep women moving forward in the industry. Sharif has been a part of the DEI Collaborative, a group of trade organizations in Boston that are committed to diversity and inclusion at the leadership and board levels as well as in all of its activities, programs, forums and conferences. Sharif has also been a member of the Heading Home housewarming committee and she is part of Team Wonder Women, a group of real estate professionals who have banded together to raise funds for Heading Home to help women struggling with homelessness.
Audrey L. Sokoloff
While she holds one of the top leadership positions at Skadden, Audrey Sokoloff is known as a trailblazer for gender diversity and empowerment within both real estate law and across the CRE industry. Sokoloff, partner and global leader of transaction practices at Skadden, is a key member of the company's diversity, equity & inclusion committee. She works closely with the executive team, local office committees and administrative professionals to generate and sustain recruitment, development and retention strategies intended to increase diversity and equity at all levels of the firm, as well as to foster an inclusive workplace culture. Sokoloff also sponsors Skadden's LGBT affinity group and led the launch of the firm’s straight-LGBT alliance. She promotes the firm's programs for women attorneys, including the global women's initiative committee, the women's leadership forum, and work-life policies and resources, particularly related to measures to help team members through COVID-19 stressors. Sokoloff supports numerous charitable organizations, including Treatment Action Group and the Task Force in the area of LGBTQ rights, and others focused on sustainable agriculture and the arts.
Peggy Van Eepoel
Peggy Van Eepoel found herself facing challenging situations last year surrounding the pandemic, social change and racial equality. During remote work necessitated by COVID-19, Van Eepoel, senior principal at Thornton Tomasetti, developed strategies to remain connected with employees and for employees to remain connected to each other, including writing a weekly email to team members, all while keeping the operations of the company running smoothly. Last year, Van Eepoel was also integral to facilitating discussions regarding social change and racial equality. In February 2020, Van Eepoel became involved in Thornton Tomasetti’s employee network groups, which reimagine how the company’s inclusion and diversity committee efforts will be structured and implemented. As one of two executive advocates for the employee network groups, Van Eepoel connects and empowers these network groups by meeting with them monthly to understand their goals, status and the support they might need. She advises on everything from scheduling, staffing and outreach to professional development on equity, diversity and inclusion. Van Eepoel was selected to lead the people pillar of the firm’s Action Leadership Challenge. In this role, she impacts the direction of the company by grooming future leaders and is responsible for developing strategies that will allow the company to invest in the continuous learning and leadership development of its employees, and increase inclusion and diversity among its staff, leaders, owners and board of directors.
Genevieve West
Genevieve West became the first female VP of Howard Building Corp. last year, and since stepping into the role, she has transformed the business development and marketing departments all while funneling her energy into HBC’s inclusion efforts with resounding results. In addition to helping refine the company’s hiring and retention practices to be more inclusive, she also has worked to partner with leading women-based industry organizations, including Women in Construction Operations and the National Association of Women in Construction. During the pandemic, West formalized these efforts with the creation of HBC’s diversity & inclusion program, a detailed outline of how the company currently supports underrepresented populations and a roadmap with tangible steps to improve. As a result, HBC has committed to hiring and retaining a more diverse workforce, building alliances with forward-thinking companies and integrating diversity and inclusion into long-term company initiatives. As an advocate for women in the construction industry, West has participated in several events that support leadership and empowerment. Recently, she led a panel discussion at NAWIC’s Women in Construction Week event to discuss the power of connecting, networking and making allies in the industry.
Genevieve West
Genevieve West became the first female VP of Howard Building Corp. last year, and since stepping into the role, she has transformed the business development and marketing departments all while funneling her energy into HBC’s inclusion efforts with resounding results. In addition to helping refine the company’s hiring and retention practices to be more inclusive, she also has worked to partner with leading women-based industry organizations, including Women in Construction Operations and the National Association of Women in Construction. During the pandemic, West formalized these efforts with the creation of HBC’s diversity & inclusion program, a detailed outline of how the company currently supports underrepresented populations and a roadmap with tangible steps to improve. As a result, HBC has committed to hiring and retaining a more diverse workforce, building alliances with forward-thinking companies and integrating diversity and inclusion into long-term company initiatives. As an advocate for women in the construction industry, West has participated in several events that support leadership and empowerment. Recently, she led a panel discussion at NAWIC’s Women in Construction Week event to discuss the power of connecting, networking and making allies in the industry.