Years in real estate: 15

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of: President of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW CT), president-elect of Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS), past co-chair of P3 for International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and member of Connecticut Women’s Council

How do you play your strengths to your advantage in your career: By putting people first! I have always enjoyed getting to know people and a large network comes in handy in the CRE world in New England. People want to do business with those they like and trust and I have made relationship building a top priority throughout my career. It comes naturally to me and it has helped me make new connections and strengthen existing ones. Stay likeable and always read the news (at least the headlines) so you can be interesting and interested when you encounter people throughout your day. Take the first step - you never know who you may be in line with at Starbucks – strike up a conversation and see where it goes. 

What trends are you seeing so far this year: Cities and towns are realizing that becoming a desirable destination is critical – especially now that most of us can work from anywhere.
So municipalities are working on revamping their downtowns, creating co-working spaces and encouraging entrepreneurs (the fastest growing biz segment) by setting up incubators, assisting in setting up their business and hosting networking opportunities. Towns and cities are improving physical infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, broadband), engaging resident and businesses and bringing in private investment dollars to create some very cool places where their citizens want to be.