2021 Women in Commercial Real Estate: Jennifer Wood, MST, Manager, DGC (DiCicco, Gulman & Company LLP)

What led you to your current profession? One of my mentors from as far back as high school is Todd Ellis, a public accountant with over 20 years of experience and an eventual partner at DGC. He piqued my interest when he would talk about the accounting profession, and I realized it would be a career that I would enjoy. Public accounting is such a rewarding profession for me because it presents unique challenges every day.

What are some of the benefits of being a mentor or having a mentor? No one has a successful career on their own. Everyone needs people to help them along the way. I am fortunate to have many mentors and colleagues who have helped me throughout my career. They encourage me to learn from my experiences and enhance my professional development in a variety of ways. I have learned it is also important to play a supportive role for others who are looking for guidance as they progress through their careers, especially our younger staff members at DGC.

What time management strategies do you find to be the most effective for you? I have recently made the decision to move to a full work-from-home schedule. The flexibility it provides me both as a professional and a mother of two is invaluable. Also, I work best when my personal and professional to-do lists are written side-by-side in a notebook. It is also helpful to go back through my notebook daily to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.