Fourth Quarter 2017
CREW News!
Welcome to our new CREW NEWS! We hope you like the new format and encourage you to send feedback and suggestions for the future to crewrichmond@crewrichmond.org . Thank you and enjoy!
Thanks for the Memories
by Rowena Fratarcangelo
I’ll admit it. I’ve been putting off writing this article. It wasn’t because I was procrastinating, really! This is meant to be a year-end wrap-up message and a “fond farewell” as your 2017 president. Typing up highlights of the past year isn’t difficult. This year’s CREW Board has been fantastic, our members have been active and engaged, and the number and caliber of new members we’ve been happy to welcome this year has been impressive. I’m just not ready to admit that my year as president is almost over!

What a year it’s been! We’ve had eight informative lunch meetings, giving CREW members and guests the opportunity to learn more about each other (Speed Networking) and the region’s assets (VCU ICA, The Pulse BRT, and the new Main Street Station Train Shed) as well as hear from local (Jane Ferrara, Dr. Mary Hermann, our Art of the Ask panel) and international (Spencer Levy) experts. 

We met all three Chapter Challenges again this year! We were proud to be recognized at CREW Network Convention in Houston as one of only 27 chapters who had completed all three categories.
This year’s Leadership Symposium featured an energizing and inspiring keynote address from national speaker AmyK, thought-provoking break-out sessions, candid dialogues with a panel of local executive women, and a special guest all the way from CREW Toronto – Tara Piurko, CREW Network’s 2018 President!

We’ve also hosted fun social events, including a fabulous Summer Social ($5,000 raised for Dress for Success!), a Dine-Around at the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, two Membership Socials, a Sponsorship Appreciation night, and a Holiday Party. 

Each of these events represents an opportunity to be active in CREW – to meet, interact with, and learn from fellow CREW members. And that’s a great start! But I hope that some of you decide to take the next step by joining or becoming more involved on a committee. I hope that you take another step and decide to serve as Chair. Once you have served as Chair of a committee and are eligible to join the Board, I hope you take that step too. 

I’ll be forever grateful that I was encouraged to take these steps. I still marvel that I was given the privilege of leading such an impressive group of commercial real estate professionals! If I can do it, so can you!
2018 CREW Richmond Board Members
President- Ginny Johnston
Ginny Johnston, CID – Workplace Strategy + Design, at Capital One is part of a dynamic team focused on Workplace Experience as part of Workplace Solutions. As a Workplace Strategist, she utilizes current research and knowledge of industry best practices to develop compelling solutions in support of corporate guidelines, company culture and ever-changing business objectives while continuously challenging the effectiveness of design. Prior to her work at Capital One, Ginny was Director of Interior Design at Commonwealth Architects and led an award-winning team of designers, creating best-in-class office environments. Her years of experience in design, planning and project management bring a balanced and diversified approach to developing new strategies. She is focused on bringing added value to the connection between people and their work environment that elevates the associate experience, enhances productivity and enables associates to do the best work of their lives.
President-Elect- Brenda Karp
Brenda Elliott Karp is the Vice President of Breeden Realty, the commercial leasing and sales division of The Breeden Company, a commercial, multi-family, residential, and resort developer based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Brenda is responsible for securing National, Regional, and Local tenants for Breeden's Richmond, Yorktown, Newport News, Carrollton and Portsmouth, Virginia shopping centers as well as the sale and development of land. Brenda has more than 20 years of corporate real estate experience including tenant and landlord representation, site and market analysis, sales forecasting, and acquisition due diligence. She has represented National, Regional and Local developers and shopping center owners throughout the state of Virginia. Her career has included positions with Divaris Real Estate, The Shopping Center Group, Richfood and Heilig-Meyers Furniture. Brenda has completed more than 700 leasing and sales transactions, representing in excess of 2.5 million square feet.
Immediate Past President – Rowena Fratarcangelo 
Rowena Fratarcangelo works for the Greater Richmond Partnership, the regional economic development group that represents the City of Richmond and Hanover, Henrico, and Chesterfield counties. As Vice President, Business Development, she is part of the business attraction and marketing team. She works with all types of domestic and international companies that are looking to relocate or expand in Greater Richmond. Rowena assists with their site selection process, helping them find appropriate real estate, educating them on the benefits of locating in the region, and facilitating connections with local service providers, area universities, and existing businesses.

Rowena and her husband, Dante, live in the City of Richmond with Tigger and Rudy, their two rescue dogs. Rowena enjoys participating in a book group, playing on a women’s volleyball team at the Richmond Volleyball Club, and taking classes related
to urban agriculture.
Treasurer – Elizabeth Lewis 
Elizabeth is a CPA and Manager in the Business Assurance department at Keiter CPAs. Elizabeth entered public accounting at Keiter in 2011 after teaching high school math for two years. As a former teacher, she enjoys research and explaining concepts in new ways to assist her clients. She also devotes much of her time to developing her teammates internally at Keiter. 

Elizabeth’s audit client base consists primarily of not-for-profit organizations (including foundations) and real estate investment funds, but she has experience with a wide variety of industries including health care, contractors, and employee benefit plans.

Outside of the office, Elizabeth enjoys visiting Virginia wineries and spending time with her two young children. Elizabeth participates in Impact 100, a Richmond giving group, and enjoys volunteering with Junior Achievement to promote financial literacy. Elizabeth received her degrees in Mathematics (B.A.) and Accounting (M.A.) from the University of Virginia.
Sponsorship - Meg O’Brien  
Meg O’Brien is a civil engineer, land development professional and has used her 17+ years of experience to work on high-profile, fast-paced work in/around the Commonwealth. She loves a project that enhances the community and screams quality. Meg jumps out of bed with a huge smile each morning because she has the chance to make a difference in the world. Each day is new! She loves to partner with her clients by incorporating strategy, creativity and good, solid engineering principles. Industrial, corporate, office, commercial, higher-ed; Meg has worked on them all and has discovered the unique nuances of each project type. Bring her a challenge with many moving parts, big company politics, and impossible timelines and she will show you a woman rolling up her sleeves to make it a reality!
Network Liaison - Chris Hairston-White 
As VP of External Affairs, Chris Hairston-White is responsible for the Better Housing Coalition’s fundraising, communications and public policy advocacy efforts. Before joining BHC in 2015, Chris held various leadership positions in business development, commercial and retail banking over a 12-year banking career at Wells Fargo Bank, Premier Bank/Consolidated Bank & Trust, and Bank of America.
Chris serves on the Board of Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW) Richmond and on the Bon Secours Richmond Health System Board. Her volunteer service also includes membership on the finance committee of Art180, where she previously served on the board as Treasurer; and on the 2017 Visual Arts Center’s Craft and Design Committee. Chris is 2018 Chair-Elect of SisterFund, a giving circle administered by The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia. SisterFund raises awareness about issues affecting African-American women and girls in the Richmond region, and invests in nonprofits that serve them via competitive grantmaking.

Among her recent accolades, Chris was recognized by YNPN RVA as a 2017 Great Nonprofit Boss; and by CREW Richmond as one of the Top 25 Women to Watch in Commercial Real Estate in 2015. Chris received her B.S. in Business from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a member of Leadership
Metro Richmond’s class of 2009.
Communications Director - Renee McDowell 
Renee McDowell is the Community Relations/Marketing Manager for Dominion Service Company. She handles marketing, business development, commercial/residential HVAC maintenance agreements, property management services and keeping the company involved within the communities they serve. Customers include small brick & mortars, shopping centers/malls, military sites, national/regional franchises, office buildings, industrial sites and more. Renee has worked with and alongside commercial real estate for over a decade. After graduating high school at age 16, she gained business experience from outside of college through the financial sector and now helps advocate for skilled trades. But, she also actively roots with her family for the University of Georgia…Go Dawgs! Renee is best known for her philanthropy, having been involved with many nonprofits and having raised millions of dollars for those in need over the years. She has carried this passion over to Dominion Service Company with the DSCR Community Acts of Kindness Program. Renee joined CREW in 2014 and prior to Communications was the Sponsorship Committee chair for two
years and Director of Sponsorship in 2017. She spends her free
time adventuring and having lots of fun with her 3 year old daughter.
Secretary - Jessie Ewald 
Jessie Ewald is a licensed professional engineer and serves as the Geotechnical Engineering and Construction Services Team Leader for Draper Aden Associates (DAA). DAA is a leading Mid-Atlantic consulting engineering firm that specializes in providing Engineering, Surveying, and Environmental Services for many sectors. In her role, Jessie provides oversight of construction materials testing and special inspection for new construction and renovation; and geotechnical services in the areas of due diligence, new construction, renovation, and forensic analyses. Her team also specializes in pavement conditions assessments and maintenance plans.

Jessie has been a member of CREW for 5 years, and served on the Community Service and Network Liaison Committees prior to joining the CREW Richmond Board in 2016. She lives in Chesterfield with her husband, Casey, and three children,
Cadence 7, Parker 5, and Landon 2. For fun she enjoys
spending time with her family and playing soccer.
Membership Director - Amelia Wehunt 
Amelia Wehunt is a licensed professional engineer and senior project manager at Timmons Group, a consulting firm specializing in multi-disciplined civil engineering services. She specializes in site design, redevelopment, and stormwater management. Much of her work, in addition to designing and preparing construction plans, involves stakeholder coordination and work sessions, representation at public meetings, and providing construction support services.  Amelia was honored in 2015 as one of CREW Richmond’s 25 Women to Watch, and also in 2017 as one of ENR MidAtlantic’s Top 20 under 40. Prior to working at Timmons Group, Amelia attended the University of Virginia where she majored in civil engineering and minored in engineering business. In her spare time, Amelia enjoys spending time with her husband Mark, son Philip, and daughter Libby.
Media Relations - Monica Marks 
Monica is a Vice President and SeniorBusiness Relationship Manager for Wells Fargo. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech and her banking experience includes consumer lending, capital finance, government contract receivables finance, staffing services, commercial factoring and commercial lending. Monica’s current focus areas are commercial real estate, equipment financing, SBA lending, and treasury management services including for medical/dental practices, manufacturers, distributers, electrical contractors, real estate investors, and other service based organizations.

Monica has a young son and 2 rescue pups and enjoys VT football, working out, and attending the many festivals Richmond has to offer.
CREW Richmond Members in the News
Susan Jones of Colliers International is listing the retail spaces for Dominion's new tower that is currently under construction downtown. Stay tuned for leasing announcements!

Meg O'Brien has started a new position as Site Development and Infrastructure Program Manager for Draper Aden Associates focused on industrial and corporate real estate opportunities as well as the education and energy markets. 

If you would like your accomplishments or those of another CREW member featured here, please let us know at  crewrichmond@crewnetwork.org. 
CREW Richmond Leadership Summit
by Linda Edling
This year’s Leadership Symposium was a success and went off without a hitch! Liz Steele outdid herself. After a delicious breakfast, things got started with Tara Piurko, the incoming CREW Network president, who provided a background on CREW Foundation and touted the importance of utilizing CREW to build your network.
AmyK was the keynote speaker and she was AMAZING! She did a great job of keeping the crowd’s interest with personal stories of her past and proved that it really doesn’t have to be lonely at the top. She shared ways of making the most of your network so that women in C-suites and decision making positions don’t feel isolated. She also provided tools to assist with team building and maximizing productivity within your company and even in your personal life. 
After AmyK gave her great empowering speech, participants had the opportunity to break out into smaller groups that focused on managing and organizing our lives for both professional and personal success. The sessions were as follows: “ Organizing Basics- A Holistic Approach” – presented by Kristen Ziegler, Owner, Minima; “Cultivating Resiliency in Life and Relationships” - presented by Wanda Ortwine, Chief Family Officer, The Luck Companies; and “ Leading From Where You Are” – presented by Kathy Greenier and Lesley Bruno, Consultants, Floricane LLC. This was also an excellent opportunity for participants to have more time to interact and bond in more intimate settings.

Lastly, there was a panel comprised of prominent local women in leadership positions: Greta Harris with the Better Housing Coalition, Toni R. Aradell with Bon Secours Virginia and Dr. Cynthia Newbille, Councilwoman with the City of Richmond. Participants learned about each panel speaker and heard tales of successes and failures from these amazing women. The panel was moderated by Tara Piruko and a great time was had by all.
2017 Holiday Party
CREW Richmond celebrated the holidays on December 5, 2017 with a party in a festive space provided by Highwoods. The Community Service Committee also coordinated a toy drive for Mason’s Toy Box, a group that supports families engaged in pediatric medical life-altering struggles by offering gifts to hospitalized children. CREW members filled a van by donating more than 50 toys for Mason’s Toy Box.  CREW members also raised money for CREW Foundation by purchasing photos with Santa, who joined the fun. 
New CREW Richmond Members

Sponsor Spotlight:
Established in 1882, Fulton Financial Corporation is an $18 billion in asset size organization and one of the top 50 bank holding companies in the United States. Based in Lancaster, PA, Fulton Financial has 249 branch locations in the five states in which it operates. The company prides itself on being large enough to offer world class services, yet has a community bank delivery model with personalized service. We have a very cohesive team approach with all lines of businesses working closely together to bring comprehensive solutions to our clients.

For more information, contact  Karen Fyre  at (804) 565-4422 or  kfrye@fultonbank.com .
Keep your calendars up to date with our upcoming events....

CREW Richmond January Lunch Meeting
Speed Networking
John Marshall Ballrooms
11:30am-1:00pm

CREW Richmond February Lunch Meeting

......visit our calendar of events for more dates and information!
CREW Richmond | crewrichmond@crewnetwork.org | crewrichmond.org
A direct and compelling headline