Commercial real estate has long been considered one of the last industries where the glass ceiling hasn't been breached. But if the women on the next several pages are any indication, the "Old Boys' Club" may no longer be an apt description for the business. Women entered the sector in droves over the past few decades, and many have risen to the C-suite and are among the top decision-makers at their firms. As such, the editors of REAL ESTATE FORUM had a tough time selecting this year's Women of Influence. We weeded through some 200 worthy nominations to come up with 45 exectives whose accomplishments were particularly impressive. With an increasing number of women currently paying their dues and rising to management-level positions—not to mention mentoring a younger generation of female professionals—it seems like we'll have our work cut out for us in the years to come.

President and CEO Gables Residential Atlanta

Susan Ansel's impressive 30-year career reached an even higher point earlier this year when she was tapped to head Gables Residential. She's come a long way since starting her career as a financial analyst at the Daseke Co. After that job sent her from Connecticut to Texas, Ansel was eventually hired by Gables' predecessor firm, Trammell Crow Residential, to implement on-site computer operations. She rose to become COO of the multifamily REIT, a title she held for seven years until her recent promotion. In the past year alone, Ansel has helped the firm deliver same-store NOI of 7.9% in 2011, its highest results ever; grew its third-party management business, adding 18 communities with annual revenue of $1.6 million; and implemented several technological innovations, including a new award-winning website, a marketing-analytics program, a tablet program and an online leasing and application program. Ansel is obviously a strong believer in technology's ability to increase efficiency. She also believes opportunities for women will continue to grow in the industry. "A significant number of women have been paying their dues for the past 20 years and more talented women will push their way into C-level positions," she relates.

Managing Partner Rosenberg & Estis PC New York City

Luise Barrack's illustrious 32-year legal career kicked off at the Kings County District Attorney's office, where she honed her considerable litigation skills. Having met her career goals to date, Barrack has turned her attention to the challenge of continuing to grow Rosenberg & Estis, a boutique real estate law firm that boasts more than 50 attorneys. Barrack is also a member of the Leadership Council of the YMCA's Development Committee, which leads the organization's fundraising efforts. She is proud to witness women's prevalence on the legal side of the real estate industry, observing many times that "all of the professionals at the table are women—the principals, as well as the lawyers—and I've noticed in court that even the judge and the attorneys are women."

Co-CEO Denihan Hospitality Group New York City

National and independent. That's Brooke Denihan Barrett's goal for the lodging firm she oversees. With flags in New York City, Chicago, Miami and Washington, DC, this 36-year industry veteran plans to expand from 15 assets to as many as 30, branching out into Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, Miami and Boston by 2016. And she intends to do so without relying on buy-in by bigger brands. That's not to say she and co-CEO (and brother) Patrick are immune to a ripe JV; they've joined forces with such institutional investment partners as Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, LaSalle Hotel Properties, Brack Capital Real Estate and KSL Capital Partners. A founding member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's New York/New Jersey Chapter of Women in Lodging, Barrett is one of a handful of female executives who head up hotel companies. Not surprisingly, she's an outspoken advocate of women's advancement in the industry.

CEO Butler Burgher Group Dallas

As the 2012 president of CREW Network, Diane Butler leads what is arguably the nation's leading association dedicated to the promotion of women in the field of commercial real estate. At the same time, as CEO of her company, Butler has grown her valuation business and expanded its geographic footprint through an almost historically challenging economic climate. After working for a larger valuation company, she and a partner started Butler Burgher Group in Dallas. What began as a small boutique practice grew along with its clients, eventually attracting the attention of public companies, and BBG was sold in 2007 to LandAmerica Financial Group. Following LandAmerica's 2009 bankruptcy filing, Diane bought her company back and has been growing it ever since. In the past year alone, BBG has opened three new offices—for a total of 11 nationwide— and established a new hospitality practice.

CEO and Chair Foram Group Inc. Miami

Loretta Cockrum is a trailblazer. She founded Foram in 1978 and expanded its reach from agricultural holdings to building management and development. Her efforts have culminated in the recently completed, 60,000-square-foot sustainable office building at 600 Brickell Ave. in Miami. She has been recognized at home and abroad: Florida Governor Rick Scott invited Cockrum to travel to Brazil and promote trade with the State of Florida, and she received the 2012 Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's Technology Leader Award for Best Project. She's an annual sponsor for the Keymorada Tournament for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, among other organizations. Cockrum is optimistic about women's future in real estate. "There's potential for women to become more involved in the field, to add new perspectives, which would, in turn, spur novel and creative ideas and solutions."

Chairman, Retail Leasing, Marketing and Sales Prudential Douglas Elliman New York City

The words "retail" and "Manhattan" are often synonymous with one of New York's most prominent leading ladies: Faith Hope Consolo. With more than 25 years in the business, Consolo shows no signs of slowing down. During this year alone, she's brought international retailers like Muska Milano, Perrin Paris, Piero Guidi, Cotelac and Yigal Azrouel's Cut 25 to the city's most expensive and highly sought-after high-street retail corridors. As for the general market, Consolo says today's consumer is seeking either true luxury and its resulting quality, or discounted fashion. "Among the affluent, it isn't surprising to see a consumer visit stores from Armani to Zara in the same day," she says. "Those of lesser means, of course, don't have that option, and remain loyal to the discounters. Even the stillchastened middle class has discovered frugality and now considers shopping as entertainment, but purchasing an investment."

Senior Vice President, Origination Beech Street Capital LLC Newport Beach, CA

Before joining Beech Street Capital last July, Kristen Croxton spent the first 14 years of her career at Deutsche Bank Berkshire Mortgage. There, she rose through the ranks to become VP of origination in 2005 and placed more than $1.8 billion of debt on multifamily and commercial assets nationwide, mainly through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA programs. She was tapped by Beech Street to open a West Coast office and to help accelerate its national production. In the five months of 2011 that the Newport Beach office was up and running, Croxton and her business partner originated 11 loans totaling more than $134 million. Thus far in 2012, Croxton has closed or rate-locked more than $136 million in transactions. The quick success of the Newport Beach office garnered Beech Street its Freddie Mac Seller/Servicer license in California in early 2012.

President Transwestern Investment Management Dallas

Laurie Dotter has been at the helm for only 18 months, but she's already racked up several accomplishments. The firm and partner Finesa Real Estate Group completed the $70-million first closing of Diversified International Partners Fund, a planned $200-million vehicle comprised solely of Colombian capital. She also oversees a $1-billion equity-allocation program for one of the largest insurance companies in the US. Dotter is no stranger to the capital markets—she served as director of real estate investments for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas for five years before leaving the public sector, joining the private equity real estate investment team in Hunt Consolidated. She believes "women are making significant contributions to the industry by earning high-level roles and bringing expanded vision" to a range of real estate investment and service lines. "Women often provide a balanced approach to problem solving by looking at situations from different angles."

Senior Managing Director and Principal Cassidy Turley Boston

A veteran in the business, Barbara Elia created one of the industry's most robust client service platforms: a 10-person team that manages her company's local lease administration, lease audit, portfolio management, research and marketing functions. In addition, she serves on the Executive, Space Planning and Compensation committees. Her team recently identified and helped monetize a purchase option where the client obtained a $5-million payment to relinquish the unneeded option. Elia enjoys sharing her expertise, tutoring at Dearborn Middle School, and she strives to be a mentor to the firm's younger members to foster a sense of teamwork and collaboration. Elia feels the industry has become "more collaborative and flexible" over the past 25 years, and women's increased participation "has improved the workplace for everyone."

Executive Vice President, Office Leasing Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT Boca Raton, FL

Ingrid Fulmer began as a secretary in the leasing division of Arvida Corp. at age 20; four years later she was running the division. Over a 30-year career in commercial office leasing, tenant representation and investment sales, she has represented both landlords and tenants in over 17 million square feet of property negotiations. At Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT, which she joined in 1999, Fulmer exclusively represents 13 commercial office buildings in the Boca Raton/ Delray Beach, FL marketplace on the landlord representation side. The South Florida office market remains challenging, Fulmer believes, as evinced by the majority of recent transactions, "comprised of renewals or lateral moves. Some landlords have had to reposition their assets at a lower cost basis, renew leases early and reduce lease rates" to keep existing tenants or attract new ones. She predicts that recovery "will continue to be slow over the next three to four years."

Executive Vice President Forest City Ratner Cos. New York City

"MaryAnne Gilmartin arrived on the scene fully formed. She's an extraordinary blend of great intelligence, boundless energy and immense charm—that whole package was there." That's quite a compliment, and it has quite a source— legendary Woman of Influence MaryAnne Tighe of CBRE. Gilmartin is indeed one of the most prominent and powerful decisionmakers on the New York commercial real estate scene. It's a role that's been cultivated for 19 years; upon graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Fordham University in 1986, she won an Urban Fellowship and chose the NYC Economic Development Corp. In seven years there, she helped to develop Manhattan's West Side and southern tip. Now, as head of the commercial and residential development division for Forest City's Atlantic Yards Development Group, she's overseeing one of the biggest, and most controversial, projects in the city. Gilmartin has also directed two of Forest City's most prestigious projects—the 1.6-million-square-foot New York Times Building in Midtown Manhattan and the Frank Gehry-designed 8 Spruce St., the tallest residential building in the city. Women's roles will grow in the development world, she says, aided by "the model FCRC and Bruce Ratner have fully embraced, with women in prominent roles throughout the company as well as in critical positions for on-going advancement."

Area Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Practice Leader, Real Estate & Hospitality Services Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Glendale, CA

With 28 years in the business behind her, Alexandra Glickman leads the commercial insurance brokerage firm's worldwide real estate and hospitality practice, representing 2,150 clients who own or manage in excess of $200 billion of assets. Clients include international REITs, major pension-fund advisors, private equity funds and third-party managers. She joined Gallagher in 2001 and during her tenure, revenues have more than tripled, topping $65 million. Looking to the future, Glickman wants to bring more qualified women and minorities into the insurance industry and teach them about the specific needs of real estate and hospitality. She believes strongly in technical training coupled with a "clear understanding of the language of real estate and the impact on risk financing." Given the current weakness in the job market, the economy and their impact on CRE, Glickman believes that the "emphasis for the next 12 to 24 months will be on refinancing debt and avoiding another round of irrational exuberance."

Managing Director Centerline Capital Group New York City

A managing director in Centerline's asset management department, Mira Graetz-Ball is responsible for leading 24 investment professionals. That translates to 1,050 affordable housing assets, or some 124,000 units, across the US. At roughly $8.5 billion in value, this is among the largest LIHTC portfolios in the country. Graetz-Ball's mandate for the past 12 months has been to design and build an asset management team recognized as "Best in Class" in the LIHTC industry. To accomplish this, she drove a number of important initiatives, including skill-development programs and promoting a culture of collaboration. "Thanks in large part to women's natural inclination to nurture talent, senior female professionals today are far more engaged in activities designed to encourage young women to enter and stay in the real estate field," she observes. "Organizations like WX and CREW have active mentoring programs and summer internships, which help these young women succeed. Femaleoriented conferences have strong business content and are focused more on professionalism and thought leadership, rather than highlighting gender differences. It's wonderful to see young women have a greater place."

SVP and Group General Counsel CNL Financial Group Orlando

Holly Greer ranks as one of the most seniorlevel women within CNL. Currently, she serves as SVP and general counsel of four non-traded REITs—a role she's filled for the past 11 years. Since June 2011, Greer has led the closing on all acquisitions for CNL Financial Group's four REITs, totaling almost $1 billion in assets. This year, Greer and her team were awarded one of CNL's top honors, a Cupola Award, for their combined efforts on key acquisitions. Providing pro-bono work for Orange County Legal Aid is how she gives back. "My goal is to be a balanced and proactive leader," she says, adding that more women in the field allows for them "to be role models and open doors for generations to come."

Senior Vice President New Jersey Economic Development Authority Trenton, NJ

From the development of Transit Village in New Brunswick to the revitalization of Fort Monmouth, Maureen Hassett has been at the center of the action during a pivotal year for the Garden State. With more than 20 years of experience in public policy, strategic planning, legislative affairs and governance, Hassett oversees the implementation of programs focused on the revitalization and sustainability of New Jersey's economy. This year, she's played a key role in creating and implementing Grow New Jersey, a program designed to spur economic development via tax credits for investing a significant amount of capital and creating or retaining jobs in the state. She is also an environmental steward, working to develop new clean energy programs that increase energy efficiency for businesses. Under the Christie administration, Hassett says, the EDA has been "working harder than ever" to turn New Jersey's business climate into the most competitive in the country.

Managing Director Blackstone Group New York City

When your boss nominates you as a Woman of Influence, you must be doing something right. And Alexandra Hill has been doing a lot of things right in her 10-year career. The former lawyer—first with Clifford Chance, then Colony Capital—heads up Blackstone's Real Estate Investor Relations and Business Development Group. She's helped raise what's said to be the largest private-equity real estate fund in the world, the $12-billion (and growing) Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII, and is currently working on launching a real estate debt product. When she's not working at her day job, Hill is co-founder and president of Women in Real Estate, an organization created in 1996 that's grown to include over a thousand members from all real estate backgrounds in the US, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. It's a cause she's committed to: "Senior women today have a responsibility to mentor rising female stars to continue to expand the ranks of women at every level in commercial real estate," says Hill, who is also a member of the Rising Leaders Committee for the Pension Real Estate Association.

Chief Operating Officer Trigild San Diego

Trigild was founded in 1976 primarily as a hotel-management company, and Judy Hoffman was named marketing coordinator in 1984. Working her way up the ladder, a year ago she was named COO. With her help and involvement, Trigild has evolved from a small shop with three employees into a full-service real estate services company specializing in property and operations management, receivership and consulting. Trigild has significantly expanded its fiduciary services under Hoffman's leadership to include bankruptcy services and was recently named CRO trustee for a $1.6-billion real estate investment portfolio and is, furthermore, increasingly involved in the disposition of properties as receiver. In 2011, Trigild sold 58 properties out of receivership with a gross sales value of nearly $320 million or more than $5.5 million per deal. Hoffman's mission is simple: "To succeed in both good times and bad by providing best-in-class services that meet the unique needs of our clients, while keeping an eye on the future in order to meet those needs and take advantage of the opportunities in upcoming markets."

Managing Dire c t o r, Residential Client Services McKinley Ann Arbor, MI

A temp job writing a federal grant to fund an elderly day-care center in Terre Haute, IN proved to be a launching pad for a career in multifamily that's spanned 35 years. Alex Jackiw was asked to manage the center after the grant was approved, and she rose through the ranks to become the Terre Haute Housing Authority's director of housing programs. Three years later, she moved into the private sector and never left. Jackiw has worked for several large publicly traded multifamily firms with portfolios as large as 25,000 units. Since joining McKinley earlier this year, she's overseen Midwest and Southeast portfolios on behalf of the firm's third-party clients. She is also chairman-elect of the National Apartment Association and is slated to become chairman of the board in 2013.

Vice President and National Head, Multifamily Underwriting and Credit Freddie Mac McLean, VA

Deborah Jenkins joined Freddie Mac to launch a new product, Capital Market Execution, for loans that would be securitized. This called for the creation of a CME underwriting team and the establishment of securitization underwriting policies and procedures. She accomplished this, and much more, in the two years she's held her role. Jenkins grew the CME program to over 85% of Multifamily's production in 2011 and formed rela-tionships with internal groups and external customers, mortgage bankers, investors, B-piece buyers and ratings agencies. In addition, she's helped to turn the mortgage giant from lender-only status to one of the largest issuers of structured credit in the US. Today, about 90% of Freddie Mac loans can be securitized, and last year that total hit $14 billion, the same as the non-agency CMBS market. And in a tough capital environment, Jenkins can boast that her strong underwriting and overall expertise—she has 24 years' experience in commercial lending—have resulted in Freddie having one of the industry's lowest delinquencies, at about 0.25%. Little wonder that Freddie's senior leadership gave her an award for exceptional leadership this year.

Shareholder Greenberg Traurig New York City

Melinda Katz knows balance. She's built her career combining private-practice and public-service experience. Katz represented the 29th District in Queens on the New York City Council, and returned to private practice in 2009 at Greenberg Traurig, where she is a valuable asset to clients negotiating New York City and State governmental processes. Katz was instrumental in working with NYU through the approval process for its major campus rezoning, for which Manhattan Borough president Scott Stringer recommended approval, as did the City Planning Commission. She's an active member of REBNY and the New York State Bar Association and serves on the board of the Queens Jewish Community, among other activities. Katz feels the industry is bouncing back, and women's roles are vital. "It's important that women continue to be a strong, growing voice. Having women at the table brings a diverse and valuable perspective."

Partner Reed Smith LLP Pittsburgh

Dusty Kirk has been setting precedents since starting her career 32 years ago. After law school, she joined a real estate law firm in which she was the first female attorney. After joining a different firm that later disbanded, the then-pregnant Kirk and some colleagues decided to form their own firm. As president, head of the real estate practice and sole female attorney, Kirk did her work with her children and nanny in the office—an unheard-of move in the 1990s. That didn't derail her career, since she was later hired as a partner at Pepper Hamilton before taking on the same role at Reed Smith. For the past two years she's worked on several prominent deals while managing 160 lawyers and professionals globally. Kirk, whose practice focuses on real estate development, is the only woman on the Pittsburgh Penguins' arena site team and has been selected as a Best Lawyer in America for five years running. In addition to memberships on many industry committees, Kirk is president of the Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, raising nearly $2 million in 2011.

Managing Director Studley New York City and Shanghai

Leading the expansion of the tenant rep firm to Asia, Yin Li was tapped as managing director to head up Studley's China business. Splitting her time between Shanghai and New York, Li advises Chinese businesses looking to invest in the US and American clients interested in expanding into China. Over the past year, she's assisted several pharmaceutical, technology and legal tenants with their real estate needs in China, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Manhattan. Her globetrotting and cross-border efforts are already paying off: she was honored with the 2011 Dealmakers Award from Tishman Speyer, and was chosen as a featured speaker at February's China Investment Group at Studley's New York City headquarters. "As the Asian commercial real estate market continues to mature, tenants are requiring better service from their brokers," she notes.

Executive Vice President Blanca Commercial Real Estate Miami

Danet Linares has achieved the most productive year of her career thus far amid a still-challenging South Florida office market. In charge of leasing a portfolio of nearly 1.7 million square feet, she completed over 48 lease transactions in the past year alone, totaling roughly 591,000 square feet. On her watch, Miami's 1450 Brickell office tower achieved 91% occupancy in just 24 months since opening, with half the tenants new additions to the South Florida market. "Occupancy rates are rising in well-managed, welllocated class A office buildings," says Linares. "We're seeing positive absorption return following 2009's historic loss of one million square feet of overall absorption. In fact, the Miami market has seen net-positive leasing activity every quarter since 2010. All signs indicate this stabilization will continue into 2013 as employment numbers strengthen, available product remains steady and demand rises for US investments among foreign businesses."

Vice Chairman CBRE Ontario, CA

Darla Longo has worked in virtually every area of commercial real estate since she started her career 33 years ago. After cutting her teeth in the industrial real estate business and earning the National Rookie of the Year award during her first year at CBRE, Longo now handles investment sales, tenant representation, land sales and debt and equity solutions at the brokerage's local office here. And in the past year alone, Longo has completed 5.8 million square feet of leases and investment transactions totaling nearly $1.6 billion, including notable deals such as the $105.1-million sale of a 1.2-million-square-foot building in Las Vegas and a $91.5-million, 507,000-square-foot industrial deal in the Inland Empire.

Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager Prudential Real Estate Investors Madison, NJ

As managing director and senior portfolio manager at PREI, Catherine Marcus oversees PRISA, one of the largest open-end real estate funds in the US. With $13.6 billion in assets under management, Marcus is responsible for all aspects of managing the fund. Since joining Pru, she's served as VP for Prudential Corporate Real Estate Advisors, and head of investment underwriting and operations for PREI's transaction group. She says that seeing the first generation of women rising to levels of seniority will have a significant impact on younger women in the business and those considering a career in real estate. "Though our primary responsibility is to our investors, women who've risen to the top are aware that we have an obligation to the next generation of female leaders," she says.

Managing Director, Service Lines and International Director, Corporate Solutions Jones Lang LaSalle Chicago

Spanning 25 years in global commercial real estate, Elaine Melonides' resume is full of major clients and big deals, such as a 280,000-foot project for PricewaterhouseCoopers' Midwest portfolio and the early renewal of BP's global transactions contract. An expert in transaction advisory services, Melonides has handled more than eight million square feet in deals. After joining JLL's tenant rep group and getting her MBA, she worked her way up to her current role in 2011. JLL recently named her National Transaction Advisory Services Lead, a key position within the corporate solutions practice, and a 2012 "Top Achiever." Part of JLL's operating and executive sales committee, Melonides manages all corporate solutions' service lines, new product and service development and over 9,000 employees. She had an instrumental role in founding JLL's Diversity Council.

President and CEO BRE Properties San Francisco

Connie Moore was six months away from obtaining her college degree when she asked the CEO of BRE Properties, then a very small firm, for a job. He had doubts—she was a young coed and it was 1977—but he hired her as an entry-level analyst. In six years there, she worked on asset acquisitions and troubled assets, of which there were many. She went on to join Consolidated Capital and in 1993 moved over to Security Capital Group, eventually becoming co-chairman and COO of Security Capital Atlantic Inc., predecessor to Archstone Communities Trust. She returned to BRE in 2002, rose to president and COO in 2004 and became the REIT's third-ever CEO in 2005. BRE now has a $3.4-billion-plus portfolio with over 25,000 units in 86 metros across the Western US. Today, Moore is a leader in the multifamily and REIT sectors, having been a past chair and current executive committee member for NMHC and NAREIT.

Economic Development Agency Administrator County of San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA

For the past two years, Mary Jane Olhasso has led economic development efforts for the largest county in the continental US at 20,105 square miles. She plays a key role in promoting manufacturing, site selection and attraction incentives and workforce initiatives in the county as well as being an advocate for keeping manufacturing and jobs there. Over the past 12 months, the county has retained or attracted close to 4,000 jobs. Olhasso is leading the effort to make a case for manufacturing in California, particularly in San Bernardino. She and the EDA recently created a Vision Process based on input from community meetings, business roundtables and expert groups to create a portrait of the future the county seeks to create. The focus will now be on implementation, engagement and public-private partnerships.

Managing Partner W3 Partners LLC San Francisco

In a career that spans a quarter century, Diane Olmstead has served at Cigna, USF&G, Arthur Andersen, iStar Financial and CIM Group. A co-founder of W3, a West Coast office investor, she also sits on the Board of Mercy Housing California, one of the West Coast's leading affordable housing owner/developer/managers. Women-owned W3 targets valueadd office and office/R&D assets in the West, with a focus on well-located assets that may be acquired at a significant discount to replacement cost and assets having repositioning/value-add potential. Notable work includes the management of public-private joint-venture developments; originating on-balance sheet, structured loans; preferred-equity investments totaling some $877 million; and sourcing $1 billion of equity capital for clients.

Chief Financial Officer Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc. Arlington, VA

As CFO at Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc., Julie Pangelinan specializes in accounting and finance for the hospitality REIT. In partnership with the company's chief executive, she calculates risk management and handles information technology for nearly 400 hotels and more than 70,000 rooms throughout the US and internationally. Getting her start in the hospitality industry as vice president of accounting policy for Marriott International, Pangelinan says that while the senior ranks in the hotel business continue to be dominated by men, there are more women graduating in the accounting and finance profession than males. "With that trend, we will continue to see more women step into senior leadership roles in the industry and in finance across industries," she comments.

Vice President, Capital Markets Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. Los Angeles

Consistently ranked among the top capital markets professionals in the industry, Anita Paryani derives much of her business from past clients and direct referrals. Responsible for developing and maintaining lender relationships, overseeing the analytics and packaging of financing requests as well as business development, she and partner Jake Roberts are among the highest-ranking mortgage originators of the firm. At a sales awards program in Napa, CA last July, Paryani was nominated as a VP of capital markets, a distinction reserved for Marcus & Millichap's top sales brokers and loan originators. Not only that, she won the event's poker tournament, competing against some 30 male counterparts. A cause Paryani strongly supports is research into the rare genetic bone disease known as progressive osseous heteroplasia, from which her son suffers.

Senior Director Eastern Consolidated New York City

Regarded as one of Manhattan's most respected and well-known investment sales brokers, Adelaide Polsinelli has a solid track record of completing deals in some of the topperforming submarkets in Manhattan and the outer-boroughs. During her 25 years in the business, Polsinelli has sold over 800 properties totaling more than $4 billion in every asset class. Having recently joined Eastern Consolidated as senior director, she's already doing big deals, including a $28-million land sale to Hidrock Realty at 133 Greenwich St., where a new hotel will rise near the World Trade Center. Her advice for young women in the business? "Associate yourself with a firm that appreciates your unique talents and allows you to grow your business with equal opportunities," she says.

SVP and Chief Deposit Officer BofI Federal Bank San Diego

Kristi Procopio has proven to be an integral part of BofI Federal Bank's growth within the industry, helping take it from $1.4 billion to over $2.2 billion in assets. With her assistance, multifamily and commercial loan production reached record levels for the bank in 2011. Following her recent promotion to senior vice president and chief deposit officer, overseeing the entire deposit operations division, Procopio will continue to develop the firm's multifamily and commercial lending, business banking and advisor platforms in addition to cultivating the affinity relationship channel. "In terms of prolonged foreclosures, some key measures of the real estate industry's health have yet to recover, particularly housing," she relates. "Stricter underwriting will still be a theme in 2012, especially when it comes to residential loans."

President JRT Realty Group Inc. New York City

As founder and president of one of the largest certified woman-owned CRE services firms in the nation, Jodi Pulice heads a team responsible for a nine-million-square-foot-plus portfolio of assets. A respected broker and consultant with over 30 years experience, within the past year she's overseen the management of more than 100 properties in major markets nationwide. These include 470 Park Ave. S.; TIAA CREF's global HQ at 730 Third Ave.; and Pacific Plaza in San Diego. Pulice is also on the leasing team for One World Trade Center, spearheaded by her strategic partners at Cushman & Wakefield, along with the Durst Organization and the Port Authority of NY/NJ. "The changing nature of the gender landscape has been a long-term process," she says. "But more than ever, we're seeing an increase in the number of women at the helm of companies."

Partner Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis San Francisco

A 15-year partner at the law firm, Sonia Ransom is highly regarded for her extensive experience in land use and redevelopment, and she is typically involved with multiple major development projects throughout California at once. She co-chairs the firm's land-use practice group and is on its compensation committee. Currently Ransom is land-use counsel for the property owners and developers on the redevelopment of the former Boeing/NASA site in Downey into a 1.5-million-foot mixed-use project. Other ongoing projects include six million square feet of office, R&D, retail, multifamily and resort assets. A fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, she leads Allen Matkins' involvement with the Samantha Corpus Foundation, dedicated to finding a cure for Rett Syndrome.

Principal Partner Engineering and Science Inc. Torrance, CA

Many consider Jenny Redlin to be an authority, as she routinely educates new hires on the nuts and bolts of the business and speaks regularly at major industry events. She worked her way up to her current role, starting as an environmental scientist doing field work, and she consistently ranks as Partner's top salesperson. Over the past year she has served as relationship manager on more than 2,900 projects and booked over $6.2 million of work. Outside of work, Redlin runs numerous 10ks for charities like United Way and breast cancer foundations. She feels women contribute a great deal to her field. "There are many strong women in the due diligence industry making a difference," she says, "from guiding regulatory changes to running risk management departments and giving generously of their expertise."

President, Prudential Asset Resources Inc. Mng. Director, Prudential Mortgage Capital Co. Dallas

Not many people can say their career path began before high school graduation, but Catherine Rodewald can. She took a job at Six Flags Over Texas at the age of 14, and three years later she was managing 27 people. That was just one leadership role among many in her 26-year career, which includes executivelevel positions at AMRESCO, Ernst & Young (formerly Kenneth Leventhal) and BEI Real Estate. The first CIO for Hunt Consolidated Inc., Rodewald joined Prudential in 2002 and now handles the servicing and asset-management operations of PMCC's loan portfolios, valued at over $68 billion. She also manages PMCC's tech strategy and business systems and heads up PAR, ranked last year by the MBA as the seventh-largest servicer in the industry. The MBA, by the way, awarded her the 2011 Distinguished Service Award.

Partner McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP San Diego

One of California's most respected real estate attorneys over a 30-year legal career, Nancy Scull has been lead counsel for complex hotel, retail, residential and mixed-use projects located within the Golden State. With a focus on urban transit-oriented communities, she's been engaged to represent developers of new urban town centers in California and elsewhere. For instance, she was selected by Quarry Falls LLC to advise on the governance and structuring for the Civita master-planned community in San Diego. Scull created a multi-level structure that brought together commercial and residential uses in one community association while preserving control by the commercial ownership interests. She sees planned communities such as Civita, and the creation of mechanisms to forward them, as a strong trend.

Partner Fulbright & Jaworski LLP Austin, TX

The start of Jane Snoddy Smith's legal career was certainly a juggling act, having returned to school on scholarship to study law with two young children at home. But strong mentoring, dedication and ambition helped her become one of the standout lawyers in the business some 30 years later. In addition to being a former president and 2012 chair-elect for the 8,000-member CREW Network, Smith is a founder of the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas, a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and has served on the ICSC Law Board for over a decade. This past year, she's worked on some of the biggest deals in the business, including representing the seller of a $1.4-billion portfolio of 46 shopping centers in 22 states to a JV of Blackstone and DDR Corp., and negotiating for a major US public retirement system on the formation of a $215-million fund and the acquisition and financing of industrial portfolios.

Executive Vice President, Retail Services Colliers International San Francisco

Anjee Solanki has been dedicated to the retail sector for more than 18 years. Thanks to encouragement from a manager during the early days of her career, she now provides strategic property-planning services for Colliers' retail clients. She acquired 20 new management and leasing contracts over the past 16 months, including those with Heitman, Grosvenor, PNC Bank, American Realty Advisers and Invesco. "With women's increasing participation in the industry," she says, "firms have been able to provide more diverse, strategic and representative counsel to clients." She believes emerging technology and its influence on consumers will alter the development, management, leasing and marketing of retail properties.

Senior Vice President, Leasing Services MB Real Estate Chicago

One of Ann Tomlinson's greatest achievements over the past 12 months has been taking Chicago's Citigroup Center at 500 W. Madison to 93% leased. She did that by signing such credit tenants as Grainger, AIG, the federal government and Navteq, contributing to a total value in excess of $359 million. But Tomlinson isn't a single-song performer; her experience also includes property and construction management. She believes the best approach to property management and leasing is listening, understanding the tenant and the tenant rep's requirements and fitting those into an overall strategy. "Chicago is witnessing businesses gravitating away from suburban markets and moving toward central downtown locations," she says. "No doubt this is due in large part to the dynamic, young and educated workforce available in the city." Tomlinson sits on the women's board at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is a supporter of the Hubbard Street Dance Theater there.

Executive Managing Director and US Head, Valuation & Advisory Cushman & Wakefield Washington, DC

During her nine years at C&W, M. Nicole Urqhart-Bradley has provided leadership and direction to corporations, institutional investors, and lenders on debt and equity investment decisions. Before rising to the role of executive managing director, she led C&W's valuation and advisory practices for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. In her current position, she has spearheaded the company's strategic growth initiative, resulting in significant increases in completed assignments, revenue, market share and recruitment. She also handles appraisal and consulting assignments for all major property types. "Our business is about helping clients find the best way to use real estate to support their financial and operational strategies," she says. "The strength women bring to the table in meeting client needs may be more visible today on the brokerage side of the business due to the awareness and notoriety generated by major, women-led, leasing and sales transactions."

President Watt Cos. Santa Monica, CA

The Watt Cos. is one of the largest private owners, developers and managers in the Western US, and Nadine Watt manages its commercial portfolio and marketing operations. In the past year, she's supervised the management and operations at Watt Plaza, a 920,000-foot, class-A office building in Century City, CA, and was responsible for a multi-million-dollar renovation program there that led to its LEED Gold certification in '09 and a TOBY award in 2011. When she became president last year, she embarked on a strategy to take the firm in a new direction. The new focus is on acquiring and developing real estate assets and pursuing entrepreneurial joint ventures to diversify its investments. As part of this focus, she spearheaded the transfer of leasing and property management activities, which were traditionally performed in-house, to outside firms.

Managing Partner and Co-Founder Park Madison Partners LLC New York City

Since 2006, when Suzanne West and partner Nancy Lashire formed Park Madison Partners, the private equity placement and advisory firm has led or co-managed the placement of eight real estate funds with over $4 billion of equity capital raised. West calls upon her extensive experience on both the buyand sell-sides to find investment-management teams that embody the necessary fiduciary mindset for the market. Before starting PMP, West was responsible for raising some $3.5 billion of equity for real estate ventures. She launched her career with seven years in the real estate group of the then-$20-billion State of Connecticut Trust Funds, ultimately coheading the group. In 2009, PMP was selected by the US Treasury as one of nine managers of its Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, raising $1 billion with the team.

SVP and Head, Healthcare Real Estate Raymond James, Morgan Keegan New York City

Laca Wong-Hammond acts as her company's division head, maintaining client relations, sourcing new business, providing transaction advisory services for clients that include hospitals, healthcare systems and providers, developers, private-equity organizations and publicly traded companies. She entered the field thanks to advice from a Cornell Alum who suggested she start her career in real estate investment banking at JP Morgan. In the past year, Wong-Hammond closed $600 million of medical office deals and was nominated vice-chair of the BOMA Medical Office and Healthcare Facilities annual conference. She is also on the Board of Trustees at Chen Dance Center and is a volunteer with Cornell University's Career Services. Wong-Hammond is optimistic about her slice of the industry. "Healthcare is becoming a recognized asset type," she says. "The industry remains dynamic and full of opportunities for emerging female leaders."