Meet the CREW Richmond Board

May / June 2012
Meet the CREW Richmond Board
You may know these women already – or just think you do! We asked each
Board member to answer a few questions about their work and personal
lives, including the occasional random fact. Read on to learn more about the
2012 Board!
2012
BOARD MEMBERS
OFFICERS
President
Andrea Harlow
Williams Mullen
President-Elect/
National Delegate
Melissa Canavos
Safe Harbor Title Co.
Secretary
Kristie Inge
Highwoods Properties,
Inc.
Treasurer
Sandy Whitehead
DGS BCOM
Immediate Past President/
National Delegate
Jodie Strum
John B. Levy and
Company, Inc.
DIRECTORS
Rowena Fratarcangelo
Karen Frye
Lynn Kaerwer
Chandra Lantz
Meaghan O’Brien
Debbie Reading
Andrea Harlow, President
CREW Member for 6 years
I am a partner on the financial services
team at Williams Mullen. I’ve been practicing law
for 11 years, the last 7 of which have been at Williams Mullen. My job is to help financial institutions, from community banks to national banks, get
their commercial lending projects from underwriting to closed as efficiently as possible, balancing
the legal, business and practical needs of the client
with the financial needs and expectations of the
borrower.
I am married to my high school sweetheart, with two amazing kids. I
spent one summer during college working as a cotton scout. In 2011, I went
to Houston, Texas, to see VCU play in the Final Four.
Kristie Inge, Secretary
CREW Member for 6 years
I am currently a Senior Leasing Rep with
Highwoods Properties. I represent Highwoods as
the Landlord in Class A office leasing transactions and have been with Highwoods since 2004.
I hold a Virginia real estate license and achieved
the CCIM designation in 2008. I received my
undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech and a
master’s degree in Social Work from VCU, specializing in school social work. Prior to joining
Highwoods I worked as the Family Services Coordinator for Chesterfield
County Public Schools Head Start program.
I am married to a teacher, and we have two children (ages 9 and 4). I
volunteer with Full Circle Grief Center, a grief resource center for children
and their families.
Amelia Wehunt
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Jodie Strum, Immediate Past President/National Delegate
CREW Member for 6 years
I work at John B. Levy & Company, Inc. I am responsible for multiple parts
of each transaction, including the origination of new loans, the sizing and underwriting of projects, the physical closing of loans, and general business development.
We specialize in all commercial property types, mainly on the East Coast, and procure both debt and equity for our borrowers through a variety of sources, ranging
from banks and Conduit lenders to hedgefunds and institutional lenders (pension
funds and insurance companies). I have been at JBL for 8 years, but come from a
real estate family, and grew up amidst residential and commercial development and
sales. I am the first one to go into the financing aspect of CRE, capitalizing on my
finance degree and previous work experience in accounting.
Random fact – I got my first speeding ticket EVER just last month. I love antique glass, but hate
tchotchkes and clutter, so the only things I collect are wine glasses that can be hidden behind a cabinet
door. I love almost all food with the exception of anything raw and swiss cheese. I could easily live off of
pasta, pizza and cannoli for the rest of my life.
Rowena Fratarcangelo, Director, Communications Committee
CREW Member for 4 years
I work 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, I am part of the
business attraction team and regularly work with all types of domestic and international companies that are looking to relocate or expand into the Greater Richmond
region.
I’ve been a member of the Richmond Volleyball Club since I moved here in
1990. After 21 years, my co-ed team disbanded, and a few of us formed a women’s
team in January. The first season was rough (we only won ONE game all season!),
but I am happy to report that we are currently in 5th place in our league!
Karen Frye, Director, Community Service
CREW Member since 2006
I am a Senior Vice President and Commercial Relationship Manager for Fulton Bank. I started my career in banking 17 years ago and have experience in retail
banking, small business and commercial lending. My clients include well established, privately held companies and real estate investors who are seeking financing
for working capital, equipment, acquisitions and real estate.
I grew up in the Northern Neck, graduated from Virginia Tech and am married to another local banker (yes, we are competitors!) with whom I have two sons,
Boice (3) and Cole (2). As a family, we love to spend time together in Hatteras, N.C.
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Lynn Kaerwer, Director, Media Relations Committee
CREW Member for 12 years
I am an environmental engineer/project manager with ERM, a local office of
an international firm. We provide the full range of environmental consulting services
for commercial properties, from transactional due diligence through site remediation.
We also offer consulting in regulatory compliance, health and safety, risk, sustainability, and social impact. I do everything from business development to sampling soil!
It is always amazing to see how all of the varied pieces of life and career work
together. I am a registered Professional Engineer, with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Rice University. I have worked in industry, non-profits, and consulting,
with a dose of PTA and car pool sprinkled in. I have lived in 7 states, but love calling Richmond home!
Debbie Reading, CREW Network Liaison/National Delegate
CREW Member since 2005
I am the Business Development/Marketing Director for Dunlap and Partners
Engineering, P.C. We provide mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection
engineering design. I have been with D&P for 4 years and have been in the commercial design/real estate industry since moving to Virginia in 1994.
I am 1/8 Native American. I come from a family of 5 girls (yes you can feel
sorry for my dad). I have 3 perfect children (don’t we all?) and two precious granddaughters. I love the outdoors, gardening and love to paint when time allows.
Amelia Wehunt, Director, Sponsorship
CREW member since 2010
I am a licensed Professional Engineer at Timmons Group, a design firm specializing in multi-disciplined civil engineering consulting services. Over the past five
years I have developed specialties in site design and stormwater management. Much
of my work, in addition to designing and preparing construction plans, involves stakeholder coordination and work sessions, representation at public meetings, and providing construction support services. Prior to working at Timmons Group, I attended
the University of Virginia where I majored in civil engineering and minored in engineering business.
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Mark, and our two
chocolate labs, Lucky and Leroy Brown (and, yes, he is, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”
named after Jim Croce’s 1973 hit).
Next Time:
Melissa Canavos, President-Elect/National Delegate
Sandy Whitehead, Treasurer
Chandra Lantz, Director, Programs Committee
Meaghan O’Brien, Director, Membership Committee
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APRIL MEETING RECAP
April’s meeting wasn’t our usual
outing! CREW Richmond members and invited guests were
treated to a tour of the new Colonial Shooting Academy located in
the former Colony House Furniture building at 6020 West Broad
Street. The transformation from
furniture store to shooting gallery
was impressive!
Ed Coleman, the general manager, welcomed us to the 60,000square-foot state-of-the-art facility. He gave us some background on
the project, which was not a simple adaptive reuse
project. The air handling systems alone (to control
lead dust in the shooting ranges) made it particularly complicated. The $12 million project offers
multiple shooting ranges as well as several thousand square feet of retail space, classrooms, and in
the future, a restaurant.
Colonial is open to the public and patrons can rent
firearms and range time each time they visit. For
Several CREW members view the safety video prior to testing out the shooting ranges.
additional savings they offer a
variety of membership packages,
including an upscale, exclusive
membership that includes access
to a private club on the second
floor. Colonial also offers classes,
whether you are a beginner or an
experienced shooter.
Regardless of experience or skill
level, everyone must take a safety
course before entering one of the
shooting ranges.
For our visit, any CREW member interested in
shooting watched a safety video, signed some
forms, and after collecting eye and ear protection,
was accompanied to a range by a safety officer.
Since many of us had never fired a gun before, it
was quite an experience!
For more information on Colonial Shooting Academy, visit their website at http://
www.colonialshooting.com/
Lynn Kaerwer gets in a round of practice.
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M AY L U N C H R E C A P
At the May lunch meeting, CREW Richmond
members and guests heard an excellent and informative presentation from Andrew Ryan and Mark
Hickman of Commonwealth Partnerships. Their
presentation, entitled “Thriving In a Brave New
World: Emerging Real Estate Marketing Tools,”
offered great new ideas, tips, and strategies on how
to make the most of social media platforms as useful real estate marketing tools.
The presentation began with an overview of the
Richmond real estate market. The presenters expect upswings in the market as the economy continues to improve; however, they warned that 2012
will likely not see major improvements. They predicted that vacancies will continue to drop with
absorption gains. The retail market may struggle,
but industrial activity should benefit from port activity. Overall, competition in commercial real
estate remains high in the Richmond region and
differentiation is critical.
The presentation continued by highlighting location-based social media, which they explained is
any platform, website, or application that allows
users to “check in” or share their location online
and on mobile devices. The following platforms
were discussed:
Foursquare – Foursquare is currently the most
widely used location-based social media platform,
boasting more than 10 million users. Foursquare
allows users to “check-in” at locations and offers
awards for check-ins from retailers. Foursquare
recently announced a national partnership with
American Express.
Yelp – With a robust user
interface and features, Yelp
has a standard website and a
popular smartphone application for social networking,
user reviews, and local
search. Yelp is the “go to”
site for restaurant reviews.
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Google Places – Google Places leverages
Google’s dominant search engine and popular
maps function in its standard and mobile websites
and smartphone app so users can search, share, and
rate their location.
Gowalla – Gowalla is a “social travel guide” and
is popular among travelers. It was recently acquired by Facebook.
Facebook – Facebook allows users to share their
location as part of status posts on the world’s most
popular social network. The “check-in” feature is
currently on Facebook’s standard and mobile websites and smartphone application.
Twitter – Twitter is second only to Facebook in
registered users. Twitter allows users to include
their location in tweets.
Ryan and Hickman offered useful tips for how to
take advantage of these social media platforms to
help with marketing initiatives. They advised that
businesses should create strategic “check-in” locations that incentivize clients and customers to
check in and post a positive comment. The data
that businesses acquire from social media users
can be used to measure activity and analyze visitor
demographics and preferences. Businesses should
follow up with visitors who check in to establish
meaningful business relationships.
The presenters stressed that these social media
tools are both engaging and useful and should not
be ignored. They encouraged businesses to develop a social media marketing plan and policy
and stressed that social media is a useful resource
that should be incorporated on website and marketing materials.
The presentation continued with a discussion of
mobile marketing. The number of people accessing the Internet from mobile devices is skyrocketing and mobile marketing can provide information
in real time for potential clients touring properties.
Ryan and Hickman stated that the percentage of
people and businesses searching for real estate
online is now more than 74 percent, making it the
norm. Online searches typically provide the first
impression. To address this, your business’s website should be interactive and optimized for search
engines.
Many thanks to Andrew Ryan and Mark Hickman
for their wonderful presentation full of new ideas
and helpful hints. For more information on Commercial Partnerships or to follow their Virginia
Real Estate blog, go to
www.commonwealthpartnerships.com/
CREW Richmond
The Registration Deadline has been extended to
noon on Thursday, June 14!!
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CREW Richmond
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B I S N O W R E A L E S T AT E E V E N T
BY: DEBBIE READING
CREW Richmond was given a rare opportunity to
be a part of an inaugural event when Bisnow held
its first Richmond commercial real estate forum in
April. With nearly 300 in attendance, it was great
exposure for our Chapter and CREW Network itself.
As the attendees networked and filled the Grand
Ballroom at the Jefferson Hotel, Mark Bisnow,
owner and namesake of Bisnow, called the discussion to order with his famous cowbell. Bisnow,
founder of the Washington, D.C.-based digital media company, said he was glad to add Richmond to
its list of about 20 major metro cities across the
U.S. where it hosts local business events. Bisnow
is also the country’s largest publisher of daily
commercial real estate e-newsletters.
ARA of McLean, Va., Dwight Dunton, Bonaventure Realty Group out of Arlington, Va., and Paul
Kreckman, VP of Highwoods Properties. Polk
asked the panel if they believed the supply of new
apartments is starting to outstrip the demand.
Dunton responded that his company is seeing a
“tale of two worlds” in the apartment segment.
“There are renters by necessity due to the economic recession and there are renters by choice.”
Polk then asked the panel what they see in the
“future pipeline.” Drew White indicated they have
$400 million in the pipeline in the Tidewater area
and several hundred million in the Fredericksburg
area. “We’re seeing a higher demand for Richmond right now than we’ve seen in the last 24 to
36 months.”
The introductory speaker was Richard Souter of
WVS, the developer of Rocketts Landing. Richard’s projection was that the condo market is making a comeback. With over $8 million in condo
sales last year, representing an average of
$260,000 each, Souter indicated an influx of
empty nesters and young professionals who desire
the “live, work, play” lifestyle will become the
largest customer market.
Paul Kreckman indicated the vacancy rate in the
Innsbrook Corporate Center is down to only 8 percent for all classes of properties. “While we are not
back to the historical levels of 4-5 percent, we
have recovered very nicely.”
A panel of some of the most prestigious real estate
professionals reigned and projected good news in
the office and multifamily project sector.
Our first appearance at this exciting “hub” of networking and informational real estate projections
will hopefully not be our last as we look forward
to future partnerships with Bisnow.
Charlie Polk of Jones Lang LaSalle proceeded as
the moderator proposing questions to Drew White,
Overall it was positive news for the multifamily
and industrial market which ultimately benefits the
entire real estate market.
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CREW RICHMOND—2012 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
HIGHRISE SPONSORS
Biegler & Associates
Biegler & Associates defines their clients’ experience by a few clear guidelines.
 Provide a full complement of extraordinary accounting and tax services
to our clients
 Simplify the complex accounting and tax world by translating intricate
details into practical counsel and sensible solutions
 Foster a challenging and rewarding work environment
 Actively recruit and retain the highest level of talented professionals
whose skill, creativity, and integrity make us a market leader
 Be accountable as corporate citizens and actively support our community
Michelle Graves
We’re not just skilled accountants. We are listeners, helpers, partners
and teammates. For more information, contact Michelle Graves at
[email protected] or 804-855-1221.
Highwoods
Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE – HIW) is a publicly held, fully integrated, self-administered real estate investment trust (“REIT”) headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. We provide leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for our properties and for third parties. Highwoods is one of the largest owners/
developers of office and industrial real estate in the United States with 338
buildings totaling approximately 34.5 million square feet and 581 acres of
development land. Our properties and land are located in Florida, Georgia,
Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Tennessee and Virginia. At Highwoods, we pride ourselves on understanding your company and its needs. That’s why, as a full service real
estate company, all of our properties are leased and managed locally by
our staff of experienced real estate professionals who are dedicated to you.
For more information, contact Jane duFrane, CCIM, Leasing
Representative, at [email protected] or 804-2902153.
Jane duFrane
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HIGHRISE SPONSORS, CONTINUED
Hilton Richmond/Short Pump
Shamin Hotels is the largest hotel operator in Central Virginia with 37
hotels under the Hilton, Marriott, IHG and Choice flags. Hotel brands
include Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn and Comfort Suites. Our flagship hotel is the 4-diamond full service Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa next to
Short Pump Mall featuring the award winning Shula's America's Steak
House, Aura Spa & Salon, event space for up to 1,000 guests and 254
guestrooms/suites. Our limited service hotels can accommodate meetings for up to 250 guests and are located in Chesterfield County, Henrico County and Richmond City. For more information, contact Neil
Amin, CEO, at [email protected] or 804-777-9000
Neil Amin
Hirschler & Fleischer
Hirschler Fleischer is a full service business law firm headquartered in
Richmond and with an office in Fredericksburg. Our real estate lawyers
are widely recognized for our experience and knowledge of commercial
real estate law. We offer a full range of services including acquisitions
and dispositions, leasing, construction, financing, zoning, land use, planning and development, tax and litigation. Our clients value our resources, strength and our ability to get things done quickly and cost effectively. Our niche practice areas include EB-5 Immigrant Investor
Pilot Program financing, retail and mixed use projects, and historic and
new market tax credits. For more information, contact Laura Lee
Garrett, at [email protected] or (804) 771-9525.
www.hf-law.com
Laura Lee Garrett
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HIGHRISE SPONSORS, CONTINUED
James River Grounds Management
James River Grounds Management, Inc. has been providing quality landscape management services to a predominately commercial client base
since 1989. Our team approach, heightened by our focus on customer service, partnerships and full accountability, has made us the leading private
landscape management provider in Virginia. With growing offices in
Richmond, Charlottesville, Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, we can
deliver a full service landscape management product to a large client base
but with a personal touch. We thrive on the philosophy of relationshipbased sales, strong customer service focus, quality driven products and
employee accountability. JRGM’s portfolio of work consists of all types
of commercial property sites including Class A office, industrial, retail,
health care and large residential communities. For more information
contact Greta Bjorkquist, Business Developer, James River Grounds
Management, Inc. at [email protected] or 804-550-3500.
Greta Bjorkquist
Virginia Housing Development Authority
Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) is a selfsupporting, not-for-profit organization created by the Commonwealth
of Virginia in 1972 to help Virginians attain quality, affordable housing. VHDA provides mortgages, primarily for first time homebuyers
and developers of quality rental housing. We use no state taxpayer dollars, but raise money in the capital markets to fund our loans. VHDA
works with lenders, developers, local governments, community service
organizations and others to help put quality housing within reach of
every Virginian. Heather Richey, Associate Development Officer, is
responsible for the origination and administration of construction and/
or permanent multifamily mortgages. For more information contact
Heather Richey at [email protected] or 804-343-5647.
Heather Richey
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NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Greta Bjorkquist
Greta has been on the James River Grounds Management team since 2007, coming straight from
North Carolina State University. There she earned
a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture with a concentration in Landscape Design. After interning at the
Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina and The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in California; she
began her career as an enhancement manager. This role offered her the chance to design,
sell and install many landscape projects.
In October 2011, Greta decided to venture into a
new challenge as a Business Developer. She now
focuses on developing new client relationships that
lead to new landscape maintenance contracts for
the Richmond/Tri-Cities, Chesterfield, and Charlottesville areas. Acquiring new contracts not only
adds value to the company as a whole, but also
adds value to our team members by enabling them
to grow their portfolios, thus growing their careers.
Outside of
JRGM Greta
serves on the
board of the
Central Virginia Nursery
and Landscape
Association.
This is on organization that
focuses on
continued education to landscape professionals and
industry partners. She is also a Certified Horticulturist from the Virginia Nursery and Landscape
Association. Outside of her time at James River,
Greta enjoys spending time outdoors with her fiancé, dogs, gardening or relaxing in the shade with
a glass of wine.
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SPONSORSHIP
GROUNDBREAKER
HIGHRISE
SKYSCRAPER
Thanks to our 2012 Annual Sponsors !!!
2012 Annual Sponsorships are currently available, please contact Amelia Wehunt,
Timmons Group at (804) 200-6544 / [email protected]
CREW Richmond
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JUNE
CREW Annual Summer Social: Thursday, June 14, 5:00 pm—
7:30 pm
2012 Committees
Communications
Rowena Fratarcangelo
[email protected]
Community Service
Karen Frye
[email protected]
Location: The Virginia Center for Architecture, 2501 Monument Avenue
JULY
Dine Around: Wednesday, July 18
Locations: TBD
AUGUST
Monthly Luncheon Program: TBD Wednesday, August 15,
11:30 am—1:00 pm
Location: TBD
CREW Network Liaison
Debbie Reading
[email protected]
Membership
Meaghan O’Brien
[email protected]
Media Relations
Lynn Kaerwer
[email protected]
Programs
Chandra Lantz
[email protected]
Sponsorship
Amelia Wehunt
[email protected]
http://www.CREWrichmond.org
http://www.CREWnetwork.org
E-mail address:
[email protected]
To help with or provide information for the Newsletter, please
contact Rowena Fratarcangelo, Greater Richmond Partnership,
(804) 343-6965 / [email protected]