The Link|Keeping You Connected to CREW DC
September 23, 2016 Edition
2016 CREW Network Chapter Challenge Achieved!


Did you celebrate Happy American Business Women's Day yesterday?

Keep the celebration going by checking out bizjournals.com bizwomen focused free newsletter and don't pass up on the free opportunity to promote women in your company or fellow CREW DC members through its Women on the Move program.
Quick Poll

In the last issue of the Link we asked your opinion of the D.C. commercial real estate market, here are the results:
 
Question: My outlook on the District's commercial real estate market is...

Answer: Over three-quarters of CREW DC members have a very positive or positive outlook on the  District's commercial real estate market while only 1.30% has a negative viewpoint and almost 20% are  on the fence stating a neutral stance.

*The Link Quick Poll surveyed 554 members and received 154 responses - the poll reflects a 28 percent  response rate.
Oct. 19-22: CREW Network 2016 Convention & Marketplace

motionmailapp.com



Amy Cuddy
Mary Ann Tighe
Sallie Krawcheck
Admiral William H. McRaven

New Member Profiles

Usha Chaudhary, President and Chief Operating Officer
KETTLER
Usha Chaudhary is President and Chief Operating Officer at KETTLER, a multifamily housing development and management company. KETTLER is widely considered the most prolific land and multifamily developer and property manager in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region and is quickly expanding in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states. In fact, KETTLER's assets under management now exceed 30,000 units in over a dozen states. Usha's vast responsibilities include overseeing KETTLER's three lines of business and all operations covering 800-plus employees. Usha was recently an honoree of and interviewed by the Washington Business Journal in a commercial real estate feature piece called "Women Who Mean Business" in which she detailed her decision for taking on her latest leadership role with KETTLER. Through her previous near twenty-year career with Freddie Mac, its former CEO Greg Parseghian recommended her for the position with KETTLER knowing she would be an asset and a game changer for the company. Now just 5 months shy of a year with KETTLER, she has the lofty goal of leading the company outside both its long history and the confines of the D.C. beltway to other U.S. markets.
 
Usha's diverse professional experience encompasses a strong real estate, finance, and operation background with nearly two decades with Freddie Mac as well as a few well-known for-profit and non-for-profit organizations such as United Way of American and The Washington Post. Usha is an MBA graduate of George Washington University's World Executive Program.
 
Usha has served on several for-profit and non-profit Boards. She is currently on the Board of Nathan Associates, an international economic consulting organization. She is a strong advocate for education and is a supporter of a number of charitable organizations geared toward bettering youth through structured enrichment programs. Just a few of her philanthropic involvements include serving on the Boards of India International School, a well-established Northern Virginia Indian American education and cultural center and a recent start-up called RENEW (Reform Education for a New World).
 
Ava Ataee, Building Manager
General Services Administration
Ava Ataee is a Building Manager with the White House Service Center, part of Public Building Services at the General Services Administration (GSA). Ava's daily responsibilities include managing communication with tenants, GSA management, contractors, service shops, and visitors. In her fast pace role and high demand position, she believes her deft coordination abilities are a major contributor to her success. She has been with the GSA for nearly five years, which started with an internship opportunity shortly after completing her undergraduate degree in management from George Mason University in 2012. Ava is also a 2016 alum of Georgetown University's prestigious Master's in Real Estate Development.
 
Ava is currently the newest member of the CREW DC Communication Committee and contributing co-writer of the Link. When asked about her interest in CREW Ava remarked "she wants to surround herself with women in the industry that can be role models for her" and added the wise old saying, "if you're the smartest one in the room, you're in the wrong room." In her free time, Ava is an avid traveler and
practicing yogi. Her commitment to yoga has led her to pursing her yoga teaching certification - a 200-hour training through the Yoga Alliance.
 
Please join CREW DC community in welcoming these new valued 
members to our organization!
President's Corner
Michelle Kilby 2016 President

Dear Members,

The past few weeks has been all about milestones and achievements for CREW DC. As we prepare for our annual awards event, our individual winners being recognized are all very active, contributing members who are or have recently been in leadership positions. They are women who have significantly contributed in various ways to the success of the chapter.

Last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser headlined our sold-out September Luncheon and discussed her achievements since she took office in January of 2015. She is getting good grades on jobs, public safety, development, affordable housing and other important priorities in the District. With regard to the upcoming presidential election, she has a preference but noted that she will work with the candidate who is elected to help ensure that the forward momentum continues under her watch.
 
Another recent accomplishment was achieving the CREW Network Foundation 2016 Chapter Challenge. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of CREW Network that specifically benefits women by creating scholarships, industry research and career outreach. This trifecta challenge called for donations from 100% of the board, a minimum of a $1000 overall donation and 50% of the entire membership. CREW DC was the FIRST chapter to accomplish the first leg by having 100% of the Board of Directors contribute. We also made a chapter donation, and now have successfully gotten 50% of our membership to contribute. This was a herculean effort pursued diligently by our Foundation Committee and we are thrilled to be only the 12th chapter in the entire organization to realize this milestone!
 
Finally, we confirmed late last week that our membership numbers are at an all-time high. Each year in recent history, we have grown in members, in sponsorship and in participation. These successes are a result of strategic planning that began several years ago and has been an ongoing focus of the chapter leadership. From programs that are targeted toward the wide range of age, experience and needs of our membership to specific member recruitment events, clearly our efforts are resulting in records that are being shattered in 2016. CREW DC continues to set the bar for achievement and I could not be more proud to be affiliated with such an accomplished group of women.
 
Sincerely,
Michelle

Take Advantage! 

CREW DC Offers Discount Rate for Mid-Year Membership 

CREW DC offers a deeply discounted membership rate beginning July 1st.  It's perfect for those who have been wanting to give CREW a try, and it's a 53% savings for active members.

To learn more about what CREW DC can offer, please visit www.crewdc.org and be sure to share this with others in your organization!