December 2010 Presidents Message

Greetings,

As the saying goes, ‘Tis the Season. While that means many things to all of us, I believe we all find time to reflect on our personal and professional lives. As for the latter, I am always thankful for many wonderful people who have served as Mentors throughout my career. These people have played – and continue to play – an integral role in my success.

I recently met someone for coffee and was asked that telltale question: “How did you land in the commercial real estate business.” Without hesitation or reservation, I told the story of another professional who planted the seed. I listened intently to this successful commercial real estate professional and took her advice to enter this business. I jumped in feet first and never looked back. That was 15 years ago. I’m thankful for her guidance and continuing counsel. I’m also blessed with a friend for life.

You no doubt can relate similar experiences with those who have made an impact in your career and continue to do so. Remember to thank them for all they have done to support you. Even better, show them how much you appreciate their guiding hand by returning the favor to someone else. Pay it forward by serving as a mentor.

At our Strategic Planning Retreat last month, I unveiled the theme for 2011 – The Year of the Mentor. The executive committee, board directors and advisory board enthusiastically embraced this theme. And we planned for another great year ahead.

For starters, the Ambassadors Committee wasted no time. They have organized a “Meet and Greet” breakfast for new members. This will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the US Title and TRG Settlement Services office at 7930 Clayton Road.  The board and representatives from the Ambassadors and Membership Committees will get to know our new members in a casual networking setting. Special thanks to US Title and TRG Settlement Services for hosting this event.

Our fantastic Program Committee has a fun and festive Holiday Party planned for Tuesday, Dec. 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at IL Bel Lago Italian Restaurant and Bar in CityPlace. This is a member’s only gathering so it’s a perfect time to network and celebrate the season with your colleagues.

By the way, many thanks to the Program Committee for such an outstanding job this year. The topics, speakers and venues were excellent. We will see more of the same next year since Christy Boland Merdinian and Stacey Hudson have graciously agreed to work their magic again. If you have any suggestions for programs, please contact Christy or Stacey.

Lastly, I found the findings from CREW Network’s Women in Commercial Real Estate: 2010 study fascinating. Here are some highlights that compare this year to a similar study in 2005:

• More women are entering the field of commercial real estate and finding opportunity: 36 percent in 2005 as compared to 43 percent today.
• The wage gap between men and women is narrowing, but still present. More women are now in the $100,000 per year to $250,000 per year salary category, but still fewer than men.  Whereas only 8% of women surveyed in 2005 were at the $250,000 level, by 2010 that figure had increased to 11%, while the percentage of men in the same compensation category had decreased from 34% to 31%.
• In 2010, there are three times more men than women respondents represented at the $250,000 compensation level.
• In 2010, two times as many women as men reported earning less than $75,000 per year as opposed to three times as many in 2005.
• C-Suite positions continue to be a majority male: In the survey, 9% of the female respondents reported holding a C-suite position – President, CEO, CFO, COO – while 22% of the male respondents reported holding C-Suite positions.

The survey shows that CREW continues to make a difference in the lives and well-being of female professionals. We still have a way to go but we’ve come a long way since my mentor encouraged me to join this industry 15 years ago.

Best regards for a joyous holiday season,

Ann Z. Schmelzle
2011 CREW-St. Louis Chapter President

P.S. I would be remiss in not thanking Nancy Rodney for her outstanding contributions in 2010. Leader. Mentor. Cheerleader. Advocate. Professional. Friend. She is a role model in every way and a tough act to follow.

Nancy, we appreciate all you have done to build our chapter and our careers.