January 2012 Presidents Message

Greetings,

Happy New Year CREW-St. Louis!  I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and some well-deserved time away from the office.  I spent lots of time with my husband and kids. I also used last week to clean my office and move old files to storage in preparation for the new year.  It may just be another day on the calendar but I love the fresh start that comes every January.

Before we dive into 2012, I want to again thank the 2011 CREW-St. Louis Board for all of their dedication and hard work.  It has truly been my pleasure to work with each and every one of you.  Hats off to Ann Schmelzle for a job well done as our leader in 2011!  Throughout the Year of the Mentor, Ann has lived up to her chosen theme, serving as a terrific mentor to me and many others.  Her friendship, knowledge of the real estate industry and leadership of our organization has been invaluable to all of us.

Going for Gold in 2012!  How will you contribute this year and in years to come to make CREW-St. Louis a Gold Standard Chapter?  You can gather some ideas in CREW Network’s recently released Gold Standard Chapter Playbook.  Check it out in the Chapter Resources section of the CREW Network Web site.

Every member has access to these resources on the CREW Network Web site.  Take advantage of everything offered on the site, including recorded leadership calls, presentations from prior Leadership Summits, career and job search resources and much more! 

I also urge you to update your CREWbiz profile in 2012!  Every member has a default profile, but for CREWbiz™ to be useful, you must personalize it with a photo and updated bio information.  Most of us already use LinkedIn so uploading this same information and photo to CREWbiz™ should be a piece of cake. 

And don’t be afraid to ask for help from the many techies in our organization.  If you need assistance, they stand eager to help.  Send an e-mail to any board member and we will find someone to help.  If there’s enough interest, we can even organize a training class in a relaxed setting over lunch to get your profiles on CREWbiz™.

Our upcoming program on the region’s retail industry should kick off our year of Going for Gold in 2012 with a bang!  It promises to be both informative and, as always, a great opportunity to network with fellow CREW members and other members of the real estate community.

The CREW-St. Louis Annual Awards Luncheon is officially scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the Starlight Room at the Chase Park Plaza.  Our awards categories this year are Member-to-Member Business, New Member of the Year and the Spirit of CREW Award. 

As part of our 2012 theme of “Going for Gold,” the Awards Committee – led by Julie Drummond-Alderman and Lindsay Bernaix – developed the Spirit of CREW Award.  This will honor a member that embodies the Gold Standard Spirit of CREW.  The committee will look for someone who not only contributes to the success of CREW-St. Louis, but also carries expertise in the real estate industry and values networking and helps CREW members make connections.

Get 2012 off to a good start!  I challenge each of you to submit at least one nomination this year for yourself or another CREW-St. Louis member.  Don’t be bashful or ashamed to toot your own horn.  The Awards Program is always highly attended and could provide you and your CREW colleagues with the visibility needed to start the year off right. 

I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at the upcoming retail program and at the Chase in February! 

Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!

Warmest regards,

Amy K. Mistler
2012 CREW-St. Louis Chapter President