November 2011 Presidents Message
Greetings,
You may remember family vacations in the car. The age-old question always came up after five minutes: “Are we there yet?”. Of course, if you have children, you still may hear that question five minutes into your travels. Ahh, payback time.
Well, I must say that my trip this year as president never left me asking that question. It’s gone by much too quickly. It’s the old saying: time flies when you’re having fun, not to mention staying busy.
What a ride! Thanks to all of you for your support and kind words of appreciation. My journey would never have been as enjoyable without you. I especially admire and appreciate the hard work of our board and committee members. It’s taken a busload of people to continue to drive the success of our chapter.
Looking forward, I must say that Amy Mistler is well-prepared to lead us in 2012. Her fresh perspective and initiatives will no doubt move us ahead. Her theme of Going For Gold challenges all of us to increase our commitment to our chapter and to our mission.
This theme became a major discussion point during our annual strategic planning retreat in late October. It was embraced by all in attendance who want to elevate our chapter’s visibility, long-term viability and continued focus on advancing the success of our members in this great business. All agreed that we can do more to be the “best of the best” within CREW Network. More importantly, I saw the resolve among your board – officers, directors and advisory board – to turn this theme from words into reality.
What also hit me during the retreat was the power of CREW-St. Louis. Yes, we build ties that bind us together professionally but we extend the relationship to a far deeper level. This became apparent during our introductions. Each of us shared our backgrounds and then noted what we would want to do if we weren’t in commercial real estate. We have some aspiring travel writers, restaurateurs, fashion designers, teachers, health food entrepreneurs, actresses, pro golfers and more in our group. You simply never stop learning about your CREW colleagues.
The connections we make through CREW are simply amazing. This was vividly on display during our October meeting when we honored the 28 past presidents of CREW-St. Louis. Many of our former leaders who attended emphasized a consistent theme. CREW-St. Louis helped them form relationships that have lasted for decades.
We also have begun to tap the experience and expertise of these former leaders and other members with a long tenure. With Nancy Rodney’s help, we held our first Legacy Advisory Board meeting last month. Several members with 20-plus years have stepped forward to offer their sage counsel and access to their connections. They have much to offer in helping us elevate our visibility in the community and supporting our recruiting efforts for new members. They are the very essence of this year’s call as The Year of the Mentor.
Sandwiched between these events, we held another Meet and Greet for new members. These informal gatherings over coffee have given newcomers an opportunity to see first-hand the value of CREW. The Ambassadors Committee deserves credit for initiating these great events, along with our Membership Committee for their participation and contributions to further the success of our new member get-togethers.
Several members also participated in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. I don’t know of many women who haven’t been touched by this disease whether a family member or friend. Many of us were fortunate enough to walk with Stacey Hudson, a breast cancer survivor. We also were joined by Nancy Rodney and her friends, who were walking to honor the memory of their dear friend who recently lost her battle.
Most recently we held a program on infrastructure and its connection with development. The program was very well received as the panel discussed the importance of infrastructure in both established communities as people move back to urban areas, as well as the struggles of newly developed areas where infrastructure can’t keep up with explosive growth. Our program moderator, Libbey Malberg, a CREW colleague and Assistant City Administrator for community services & economic development for the city of Chesterfield, did an excellent job making this an interactive program.
Our recent CREW Careers event was a resounding success. We reached several bright, attentive young women who have a deeper understanding of commercial real estate and potential career opportunities in our industry. The efforts of our Education Committee also formed new connections with Washington University and the Parkway School District. To top it off, the event generated interest from two prospective new members – a student from Canada studying real estate at Washington University and a member of Washington University’s facilities planning and management staff.
Needless to say, the last six weeks have been a bevy of activity. That’s part of my wild ride as president. As my journey as your leader nears its final destination, I wish I wouldn’t have to ask if I were there yet.
Thanks for making this a year to remember!
Warmest regards,
Ann Z. Schmelzle
2011 CREW-St. Louis Chapter President
Director – Corporate Services
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