Message From The President

Mid-year State of The Chapter
By Jan Fiola, CREW Chicago President

What an awesome organization!
I don’t know where to start to share with you all the accomplishments our dedicated Leadership Team and Committees have achieved in only 6 short months. Our Chapter has identified 2010 as “The Year of the Member,” and we have been focusing on initiatives to support our 250 members at various states in their career.
Here are just of the some of the highlights…

• 21 outstanding new members approved
• Enhanced website to serve as the “hub” of information for CREW Chicago and its members
• New, streamlined e-blast format implemented to reduce e-mails to our members
• Associate Membership category approved to include real estate professionals with less than 5 years of experience
• By-laws revised to accommodate the Associate Membership
• All Leadership Team Photos posted on the website
• $27,000 in Sponsorship Dollars raised
• 5 successful educational luncheon programs held
• 3 free innovative Leadership programs for members only
• 2 free supportive Lunch and Learn programs for members only
• First Annual Golf event organized and gaining momentum
• 2 Prospective New Member events hosted
• CREW Chicago New Member dinner hosted
• Approved Scholarship recipients to be CREW members for initial year
• CREW Careers new program format developed
• E-Mentoring program rolled out
• Followed up with non-renewing members to assist with renewal or learn why they did not renew
• Scholarship on-line application approved
• Strategy developed to reach out to Universities for our Scholarship program
• Participated in Roosevelt University’s trade show to promote our Associate Membership
• Sponsored Chicago Transition Center (CTC) to provide programs to assist our members
• Held 3 informal networking breakfasts across the city and suburbs
• CREW Chicago selected to host the CREW Network Convention in 2012

Jan Fiola With The CREW Chicago Leadership Team At Our Midyear Strategy Review Session: Left to Right: Back Row: Janet Johnson, Mary Fuller, Mirela Gabrovska, Helen Garrahy, Shari Albert, Mary Ellen Martin, Cindy Malone, Amy Mahone, Amy Blumenthal, Joanne Bella. Front Row: Cathy Stephenson, Colleen Scrivner, Deborah Krohn, Jan Fiola, Jane Blomquist, Yvonne Jones.

To see full listing of our Chapter’s Midyear Committee accomplishments in the Members Only section at the bottom of the page Click Here..

In addition to our own Chapter accomplishments, we received a visit from our CREW Network Liaison, Ann Waeger. Ann gave an interactive presentation to our Leadership Team during a dinner meeting to learn more about what is happening at the Network level. She then shared the highlights at our monthly CREW Chicago luncheon for our members and guests. We are reminded that as part of our Chapter membership we belong to an 8000 women organization across the US and Canada. There are many new initiatives that are being developed at the Network level to support our efforts starting with a new CREW Network branding statement “We exist to influence the success of the commercial real estate industry by advancing the achievements of women.”

Some of the highlights of the new initiatives at the Network level include…

• UCREW – a new mentoring program to reach out to women in colleges and universities
• CREWbiz – a powerful new tool to assist in networking by allowing members to access detailed information about other CREW Network members – but you have to fill out your profile and post your photo before anyone will know how you can help them (please do the same on our enhanced website)
• Industry Research white papers – look for the newest one to be published this fall
• Chapter Leadership Circle – a way in which the Chapters can give back to CREW Network
• Monthly Board Hosted conference calls – recorded so that any member may listen at any time
• Leadership Series Teleconferences – top economists, professors or real estate professionals share their views – recorded so that any member may listen at any time
• CREW Network Scholarship Endowment Fund – CREW Chicago has made a 2-year, $20,000 commitment to this fund

For more information about these exciting new initiatives on the CREW Network website, Click Here...

I personally want to thank our committee members, our Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs for their commitment to the success of our organization. I also want to thank Ann for her visit and sharing with us the benefits of being a CREW Network member. We have many more exciting initiatives for our members the second half of 2010. As I started out saying…This is an awesome organization!