Bisnow's Women in CRE Leadership Series - Bay Area

Lauren Jennings joined DCG in 2014, and is responsible for the strategic implementation of daily business operations as the Vice President of Operations. Prior to joining DCG, Lauren was the General Manager for Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Center in San Ramon, CA. In her role, she increased sales and reduced costs which resulted in a 34% increase in annual profits within first two years of position and led the property to receive “Property of the Year Award” for 2012 besting other company locations. Lauren has invested significant time in volunteer and leadership activities over the years, including mentoring high school young women to build their self-esteem and empower them to fulfill their highest potential. Currently, Lauren serves as Worship Leader for Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship in Oakland. She serves on the board for the Cornell Hotel Society, Northern California Chapter and is the 2020 President of CREW, East Bay, an organization dedicated to enhancing professional growth and business opportunities for women in commercial real estate. Lauren was nominated for and recognized in 2017 as a Rising Rockstar, an award given to exceptional women, thirty-five years and younger, who are influential, dynamic and show early promise as an industry leader. In addition, she served as the Founding Chair of CREW, East Bay’s Rising Leaders Committee. In addition, Lauren is a member of and volunteers with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated and the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network. Lauren graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She earned her California Department of Real Estate License in 2015.

Alicia John-Baptiste is the president and CEO of SPUR. She is responsible for defining the overall vision and strategy for the organization. Alicia served for three years as SPUR's deputy director, overseeing policy and strategic initiatives and running the organization day to day. Prior to joining SPUR, she held senior public administration and public policy roles for the City and County of San Francisco, including chief of staff positions at both the San Francisco Planning Department and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. She holds a Masters degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University.

Sara Neff is a Partner and General Manager of Sustainability for Microsoft's Cloud Operations + Innovation team. Prior to joining Microsoft, she was Head of Sustainability, Lendlease Americas, where she provided leadership and management oversight in developing, implementing and driving Lendlease's corporate sustainability framework in the Americas region. Prior to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation. Under her leadership, Kilroy was recognized as a leader among publicly traded real estate companies on sustainability in the Americas by GRESB for seven of the last eight years as well as being recognized by NAREIT, and achieved carbon neutral operations at the end of 2020. She is a LEED Fellow and holds a BS from Stanford and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Caroline Guibert Chase practices real estate, development, and land use law, with an emphasis on representing real estate developers in the entitlement of residential, commercial, and institutional development projects. Caroline has a unique multidisciplinary background including architecture, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) consulting, urban planning, and zoning enforcement. She has excelled at helping clients navigate the complex local and state entitlement processes throughout the Bay Area. Caroline has extensive experience with CEQA and has been involved in every step of the preparation of various CEQA documents, including the review of technical studies and the preparation of Environmental Impact Report (EIR)-required project objectives and alternatives. She is particularly well-versed in local and state historic resource issues, which often complicate the CEQA review process by triggering the need for an EIR. Caroline’s involvement and passion for her practice are also evident outside of the firm. Caroline is on the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition (SFHAC) Board and Chair of the SFHAC Legislative Committee. Caroline is also a member of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) Housing Policy Committee and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Deborah Boyer is Executive Vice President, Director of Innovation and Community Impact. Deborah leads the company’s future focused initiatives in key areas including evolving workplace, sustainability, wellness, and community impact, through a comprehensive platform called h3experiences. Prior to taking on her current role, Deborah was responsible for the company’s national portfolio as Director of Asset Management. Deborah joined The Swig Company in 2005 with over 20 years’ experience with major real estate owners and investors, providing her with a broad background in mixed-use commercial real estate. Her strategic management and positioning of Swig portfolio assets have been instrumental in placing the company at the forefront of emerging trends in the industry. Deborah’s current board affiliations include SPUR, Global Workspace Association, CRETech, Carbon Lighthouse, Liquid Space, and the Uptown/Downtown Oakland Community Benefit Districts. Additional memberships in industry organizations include Lamda Alpha, ULI, BOMA, CoreNet, WiPT.