San Diego Power Women: Part 7
Today, we bring you the seventh installment of our 10-part Power Women series profiling the 50 most influential women in San Diego commercial real estate. Then join Bisnow and partner Allen Matkins on June 25 for a cocktail awards reception to honor these amazing leaders at the San Diego Public Library, 6-8pm.
MARY PAMPUCH, EVP, LANKFORD & ASSOCIATES
Lankford & Associates EVP Mary Pampuch is responsible for the firm's development activities, and brings 25 years of experience and some $900M and 2.4M SF of real estate deals to the table. She tells us her greatest achievement was being part of the team that delivered the $127M Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, which finally delivered after being hit by the recession. “The innovative research that will be cultivated there will improve the quality of life for many individuals,” she says. The Wisconsin native “couldn’t wait to break loose” and move to a larger city, which brought her to San Diego. Today, she’s working on projects like the mixed-use Makers Quarter in East Village; its first residential project will soon break ground with boutique office to follow. Her advice: “Listen. We were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Learn from the experts, work harder than everyone else, and most importantly, express your gratitude every day. And, of course, wear tasteful high heels so you can tower above the masses.” Outside of work, she’s into golf, travel, music and taking on home DIY projects. She also sits on the Urban Discovery Foundation Board and the East Village Foundation Board.
SHAY HUGHES, CO-OWNER AND COO, HUGHES MARINO
If there's anything close to a San Diego commercial real estate dynasty, it's the Hughes family. And especially its matriarch, Hughes Marino's co-owner Shay Hughes, who tells us the firm is big on having spouses and children all part of the equation. “My life has always been about family, and that family includes our entire company. As unconventional as it might be in our industry, a little maternal instinct goes a long way in the workplace.” That family atmosphere is fostered by not only a living room, kitchen and game room at the office, but quarterly retreats where employees and spouses spend the day with speakers and best-selling authors (best-selling Bisnow writers have yet to be invited). The Cali native graduated with her husband and co-owner, Jason Hughes, from Pepperdine University, and in her spare time, she enjoys writing about business management and culture for several pubs.
GLYNNA HOEKSTRA, SVP OPERATIONS-WEST REGION, BALFOUR BEATTY
Balfour Beatty SVP of West Region Operations Glynna Hoekstra broke into the industry in Alaska. Right after high school in Arizona, Glynna got wanderlust, answered a help wanted ad and landed a job as a receptionist for a construction company in the Great White North. “I was just trying to get away, go on an adventure.” After starting at the entry level, Glynna eventually rose to the top of the commercial construction business (after a couple of moves in between) with Balfour Beatty, where she's been for nearly 20 years. She was a key player as CFO, helping shuttle Douglas E. Barnhart's merger with Balfour Beatty back in 2004, and most recently, helped reorganize the western region for the firm with top talent. The mom of two post-college age children—one of who got the wanderlust bug and lives in Hawaii—and wife to Heritage Group's Mark Hoekstra, Glynna owns and trains four quarter horses—KaChoo, Tia, Charlie and Cookie—and enjoys the great outdoors in her spare time.
KRISTINA METZGER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE OF DATA CENTER SOLUTIONS, CBRE
Kristina Metzger leads CBRE’s data center practice for SoCal, acquiring over 30 MWs of retail and leading $1B in projects over her career. As a finance major at SDSU, she wanted to do something technical and analytical, yet quickly evolving and that included daily interaction with diverse people—not your typical finance position. She joined CBRE as an intern and was offered a full-time financial consulting position prior to graduating. A few months later, she worked on her first data center project and was soon hooked. “If you had told me then I would be passionate about the data center industry, I would have asked you what a data center was." She’s currently working on a Fortune 500 project in which three key client team members are women—a rarity in IT and data centers. She’s passionate about the advancement of women in STEM: “This project reminds me daily to promote other women and encourage them to pursue similar careers,” she says. “Pick a niche and become an expert. You will set yourself apart and offer the greatest value to your clients. Generalists are a dying breed.“ Outside of work, she loves traveling and experiencing new cultures, cooking, entertaining, and spending quality time with close friends and family. Volleyball, bike rides and Barry’s Bootcamp keep her fit.
