Soaring Higher And Supporting The Next Generation: Meet 22 Women Leading D.C.'s Real Estate Industry

Berkadia's Yalda Ghamarian +

Photo: Courtesy of Yalda Ghamarian

Yalda Ghamarian is proud of the more than $6B in investment sales she has completed since joining Berkadia in 2022. But more than reaching the next billion-dollar milestone, the senior director of investment sales sees her biggest career goal is empowering others to succeed.

“I believe that when we empower each other, we not only enhance individual performance but also drive collective success and innovation,” Ghamarian said.

As a mother of two girls, Ghamarian says it’s important for her to support and guide the next generation of female professionals.

JLL's Ella Cooper +

Photo: Courtesy of Ella Cooper

JLL Vice President of Brokerage Ella Cooper is passionate about being the best tenant representative she can be while also supporting others around her. Her biggest professional achievements include receiving the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Tomorrow’s Leader award and closing Cushman & Wakefield’s largest mid-Atlantic leasing transaction of 2021.

She says there are still “major gaps” in the brokerage industry when it comes to gender parity, but she sees companies like her own actively working to narrow the gap.

When asked about a favorite hobby, she wrote simply: “Taylor Swift.”

Prologis's Karen Cherry +

Photo: Courtesy of Karen Cherry

When Karen Cherry was just starting out in her commercial real estate career, she remembers applying for a company that wouldn't interview her for an open spot. The reason, she says: The brokerage had just hired a female broker and met its “quota.”

Now, more than two decades later, Cherry is a vice president at Prologis and makes it her mission to support and mentor women getting their footing in the industry.

She compares her leadership method to coaching, giving guidance and assistance where necessary while also allowing her mentees to take the reins. Her biggest accomplishments, she says, aren’t those she personally executed but those of the individuals she’s helped along the way.

JLL's Jeanette Ko +

Photo: Courtesy of Jeanette Ko

Jeanette Ko, a senior vice president at JLL, says she has seen a “seismic shift” in representation of women of color like herself over her time in commercial real estate brokerage. Early in her career, she often found herself as the sole woman of color in boardrooms and industry events. Now, she sees women in pivotal decision-making roles across all parts of the brokerage sector.

“This transformation isn't just about representation; it's about redefining excellence and reshaping the future of CRE through inclusive leadership,” she said.

Ko is passionate about reimagining the future of workplaces as places for collaboration, creativity and well-being. She’s on the team undertaking a $25M revamp of the Homer Building at Metro Center, transforming the historic building with a new lobby and conference room and enhancing its amenities, including activating the rooftop.

Convene's Julia Broder +

Photo: Courtesy of Julia Border

In Julia Broder’s four years as a senior director of sales for Convene’s WorkPlace brand, the portfolio has gone from 77% to 89% leased with rates at its top-performing properties increasing by 10% to 15%. She is currently working on Convene’s first international WorkPlace location — details to come.

But above her individual success, Broder is focused on helping to pave the way for those around her, paying forward the mentorship she received on her own path.

She says family and friends make her “world go round.” She has one son and another on the way, coming in January.

Washington Workplace's Christine Miller-Langemak +

Photo: Courtesy of Christine Miller-Langemak

Christine Miller-Langemak, a partner of commercial furniture dealer Washington Workplace, says trusting her team is crucial for her business to succeed. She believes that putting faith in her employees, knowing they will make mistakes and learn from them, is part of the process.

She is proud that her firm didn’t have to lay off a single employee during the pandemic, and of some of the major projects she has taken on in the area — the Marine Corps Museum, the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udzar-Hazy Center and the National Cathedral Virginia Mae Center.

Miller-Langemak hopes to retire one day knowing the firm will continue to thrive in her wake. Her motto: “La Dolce Vida.”

Cushman & Wakefield's Sophie Van Pelt +

Photo: Courtesy of Sophie Van Pelt

The accomplishment that Cushman & Wakefield Senior Associate Sophie Van Pelt is most proud of is out-of-market — by nearly 7,000 miles.

Van Pelt lived in China between 2015 and 2020, first in Beijing and then in Hong Kong. In Beijing, she spent a few years at Red City Properties, where she worked on a team that leased and managed a 400K SF shopping mall in the heart of the central tourism district: The Sanlitun Topwin Center.

Back in the states, she took a role at D.C.-based Streetsense, before becoming a broker at Cushman & Wakefield. Now, she is working on sauna studio SweatHouz’s national expansion.

GCS-Sigal's Elizabeth Cossel +

Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Cossel

Elizabeth Cossel, a project manager at general contractor GCS-Sigal, says she’s seen a noticeable shift in women in CRE leadership roles but also in the trades. The shift is especially compelling when she notices that she is no longer the only woman on a construction site.

“I believe this shift signals a broader cultural change within the industry — one that values diversity and recognizes the strengths women bring to every level of the field,” she said.

Cossel is passionate about sustainability and wellness in the built environment — she has earned WELL AP, LEED Green Associate, and LFA certification and is working to achieve Net Zero on her firm’s $61M revamp of Malcolm X Elementary School & Green in Congress Heights. In May, Cossel completed her masters degree in real estate development from Georgetown University while also working full time as a project manager.

Rappaport's Dee Singletary +

Photo: Courtesy of Dee Singletary

Dee Singletary, a vice president of marketing at Rappaport, has seen her career in commercial real estate come full circle. At her first job in the industry, she undertook a branding effort for a Tysons Corner development while it was under construction. Now she’s at the company that manages and leases the property.

At Rappaport, she worked on publishing and marketing the third edition of Gary Rappaport’s book, “Investing in Retail Properties,” working with the publisher and the CEO.

She holds leadership roles in CREW Northern Virginia and ICSC, where she has found communities, receiving support in her journey and passing it along.

Gensler's Kimberly Sullivan +

Photo: Courtesy of Kimberly Sullivan

As a naturally positive person, Kimberly Sullivan leads with optimism. She is focused on creating an empathetic and encouraging environment where her team members can grow while feeling supported and where challenges are met with solutions.

Sullivan is bringing that mindset to her new role as co-managing director of Gensler’s D.C. office. At the office’s helm, Sullivan is broadening her expertise from workplace design to areas including hospitality, health and well-being, and aviation.

“This opportunity to learn and contribute to diverse, growing practice areas is both challenging and rewarding,” she said. “It’s exciting to help shape the future of these industries while continuing to deepen relationships with clients and expand our impact.”

Monday Properties' Jennifer Burns +

Photo: Courtesy of Jennifer Burns

Jennifer Burns, executive vice president of asset management and operations at Monday Properties, is balancing the task of repositioning some of the company’s office buildings while leasing up others in a market that is undergoing change.

She is working on a capital improvement project at Three Ballston Plaza in Arlington and spec suite and amenity upgrades throughout Monday’s portfolio.

But family comes first, Burns says. She makes it a priority to always be available for her kids, whether that’s at a school function or extra curricular activities.

“I want to be a positive role model by showing them what a healthy work/life balance looks like,” Burns said.

D.C. Deputy Mayor Nina Albert +

Photo: Bisnow/Emily Wishingrad

Nina Albert, who has held top roles at WMATA, the General Services Administration and the D.C. government, describes her leadership style as “Visionary and Decisive.”

Albert, who took on the role of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development for the city a year ago, is at the helm of the District’s biggest real estate decisions and efforts, spearheading huge developments like Poplar Point, St. Elizabeths East, The Reservoir District and The Parks at Walter Reed.

In the wake of coronavirus and its impact on D.C.’s office-heavy core, Albert’s office is focused on turning downtown into a vibrant, mixed-use community. The effort involves incentivizing developers to transform the increasingly empty office stock into other uses like residential, filling vacant retail with monetary incentives and overseeing a new task force reimagining the Chinatown/Gallery Place corridor.

H & H Realty Group's Genevieve Hanson +

Photo: Courtesy of Genevieve Hanson

A decision to buy, renovate and convert a small apartment building into condo units changed the trajectory of Genevieve Hanson’s career.

Hanson is now the CEO of H & H Realty Group, but she started out in management consulting while also working as a residential real estate agent. During that time, she converted the apartment building, generating $1.2M in sales — 32% profit. It was the beginning of her career in commercial real estate.

Hanson is the founder of a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and is the 2024 president of CREW D.C. H & H manages 54.3M SF of real estate and has executed $1.1B in transactions.

H&R Retail's Harper Sigman +

Photo: Courtesy of Harper Sigman

As a director at H&R Retail, Harper Sigman’s job gives her the benefit of traveling the country to see how retail functions in other markets and to bring inspiration back to D.C.

Sigman recently took the helm of Women of Chainlinks, a network of 200 women in retail real estate, after just five years in the business. She calls her role “extremely rewarding” and is proud of the strong network of friends across the country she has built through the work.

She is currently working on leasing Westbard Square in Bethesda, the first phase of which is nearly 100% leased. She sees the strong mix of retail tenants as creating a “destination that will serve as a staple in the community for years to come.”

Berkadia's Eglae Recchia +

Photo: Couresty of Eglae Recchia

Eglae Recchia is in a sector of real estate where there are very few leaders who look like her.

Recchia, chief product officer at Berkadia, sits at the intersection of CRE and technology, where women of color are often absent. But she sees that changing — and she is helping to participate in that change. Recchia sits on Berkadia’s DEI committee, which she says is “ensuring” it brings in diversity of thought to the company.

“I believe in the right person for the role, and that diversity of thought is what drives innovation forward — in all industries,” she said.

JLL's Anna Shaffer +

Photo: Courtesy of Anna Shaffer

Last year, JLL Managing Director of Brokerage Anna Shaffer took on a new role at the company as the lead of D.C. tenant representation, guiding 30 team members.

Shaffer leads with a “service” approach, with a constant focus on how she can help her team reach new heights, providing support and resources as needed to empower her team and clients.

She is working on securing a 55K SF lease in Northern Virginia for a software government contractor client. The deal is the culmination of a 15-year effort, Shaffer says, which for her “exemplifies the importance of perseverance in our industry.”

“It's a testament to the value of building and maintaining client relationships over time, even when immediate results aren't apparent,” she said.

The BlackChamber Group's Samantha Giunta +

Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Giunta

In 2019, Samantha Giunta joined a team of three to build a real estate investment and development firm from the ground up.

Giunta, the chief financial officer for The BlackChamber Group, worked to develop its operations from scratch, a key component to the firm launching its first fundraise. In less than six months BlackChamber raised $519M from large institutional investors, including multiple Fortune 100 companies and one of the 10 largest public state pension plans. It is now raising its second private fund.

Giunta is constantly reevaluating what it means to have a happy and fulfilling life in and outside of work.

“If in my old age, my knowledge, advice and opinion are valued in the CRE industry, my community and with my family, I will have succeeded,” she said

Torrence Law Office's LaVonne Torrence Berner +

Photo: Courtesy of LaVonne Torrence Berner

When LaVonne Torrence Berner was starting out in commercial real estate, she wasn’t immediately aware of how important it was to build a strong network.

As the founder and principal attorney at Torrence Law Office, she is now passionate about working with those just starting out to educate and help them build those relationships.

Recently, Torrence Berner has been working with landlords to bring more life sciences tenants to Maryland and has been working with the Maryland Women’s Business Center to expand their shop local retail incubator program.

Outside of work, she has spent at least one night in 35 states and hopes to get to all 50 within the next five years.

Carr Properties' Kaitlyn Rausse +

Photo: Courtesy of Kaitlyn Rausse

Kaitlyn Rausse’s current motto is “to be bold, but with care,” which she sees as exemplifying the balance between being confident and considerate at the same time.

Rausse was promoted to the leadership team at Carr Properties last year. In her new role as senior vice president of leasing, she oversees deals at Midtown Center, including Fannie Mae’s deal to halve its presence there and ArentFox Schiff’s relocation.

These days, she jokes the 869K SF development in the heart of downtown is her “third child,” given the amount of attention she devotes to the eight-year old trophy property.

“Midtown Center is special,” she wrote. “It’s like the Birkin bag of buildings and it makes me proud to be able to work on such an iconic project.”

Thompson Coburn's Kristin Niver +

Photo: Courtesy of Kristin Niver

Kristin Niver believes the pandemic brought positive momentum to gender equity in the workplace. Norms that prevailed pre-2020 were not “female friendly,” she said, and she feels much more empowered by the societal shift.

As counsel at law firm Thompson Coburn, Niver has a “pace setter” leadership style, bringing intensity, energy and high standards for herself and others to feed off.

She calls the project she’s currently working on — Climate United and Community Preservation Corporation’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund award to decarbonize affordable housing across the U.S. — “by far the coolest thing” she’s experienced in her career ... and in her life.

Streetsense's Victoria Wallace +

Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Wallace

Victoria Wallace hopes that one day women will be so ingrained in the fabric of commercial real estate that there won’t be a need to highlight their accomplishments with a Women Leading Real Estate event.

Wallace, a project architect for Streetsense’s Edit Lab, has worked across the CRE spectrum on projects ranging from 1,500 SF to 250K SF. Her latest effort is even larger — a renovation of a public infrastructure project totaling 415K SF.

As a D.C. native, Wallace says she would like to see the city’s design scene have an increasing presence on national and global stages.

CoStar Group's Nadia O’Dea +

Photo: Courtesy of Nadia O’Dea

Nadia O’Dea began her career in corporate real estate leasing, where she says it was commonplace for brokers joining her in a meeting room to ask if the “real decision-maker” would be joining her.

O’Dea, a senior director for corporate real estate and facilities at CoStar Group, says she has noticed significant progress in recent years in representation.

On the construction side of the industry, she says she still often finds herself as the only one in the room but is most encouraged by seeing her male colleagues increasingly bolstering women in the industry.

She is currently working on some major projects, including leasing CoStar’s 750K SF new Richmond campus and her company’s planned move to Central Place in Rosslyn.

Soaring Higher And Supporting The Next Generation: Meet 22 Women Leading D.C.'s Real Estate Industry

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