KATHY ROBERSON
Combined Properties CEO Kathy Roberson (with Bozzuto's John Slidell) has spent her whole life in the DC area (except for her undergrad days at JMU), growing up in Vienna, where she lives to this day. While getting her MBA at GW, she landed an internship at Combined Properties, where she says she "was planning to stay for two years." 23 years later, she's still there. It's been an eventful ride: She helped pull the company out of bankruptcy, has expanded its presence all the way to Southern California, and is overseeing Combined's foray into mixed-use. The firm has a $750M pipeline in DC and LA. Honing in on one's passion is part of Kathy's advice to young real estate pros: "Focus on what you love and everything will fall into place as it should."
