Built to Lead

Wendy Castro is Senior Project Manager, Design & Construction, for Rockefeller Group's NJ/PA Region. In this role, Wendy works closely with the NJ/PA Regional team on various design and construction projects and most recently led the development of Independence Way at The Green, an eight building, 62-unit affordable housing development in Florham Park, N.J. that was developed by the company for the United Way and Madeline Corporation, who own and manage the facility. In addition, Wendy has managed the design and construction of a one million square-foot industrial facility at Rockefeller Group’s Lehigh Valley Logistics Center in Pennsylvania and the Summit Medical Group Cancer Center in New Jersey. Prior to joining Rockefeller Group, Wendy was a Senior Manager for Jones Lang LaSalle, working as a consultant in Goldman Sach's Corporate Services and Real Estate Division, where she managed the cost control program of Goldman's $35 million data center. Previously,Wendy led the cost management department for Tishman Speyer Properties overseeing $1 billion in construction contracts for the new Goldman Sach's downtown headquarters in New York City. She also has prior experience with Turner Construction. Wendy holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Drexel University and an MS in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

Amanda Koenig Stone joined EBI Consulting in 2013 and is now a senior project manager and principal reviewer within EBI’s Construction Consulting Services team. Amanda has over 22 years’ experience in the construction and construction consulting industries, including extensive experience in project management and in construction, having worked for almost 15 years as a project manager for construction management firms in New York City. At EBI, Amanda has worked on a wide range of commercial and residential projects including multifamily, independent and assisted living, dormitory, office, and hotel properties. Amanda earned her Bachelor of Arts in human development from Boston College, is LEED certified for new construction, and works remotely from New York.

Beatrice Sibblies is the managing partner of BOS Development, a community-focused real estate development and brokerage firm based in Harlem. BOS Development creates the spectrum of projects necessary for a vibrant community. BOS Development’s debut project, 88 Morningside, is an 80,000 sf residential co-op and community facility building structured on a 99-year ground lease from a Presbyterian church. With the building’s sleek interior and exterior design, the project received numerous accolades for its design quality. The project also resulted in the successful renovation and expansion of the church facilities and created an annuity for ongoing operations. Based on the success of the 88 Morningside transaction, BOS has built a practice working with faith-based institutions to optimize their real estate portfolio. Current projects include development of a charter middle school in the Sugar Hill Historic District, creation of a new furnished rental platform in core Central Harlem as well as other hospitality, culinary and education projects. BOS Development has also formed an Opportunity Zone fund focused on real estate for education uses. In her leadership of BOS Development Ms. Sibblies brings to bear a track record of financial innovation as a former investment banker and a deep commitment to building communities. Prior to forming BOS Development, Ms. Sibblies worked at J.P. Morgan Chase, acting as first a Vice President of Emerging Markets Research and then Vice President of Structured Finance. Ms. Sibblies graduated from Yale University with a major in Economics and Political Science. She also gained a Master’s in Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Sibblies serves on a number of non-profit boards including Harlem Park to Park, a Central Harlem merchant and community development organization; Higher Heights for America, a women’s leadership development organization; and the Urban Design Forum, a convening organization for thought leaders on urban design and development.

A 14-year veteran of Turner Construction Company, Elin has been an integral member for the successful completion of several NYC projects. Elin completed her civil engineering degree at Christian Brothers University and received her masters at Columbia University. Elin began her career as a field engineer at the Lincoln Center 65th Street Redevelopment project. She continued on to roles in the estimating, business development and procurement departments in our New York Main group. In the years that followed, she was promoted to positions of greater responsibility, currently serving as the Procurement Manager for the Interiors division of the New York Business Unit. Elin is responsible for managing a team of procurement agents, executing over 1,000 trade contracts and procuring approximately $700M annually. In addition to her work in procurement, Elin is an active member of the Parents Network within Turner’s Employee Resource Group. The Parents network was created as result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new challenges facing parents. Elin is also a partner in the Design Build Excellence cross-training program. This program brings together trade partners, CM’s, engineers and design firms to optimize resources, improve project delivery, enhance and accelerate staff development, improve communication, and strengthen our relationships through trust and respect. Elin resides in the Gramercy Park neighborhood with her husband and two sons.

Laura Bush has over 20 years of experience in the construction management industry. Her journey from the field, as a construction superintendent almost 20 years ago to her current position as Senior Vice President and Operational Delivery Director for Lendlease, represents a career growth success story for women in the construction industry. Laura began her career at Lendlease working as a construction superintendent in the field at the Chiswick Park office development in London. In January 2001, she transferred to New York City to work on the AOL Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. Laura has since worked on luxury residential projects such as Fifteen Central Park West and 150 Amsterdam (Aire) and on the pre-construction of 250 West 55th Street, a midtown office development. Laura managed the overall construction of the 55-story, Hyatt Hotel at Times Square, which opened at the end of 2013, and the completion of the luxury residential project at One Madison Park. Most recently, she managed the construction of a two-acre site in downtown Manhattan at One Manhattan Square (250 South Street). In addition, she has overseen the completion of foundations for a luxury residential building in Sutton Place, Manhattan. Effective November 2018, Ms. Bush transitioned from NYC construction operations and commenced a National role with Lendlease, with the primary purpose of promoting consistency through project delivery in the Americas business. Laura actively participates in the Lendlease regional women’s group in New York City. Laura has served as Chapter President of the Great New York and Long Island Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). She was a founding co-chair of the Ambassador Council for Non-Traditional Employment for Women (NEW), who provide free training for women who want to enter the construction trades. Ms. Bush continues to support NEW, and some of her projects have participated in the NEW Signature Projects program, which promotes the hiring of tradeswomen on New York City construction sites. Ms. Bush met her husband, Andrew, while working on her first construction project in Manhattan. They reside in Westfield, NJ with their young daughters, Alexis (10) and Liza (7).

Andrea Himmel serves as Principal and Chief Investment Officer at leading Manhattan-based commercial real estate owner/developer Himmel + Meringoff Properties. In this key role, Andrea is working to expand the company’s $2 billion NYC portfolio of Outer Borough industrial warehouses and secondary office buildings in Manhattan. Prior to joining Himmel + Meringoff in 2018, Andrea held a number of key positions with several well-known commercial real estate firms, including Brookfield Properties. As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s esteemed Wharton School, Andrea earned her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Real Estate Finance. During her tenure at Wharton, she was also chosen to be part of the Joseph Wharton Scholar Honors Program. Himmel + Meringoff Properties is a privately held New York real estate investment company with a commitment to the long-term ownership and hands-on operation and management of one of the largest privately-owned portfolios of secondary office buildings in Manhattan and a growing portfolio of industrial warehouses located in the boroughs of New York City. The company acquires opportunistic commercial real estate properties with significant value-add potential.