Opening the door to career success is central to the mission of Florida International University’s (FIU) Hollo School of Real Estate, which brings students and alumni together with leading area professionals for networking and career information exchanges.
Creating these opportunities is a priority for faculty member Suzanne Hollander, a real estate attorney and broker. On January 28, 2014, she brought seventeen real estate leaders from Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) to meet over 100 undergraduate and graduate students at FIU’s College of Business. During this event, students met and learned directly from these top real estate industry leaders and employers.
The diverse group of professionals included:
- Jose Bello – senior associate, Real Estate Asset Management Department, LNR
- Cristina Canton – founder, North Carolina office, Architecture and Urbanism
- Gina Chevannes – senior community association manager, First Service Residential
- Lyan Fernandez – chief operating officer, Total Bank
- Sandy Londono – vice president, Commercial Lending – Sabadell Bank
- Joy Medlock – vice president and general manager, Jones, Lang Lasalle
- Marti Mang – senior vice president, TotalBank
- Joy McKenna – president, Research Management Corporation
- Brett Moss – principal, Moss Architecture + Design Group, Inc.
- Margaret Nee – vice president of development, Pointe Group Advisors
- Penny Tannenbaum – senior vice president; manager, performing loan consents, LNR
- Maria Agon McCarthy, senior advisor, Sperry Van Ness
- Elizabeth Santos – vice president – Sime Realty Corp.
- Jenna Rissman – Atlass Dispute Resolution
- Elizabeth Vergara – director of leasing, Adler Realty Services
William Hardin, professor and director of the Hollo School of Real Estate and the Jerome Bain Real Estate Institute, George Wu, associate professor, and Eileen Cardelle, adjunct professor, also attended the event.
Hollo School supports networking event.
In addition to making connections, students earned extra credit for participating and were treated to a dinner sponsored by FIU’s Hollo School of Real Estate and the Jerome Bain Real Estate Institute.
Emily Mejia, a junior in the College of Business and an Air Force Veteran, summed up the evenings’ success. “Having the real estate professionals dedicate their time to mentor students and share their success stories was extremely motivating,” she said.
Hollander, who moderated the program, concluded by thanking and the mentors and students and sharing a piece of from Benjamin Franklin: “An investment in learning pays the best interest.”
