CREW Charlotte honors leading ladies

Cristy Nine of Cresa Partners LLC, left, accepts the Commercial Real Estate Women’s Deal of the Year award at the CREW Charlotte chapter’s Excellence Awards luncheon from CREW President Bobbi Jo Lazarus on Tuesday at The Ritz-Carlton. Photo by Eric Dinkins

Charlotte’s chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women recognized five of its most outstanding members on Tuesday afternoon at its annual Excellence Awards luncheon.

The networking organization, which aims to advance the achievements of women in commercial real estate, finished the year with 290 CREW Charlotte members, and its average number of monthly luncheon attendees has grown from 110 to 170 since 2011.

President Bobbi Jo Lazarus kicked off the luncheon with a recap of the organization’s 2014 accomplishments, including its casino night, which raised more than $21,000 in scholarship donations to be divided among UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business, Queens University and the CREW Network Scholarship Foundation. The organization donated another $10,000 to the Belk College of Business during the luncheon.

Cristy Nine of Cresa Partners LLC received the most prestigious of the six awards, Deal of the Year, which recognized a CREW member for closing a commercial real estate transaction that exemplified the qualities and goals of CREW Charlotte.

Nine took the lead on helping engineering consultant company UC Synergetic, which is owned by the Pike Corp., relocate its headquarters from Charlotte to Fort Mill, S.C. The company put $2.2 million into the move, and promised to stay in Fort Mill for 10 years.

“To receive an award that is at the heart of CREW Charlotte’s core value of passionate commitment to mutual assistance through multidisciplinary, responsive, loyal and supportive relationships is an honor that I will dearly cherish,” Nine said after the luncheon.

The other five awards were:

• The Rising Star award, which recognized a new member for pursuing an active role within the organization, was awarded to Emily Buehrer with Bloc Design consulting firm. Buehrer was on the CREW Communications Committee this year, and helped the organization enhance its social media presence.
• The Member of the Year award recognized a CREW member who has made an outstanding contribution to the chapter, and this year’s recipient was Whitney Bauman with Mechanical Systems and Services Inc. Bauman served on the organization’s Programs Committee and was the co-chair of Queen City in Pink, which resulted in 278 buildings recognizing breast cancer awareness month with pink lights and signs during the first week of October.
• The Networker of the Year award was given to Carrie Sharp with Indoff Commercial Interiors for her ability to send referrals and business to other members and create networking opportunities with CREW chapters outside of Charlotte. Sharp has been a member of CREW Charlotte since 2006, and was described as a “true leader” at the luncheon.
• The CREW Outreach award, which recognized a member of the organization who has taken the initiative to educate members and the community, was given to Margaret Martin with MECA Realty. Martin was one of the organization’s mentors for its first ever 18-month mentoring class that began last year.
• The President’s Choice award was given to Wanda Townsend with Johnston Allison & Hord attorneys. This marked the first year of this award, and it was given to Townsend and Johnston Allison & Hord for active involvement to CREW Charlotte. Townsend has been a member of the organization for eight years, and will be on the organization’s Strategic Committee next year to help CREW Charlotte rewrite its bylaws.

CREW Charlotte was one of three chapters in the United States to complete the CREW Network Foundation Challenge in 2014, which it accomplished by donating at least $1,000 and meeting certain participation requirements for the year.

In 2015, the organization will induct its second-ever mentoring class, which pairs 10 of its members with mentors who are not necessarily members of CREW Charlotte.

Jennifer Yoxtheimer with J.D. Goodrum was announced as CREW’s 2015 president.