Thank you Julie for recommending Progressive AE to one of your teammates. We appreciate your referral.
Here’s to new accomplishments in 2024!
Submitted by Julie Pruett, Marlboro Development Team
The final CREW luncheon of 2023 emerged as the pinnacle of inspiration and upliftment for the year. Guided by Antoine Dennard, a Partner at Quore Advisors, the event featured a captivating panel discussion which included his partner is in the Brookhill Village redevelopment, Mike Griffin with Griffin Brothers, Colin Pinkney with The Harvest Center and Warren Wooten with the City of Charlotte. Together, these entities united their efforts to redevelop 100 units in Brookhill Village, originally established in 1957.
The overarching objective of the Brookhill Village redevelopment was to retain current residence in their units while preserving the development’s affordable housing status. Notably, Brookhill Village marked the inception of affordable housing for African American in the City of Charlotte. Dennard emphasized several times throughout the presentation, “Our goal was to put the residents first and everything else would work out.” In some instances, there were 5th generation residents living in Brookhill Village and it was the partner’s ultimate goal to improve their lives.
Beyond the redevelopment of the existing living units, Quore Advisors and Griffin Brothers envision a mixed-use development to include vertical tiny homes, retail and wrap around services provided by the Harvest Center to include a gym, kitchen and training center. The partners also aspire to pay tribute to Tremont Station and the spirit of South End.
The Brookhill Village redevelopment stands on the precipice of transformation, buoyed by substantial support from the City and County, as well as a $3 million investment by Harvest Center, announced during the CREW luncheon. This initiative not only promises to reshape the landscape of the area but will also change lives.
On the evening of November 1st, CREW Charlotte celebrated their annual Impact Awards celebration at Myers Park Country Club. The awards honor members and projects that have had a meaningful impact on the Charlotte area community and CREW Charlotte.
Nikki Thornton, Controller at MECA Commercial Real Estate, received the Emerging Leader Award. The Emerging Leader Award honors those CREW Charlotte individuals that embody excellence, spirit and energy in the field of Commercial Real Estate and the CREW Charlotte Chapter.
Nikki has been extremely active during her time with CREW by serving in multiple capacities including as a Board Member, and has served on numerous committees. She is an outstanding CREW CLT emerging leader!
Elsa Simaan of Stewart Title National Commercial Services was awarded The Carrie Sharp Power Connector Award. This award honors a CREW Charlotte member that goes above and beyond networking to actively establish or strengthen relationships with fellow CREW members and sponsors by intentionally connecting members and sponsors to other members and sponsors through business and referral generation.
This individual also demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to marshal CREW talent, resulting in measurable business for other CREW members or sponsors. This individual exemplifies the power and spirit of CREW and their efforts result in measurable CREW business.
Elsa is the embodiment of this award as she is continually driven and genuinely motivated to invest in the successful networking of her fellow CREW members.
Tonya Brandon of Cushman & Wakefield was the 2023 recipient of The Career Advancement for Women Award. This award honors a CREW Charlotte member who consistently exemplifies CREW Charlotte’s commitment to elevating the status of women in commercial real estate by working to advance the careers of other women. This award is presented as a result of actions of this individual that had a significant impact on one or more women, giving them the skills or confidence to pursue and succeed in new opportunities.
Tonya is a passionate advocate for the advancement of women in commercial real estate. For more than a decade, she has championed for elevated roles and compensation for women within her company.
Monika Nessbach, founder and Chief Interior Designer of DESIGNBAR is this year’s winner of The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. This award honors a CREW Charlotte member who achieved a unique career success or milestone as the result of an exceptional entrepreneurial spirit. This individual is often a risk taker and is willing to step outside the box to create something new or different – providing services, creating products or improving practices by innovatively organizing, developing or deploying resources either within their own company, as part of a larger organization their industry or community.
Fourteen years ago, she embarked on a journey to start DESIGNBAR. Four years later she left her successful corporate career to put her heart and soul behind her dream. Along the way, she didn’t just build a company; she built a workplace that encourages authenticity, and creativity, an environment that embodies EPIC fun and where collaboration thrives.
The recipient of this year’s DEI Impact Award was Diana Palecek of Fox Rothschild. This award honors a CREW Charlotte member who tirelessly helps to advance the organization’s goals to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in membership and leadership.
Diana was nominated because she is helping to change the culture of CREW Charlotte by expanding our community cohort program to include a cohort centered on professionals with disabilities.
Camp North End was the unanimous winner of The Community Project Impact Award -for Profit. This award honors a building or project that positively affects not only its inhabitants, but the surrounding community. The winner of this award exemplifies meaningful change in our city in the physical space, whether it is a development with great green space or a building that services those in need in our community.
CREW Charlotte Silver Sponsor, Trinity Partners, provides leasing and property management services for the site. Other CREW Charlotte members participating with goods and services at Camp North End include: Barringer, Choate, Swinerton, Scotties, and O’Leary Waste.
Amy’s House, the new shelter for Lincoln County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCCADV) that was designed by SGA|NW in partnership with IMEG is the 2023 CREW Charlotte Community Project Impact Award – non-profit. This award honors a building or project that positively affects, not only its inhabitants, but the community surrounding it. The winner of this award exemplifies meaningful change in our community in the physical space on the non-profit side.
This project relied on multiple CREW Charlotte members who contributed to its success. Architects Kelly Steele and Krista Karlson of SGA|NW a GF design company, led the design. They partnered with Scott Campagna and Marissa Date of IMEG for the MEP and Structural Engineering. Carrie Sharp with Indoff Commercial Interiors assisted with providing comfortable and long-lasting furniture, and Lacey Johnson provided artistic and interior design direction to help the space feel welcoming.
The Creative Design Award winner for 2023 is the Gresham Smith Building. Creative design of a building comes in many forms, including exterior architecture, interior design, art, branding and furnishings. How a space is designed immediately impacts people and their experience. This award goes to the project that inspires the world around it and moves the needle in creativity.
Marie McLucas, CFO of Primax Properties is the winner of The Circle of Excellence Award. This award recognizes a CREW Charlotte member or sponsor who consistently delivers excellence and whose efforts advance the commercial real estate industry and support our mission. This individual sets and achieves the highest standards of performance, accomplishing superior execution and results. The award winner is trusted and respected by others, and is seen as a thought leader, change agent, and champion of diversity.
Marie has served in several leadership roles within CREW Charlotte and CREW Network which culminated in her serving as president in 2017 and on the 2024 Board of Directors for CREW Network. She helped to create the inaugural CREW Charlotte’s Authentic Leadership Program in partnership with CREW Charlotte and Athena International and is a 2023 recipient of the Athena Leadership – Corporate Award.
Thank you to Kim Marks for again providing valuable opportunities to All American Relocation! We are super honored to be considered for such great relocation projects. Thank you, Kim!
Thank you to Denice Abbott, Davco Roofing, for asking us to partner with them on a salt shed project. We can’t wait to paint it! All we need are some margaritas to go with all that salt!
Thank you to Mary Wilken and her team at Insite Properties for the exterior painting project in Kannapolis. We appreciate you!!
Submitted by Beth Burleson, DOD Office Interiors
On Tuesday, October 10th, Hillary Crittendon, Dennis W. Miller, and Bennett Thompson introduced us to The Pearl – a mixed-use, innovation district combining office, retail, residential, a medical school and lab, and community gathering spaces.
Atrium Health, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and the North American home for IRCAD – an international experiential surgical training facility, will anchor this exciting innovative destination generating $81M to our local economy and over 11,000 job opportunities.
Thank you to Robin Turner, Michelle Rath and all the folks at the O’Leary Group for transitioning All American Relocation to a client. We have been very pleased with the services they have provided to us and look forward to this continuing relationship that began in CREW. Thank you!
submitted by Julie Pruett, Marlboro Development Team
The Crescent Communities River District team, consisting of Fran West, Jennifer Sharraba, Lisa Phocas, and partner Bart Landess of Catawba Lands Conservancy, captivated a full audience with an update on their ambitious project, The River District. Departing from the conventional suburban model, this visionary 1,400-acre sustainable community seamlessly blends urban elements like homes, retail, dining, offices, and educational facilities with the enchantment of parks, trails, woodlands, and the Catawba River.
The River District, “The Soul of a City in the Heart of Nature,” is set to encompass 2,300 homes, 2,350 multi-family units, 550 acres of open space, 1,000 hotel rooms, 500,000 square feet of retail space, and a vast 8 million square feet of commercial space. A pivotal feature, Project Breakpoint, a world-class tennis facility, will host an annual 2-week tennis tournament and 26 concerts, with the debut tournament scheduled for August 2026. Anchored by 30 parks, 30 miles of mountain biking trails, and a 2-acre working farm, this master planned development is conveniently situated within 5 miles of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, effortlessly connecting urban living to nature.
Environmental stewardship lies at the core of The River District, adhering to the One Planet Living principles through a comprehensive action plan addressing ten sustainability pillars. The collaboration with Catawba Lands Conservancy underscores the commitment to preservation, as evidenced by their in-depth nature study, fostering both existing and new wildlife habitats.
With its sprawling expanse, innovative components like Project Breakpoint, and unwavering dedication to sustainability, The River District stands poised to redefine community living while preserving and nurturing the environment.
Anne Vulcano, a past president of CREW Charlotte, passed away unexpectedly on July 23rd, 2023. CREW Charlotte has set up a memorial fund to honor Anne’s legacy through the CREW Network Foundation scholarship endowment. Contributions made in her honor will support future generations of female leaders and advance women in the industry.
Anne began working in the commercial real estate field in 1984. Anne spent just over a year working for The Bissell Companies where she was responsible for the development of the commercial brokerage unit.
She began working at CBRE in 1997, where she spent the majority of her career and was the top leasing broker for decades. In 2020, Anne moved over to Cushman & Wakefield as a brokerage specialist. Cushman & Wakefield Managing Principal, Brett Gray, says Anne “is best remembered as a friend, mentor to many and one tough woman.”
Anne was considered a trailblazer in the office leasing space and the commercial real estate industry as a whole. She forged a path for other women to follow. She worked hard and had very high standards for herself and her team.
Anne served on the board of CREW Charlotte for several years and as President in 2000. During this time, CREW Charlotte became affiliated with CREW Network. She played a large role in making CREW Charlotte what it is today.
In 2021, she was awarded the CREW Charlotte award for Career Advancement for Women, which honors a member who consistently exemplifies CREW Charlotte’s commitment to elevating the status of women in commercial real estate by working to advance the careers of other women. Anne always wanted to have other smart, professional women on her team, so she made the decision to hire and mentor them. As she said …. “I’d like to say that I went out of my way to find them, but there are so many awesome women out there that I didn’t have to look hard.”
Personally, Anne loved to spend time traveling or with family. Anne’s LinkedIn tagline says, “My passion is foreign and active travel and I have made many real estate deals via cellphone from remote locations.”
Here are a few quotes from CREW Charlotte members who were deeply impacted by Anne both personally and professionally.
“When Anne came to one of her 1st CREW meetings, I was on the board. Her enthusiasm about the group was infectious. She was instrumental in taking CREW to the next level. What a remarkable woman!” –Carol Fortenberry
“I recall being so inspired by her tenacity and unwillingness to not be heard, to not have a seat at the table – she gave me the confidence to push for the same.” – Mary Wilken, 2022 CREW Charlotte President
“Anne was one of my absolute favorite people in the world. I am so so sad, it’s truly a tragedy to lose her friendship and guidance.” – Stephanie Moore
