Celebrating Women in CRE

It’s March, and as many of our members know, that means it’s Women’s History Month here in the US. It’s a time for us to reflect on, celebrate, and commemorate the contributions of women to American history and society.

It’s also the month when our members around the globe observe International Women’s Day (March 8th) which highlights the important issue of gender inequality, and prompts us all to recognize the social, political, and business contributions of women to society.

We make a concerted effort to address gender inequality and champion women throughout the year, so we take great pride in being able to shine a special spotlight on the efforts and achievements of women in the NAI network during this month.

Dedication and excellence

At the recent NAI Global Convention in Las Vegas, we aimed to do just that as we presented our first Women’s Alliance Champion award to NAI Global Wireless COO and Principal, Amber Brandhagen.

The NAI Global Women’s Alliance (WA) is a council that strives to connect women in the NAI network. The council also provides a place for women to come together and empower one another to learn, grow, and succeed in the commercial real estate (CRE) industry.

The Women’s Alliance Champion Award recognizes the hard work and dedication of a member who has contributed significantly to the Alliance in the preceding year. Outstanding leadership, business achievement, and personal growth are all additional considerations for winning this ‘all-rounder’ award.

In being selected as the first recipient of the award, Amber has demonstrated all of those qualities in abundance, and we look forward to seeing big things from her in the future!

Ongoing recognition

In the spirit of Women’s History Month, we believe that in addition to honorifics and awards, it’s equally important to recognize the tremendous ongoing (and day-to-day) efforts of women in the NAI network.

With that in mind, we highlight the achievements of another remarkable woman in CRE, and an absolute powerhouse of the NAI C-suite: Betty Bonner.

Betty is a past ‘GlobeSt Woman of Influence’ nominee and has served as NAI Global’s Head of Finance and Accounting for the past 9 ½ years. In that time, her unfaltering blend of passion, dedication, and drive has seen her take a crucial role in planning the company’s strategic direction as well as serving on the NAI Global Executive Leadership Committee.

Betty was also instrumental in planning NAI’s response during the pandemic, helping to keep things running as we adapted to the day-to-day reality of remote work. Her grit and grace under pressure also kept NAI in financially secure waters throughout one of the most difficult global events in recent memory.

It’s with no small amount of awe that we say: Betty, we wouldn’t be where we are today without you!

A future based in equity

Here at NAI, we are proud to have such a dynamic pair of women as part of the family. We are also proud to have a group of incredible women leaders in our network. To each and every one of the other women in our network, we say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for your hard work, your vision, and the determination you bring to the table every day.

In the years to come, we look forward to working with you to realize the goal of a CRE industry that values equity, inclusivity, and respect as a cornerstone of all its endeavors.