Celebrating. Rewarding. Elevating. Women . . .
for 35 Years
In 1982, REO Speedwagon’s
Keep The Fire Burnin’ became one of the year’s top songs. It also mirrors the mission of CREW-St. Louis, which was started by six female pioneers that same year.
Well, CREW-St. Louis celebrated its 35 years of keeping those fires burning during a special evening full of surprises, as well as networking, photo ops, dining and even some dancing.
Held on Nov. 14 at The Caramel Room at Bissinger’s, the evening’s networking hour jumpstarted the signature event. This included a photo booth where guests could commemorate the event. Rumor has it that the photos got zanier and more colorful as the evening progressed!
A special guest made a surprise appearance during the networking hour. The
Hon. Lyda Krewson,
Mayor of the City of St. Louis, a trail-blazer herself, joined the fun by reading a proclamation to honor the chapter’s historic milestone. Fittingly, it was also the Mayor’s birthday, and she was treated to a birthday song and wishes from the more than 160 members and guests.
THE MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION:
WHEREAS, this year marks the 35th anniversary of CREW-St. Louis. CREW is a premier professional organization dedicated to advancing, educating and supporting women to influence the commercial real estate industry. The St. Louis chapter was established in 1982 by a group of six commercial real estate brokers, with the goal of supporting women in the commercial real estate profession by building relationships and through education.
WHEREAS, the guiding principles of 35 years ago have been solidified in CREW-St. Louis’s outstanding reputation for the success of its members as integral players in commercial real estate transactions throughout the region. Today, CREW-St. Louis serves as the region’s premier networking organization for women in commercial real estate, and offers its members and the industry year-round educational programs and social events.
WHEREAS, CREW-St. Louis’s members represent every discipline in the commercial real estate industry, and CREW-St. Louis supports, assists and cultivates loyalty among its multi-disciplinary members.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, LYDA KREWSON, Mayor of the City of St. Louis, do hereby proclaim that those in attendance should observe this 35th Anniversary appropriate ceremonies and activities.
The Mayor also graciously tweeted her appearance to her more than 12,000 followers:
“Love celebrating 35 years of women in Commercial Real Estate at @bissingers with friend, founder, and keynote speaker Wendy Timm @CREWSTL,” Mayor Krewson noted in her shout out.
After an hour of networking, the crowd moved to the dining hall for a feast.
Angie Earlywine welcomed the sold-out crowd and spoke on the chapter’s legacy. She also introduced another surprise: the
chapter’s new logo ».
And the evening was far from over after those dinner plates were cleaned.
Wendy Timm, one of the founding members of CREW-St. Louis, sung more than the praises of the chapter and its mission. She reminded the audience of their opportunity and duty to extol the virtues of the region as a great place to live, work and play. She toasted the night and the chapter’s legacy, with special gifts handed out to all legacy members who attended the gala.
As for gifts, everyone at the event received a special swag bag. Elegant bags donated by Remiger Design included an insulated cup with the chapter’s new logo and a commemorative booklet with remembrances from many of the Presidents who have led the chapter since its inception in 1982. Kudos to
Stacey Hudson for compiling and designing the legacy of our chapter’s Presidents. Additionally, the program committee provided the traditional anniversary gift of jade in the form of earrings for each guest to mark the milestone.
Of course, with an event 35 years in the making, there was more to come. A
new video was shown to the audience, featuring several CREW-St. Louis members. The video touches on the chapter’s rich history and impact on its members, the industry and the region. And everyone laughed out loud when the reel of bloopers from the video shoot were shown.
The crowd then got quiet as the lucky winner of the Diamond Heist was pulled. Ticket holders chose numbered jewelry boxes. Ninety-nine of the one hundred ticket holders received lovely pair of 1.0 carat CZ earrings. When the winning number was pulled,
Sara Stock walked away with a pair of 1.0 carat diamond earrings.
How do you end such a special evening? A special dessert bar topped off the meal along with Bissinger’s famous chocolate martinis. Many of the evening’s guests tore up the dance floor as the live band, Galaxy, played.
Special thanks to
Sharon Henderson and
Cara McKedy, Programs’ Chairs, and their dedicated subcommittee (
Christine Beck, Stacey Hudson, Jen Merlo, Kim Brown, Carol Hanson, Sue Pruchnicki and
Lynda Lieberman) for putting together such a special evening.
Additionally, we could not have done it without the support of
Remiger Design, the signature sponsor, and
Professional Office Environments (POE) and
UMB Bank who sponsored the dessert table.
So let’s Keep The Fire Burnin’ as we look to the future. As the song says,
And let us not stop learnin'
We can help one another be strong
Let us never lose our yearnin'
To keep the fire burnin' all night long
Click for More Information about Event