President’s Message
Greetings!
Welcome to 2021! After being a member for more than 20 years, I am so happy to be serving you as the 39th President of CREW-St. Louis. This fulfills a long-term goal for me, and I strive to serve you well.
Yes, thinking back to my years in CREW, I realize just how much of a need my membership has fulfilled for me. You see, I am the youngest of four daughters (although I have a younger brother). Many strong females have surrounded and supported me. Whether sisters, neighbors, high school friends, college roommates or associates in retail and apartment management, I always felt connected and guided by them.
That changed somewhat when I became an underwriter in a mortgage banking firm and later a commercial real estate lender. I didn’t readily feel the same support. However, I learned about CREW-St. Louis shortly after I moved into the financial end of commercial real estate. I went to a few meetings and quickly found that support and more. As I reflect, I feel extremely grateful that we have had a St. Louis Chapter for so many years. I even attribute the path to my current position at Enterprise Bank to some fellow CREW-St. Louis members that helped get me here!
During my membership, including serving on the Board, I have witnessed strong leadership. I remain humbled by the hard work and many accomplishments of these women. I feel compelled to thank many who have led CREW-St. Louis since its inception in 1982, many who are still actively involved today!
2020 tested our leadership and it rose to the challenge. I admire Tracy Howren and the 2020 Executive Board and Advisory Board for their passion and perseverance! The pandemic turned our lives upside down, and CREW-St. Louis felt its impact. But Tracy, the Board and Committee chairs did not waver. They kicked into high gear with creativity and flexibility to overcome the challenges.
By year’s end, we enlisted more new members than in 2019. We hosted numerous events, including a virtual Trivia night, Signature Event, Sponsor Appreciation Event, property tours, and many in-person and virtual Dine-arounds. While many of us worked from home, members still networked, supported, connected, promoted, mentored, educated and helped develop each other. We continued to live our mission to advance, educate and support women to influence the commercial real estate industry.
2021 will be a year of continued
resilience. We remain focused on the health of our members so we will begin by
hosting virtual events, with hopes of getting back in person later in the year. We have a full plate with the inception of a new Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Committee and a new Finance Committee, along with the development of a Young Leaders Group.
The biggest news of all: We are hosting
CREW Network’s Spring Leadership Summit on June 10-11th at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Arch!
There are so many opportunities for personal and professional development. Equally, there are numerous ways to get involved. Take advantage of these local and national benefits and offerings. I also encourage you to stay on top of what is happening in our industry and to read
Network’s 2020 Benchmark Study on Gender and Diversity.
It's easy to benefit from your membership by spending a few minutes on our CREW-St. Louis and CREW Network websites. You’ll find numerous resources, information and updates, including a new Podcast (CREWcast) featuring thought leaders.
Lastly, I encourage you to update your own CREWBiz Profile, including the demographics information, so CREW Network has accurate membership data for research studies.
Plan for an exciting year ahead. Get involved! Send us your good news! We need each other more than ever. We also want to help you get the most out of your membership. Let us know how we are doing and where we can improve. We are listening!
Stay healthy. Stay hopeful. Stay resilient.
Sincerely,
Nancy Petersen
2021 CREW St. Louis President
SVP – Commercial Real Estate
Enterprise Bank and Trust
If you want to be a true professional, do something outside yourself.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg