Being a founding member of New Orleans CREW has been one of the highlights of my career in commercial real estate.
Commercial Real Estate for Women Network (CREW) was founded in 1989 by bringing together independent commercial real estate women’s groups across the country. This enabled women to exchange information, develop business contacts and help each other succeed professionally.
In 2001 the group changed its name to CREW Network. Today there are more than 80 chapters and global affiliate groups, and CREW Network is widely recognized as a premier organization for fostering and advancing women’s success.
In 2001, Marie Moore and I attended a local real estate conference, where we began talking about the need for a CREW chapter in New Orleans to foster and support women in this profession. We envisioned this group being composed of the “movers and shakers” in commercial real estate, standing out in our city as one of the premier organizations.
To kickstart this initiative, we invited 150 women to a free steak luncheon that was sponsored by various companies and law firms in the city. From that lunch meeting, more than 60 members started New Orleans CREW. Our chapter was officially accepted by the network in 2002, and it has continued to grow and thrive. Today we have 70 members committed to supporting the local community.
New Orleans CREW consists of Louisiana professionals — primarily women who are based in New Orleans and the river parishes. Their backgrounds include brokerage, management, lending, legal, construction, title work, environmental consulting, architecture, engineering, insurance and development.
Like many organizations, we host programs such as “Lunch Around” sessions that feature speakers, tours of buildings and projects, social events and networking opportunities. Many of our members are actively engaged with local nonprofits, and we take pride in giving back to the community, from an annual “Boil and Build,” in which we collaborate with Habitat for Humanity, to the annual Toys for Tots drive.
The annual View from the Top program is one of the first programs started by New Orleans CREW, and it remains one of the most popular. The event’s aim is to highlight outstanding women in the community.
New Orleans CREW initiatives include raising awareness on topics like development, insurance, leasing, lending and fundraising for rebuilding efforts and low-income housing.
We also highlight opportunities in the market, as well as provide education on topics including transforming brownfields into viable uses or converting old or blighted properties into valuable real estate assets.
We also contribute to the national philanthropy mission, CREW Network Foundation. The CREW Foundation emphasizes education and provides support for women in commercial real estate, including programs, mentorships, scholarships, industry research and career outreach.
For more information on New Orleans CREW, visit NewOrleansCREW.org.
Andrea A. Huseman, CCIM, is the co-founder of New Orleans CREW. She is also a leasing and brokerage specialist at Corporate Realty. She may be reached via email at ahuseman@corp-realty.com.
