New Jersey — While 2020 brought many unwelcome events, the Commercial Real Estate Women NJ (CREW NJ) chapter of the CREW Network found unique ways to keep moving forward as the premier networking organization promoting the advancement of women in the industry. One tangible way CREW NJ demonstrated its ability to adapt during the global pandemic was through its recent rebranding effort, which was chosen to align with that of the global, 12,000-member CREW Network. To introduce its new look, educate prospective new members on the benefits of joining CREW NJ, and offer a welcome break at the end of the work day, the chapter held a Virtual Wine Tasting event in October featuring selections created by In Good Taste winery of Northern California. Who said all Zoom calls need to be boring? Chapter president Elisa Buckley of Walsh Environmental Solutions kicked off the evening by unveiling the new CREW NJ logo, thanking the 2020 board of directors and sponsors, and introducing the group’s upcoming events. These have included educational webinars on various industry topics; virtual white paper discussions, leadership and professional development series, yoga classes, coffee meetups, and happy hours; and more recently, small, in-person hikes. Public relations co-chair Therese O’Brian of Newmark Associates then introduced how members can leverage CREW Network’s CREWBiz website for career success by creating business and speaker profiles, participating in industry discussion threads and open forums, and accessing industry resources available exclusively to CREW members. Membership chair Erica Godun of Ware Malcomb finished up the “business” portion of the event by explaining the group’s sponsorship opportunities, membership specials and program discounts offered to both new and existing members for 2021. These include getting the rest of 2020 with a new 2021 membership and an extended renewal grace period for existing members who have lost a job due to the pandemic.
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