My path was an unconventional one to Commercial Real Estate Development. With a degree in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, my first position upon graduation was a Legal Assistant in a civil practice predominantly handling tenant evictions and collections. Thankfully, I was able to get my foot in the door as Receptionist for a large real estate and construction company. This quickly led to the Legal Assistant to the company’s in-house Legal Counsel. Here I was able to utilize my legal skills scouring over Leases and Purchase Agreements all while honing my tracking and organizational skills and observing the inner workings of development and construction. Subsequent varied positions led me to both the retail tenant side as well as the landlord side. Each position required predominantly hands-on training from contract negotiation and project budgeting to title, survey and environmental due diligence; entitlements; navigating municipalities, managing timelines and overseeing construction. With every year I worked in the CRE field, I wasn’t satisfied with being comfortable. I wanted to learn more, expand my job role and goals and prove myself and succeed. As unconventional as the path, it is also extremely diverse. Thanks to my perseverance and drive and many years of experience, I take great pride in my well rounded background within the CRE field.