Real Estate Weekly Leading Ladies 2021 Part ll

 Kate Harrington

Managing Director
The Berman Group
Most recent achievement: Kate has been leading the Berman team through the launch of a suite of digital content and virtual forums, providing meaningful connection points, networking opportunities and thought leadership pieces over the course of the past year. She is responsible for working with select clients to develop and execute proactive communications and public relations campaigns. Over the past decade, Kate has leveraged her public policy background and experience working with high-profile business leaders, academics and prominent government leaders to lead effective public affairs campaigns on behalf of regional, national and international clients. She works to develop impactful partnerships and narratives that emphasize the key benefits of new urban developments. She has a passion for technology and sustainability and works with the firm’s clients to develop campaigns showcasing the advantages of sustainable design, energy efficiency and the creation of smart cities. Kate has served on the Real Estate Weekly Women’s Forum Advisory Council and is currently the Chair of the American Heart Association’s YP Board. Prior to joining The Berman Group, she worked in the communications department of the American Clean Energy Organization and was a writer for Global Art Laid Out (GALO) Magazine.

Andrea Himmel
Director of Strategic Acquisitions
Himmel + Meringoff Properties
Most recent achievement: Andrea has been working to expand the company’s $2 billion New York City portfolio of outer borough industrial warehouses and secondary office buildings in Manhattan. Prior to joining Himmel + Meringoff in 2018, Andrea held a number of key positions with several well-known commercial real estate firms, including Brookfield Properties. As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s esteemed Wharton School, she earned her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Real Estate Finance. During her tenure at Wharton, she was also chosen to be part of the Joseph Wharton Scholar Honors Program. She founded a $300 million private equity fund in 2016 and now focuses her investments in real estate, equities, start-ups, and distressed opportunities. An ironman triathlete, she is passionate about volunteering and mentoring. She serves on the Board Of Directors of Habitat for Humanity New York City, mentors as a Big Sister and serves as a director on the board of the Asante Africa Foundation.

Anna Howell
Director of Operations
URBN Playground
Most recent achievement: When Covid-19 hit, helping clients re-open safely in rapid fashion was of top priority for URBN Playground. To support this, Anna worked with staff at 30-plus buildings to implement and uphold Covid-19 compliance standards related to signage, cleaning logs, sanitation, supplying PPE, contact tracing, and reduced occupancy levels for gyms and amenity spaces. Anna was also responsible for overseeing the execution of socially-distanced events and virtual programming to promote and increase engagement within the communities managed by URBN Playground. She oversaw Covid-safe events such as Grab-and-Go Taco Tuesday, Chocolate & Wine Tasting, Virtual Tarot Card Readings, Virtual Fitness Classes, Restaurant Week Dinner Delivery, and Comedy for a Cause, among others. These events, which still continue till today, have been setting the stage for a new normal of staying safe at home while staying connected to the community. As a result, URBN Playground’s digital channel engagement has grown by 50 percent. Anna joined the firm from the fast-paced hospitality industry of food service in New York City. Driven by a personal passion for food, nutrition, and people, she climbed the food management ladder. Her fast-tracked career started in healthcare as a Patient Services manager to Director of Dining Services, managing multi-million-dollar accounts at top rated colleges throughout the city. Anna leads with enthusiasm and is able to tap into her creativity and operational expertise to help bring URBN to the forefront of the industry.

Ellen Israel
Executive Managing Director
JRT Realty Group
Ellen is among New York’s most illustrious commercial real estate professionals, with accomplishments exceeding 40 million square feet in sales and leasing transactions on behalf of owners, investors and tenants. During a distinguished career, surpassing three decades, Ellen has worked with some of the largest institutional and entrepreneurial real estate organizations, bringing a unique perspective from either side of a negotiating table. She is recognized for her excellence in complex leasing and investment sales transactions, her reputation to conceive and orchestrate innovative transactions is ubiquitous within commercial real estate. A senior team member, she represents the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) with their 13 million s/f portfolio. Her list of clients include the MTA, Savanna, and Madison Marquette, among others. Ellen is involved with REBNY’s Commercial Brokerage Queens Committee and the Transportation Committee and works closely with the Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association of New York (YMWREA) to mentor young real estate professionals. She serves as a member of the Alumni Board of Ithaca College. Ellen founded the New Leadership Group for the State of Israel Bonds Real Estate Division because of her commitment to Israel and community leadership.

Elizabeth (Liz) Latino
Senior Vice President, co-lead real estate practice
Marino
Most recent achievement: Throughout the pandemic, Liz has steadily and successfully helped her clients to navigate uncertain times, delivering results and ensuring the agency’s real estate clients, especially those in the proptech space, are gaining significant media recognition and are an integral part of the conversations surrounding the future of work and where the office market is heading. Most notably: Liz has spearheaded communications efforts for VTS, CRE’s leading tech platform as the rapidly growing SaaS company acquired Rise Buildings, a property operations and tenant experience platform. Coverage of the acquisition appeared in multiple top tier media outlets; in addition, VTS recently launched the VTS Office Demand Index (VODI), garnering significant media attention as the index has proved a valuable resource for reporters covering the state of the market amid the pandemic. Liz also led a team in generating positive publicity surrounding One Times Square, owned by Jamestown, the site of the annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration, as the company pivoted to hosting a Virtual New Year’s Eve via an app. Positive publicity to build buzz around the Virtual New Year’s Eve app landed in top tier publications including The Wall Street Journal among others. Liz and her team have generated significant media coverage as Eden Workplace – a complete online platform for the modern hybrid office – released its Return to Office Survey. The findings revealed that 85% of office workers are looking to return to the office, naming the desire to be with coworkers as the main driver. Liz has grown with Marino for more than a decade and established herself as a go-to advisor for a diverse mix of brands and industries. Her colleagues and clients value her creativity, media relations expertise and caliber of commitment to service, as well as her upbeat attitude and skill in navigating even daunting challenges. She currently co-leads the real estate unit, and her client portfolio encompasses proptech companies, residential and commercial property owners and developers, brokerages, creative campuses and more. Among the accounts that have benefited from her expertise are VTS, Industry City, Cushman & Wakefield, TF Cornerstone, New York University, Walmart and Chelsea Market. Another measure of her talent and sense of investment in Marino’s future is the vast network of media relationships she has nurtured. Making the most of these connections, Liz has garnered media placements across print, television, radio and digital platforms. Liz has also been instrumental in developing and expanding the firm to its current capabilities. In addition to her account work, she oversees operations related to the agency’s people and experiences. A graduate of Loyola University in Maryland, Liz holds a Bachelor’s in Public Relations.

Sarah McCann
Real Estate Strategy Associate
Vocon
Most recent achievement: Sarah has been instrumental in the growth of Vocon’s repositioning portfolio. In partnering with Vocon Principal, Tom Vecchione, their strategy and analysis have helped key developers rethink their spaces for innovation in the post-COVID world. Sarah provides strategic market analysis and oversight as a member of the real estate strategy group at Vocon, a full-service architecture and interior design firm. Sarah’s main focus is on building repositioning projects and she helps the team by analyzing current supply and demand trends across real estate markets. By collaborating with the design teams, Sarah helps align the design product with the current demands of the marketplace. Driven by a passion for detail-oriented analysis, she brings an understanding of the business case behind each deliverable for Vocon’s strategy team. Prior to Vocon, Sarah worked at KeyBanc Capital Markets as an Equity Research Senior Associate under the Consumer Tech vertical focused on Softlines and E-Commerce and helped develop proprietary data products for her clients. Sarah received her Bachelor of Science Degree with Finance and Marketing Concentrations from University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce and went on to receive her master’s degree from New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate.

Jennifer McDougall
Partner
Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP
Most recent achievement: Jennifer and the Kasowitz team obtained a significant appellate victory for 111 West 57th Property Owner LLC, the property owner of the iconic 90-story luxury condominium located at 111 West 57th Street in Manhattan when the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, unanimously dismissed claims of breaches of fiduciary duty and constructive trust involving the condominium, brought by AmBase, a former indirect equity investor in the project. The Appellate Division also affirmed the cancellation of a lis pendens filed against the property. The towering 90-story condominium will be the world’s most slender skyscraper when completed. Previously, Jennifer and the Kasowitz team obtained a major appellate win for luxury real estate developer JDS Development when the Second Circuit unanimously affirmed the dismissal of RICO claims against JDS and several affiliates. AmBase and related investment entities sought treble damages for their claimed $70 million investment loss in the condominium. Jennifer and the Kasowitz team also secured the dismissal of related state court claims. Jennifer represents major real estate developers, hotel owners and developers, real estate and hospitality companies, and high-net-worth individuals in high-stakes, complex disputes involving large-scale commercial and hotel properties. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Crain’s New York Business and Legal Media Group Expert Guides. She has a successful track record of recovering or defending against claims for hundreds of millions of dollars for clients and works with Kasowitz’s Real Estate Transactions group to counsel clients concerning the litigation implications of their agreements. Jennifer also represents vulnerable tenants, pro bono, in housing matters through Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.

Gina Michelle
Director, Estate Division
The Agency
Most recent achievement: A top-producing broker, designer and trained negotiator, Gina and her team sold over $120 million in 2020. Ranked among the top one percent of agents nationwide, Gina has 16 years of real estate experience and a reputation for integrity, transparency, and intelligence. She joined the firm from Gina Michelle Project, a design and real estate firm she founded in 2009. Specializing in home renovations and design, she takes a unique approach to the way real estate is bought and sold, driven by the belief that every property can and should be sold as a renovated property. Through her exclusive partnership with PriceLift, Gina’s clients benefit from home and property upgrades and renovations prior to listing their homes for sale, which in most cases dramatically increase the selling price of a property — at no cost to the client. From professional home staging and interior design services to consulting on upgrades and renovations, Gina leverages relationships with the city’s top architects, designers, lenders and developers to offer her clients best-in-class service through every step of a transaction. Her innovative approach to real estate has been featured on NBC, Fox and CBS, among others, and continues to be a point of interest for those who invite her to speak and discuss the state of the current market in L.A. Her listings regularly sell within a two-week period and top out on price-per-square-foot for their respective neighborhoods. Gina earned her BA from California State University Northridge.

Rachelle Michel
Accounting Director
BEB Capital
Most recent achievement: Rachelle has been able to provide perspectives to both the employees of her department and management, which has been beneficial in increasing the efficiency of her department and the BEB Capital team. Managing a team of four, Rachelle is hands on with accounts, understanding both the complex details of each unique client situation as well as the expectation from BEB Capital’s leadership. In this sense, she is the “glue” that ties her department together, finding common ground and fostering efficient collaboration. As Accounting Director for BEB Capital, Rachelle oversees the financial operations for the company’s investment and commercial efforts. She joined the company in 2019 and previously worked in BEB Capital’s family office. Rachelle has over 25 years of accounting experience, primarily in commercial real estate as well as residential, construction development, and hotels, and previously worked with Tishman Speyer Properties, The Lefrak Organization, and Milstein Properties. A graduate of St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting, she has served as a trustee of her church for the last five years, managing all church finances.

Adelaide Polsinelli
Vice Chairman
Compass Commercial
Most Recent Achievement: Selling retail in a pandemic! Adelaide developed a user data base identifying buyer trends, a tool that became key to her success during the pandemic. When the city locked down and one of her sellers decided to leave and reduce the price of his retail condo, Adelaide was able to use her data base to identify end users looking for their own premises. She was able to sell the unit at 13 East 16th Street for $1,661 psf at a 4.5% cap rate. It was the only retail condo to trade in Manhattan in the first six month of the COVID pandemic. A renowned industry expert, for Adelaide real estate isn’t a job, it’s a way of life. With that passionate attitude and a deep well of talent, she’s been breaking records and shaping industry trends throughout her more than 30 years in the business. She has an impeccable decades-long track record of consistently selling real estate backed by extensive market knowledge, experience and a solid reputation of commitment to her customers. Her mission of treating each deal not as a commodity but as a creation, has allowed her to achieve record breaking prices for notable deals. She is also well established as the go-to broker for lenders, having sold portfolios of notes, loans and REO’s. A well-regarded co-op and condo expert, known for uncovering value by methodically structuring the various components of the real estate to generate optimum value, she has also created assemblages using inclusionary air rights and buying air rights from co-ops and condos, as well as unfolding entire co-ops and reorganizing the retail leases resulting in unexpected windfalls. With utter devotion to helping owners create wealth, Adelaide has earned a reputation for her methodical and strategic approach, her ability to identify and forecast trends, and her knack for creating opportunities and driving value. She’s also an uncanny matchmaker who considers every introduction an opportunity to connect people and drive deals.

Laura Pomerantz
Vice Chairman
Cushman & Wakefield
Recent Achievement: In 2019, Laura lead a team of brokers representing the landlord in leasing the 23,939 s/f retail space at 935 Broadway/161 Fifth Avenue, formerly the flagship for Restoration Hardware. CBRE represented the tenant, Warner Brothers, which is bringing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to the iconic property later this year. The transaction is a significant not just as a personal achievement, but also for New York City and the new wave of experiential retail real estate AKA “retailtainment” that will be part of New York’s recovery from the COVID pandemic. The transaction displays Warner Brothers’ belief that New York City will be a strong market for them and a highly significant global platform. It solidifies the concept of the synergy of innovation, technology and experience, which is the trend for the future of retail and bricks and mortar. The transaction won REBNY’s Deal of the Year, one of many accolades Laura has collected over her years in the business. She was appointed as Cushman & Wakefield’s vice chairman when she merged her company, Laura Pomerantz Real Estate, with Cushman & Wakefield in 2014. Prior to establishing LPRE, Laura was a founding partner of PBS Gould Venture and a Senior Managing Director at Newmark & Company Real Estate. She was the Executive Vice President of The Leslie Fay Companies for 18 years. Laura specializes in strategic planning and tactical plan formation, office and retail tenant and landlord representation, lease negotiation, acquisition & development and equity investment. She has successfully concluded over 18,000,000 s/f of commercial transactions for clients including Bloomberg, Hudson’s Bay Company, Giorgio Armani, Abercrombie & Fitch, Stuart Weitzman, Levi and the Guggenheim Museum. Laura serves on several business boards including G-III and ROIC both NASDAQ companies. She and her husband John have had a life-long commitment to Jewish causes such as UJA, AJC, NCJW and Central Synagogue.

Nina Roket
Co-Administrative Partner and
Leader of the Commercial Leasing Practice
Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP
Most recent achievement: Nina has served in a leadership role to the real estate industry, to her law firm and her clients from the onset of and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, guiding and taking action to deal with the myriad of issues affecting all. Acting as both lawyer and business advisor, she counseled existing and new clients on the complex, evolving business and legal issues as a result of the pandemic and has taken a lead on restructuring situations for clients negotiating the most favorable terms possible, allowing for positioning for future success post pandemic. A nationally recognized commercial real estate lawyer focused on leasing, lease and loan restructuring, conveyancing and finance transactions, Nina acts as a trusted business advisor to companies and investors. She leads Olshan’s commercial leasing practice and advises clients across the U.S. in sophisticated commercial real estate transactions. She actively represents and advises landlords and tenants in lease restructuring situations across the country and also represents landlords and tenants in flexible workspace leases and structured revenue sharing deals. Nina acts as landlord’s counsel at numerous office buildings in New York City and represents hedge funds, sports and entertainment companies, technology companies, medical institutions, start- ups and finance companies in leasing space. In addition, Nina manages complex retail leasing transaction projects on behalf of numerous developers and owners at high profile retail sites across the U.S. Along with serving as co-administrative partner and leader of the Commercial Leasing Practice, Nina is chair of Olshan’s Hiring Committee and the founder and chair of Olshan’s Women’s Committee which serves as a networking, business development and mentoring platform for the firm’s women lawyers and their clients and colleagues.