RALEIGH, NC – April 11, 2006 – Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women (Triangle CREW) announced that Susan Folckemer, CPM, Vice President and Director of Sales & Development for The Preiss Company (TPCO), was elected President for 2006. Triangle CREW is a network of area commercial real estate professionals employed in a wide range of disciplines within the industry. In addition to facilitating networking, the organization also presents opportunities for leadership training, professional development, and personal growth.
In her position, Folckemer will lead Triangle CREW’s 150 members in continuing to promote the association’s goals including encouraging and promoting business and professional opportunities for women in the field of commercial real estate; furthering the professional development and expertise of its members through educational opportunities; and acknowledging and publicizing the accomplishments of women in the field of commercial real estate.
Recently, CREW Network published their results of an online and telephone survey conducted to collect and analyze the trends of women in the commercial real estate industry. The study, conducted by Knowledge Systems & Research, Inc. (KS&R) found that over the past five years, the percentage of women in the commercial real estate industry has grown from 32% to 36%, with the largest percentage increase reported in Financial/Professional Services. Asset/Property/Facilities Management and Brokerage/Sales/Leasing follow respectively. Despite this growth, the Development/Development Services had seen no overall increase in female participants over the last five years.
“CREW’s study shows the increasingly important and influential role that associations, like Triangle CREW, will have on the success of women in the commercial real estate industry,” says Folckemer. “As the percentage of women who enter this industry continues to increase, it will be our [Triangle CREW] responsibility to ensure that these individuals continue to have a solid support system that is dedicated to maximizing their professional and personal potential.”
Adds Donna Preiss, TPCO President, “I’m so proud of Susan [Folckemer] and her recent appointment as Triangle Crew President. TPCO has a long history of promoting and recognizing women in our organization, and all of us at The Preiss Company extend our support and congratulations to Susan on what promises to be a very successful year.”
About The Preiss Company
The Preiss Company was founded in 1987 by Donna Preiss with a mission of maximizing real estate investor returns by helping in all aspects of real estate investment. This includes the selection, purchase, sale, exchange, and management of property. Since that time, it has formed more than 50 partnerships, has been the developer or co-developer of over 20 projects in North and South Carolina, and has provided residences for more than 6,000 college students annually. For more information, visit www.tpco.com.
About Triangle CREW
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Triangle CREW is a network of area commercial real estate professionals — 150 members employed in a wide range of disciplines within the industry. Through the CREW Network, Triangle CREW members have access to more than 6,000 professionals across the US and Canada. In addition to facilitating networking, the organization also presents opportunities for leadership training, professional development and personal growth. In 2004, Triangle CREW was awarded CREW Network’s international award for Community Service and received the Professional Real Estate Association Award in the Triangle Business Journal’s Space Awards in 2005. For more information, visit www.tcrew.org.