trial properties. This year, her greatest professional accomplishments include a $20-million, 225,000-sf build-to-suit project and
a 174,000-sf mixed-use project sale for $17 million.
Ruby has been named the top industrial producer for C&W
Orlando. She is a member of the Mid Florida Economic Development Counsel and the Powerful Women’s Club, along with
SIOR and NAIOP.
“The Central Florida market is experiencing a dramatic slowdown in industrial real estate, much of which is due to the current economic reeling from the housing industry,” she says. “We
are positive we will experience a turnaround within the next six
to nine months.”
LORI SCHNEIDER
Senior Vice President & Senior Director
Marcus & Millichap
Fort Lauderdale
Despite the market decline, Schneider has facilitated the sale of more than $99 million worth
of investments in the past 12 months. Her biggest accomplishments include the sales of Covington Plaza, a
199,071-sf regional shopping center in Fort Wayne, IN; Winter
Haven Citi Centre, a 185,705-sf regional shopping center; Dunwoody Plaza, a 102,367-sf neighborhood shopping center in
Dunwoody, GA; and numerous other single-tenant, net-leased
properties.
Education is a high priority for Schneider, who is a lifetime
member of the Organization for Rehabilitation Through Training and a sponsor of three teen students overseas.
“As more women take the challenge of entering and persevering in the commercial real estate field and continue to build
reputable track records, their position as industry leaders will
become more commonly accepted,” she says.
SARAH SUTHER
Director
Hudson Realty Capital LLC
Miami
Suther joined Manhattan-based Hudson Realty
Capital as a director in June 2007 and immediately was responsible for establishing a new
company office in Miami. Her responsibilities include origination of new business in the Southeast as well as due-diligence
and portfolio analysis nationally and in Canada. She also heads
the company’s national underwriting efforts for distressed debt
investments.
In the past year, Suther has originated and/or underwritten
$500 million of debt and equity transactions. Most recently, she
served on the debt and equity panel at the RealShare South
Florida conference.
“We will be seeing lenders taking title to more properties and
looking to lease the vacant space at below-market rates to cover
carry costs until they can sell,” she says. “Because of this, we will
see prices come down.”
CYNTHIA SHELTON
Director of Investment Sales
Colliers Arnold
Orlando
Shelton specializes in the sale of grocery-anchored shopping centers, net-leased retail, redevelopment properties and office properties.
Over the past year she has assisted in the sale of approximately
405,000 sf with a value of $33.3 million. She is the 2009 president-elect of the Florida Association of Realtors.
“The business today takes patience, hard work and lots of follow up,” says Shelton. “The good news is as tough as things get
there is still a way to make money in real estate; you just have to
refocus your efforts.” Speaking of women in the commercial
industry, she says, “Women still work harder than most of our
male companions, but also seem to be breaking through the
glass ceiling even faster nowadays.”
ROBYN WRIGHT
Transaction Specialist
Woodyard & Associates LLC
Fort Myers
Wright represents medical-related properties
for lease or sale as well as provides tenant representation for physicians and healthcare providers. She has been in the healthcare real estate industry for more
than 30 years and has completed 29 deals over the past year with
a total value of $14.8 million.
She is a member of Commercial Investment Professionals
(CIP), the Healthcare Management Association (HMA) and
Women in Business. Being affiliated with the medical field, she
is also active in organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Founda-tion/Race for the Cure.
“I believe that women in commercial real estate have some
significant advantages,” she says. “They easily relate to people
and have the attention to detail to persevere in finding the best
space for the client and within their budgets.”—REFLA
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Lisa Bailey, GVA Advantis
Ingrid Fulmer, Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT
Wilhelmina Kightlinger, Stewart Title
Danet Linares, Foram Group
Kane Morris-Webster, Colliers Arnold
Cheri O’Neil, Studley Inc.
Sharon Rogers-Barron, Cypress Creek Capital
Viola Sanchez, PS Business Parks
Dee Seymour, Colliers Arnold, Tampa
Pamela Van Vleck, Commercial Property Management Services
