Congratulations 2020 NAWRB Leadership Award Winner Sharron P.A. Levine, Director of FHFA’s Office of Minority & Women Inclusion!

sharron

NAWRB is proud to award Sharron P.A. Levine with the 2020 Government Official Leader Award! Levine is the Director of FHFA’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. She leads the Agency’s oversight of the diversity and inclusion (D&I) programs of FHFA’s regulated entities, which include Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Common Securitization Platform (CSS), the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks, and the Office of Finance. Sharron has more than 35 years of legal experience in the financial services industry representing corporate, institutional, governmental, and private entities in many aspects of real estate law, including construction and permanent loan financing; housing finance; leveraged buyouts; and more. Levine has delivered numerous keynote and other speeches across the industry and has been nominated several times for awards in Diversity and Inclusion for the work that FHFA has accomplished in this critical area.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor women leaders in the housing ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise and passion to break glass ceilings in the corporate world and facilitate the growth of their local communities. Congratulations, Sharron P.A. Levine!

Congratulations 2020 NAWRB Leadership Award Nava Michael-Tsabari, Director of the Raya Strauss Center for Family Business Research!

Nava

NAWRB is proud to award Nava Michael-Tsabari with the 2020 Family Office Leader Award! Michael-Tsabari is the director of the Raya Strauss Center for Family Business Research at The School of Management, Tel Aviv University. Nava received a Ph.D. from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology and is a researcher and an educator on the subject of family businesses. She is also a 3rd generation of the industrial Strauss family, worked in the group and served on the board of directors of its publicly-traded company. Nava published several papers and received academic awards, among them the 2012 FFI Best Unpublished Paper and the 2014 Best Article of the Family Business Review.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor women leaders in the housing ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise and passion to break glass ceilings in the corporate world and facilitate the growth of their local communities. Congratulations, Nava Michael-Tsabari!

WHER Chat: National 401 (k) Day & Elder Financial Abuse

Folders in Catalog with 401K Concept.

September 11th is National 401 (k) day; promoting and sharing the ways in which creating a 401 (k) gives individuals control over their financial future. 401(k)s were originally created to be supplements for regular pensions yet have evolved into our main form of retirement saving. However, we can not forget that the aging population has been the target of numerous financial scams and are vulnerable to elder financial abuse and neglect – which have both financial, physical, and mental ramifications. In the final volume of this report, 2020 NAWRB WHER, Volume VI: Aging Population, we provide an overview of the growing aging population and the issues of financial abuse in the community.

Elder financial abuse is a growing problem, leaving destroyed relationships and economic destruction in its wake. From straightforward theft to slow development through complex relationships, the tremendous loss of wealth incurred by senior citizens results in premature deaths and intergenerational loss of wealth. It ultimately rips at the fabric of society as a whole as trust among family members and faith in financial institutions are destroyed.

The aging population at all levels of socioeconomic status is vulnerable to elder financial abuse, from those under the poverty level to those who hold significant private wealth. This is an important issue that family offices and other industries should be aware of and defend against.

Elder Financial Abuse: General Characteristics 

Most victims of elder financial abuse are between the ages of 80 and 89, and they require support for day-to-day activities. Women are almost twice as likely to be victims of financial abuse compared to older men. This might be because older women are more likely to live alone and require more assistance in daily living for a longer term.

Perpetrators of elder financial abuse typically include family members; paid home care workers; financial advisors; legal guardians; or strangers who defraud older adults via mail, telephone or internet scams. Examples of elder financial exploitation, as outlined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Investor Advocate, include stealing an older adult’s cash; withdrawing money from a victim’s account; cashing a victim’s checks or using his or her credit card without authorization; transferring property deeds; misusing power of attorney; and identity theft.

Now is the time where strong partnerships, communication, and coordination between advocacy groups, care and service providers, government entities, and financial institutions become critical. As the more significant impact of elder financial abuse comes to light and its adverse effect on all levels of society, institutions need to take up the call to protect, report, and provide more oversight.

It’s critical because of the insidious nature of financial abuse, and hence, we not only develop awareness but also create solutions: for our parents, our future selves, and children. Women, in particular, are vulnerable due to a longer lifespan and a pervasive gender pay gap. The income women make now has to stretch further later in life.

As housing industry professionals, we care about the well-being of our clients who have a life’s work invested in their homes and savings. As community members we care because seniors help enrich our communities; their life-experience and insights add to the diverse voices shaping our society. As family members, we care because it hurts to see the deepest desires of our mothers, fathers, aunts, and uncles destroyed from the outside and/or inside. Financial elder abuse is a problem desperately in need of more solutions to reverse the trend.

About 2020 NAWRB WHER

The NAWRB Women Housing Ecosystem Report (WHER), our annual research report, provides the vision to revitalize communication and partnerships between industries as we work together to form mindful strategic solutions for social impact with a gender lens achievement. The 2020 NAWRB WHER includes the most diverse coverage of the Housing Ecosystem with almost eighty resources in six volumes: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Real Estate; Business Ownership; STEM; Access to Capital; and Aging Population. While waiting for the release of 2020 WHER, order a copy of the 2019 NAWRB WHER here!

Congratulations 2020 NAWRB Leadership Award Winner Terry Bayer, Board of Directors California Water Service!

NAWRB is proud to award Terry Bayer with the 2020 Corporate Board Leader Award! Bayer has served on the board of California Water Service Group since 2014 and previously served on the Board of Apria Healthcare Group, Inc. from 2006 to 2008 – Chaired the Compliance Committee and member of the Compensation Committee. Former Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Molina Healthcare, Inc., a publicly held managed care insurance provider, from 2005 to 2018. Her significant background and experience in healthcare support the Cal-Water efforts in overseeing and advising on employee health matters.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor women leaders in the housing ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise and passion to break glass ceilings in the corporate world and facilitate the growth of their local communities. Congratulations, Terry Bayer!

Congratulations 2020 NAWRB Leadership Award Winner Gina Diez Barroso, CEO Grupo Diarq!

NAWRB is proud to award Gina Diez Barroso with the 2020 Commercial Leader Award! Gina Diez Barroso is the founder of Diarq Holdings, eight design and real estate development companies with offices in Mexico and the United States. She is also the president and founder of CENTRO, the first University in Mexico focused on creative education, and Dalia Empower, a global initiative that helps women achieve their goals. Diez Barroso is the only Latin American woman member of C200.org, Women’s Executive Leadership Organization, WPO and WCD. She is currently the representative of Mexico at the W20 women’s initiative of the G20.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor women leaders in the housing ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise and passion to break glass ceilings in the corporate world and facilitate the growth of their local communities. Congratulations, Gina Diez Barroso!

Congratulations 2020 NAWRB Leadership Award Winner Hyepin Im, CEO & Founder Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE)!

NAWRB is proud to award Hyepin Im with the 2020 Nonprofit Leader Award! Hyepin Im is a former U.S. Presidential Appointee on the Board of the Corporation for National and Community Service and serves as President and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment (formerly KCCD), a national nonprofit involved in empowering churches and nonprofits to leverage their resources by building capacity, leadership, and partnerships in economic development and serving as a bridge between the Asian American community and the greater community at large. She currently serves on the Mayor’s Interfaith Collective, Community Advisory Board of MUFG Union Bank and Torrey Pines Bank, U.S. Army Advisory Board, and more.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor women leaders in the housing ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise and passion to break glass ceilings in the corporate world and facilitate the growth of their local communities.

WHER Chat: Veteran-Owned & Women-Owned Businesses

WHER Chat: Veteran-Owned & Women-Owned Businesses

In honor of V-J Day, commemorating the end of World War II and the bravery of our veteran soldiers, NDILC member Erica Courtney, President of 2020vet and Zulu Time, U.S. Army Aviation, Major NATO Gender Advisor, highlights serious resource shortfalls for America’s women veterans face as entrepreneurs that the nation must be prepared to face in the near future in our 2020 NAWRB WHER, Volume III: Business Ownership.

Veteran women entrepreneurs possess traits that make them ideal business owners. Due to military training and knowledge, veterans are dependable, conditioned to make hard decisions, have integrity, take initiative and can adapt easily to challenging and evolving situations—all characteristics of a successful business owner. These women may see entrepreneurship as a means to prosper on their own terms by being their own boss.

This is a great time to be a woman veteran entrepreneur as we are the fastest-growing segment within the entrepreneurship community increasing by an astonishing 296 percent since 2007. Some of the reasons include a slight increase in women veterans; they are building businesses out of necessity; 40 percent of veterans are going into business for themselves as compared to the 10 percent Vietnam era entrepreneurs; more veterans have disability ratings than in wars past due to technology and better equipment; recent positive legislative changes; demand for third party corporate certification; and more available resources in terms of capital, education, and counseling.

It is important to note that despite the hurdles, veteran business owners have proven to be twice as successful in terms of revenue and business longevity, are twice as likely to hire other veterans, and contribute over $1.14T in sales receipts, $195B in annual payroll and employ over 5.03M employees. In 2012, veteran women-owned businesses were responsible for nearly 20 billion in receipts – an increase of 26.3 percent since 2007.

Veteran women continue to serve the United States by reinvesting and devoting themselves to the future, not through military service but through entrepreneurship. They are no stranger to hurdles and overcoming barriers as many dealt with this routinely while serving in a male-dominated profession. They are strong, smart, and driven, but we must understand specific challenges they face so we can help them be successful. 

Through entrepreneurship, many of the issues the community faces subside. Instead of masking the problem through medication prescribed at record rates, healthcare systems trying to keep up with a new demographic, and job placement programs in which the majority of veterans quit by year two, let’s put our efforts towards something that is working. It is not only a moral imperative that we take care of them but an economic one as well.

Find out more about NAWRB and how you can get involved and be a partner here!

About 2020 NAWRB WHER

The NAWRB Women Housing Ecosystem Report (WHER), our annual research report, provides the vision to revitalize communication and partnerships between industries as we work together to form mindful strategic solutions for social impact with a gender lens achievement. The 2020 NAWRB WHER includes the most diverse coverage of the Housing Ecosystem with almost eighty resources in six volumes: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Real Estate; Business Ownership; STEM; Access to Capital; and Aging Population. While waiting for the release of 2020 WHER, order a copy of the 2019 NAWRB WHER here!

 

Know the Rules of the GameⓇ Podcast: Life as College Zoomers Take 2, Expectations vs. Reality

#School has finally started for some students, and it’s been quite an experience! This episode of Know the Rules of the GameⓇ Podcast is a PART TWO of Life as #College #Zoomers with your host Desirée Patno, CEO & President of Women in the Housing and Real estate Ecosystem (#NAWRB) and Special Guests, Veronica Cheng (UC Berkeley) and Nikki Courtney (UCLA). Cheng, Courtney, and Patno will discuss the expectations versus reality of what online schooling has become.

Click here to listen!

Congratulations 2020 NAWRB Leadership Award Winner Nicole Cober, Cober Johnson & Romney!

NAWRB is proud to award Nicole Cober with the 2020 Women-Owned Business Leader Award! Cober is the Principal Managing Partner of Cober Johnson & Romney, an award-winning legal & business consulting firm. She is currently serving as a member of the National Women’s Business Council(NWBC), a bipartisan council that advises the White House, Congress, and the SBA on matters concerning women in business. Cober’s first book, CEO of My Soul, was published in 2016 and blends valuable business advice with true accounts of relationships struggles, family triumphs, and self-refection.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor women leaders in the housing ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise and passion to break glass ceilings in the corporate world and facilitate the growth of their local communities.