How long have you been with PECO? I have been with PECO for almost 10 years and I am thrilled to be a part of a company that cares so much about helping women, and really all of their employees, live the very best life they can.  PECO cares about the whole person, not just what we do for the company.
 
Benefits to being a part of PECO NOW:  PECO Now is just one more way that Phillips Edison & Company shows they care about their employees. I have enjoyed being involved with PECO Now from the very beginning when it was just an idea. Frankly, I spent most of my career (with a lot of help along the way), fighting the barriers that exist in commercial property management for women without actually being honest about the fact that the barriers were there. I’m proud of PECO for tackling the issue head on in order to make strides toward making the playing field level. We have really embraced the PECO Now goal of providing leadership opportunities for women in Property Management where half of our leadership team & property managers are women.
 
What advice would you give to working women? I think the most important advice I could give to anyone (regardless of whether you are a woman or a man) is twofold. First, give careful consideration to what you really want to accomplish in your life and then don’t apologize for striving to reach those goals. Your dream won’t be the same as everyone else’s dream and that is more than okay. Second, live a life of integrity and that includes being honest with yourself as well as those around you.

Benefits to being a part of PECO NOW: First, it’s a joy to see the involvement from our young women here at PECO – their drive, excitement and dedication to the company and the initiative.  Second, it forces me to think about the gender issues that do still exist as I tried to not think about those previously.  As a leader, I realized I can’t look past it as this helps others in their career path and development.  Third, it has been a pleasure to serve on the committee since it was first kicked off in 2014, shortly after I started.

What advice would you give to working women? Be your own person and be proud of that person.  Stay true to your beliefs and not those of others.  Keep learning and stay engaged.  Ask to help others, even if the work is not in your area.  Don’t be afraid to speak up, but do so with confidence and professionalism.  Finally, remember life is a constant balancing act and work is a piece of that pie, but not the entire piece – you have to figure out how to balance your life (it’s not simply work/life balance).

Benefits to being a part of PECO NOW: I was fortunate enough to be part of the inaugural group of women starting to define the PECO NOW platform – from our mission statement to events to scholarship opportunities.  Emily LeFevre and I - along with a talented group of women - have been planning the quarterly events for PECO NOW over the past 1.5 years.  I love seeing our ideas go from brainstorming sessions to successful events.  I’m looking forward to seeing PECO NOW continue to evolve and grow in the future. 

What advice would you give to working women? There is no such thing as “doing it all” – but showing up and giving it your all every day is critical to success.  Surround yourself with people who push you to continue to learn and grow and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  We are all trying to figure out how to be the best wife/mother/sister/friend/employee we can be – supporting one another will help us all in the long run.  Most importantly – don’t forget to have fun along the way!