Women in Housing and Finance PennsylvaniaA Year in Review for WHF-PA
2020 is certainly a year that no one will forget. In the final month, WHF-PA would like to look back and reflect on what was possible for our organization and members this year as we pursued our mission to promote and support the professional growth of women in housing, finance, and development, particularly in the areas of affordable housing and community development.
Networking Resource
WHF-PA continued to serve as a networking resource for women in the housing, community development and financial services industries throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. WHF-PA provided networking opportunities and professional development for its members.
We posted job openings with our members’ employers, passed along useful seminars and updated our member list, which is accessible to members in the members’ only section of our website.
WHF-PA connected members. Before the pandemic made in-person events an impossibility, there was (1) a 2/27 networking lunch in Pittsburgh and (2) a 1/23 Pyramid Club 4th Annual Power Real Estate Event in Philadelphia. WHF-PA members continued to gather monthly for WHF-PA Wednesdays (informal virtual networking to enable members to learn more about each other and share industry knowledge), but we moved to a Zoom platform, which allowed for better communication and connections. We hosted an additional COVD-19 special edition on 3/25. We also introduced virtual happy hours on 4/16 that led to the creation of the WHF-PA Third Thursday monthly virtual happy hours, which included (a) on 11/19 – a celebration of Holly Glauser on her November retirement, (b) on 10/15 – Purposeful Networking during the COVID-19 Pandemic presentation by Jennifer Lynn Robinson and (c) on 9/10 – a presentation from Shannon Mowery, Vice President of Supportive Services at Pennrose.
We also continue to facilitate connections by members with a monthly “WHF-PA members out and about” post. If you leave a reply about the industry conferences, webinars, and events you plan to attend, you help our members identify networking and professional development opportunities and connect with one another.
In January and quarterly, we also put out a call for potential mentors and mentees. Quarterly and in October (during NAHRO’s Housing America Month), we’ve asked to hear from YOU. We would like to discover and celebrate your successes.
Useful Content
WHF-PA’s website provided a variety of useful content. Our posts this year covered such things as National Business Women’s Day, Women Equality Month, Member Spotlight – Angela Steele, Member Spotlight – Double Feature (Chris Paul and Laura Northup), Fair Housing in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Women’s History Month Spotlight – Danene Sorace, Become a WHF-PA Mentor in 2020!, and National Low Income Housing Coalition #OurHomesOurVotes2020.
We celebrated successes such as promotions and virtual ground breakings, updated the useful resources links located on the members’ only section of our website, and created a speaker directory to help our members connect with appropriate speaking opportunities.
Looking Ahead
In 2021, we will continue to offer WHF-PA Wednesdays (informal virtual networking to enable members to learn more about each other and share industry knowledge) and WHF-PA Third Thursday (virtual happy hours) monthly. We are developing topics for posts to our website and welcome your job openings, educational opportunities and successes for sharing as well. We will continue to explore ways for our members to connect. Be on the lookout for an email survey to update your contact information and provide input on how you may become more involved with WHF-PA.
WHF-PA is currently exploring the timing of our annual membership event (generally timed to coincide with the Homes Within Reach Conference).
If this all sounds beneficial to you and you are not yet a WHF-PA member, what are you waiting for? Join now! Your professional growth awaits.
We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and a joyous new year!
Regional Housing Legal Services Seeks Executive Director
Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) in Pennsylvania seeks a dynamic justice-focused leader to serve as its next Executive Director.
RHLS is a nonprofit law firm that works to imagine and support the creation of decent, safe, affordable and sustainable housing for lower-income people living in Pennsylvania. RHLS drives successful housing creation because of its unique expertise in affordable, sustainable housing, community and economic development, utility matters and policy supports for home ownership. The organization is an integrated part of the legal services network in Pennsylvania.
The job announcement can be accessed here.
Please circulate to anyone you think might be interested.
Join WHF-PA at the Homes Within Reach Conference!
The 16th Annual Homes Within Reach Conference is scheduled for Tuesday January 12 – Thursday January 14, 2021. The theme of the virtual conference is “Come Back Strong” with a mission to unpack, plan, strategize, and organize for a full housing recovery.
The WHF-PA session will be held on Wednesday January 13th, 9:30-10:30AM.
Join us to learn from diverse experts in the fields of law, business, and psychology how women can come back strong.
Session Title: Minding the Gap: Strategies for Overcoming Barriers for All Women in the Workforce
Session Description: The coronavirus pandemic has exposed many glaring inequities in our society, including the unequal burdens on women and women of color in the workforce. While women constitute the majority of essential workers, they still perform most of the unpaid caregiving and housework. While women of color were more likely to live in poverty and face higher rates of eviction before the pandemic, they are now overrepresented in industries suffering the biggest job losses due to COVID-19. Without intentional, targeted strategies for advancing equity, working women will face barriers for years to come. In this session we will hear from experts and advocates in policy, small business administration, organizational behavior, and psychology on how we can support all women in the workplace.
Job Openings – Pennrose
Pennrose is Hiring!
This position assumes exposure to and participation in all aspects of multi-faceted real estate development projects – both market-rate and affordable – from inception through construction completion and lease-up. This individual is responsible for timely and accurate support to an in-house team of Developers, Senior Developers and Regional Vice Presidents. This individual will gain exposure to external team of financiers, architects, designers, engineers and contractors. Most follow up will be their responsibility. Each Associate Developer simultaneously participates in multiple projects in varying stages of development. This position demands strong financial skills, meticulous accuracy in all work and effective written and oral communication.
This Intern will be exposed to real estate development from inception through construction completion and lease-up. The Development Intern will gain exposure to external team of financiers, architects, designers, engineers and contractors. The Intern will have the opportunity to attend external and internal meetings – including meetings with company executives – and education sessions, visit construction sites, and participate in aspects of the design process. Each Intern will simultaneously participate on multiple projects in varying stages of development. This position expects strong financial skills, meticulous accuracy in all work and effective written and oral communication.
