Welcome to our 2020 edition ofWomen of Influence. As we have been doing for many years now, wehave based our selection of nearly 200 candidates on such criteriaas career achievements, community outreach and mentorship withinthe industry. And as we experienced in previous years, we found ithard, to say nothing of humbling, to sift through the applicationsand select just the right nominees. As you will see as you flipthrough the following pages, these women come from diversebackgrounds with a wide array of specialities. What they have incommon is they have all made a distinctive mark in commercial realestate.

ARCHITECTURE &DESIGN

CHRISTINECAVATAIO Christy Cavataio has built a reputation asa trailblazer and innovator in commercial design. She has worked onhealthcare, urban planning, education and civic work projectstotaling more than $8 billion in value during her impressive29-year career. Last year, she was named president and COO of theCuningham Group, where she guides the firm's strategic vision. Shehit the ground running, leading a repositioning of the firm's brandto improve performance and develop new forward-thinking strategies.When she isn't pushing design concepts forward, she is mentoringthe next generation and helping to cultivate young careers.

BLIMA EHRENTREUAs the founder and CEO of The Designers Group, Blima Ehrentreu isan accomplished interior designer that has led more than 100projects in the last three years and has expanded into the Floridamarket. But, her work surpasses simply design buildings. She isinvested in the community and in supporting women in theconstruction industry. Last year, she launched TDG Gives Back, aninitiative to offer complimentary design services to non-profitsand charities. The program has already awarded interior designservices to three non-profit groups. She serves as a Women inConstruction ambassador and her business is a certified Women-ownedBusiness Enterprise.

MITRA ESFANDIARIMitra Esfandiari is a true trailblazer. As a senior principal atRDC, she is the first female principal and partner at the firm. Inthe role, she drives the firm's mixed-use design practice areaforward, leading her team through every design phase, fromconceptual design and entitlement to construction. In the lastyear, the platform has expanded with new significant projects thatinclude transit design and encourage alternative modes oftransportation. Esfandiari supports gender diversity and inclusion,and has launched flexible work schedules and onsite childcare forstaff. As a result, three women are on track to achieve leadershippositions.

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Erika Morphy

Erika Morphy has been writing about commercial real estate at GlobeSt.com for more than ten years, covering the capital markets, the Mid-Atlantic region and national topics. She's a nerd so favorite examples of the former include accounting standards, Basel III and what Congress is brewing.