By Mark Buckshon
Ottawa Construction News staff writer
An Ottawa chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) has been launched. Founder Sarah Crouch, manager of business development for First Onsite Property Restoration, will be its inaugural president.
While most major cities in Canada have a CREW Network chapter, the National Capital Region lacked a dedicated organization for women in commercial real estate. Recognizing this void, Crouch spearheaded the initiative, recruiting members and building a group of industry professionals to establish a platform where women in Ottawa could connect, collaborate, and thrive.
“The founding vision was to foster a community that supports the advancement of women in the field, providing access to networking opportunities, professional development, and mentorship,” CREW Ottawa’s board said in a collective statement. “CREW Ottawa was born out of a shared commitment to empower women and strengthen the local real estate industry by leveraging the global reach and resources of CREW Network.”
“CREW Network is the industry’s premier business networking organization for women,” Crouch said in a March 12 statement. “The connections, leadership opportunities, and visibility that come with this initiative are invaluable.
“It has been an incredible journey launching the CREW Ottawa chapter. I am deeply grateful for the support of the First Onsite team, which has given me a platform to pursue this goal,” Crouch said
In an announcement, CREW Network said the new chapter expands the organization’s presence to 86 chapters and more than 15,000 members globally. The new chapter will promote commercial real estate business opportunities for members and provide industry networking, education, and leadership opportunities for women in the Ottawa market.
“We proudly support Sarah for bringing CREW Ottawa to life, and in becoming the founding president of the chapter,” said Julita Chanas, vice-president of commercial business development at First Onsite. “This relationship has already created great exposure and recognition within our industry, thereby strengthening our presence in the Ottawa market.”
Commercial real estate professionals interested in joining CREW Ottawa may contact Sarah Crouch at sc*****@*********te.ca.
