Senior real estate execs and small business owners to speak at Women’s Forum

Posted on October 6, 2018

By Maggie Barr, Keller Williams Santa Cruz

OCTOBER 6, 2018, SANTA CRUZ, CA >>> 2018 is turning out be a significant year for the Women’s Movement. Because of the spontaneous “Me Too” movement, and the possibility that Roe V. Wade will be re-visited by a more conservative Supreme Court, the number of organized Women’s marches across the country has exploded.

One women’s organization in the Central Coast is responding to the heightened awareness of women’s issues by hosting a luncheon event this month designed to inspire more women to find their voice, and begin to participate more actively in the political, business, and nonprofit arenas.  The Women’s Council of Realtors Santa Cruz has invited seven women of all ages from various industries to speak on a panel about their personal experiences with leadership challenges and triumphs in their careers.

All the women on the panel live and work in Santa Cruz County. Said Maggie Barr, President of the Women’s Council of Realtors, “In addition to needing women marching and standing up for women’s issues, we need more women leaders to make a real difference in both the public arena and the business world. With this event the Women’s Council is hoping to move the needle in that direction.”

Speaking on the panel will be:

Elaine Della-Santina, Team Leader, Keller Williams Santa Cruz

Morgan Lyng, General Manager, David Lyng

Stephanie Lutz, President, Santa Cruz Waves

Laurie Negro, Co-Owner, Betty Burgers

Lisa Martin, Owner, Elegant Geek

Suna Lock, Owner, Stripe Design

Melissa Gerardi, Owner, Oceanside Escrow Services

All these women have endured their own personal struggles getting to the leadership positions they hold today. They will share their stories of how being a woman in the business world made a difference in how they were treated, and how they rose above discrimination and setbacks.

Says Elaine Della-Santina, Team Leader at Keller Williams Santa Cruz, “In past positions in my career, I noticed a difference between how I was treated by senior managers compared to my male peers. I had to discovered creative ways to leverage my heightened awareness of gender differences to build better, more positive relationships with those senior managers.” Elaine currently manages over 100 Realtors in Santa Cruz for a brokerage with five offices across the Bay area. She’s learned that where you work is just as important as how your work, when it comes to being successful as a woman in the business world. “Fortunately, Keller Williams is a performance-based business, and has always supported women in leadership throughout the entire company.”

Some of the panelists are entrepreneurs and will share with the audience how owning a business brings with it its own unique challenges. The panel will be moderated by Jacquie Van Metre, Program Director for the Women’s Council of Realtors, and a Realtor at David Lyng in Santa Cruz. The Council is hosting this event for their members and the public.

Shared Jacquie, ” We wanted to host an event focused on the women leaders and entrepreneurs in our community. There are so many strong, passionate women who live here and who have chosen to start businesses here. The Women’s Council wanted to give the professionals of this community an opportunity to learn from, and to be inspired by these incredible women.”

The event is co-sponsored by Body Lab Med Spa in Santa Cruz and Ashley Scontriano, who’s currently running for Santa Cruz City Council. Said Ashley, “We need more women in public office in Santa Cruz County and beyond. I am hopeful this event will inspire more women to take on leadership positions in their careers and in the community. Our experiences and perspective are greatly needed for a balanced dialogue.”

The luncheon event will be held Wednesday October 17, 2018 at the Santa Cruz Hilton in Scotts Valley, CA. The event will run from 11:30am to 2:00pm, starting with a 30 minutes networking period. Tickets are $49 until October 10th. Then $59 online or at the door. Seating is limited. Advanced tickets are recommended.

If you go:

Local Women in Leadership Forum

Wednesday 10/17/18, 11:30am – 2:00pm

Santa Cruz Hilton

6001 La Madrona Dr., Scotts Valley, CA 95060

Tickets: http://bit.ly/wcroct18

Host: Santa Cruz Women’s Council of Realtors, www.wcr.org

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ABOUT WOMEN’S COUNCIL OF REALTORS SANTA CRUZ

The Women’s Council of Realtors founded in 1938 is a nationwide organization focused on advancing women as professionals and leaders in business, the real estate industry, and the communities they serve. Women’s Council has 253 Networks around the U.S. and is open to male members as well. The local Santa Cruz Network started in 1962 has over 70 members and strategic partners. Women’s Council offers quarterly industry events in Santa Cruz County covering a variety of real estate topics such as market trends, investing in real estate, rent control, and home renovation. To learn about upcoming events or learn more about Women’s Council visit www.wcr.org, or contact President Maggie Barr at maggiebarr@kw.com, or 831-252-0504.

ABOUT KELLER WILLIAMS SANTA CRUZ

Keller Williams Santa Cruz is a top-ranking brokerage with over 100 REALTORS serving the greater Santa Cruz County area. For more information about working with, or becoming an agent at Keller Williams Santa Cruz, contact Elaine Della-Santina at 831-457-5577, or visit www.kwsc.om.

ABOUT ASHLEY SCONTRIANO

Ashley Scontriano is running for Santa Cruz City Council in 2018. She is a graduate of Santa Clara University with a BA in Communications. She has had a career in advertising at Metro Santa Cruz, Good Times, and the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and helped launch the Santa Cruz Magazine. She has worked in fundraising at UCSC for both the Arts and the Humanity Division. She currently owns Bone-A-Fide Dog, a dog boarding and daycare service. Ashley is a proponent of City of Santa Cruz investment in public safety, affordable housing and small business growth. For more information about Ashley Scontriano and her campaign visit http://www.voteashley.org.