When Vera Halicki graduated with a Master’s in Real Estate from Roosevelt University in December 2016, she was excited to take her career in asset management to new heights. She enrolled in the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate’s program not only to learn new skills and participate in The Goldie Initiative but also to build on the Institute’s diverse network and alumni connections in the commercial real estate industry. As a Goldie Scholar, Vera made important contacts, and through some savvy use of networking, plus her impressive resume and communication skills, she has recently been hired by Ameritus, LLC as Vice President of Portfolio Management. Since its founding in 1999, Ameritus, LLC has managed and leased properties totaling over ten million square feet for third-party clients and its own account.Vera’s journey up the corporate ladder began with an associate position in asset management with Equity Commonwealth. In Summer 2017, Vera began to investigate options for a career move, so she contacted The Goldie Initiative’s immediate past president Karin Kraai, Senior Managing Director at Newmark Knight Frank, as well as her Goldie mentor, Kirsten Hull, Vice President of Development at Equity Office Properties. The timing of Vera’s contact with Karin was ideal because she still had some time to explore her options for a career move. They discussed different career paths that Vera could pursue based on her experience, including property management, leasing, and financial reporting. Karin suggested that Vera connect with Bob Six, Chief Operating Officer at Zeller Realty Group and 2015-17 board member of The Goldie Initiative.
Bob connected Vera with Jeb Scherb of Ameritus, an entrepreneurial organization with a growing portfolio of institutional equity partners. This growth lead Ameritus to consider Vera for a role in a newly created portfolio management function. It is a position that Vera will learn and grow into as she leads the strategic development and execution of asset management functions for the firm. Her new portfolio will cover over 2 million square feet of office and industrial properties located in Chicago and St. Louis. Vera is very excited about the potential growth in both her position and the company.
Networking was key to Vera landing her ‘dream job’ with Ameritus. She noted with enthusiasm that including her involvement as Goldie Scholar on her resume was very beneficial in the interview process. Years ago, Vera’s now-boss worked with Goldie B. Wolfe Miller! Vera encourages any Goldie Scholars or Alumnae to promote affiliation with The Goldie Initiative – you might just land your dream job too!
For more about Vera, see her LinkedIn profile.