Board Appoints New Officer Positions and Welcomes New Directors

WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate (WX) is pleased to announce its 2020-2021 Board of Directors, which will be led by the newly elected President Sonia Kaur Bain, Partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP and Vice President Jennifer Schwartzman, Senior Managing Director at Newmark Knight Frank. Livia Corredor, Senior Vice President – Legal at Brookfield Properties U.S. Office Division, will act as Secretary. The Board also welcomes new Directors Lola Bellini, Director of Acquisitions at Wafra; Lauren Cahill, Senior Development Director at AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; and Mimi Raygorodetsky, Senior Associate, LANGAN.

The 2020-2021 Board of Directors will continue to execute WX’s mission to promote the advancement of women in real estate. In this pursuit, the Board leads the organization, overseeing its Mentoring and Scholars Programs, as well as all Programming and Networking events, including the annual Woman of the Year fundraising Gala which will be held virtually this year. Returning members of the Board include:

• Amy Applebaum, Corporate Banking Department - Deputy Team Lead, Real Estate / CRA Officer, Bank of China
• Jean Marie Apruzzese, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, DRA Advisors LLC
• Miriam Harris, Executive Vice President, Trinity Place Holdings
• Laura Rapaport, Managing Partner, North Bridge Opportunities
• Ione S. V. Wilsmann, Managing Director Global Investors Group, USAA Real Estate
• Beth Zafonte, Director of Economic Development Services, Akerman LLP

About Sonia Kaur Bain

Sonia Kaur Bain is a transactional commercial real estate lawyer who represents developers, retail companies, hotel groups, landlords and tenants, and family offices with acquisitions, dispositions, development, ground and space leases, financing and leasing of numerous types of commercial real estate assets including mixed-use, residential, retail, hotel and industrial properties in New York City and also across the country. Clients value Ms. Bain for her thoughtful guidance, counsel and partnership; often coming to her to think through strategies and help them make decisions that are best for their business. Sonia is there for her clients for more than just their real estate legal needs.

About Lola Bellini

Lola Bellini joined Wafra in 2015 with more than 20 years of experience working in the real estate sector. Previously, Ms. Bellini founded her own boutique investment and advisory businesses. She was also a Vice President and Senior Acquisitions Officer at JP Morgan Investment Management and, prior to that, she was with ING Clarion Partners. She began her career at Jones Lang Wootten Realty Advisors and The Blackstone Group.

About Lauren Cahill

Lauren N. Cahill is a Senior Development Director at AvalonBay Communities (“AVB”), where she joined in November of 2011. Amongst her numerous responsibilities, she is presently overseeing the development of 1865 Broadway, and is actively involved in AVB’s expansion into Southeast Florida, which was identified as a new market in 4thQ17. In Florida, Ms. Cahill is overseeing the development of a joint venture partnership with Trammel Crow Residential (TCR) in Doral, Florida, and a joint venture partnership with Mast Capital. She previously managed the development of Avalon Willoughby Square/AVA Do Bro, an 826-unit residential tower located in Downtown Brooklyn, formerly known as the tallest building in Brooklyn. Lauren is actively involved in identifying, sourcing and underwriting future development projects in both New York and Florida.

About Mimi Raygorodetsky

Mimi Raygorodetsky sources and directs large, complex environmental remediation and redevelopment projects from the earliest stages of predevelopment diligence, through the remediation/construction phase, to long-term operation and monitoring of remedial systems and engineering controls. She has a comprehensive understanding of federal, state and local regulatory programs and she uses this expertise to guide her clients through a preliminary cost benefit analysis to select the right program(s) given the clients’ legal obligations, development desires and risk tolerance. She is particularly strong at integrating the requirements of selected programs and client development needs to develop and design targeted and streamlined diligence programs and remediation strategies. Ms. Raygorodetsky is also highly skilled in integrating remediation with construction on large urban waterfront projects, which tend to more complex than landside projects.

About WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate

WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate is an association of executive-level women actively engaged in the commercial real estate industry in New York. The mission of WX is to promote the advancement of women in commercial real estate; to enhance public perception about the role of women in the industry; and to promote the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and integrity in the field. Through educational seminars, breakfasts with industry leaders, mentoring programs, scholarships, and special events, WX provides members with a forum for visibility and exchange, spotlights the accomplishments of individual women in the industry, and paves the way for the next generation of women in the field. For more information, please visit www.wxnyre.com.