Late last week, CREW Vancouver — the non-profit industry association dedicated to supporting women in becoming leaders in the world of commercial real estate — introduced its Board of Directors for 2025.
Founded in 2005, the Vancouver chapter of CREW is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, which has seen the chapter's membership grow to over 150 members in that span. According to CREW Vancouver, at least half of their membership has over 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry and three-quarters have held executive leadership roles.
As is the case with many industry associates, CREW Vancouver appoints a new Board of Directors every year, all of whom are volunteers that are expected to commit for a minimum of two years.
The 2025 Board of Directors for CREW Vancouver are:
Kathy Yu
Board Position: President
Outside Position: Director of Leasing, PCI Developments
Past Experiences: QuadReal Property Group, Warrington PCI
Meghan Henselwood
Board Position: Past President
Outside Position: Managing Director of Transactions, Manulife Investment Management
Past Experiences: Lotus Capital Corp, Cushman & Wakefield
Erin Elliot
Board Position: Director of Stakeholder Relations + President-Elect
Outside Position: Vice President of Accounting, Wesgroup Properties
Past Experiences: QuadReal Property Group, SHAPE Properties
Jen Riley
Board Position: Director of Marketing & Communications
Outside Position: Vice President of Brand, Marketing, & Communications, Bosa Properties
Past Experiences: Electronic Arts, YYOGA
Sarah Ellwood
Vanessa Lee
Board Position: Director of Education & Outreach
Outside Position: Director of Investments, Premise Properties
Past Experiences: Altus Group, Marcus & Millichap
Carlee Groves
Board Position: Director of Membership
Outside Position: National Digital Services Lead, Schneider Electric Canada
Past Experiences: RJC Engineers, BC Hydro
Rumi Yamasawa
Board Position: Co-Director of Sponsorship
Outside Position: Manager of Corporate Brand & Culture, Dayhu Group
Past Experiences: Rocky Mountaineer
Frances Levitt
Board Position: Co-Director of Sponsorship
Outside Position: Senior Director of Finance, Hungerford Properties
Past Experiences: Niradia Group, KPMG
Jelisa Mayes
Board Position: Co-Director of Events
Outside Position: Project Manager, Edgar Development
Past Experiences: Hovercraft Builders, Daytona Homes Master Builder
Faye Tam
Board Position: Co-Director of Events
Outside Position: Director of Investments, Concert Properties
Past Experiences: Morguard
In an Annual General Meeting report last year, CREW Vancouver 2024 President Meghan Henselwood said that CREW Vancouver made several significant accomplishments in 2024.
"In 2024, the CREW Vancouver board engaged in a two-day strategic planning session facilitated by CREW Network," she said. "This strategic plan focuses on enhancing backend support systems to improve the experiences of our members and sponsors, while also providing better support for our volunteers to prevent burnout. Additionally, we have updated our Bylaws to incorporate inclusive gender language and allow board members to take up to one year personal leave."
"With the convention coming to Vancouver, we proudly awarded 16 full scholarships to our members for attendance," she added. "This year also marked the inaugural Emerging Leaders Scholarship, designed to send a CREW member under 35 to CREW Network’s Emerging Leaders training, fostering the next generation of leaders. Furthermore, we launched the Catalyst Leadership Program, pairing six members with C-Suite leaders to further our mission of advancing women in the industry."
Heading into 2025, CREW Vancouver already has an event on the schedule, with a cocktail reception set to be held on Sunday, January 26 at the ICSC Whistler conference.
