Lisa Hamilton and Natasha Marcuard Featured in NEREJ’s Women in Commercial Real Estate
October 2022
Two of Northstar’s talented shareholders, Lisa Hamilton and Natasha Marcuard, were recently featured in the New England Real Estate Journal’s Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight issue.
Below are the excerpts from what they had to say about the advice they would offer women getting into the CRE industry, what women leaders they find inspiring, and what accomplishment/project they are most proud of in their career, and the biggest challenge they faced.
Lisa Hamilton, Vice President/Shareholder
What advice would you offer to women getting into the CRE industry?
As an owner’s project manager, commercial real estate has offered me a dynamic opportunity to utilize my technical, analytical, communications, and team-building skills every day. The projects the CRE community initiates are complex, driving teams to be innovative. No two days are exactly the same. The people I believe are the most successful are those who prioritize collaboration, creativity, and kindness and can work in a fast-paced environment. If you can prioritize these skills, you will naturally be adaptive which is what you need as the world and decisions are always changing.
In the past year, what project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of?
As I move into the second decade of my CRE career, I am excited to continue to manage large-scale projects in Greater Boston and complete oversight of over $1 billion dollars’ worth of work which I view as a major accomplishment. Each project I have completed provided me the opportunity to meet clients and consultant team members. I am proud of the volume of work I have been able to successfully manage and the relationships I have made throughout the lifecycle of my projects.
Lisa has 13 years of program and project management experience in the real estate industry, handling projects and programs as large as $1.6B or 3 MSF. She specializes in strategic planning, master budgeting, annual capital planning, large scale team assembly, development of program governance as well as design and construction administration. Her portfolio includes projects in the commercial, residential, educational, institutional, life science and municipal sectors.
Natasha Marcuard, Associate Vice President/Shareholder
What advice would you offer to women getting into the CRE industry?
Speak up, ask questions, take the time to understand the responses and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. As women in a male-dominated industry, we can often second guess ourselves and in turn hold our comments or questions. Do not undermine the validity of your input as it will inadvertently reflect in the way you carry yourself and the way others treat you. When you speak up, own it. When you make a mistake, own it. Your voices matter and are needed at the table.
Who is a woman leader you find to be inspiring and why?
I draw inspiration from many different women for various reasons, however in the context of this response, I’d like to highlight Brené Brown. In her book Dare to Lead, she delves into the art of delegating, navigates the difference between vulnerability and over-sharing and takes you through an exercise of identifying your core values to help guide the decisions you will make in your career and personal life. I would encourage everyone to read this book if you haven’t already. My core values are accountability and authenticity.
Natasha has over eight years of project management experience as well as seven years of architectural experience in the real estate industry. During her time in the industry, she has been involved in a variety of projects including higher education dormitories, office interior fitouts, master planning support and pharmaceutical lab fitouts in the Greater Boston and Providence areas.
