2020 Women in RE: Cathy Hoffman, Atlantic Westchester

Name: Cathy Hoffman 

Title: Maintenance Solutions Specialist

Company Name: Atlantic Westchester

List up to three associations or organizations that you are currently a member of:

• AHSRAE
• Westchester County Association
• Westchester Green Business Council 

What is one characteristic that you believe every woman in business should possess?
Every woman in business should exude confidence and fearlessness, especially in a male dominated industry. Once you believe in yourself, you would be surprised how far you can go and how successful you can be. 

What trend(s) will dominate your industry in the next year?
This year has been an important one for the HVAC industry, it has pushed us to find better solutions to not only cool and heat the air in the building but also clean and purify the air. After much research, we at Atlantic Westchester recommend GPS’ Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization as the best solution to safely clean indoor air. This patented technology, also known as NPBI, improves air quality by introducing ions into the space via the ventilation system, which reduces airborne particulates, odors and pathogens.

How are you networking during the pandemic?
Networking has always been a big part of my job and continues to be even in the pandemic, just in a different way. I have been utilizing social media, especially LinkedIn, a lot more to connect with new people and keep in touch with others. I have also been reaching out to some of my old networking contacts, and I have stayed involved with business associations and networking groups through their virtual networking opportunities. Even though we are all networking in new ways, the core skills of relationship building remain the same.

What recent project or accomplishment are you most proud of?
Since I joined Atlantic Westchester in 2015, I am happy to have played a role in the company’s rapid growth. We have increased overall revenue, the number of projects we manage and our total number of employees. During this challenging year of the COVID-19 crisis, our team developed a “3-Step HVAC Strategy to Get Back to Business” plan. I was pleased to play a role in getting the information out to our current customers as well as new customers through webinars, a new website page and various other promotions.