Michelle Marie Zere is the executive vice president, Zere Real Estate Services, Ronkonkoma, N.Y.

What was one of your corporate or career highlights of the decade?
"My most memorable career experience fro 2000-2009 has been taking the leap of faith and coming back to Long Island from Manhattan where I specialized in commercial real estate marketing, ad-vertising and publishing on a national and international level dealing with the biggest titans in the world of commercial real estate ownership, construction, development and architecture doing large municipal and private projects, corporate facilities, skyscrapers, hotels, retail and luxury developments from Dubai, China, Brazil, Germany, Mexico City to London.
After 9/11 coming back home to the family business was an easy decision for me. While I loved the glamour and culture of NYC, Long Island is beautiful, clean and has its own economy and dynamic personalities of its own. Bringing my creativity and expertise to Zere Real Estate Services and working closely with both of my brothers, Michael and David and of course my mother, Marie Zere who started the business over 30 years ago has been a source of great joy in my professional career choice. I am fortunate to do what I what I enjoy for a living but success is no accident or a birthright in my situation, Marie is the original "Apprentice." Everything counts when you own a business, there is no room for mistakes, misjudgments or second guesses, the personal touch is the magic ingredient that keeps our customers and property owners confiding in our judgment to keep their properties occupied. My philosophy is there is always a way to make a situation work where all parties are satisfied with the end result being everyone is happy leaving the conference room table." Tags: