What award/recognition is most meaningful to you and why? By Garvin

Name: Marianne Garvin Title: President & CEO Company/firm: Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Inc. Years with company/firm: 18 Years in field: 32 Years in real estate industry: 32 Address: 2100 Middle Country Road, Centereach, NY 11720 Telephone: 631-471-1215, ext. 175 Email: [email protected] URL: www.cdcli.org Responsibilities include: Leading and growing CDC of Long Island, a 40 year old regional housing and economic development organization. Real estate organizations / affiliations: Long Island Builders Institute, Long Island Association, Action Long Island, Association of Long Island Housing Agencies, Long Island Community Development Organization. Professionally, where were you ten years ago and where are you now? Ten years ago I was EVP & COO of my organization actively growing the corporation's housing line of business. Today I am CEO and am moving the organization to have a larger outward presence through building collaborative partnerships in order to better solve the housing problems on Long Island. What award or recognition has been the most meaningful to you and why? Being named twice as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business on Long Island. Even though CDC of Long Island is a non-profit organization, I run the organization like a business that is high performing and needs to have measurable outcomes and impact. I believe that we deliver value to our stakeholders through our service to the community and that is why we are asked by others to help tackle challenging problems. How do you stay ahead of the curve? I understand that I don't know everything and I am not afraid to ask lots of questions. Who has been the strongest influence on your career and why? My grandmother who embodied courage and proved how much can be achieved if you set your mind and heart to it. Catherine emigrated from Sicily at age 16, learned to speak and read English, was a successful entrepreneur who earned money during the Depression, saved to buy a row house in Brooklyn, and who told me I could do anything I wanted. And she was a great cook! What impact has social networking had on your success? Both business and personal life is all about relationships and it has been through the wonderful people I have met and continue to meet who have aided my success. How has the need to create a more sustainable environment influenced the way you do business? I ascended to my position as CEO during a time of financial and economic crisis, which created an opportunity for change in the organization that has led to an approach that seeks synergies internally to maximize the impact from our programs, and externally seeks larger more effective collaborations. One example of this is the lead role CDC is playing in applying for a $40 million grant to the DOE on behalf of a consortium of 8 Long Island towns to finance energy improvements in up to 28,000 homes. What advice would you give to a woman just starting a career in your field? We need committed and passionate women to be part of the real estate industry. You bring a unique perspective. Please share it!