Silberstein of CBRE discusses proudest accomplishment

Name: Dina Silberstein Title: Project Manager Company Name: CBRE Years in Commercial Real Estate: 4 years (plus 4 years in architecture) In the last 12 months, which project, transaction, honor or accomplishment are you most proud of and why? I am most proud of being a part of the team that won the Project Management Services contract for the Port Authority Headquarters at 4 World Trade Center. At the time I was working at a real estate consulting company that was new to New York City. It was quite the accomplishment to bid against many top project management firms and win the job. I then went on to work as one of the day to day project managers for the pre-construction and construction phases of the project. What was your first job and what did you learn from it? My first job was as an interior designer at an architectural firm in New York City (NELSON). I worked on the design of Citibank branches throughout the Northeast Corridor. Having gone to a trade school (Fashion Institute of Technology) it allowed me to put to practice what I learned throughout my degree. Furthermore, since I worked on a small team (although within a large company) I was able to learn many different facets of the industry and be exposed to all phases of a project. I felt privileged to have learned a great deal in a small amount of time. What is your favorite quote? My favorite quote is "Everything happens for a reason." Over the past 8 years I have worked in different areas of the commercial real estate industry (architecture, development, project management) and throughout all the twists and turns I feel that each one made me who I am today and allowed me access to the different opportunities I have received. What social media and/or face to face networking activities do you find most beneficial professionally? I find LinkedIn and face to face networking most beneficial. In terms of face to face networking I am involved with CoreNet, AREW (Board Member), WX - New York Women Executives in Real Estate (Scholarship Recipient) and UJA Federation Young Real Estate Executives (Event Committee Member). Each organization serves a different purpose and area of the real estate industry. I find that being involved with a diverse group of networking associations allows me to gain more exposure throughout the industry.