Today, we’re joined by Gautami Palanki, AvalonBay’s Vice President of Sustainability; Avra Bossov Ward, Manager of Learning and Development; and Candace Prabhakar, Portfolio Operations Director, for a conversation on “Women Leading a Sustainable Future." Gautami leads AvalonBay’s sustainability strategy across the portfolio, shaping how we design, operate, and think long‑term about our environmental impact. Her work sits at the intersection of innovation, responsibility, and leadership—addressing some of the most critical challenges and opportunities facing our industry today. This podcast dives into what it takes to shape a sustainable future—and the leadership required to make it happen.

Today, we are joined by Vanessa Cazares, Portfolio Operations Director at AvalonBay, Sydney Stone, Operations Manager at AvalonBay, and Colleen Olphert, Director of Membership and Member Services at Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship for part three of our wellness series. We’ll hear about Colleen's take on "spirit of caring" and  "wellness with a purpose" including the positive effects of volunteerism and purpose-driven work for individual, corporate, and community wellness. 

Today, we are joined by Avra Bossov Ward, Manager in Learning & Development at AvalonBay, Nicole Louis Cedeno, Sales and Service Supervisor at AvalonBay, and Dr. Andrea Holman, Senior Manager for Workforce Transformation at Lyra Health for part two of our wellness series. We’ll hear more about Dr. Holman's take on mental health and wellness including hustle culture, ambitious associates, healthy boundaries, and taking care of you. 

Today, we are joined by Breanne Joyce, Senior Manager of Capital Projects, and Yoon Park, Vice President of Design at AvalonBay. We’ll hear more about Yoon's professional journey, AvalonBay’s approach to cohesive living and wellness as it relates to interior and exterior spaces, as well as the industry trends she is watching closely.  

Today's episode "Lessons in Leadership" is hosted Alaine Walsh, Executive Vice President of Human Capital & Administration at AvalonBay. Alaine is joined  by Joanne Lockridge and Keri Shea, two senior executives who retired from AvalonBay at the end of 2024 after impressive and impactful careers. We’ll hear more about their professional journeys, including the challenges and triumphs they faced as women leaders in real estate, as well as their go-to words of wisdom and best practices they want to share with our listeners.   

You won't want to miss this conversation with Cathy White, SVP Associate General Counsel, and Ted Shulman, EVP and General Counsel, about leaning into your style, trusting your ability to learn and taking ownership of your career.

We have three very special AvalonBay women leaders, Debbie Coombs, Karen Hollinger, and Cathy White, retiring from AvalonBay this year. This series is our opportunity to showcase their unique transformation leadership styles and their invaluable wisdom. 

Get ready to be inspired by this conversation with Karen Hollinger (Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives) and Jennifer Coogen (Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives) as they discuss the past, present, and future!

We have three very special AvalonBay women leaders, Debbie Coombs, Karen Hollinger, and Cathy White, retiring from AvalonBay in 2022. This series is our opportunity to showcase their unique transformation leadership styles and their invaluable wisdom.

Debbie Coombs (Senior Vice President, Property Operations) and Kate Brown (Vice President, Property Operations Massachusetts) kick off our series with a wonderful conversation filled with moments of inspiration, humor, and humility.  Enjoy!

During this episode, these successful AVB leaders share their journeys with confidence, offering valuable insight and tools for anyone looking to move forward on their path toward success.

They discuss the hidden effects of Anxiety; how to recognize it, and tools to help manage it.

They share their own stories during this episode and offer valuable advice to those thinking about their next step (which isn’t always along a clearly defined path).

If you are interested in beginning your journey toward being more authentic, vulnerable, and seen for who you truly are, don’t miss this episode!

In Episode 5 of the WLN Speak Up Podcast, we are joined by Jackie Todesco (SVP, Asset Mgmt), Joby Doffek (VP Operations Svcs & Support) & Jennie Rivera (Sr. Dir, Human Resources) who count down the top 6 things that our AvalonBay Women's Leadership Network (WLN) members started doing last year that they want to continue into the future.

In this episode, we are joined by three AvalonBay associates who share their journey into mindfulness techniques and how they can help us all to move forward and stay calm in difficult times.  Their inspirational stories encourage us to slow down, take a breath, and try something new.

These mothers share their experiences and advice on having successful careers and being great moms.