Northern California Commercial Real Estate Power Women: Celebration & Cocktail

Abbie Wertheim is the Partner for Northern California with Panattoni Development Company. Abbie is responsible for oversight and execution of all aspects of development including origination, design, entitlement, construction, leasing and disposition. She leads the development team in Northern California in build-to-suit and speculative development. Since starting with Panattoni in 2020 Abbie has worked as a development manager, senior development manager and became partner in 2025. Prior to joining Panattoni, she was an industrial broker at JLL and worked in real estate economics, helping local jurisdictions in California finance improvements using tax increment financing to encourage development. She managed complex entitlements and significant scale public-private partnerships. Her early work included building an affordable manufacturing facility in San Francisco with New Market Tax Credits. Abbie is active in several professional organizations including LAI, NAIOP, SIOR and previously served on the Executive Board for Urban Land Institute, Sacramento and CREW Program Committee. She is also strongly connected to her community and is an active board member for the Roseville Police Activities League.

Sheena’s career began at UCSF Medical Center, where she worked closely with surgical patients and their families, creating a warm and welcoming environment even in high-stress situations. While earning her B.A. and M.A. from San Francisco State University, she developed strong skills in logistical coordination, communication, and problem-solving—skills that later became instrumental in her transition to Rockaway Construction. With extensive experience in multifamily renovations, Sheena has successfully managed many projects across the Bay Area completing renovations in tenant-occupied apartments. She understands the unique challenges of working in active living environments, balancing efficiency with tenant needs to minimize disruption while ensuring high-quality results. Her expertise spans every phase of construction, from planning and permitting to execution and completion. Sheena is known for her ability to foster collaboration among stakeholders, maintain strict project timelines, and uphold the highest standards of quality and functionality. By blending her human-centered approach with technical project management, Sheena brings a strategic yet people-first mindset to every project, ensuring that both residents and property owners benefit from thoughtful, well-executed construction solutions.

Cynthia NeSmith-Montanez is a Director of Healthcare at SLS Consultants, bringing over 40 years of experience delivering complex projects across the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors. Her work spans hospital campuses, medical office buildings, and advanced biotech and research facilities, with deep expertise in regulatory compliance, HCAI/OSHPD oversight, and infrastructure modernization. Cynthia’s background in both owner’s representation and general contracting gives her a unique ability to bridge technical, clinical, and operational priorities. She has also contributed to major initiatives in corporate, financial, and hospitality environments, making her a versatile leader known for strategic insight, collaborative leadership, and successful delivery in highly regulated settings.

Jennifer advises clients on land use and environmental matters arising from the development of commercial, residential, medical, and mixed-use projects in California, with a special emphasis on natural resources issues. She guides private, nonprofit, and public sector entities on all phases of project development from the earliest stages of design through completion, including acquisition, due diligence, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, entitlement and permitting, and construction. Jennifer is particularly adept at advising on complex natural resources matters, including those concerning endangered species and wetlands under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the federal Endangered Species Act and its California counterpart (ESA and CESA), and Section 1603 of the California Fish and Game Code (streambed alteration agreements). As part of this work, she regularly manages permitting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, state and local water quality control boards, and the California Coastal Commission, among other federal and state agencies and local governments. Jennifer frequently advises clients (from both the project applicant and landowner side) on conservation easements and other similar mitigation approaches to achieve permit obligations. She also has extensive experience with state housing legislation and local referenda, helping clients anticipate regulatory changes on the horizon. Jennifer has successfully ushered a diverse collection of high-profile projects through the state’s rigorous permitting approval process, including corporate campuses, mixed-use projects, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and large residential developments. Jennifer’s strong technical foundation, with undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental science and previous environmental policy experience, aid in her ability to distil nuanced issues into pragmatic solutions. Prior to beginning her legal career, Jennifer established and implemented biodiversity conservation practices for governments and public institutions worldwide as the director of the Conservation International’s Regional Marine Strategies program in Washington, D.C. Before joining Allen Matkins, Jennifer was a partner and head of the land use practice at Stice & Block LLP in Oakland, California.

Nikki A. Beasley is the Executive Director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (RNHS), where she has led transformative growth and innovation since joining in 2016 after a 25-year career in banking and financial services. Though new to housing at the time, Nikki brought a deep-rooted commitment to community empowerment and economic equity that has shaped RNHS into a regional force for inclusive development. Under her leadership, RNHS has: • Doubled its affordable rental portfolio through strategic multifamily acquisitions. • Launched the “Changing the Narrative of Homeownership” Initiative, reframing ownership as a tool for generational stability. • Created the Lender Ready Program, helping over 300 first-time buyers secure homes. • Established the RNHS Money Matters Series, promoting financial literacy and readiness. • Founded Restoring Neighborhoods, a program supporting affordable homeownership production. • Became a small site infill developer, paving the way for the Emerging Developers Program, launched in 2021 to support BIPOC developers and community-led housing solutions. RNHS is now a recognized voice in housing policy across the Bay Area, advocating for tenant and landlord rights, fair housing, equitable zoning, and consumer protections. Nikki’s work has catalyzed conversations around decoupling race and income in housing subsidy frameworks, especially for the “Missing Middle” (80–120% AMI), and addressing the racial wealth gap through ownership.

Sara joined Turner Construction Company in 2007 and has taken on a range of roles within project management and business development. In her current role as Healthcare Project Executive for Turner’s Northern California region, Sara provides leadership in the planning and execution of preconstruction and construction services, ensuring operational excellence that meets the project’s conditions of success. With an extensive and varied portfolio of Healthcare and HCAI work, she consistently demonstrates her expertise in handling complex, fast-paced builds that demand precision and innovation. Sara received her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Chico State University.

Sara Carmody is the Regional Manager of Hathaway Dinwiddie’s Northern California region, bringing over 25 years of experience in planning and constructing life science facilities and has been instrumental in the delivery of more than 10 million square feet of life science spaces in California. Her expertise in projects ranges from life science campuses to complex interiors and having shaped and advocated for an internal Northern California Life Science Strategy early in her career, which targeted key clients, promoted strong relationships, and the assembly of the very best and experienced teams. Sara helped establish Hathaway Dinwiddie’s San Diego office by expanding Southern California operations beyond the Los Angeles basin and Orange County into San Diego by building on long standing industry relationships and providing a consistent and high level of services. Sara was honored as Building Design + Construction’s 40 under 40 and a Most Influential Woman in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times. Hathaway Dinwiddie is a privately held corporation, established in 1911, with focus primarily in California, where services provided include preconstruction and construction services for many sectors including commercial, hospitality, higher education, cultural, tenant improvements and renovations along with life science.

As West Coast Regional Director and Managing Director of Atelier Ten’s San Francisco office, Kristen DiStefano is a respected leader in carbon and sustainability for complex, resilient and environmentally ambitious masterplans, frameworks, landscapes and buildings worldwide. Kristen provides big-picture guidance on large scale masterplans and detailed analysis including daylight optimization, shading control and innovative materials on the building scale. Kristen’s diverse portfolio integrates regenerative design principles that not only minimize harm but actively restore and enrich ecological and social systems. Her portfolio of work spans from the NVIDIA HQ to the hybrid mass timber California College of Arts Expansion. As an integral part of Atelier Ten’s Materplanning practice, her work has shaped the sustainability strategy for San Francisco’s rapidly developing waterfront, including Mission Rock, India Basin and Potrero Power Station.

What I like best about architecture + design: I’ve always enjoyed the process of combining creative and critical thinking to design buildings that respond to the needs of the ultimate occupants. From starting with developing the initial concept to fine tuning it until it feels ‘right’. Documentation through construction is just as interesting since there is always something new to learn as we strive to achieve the concept/design! What I add to a project team: An extensive archive of technical knowledge mixed in with very many lessons learned that I like to share with the team. I also bring strong leadership and mentorship.

Emily is a Principal, Vice President, and member of the Board of Directors at Martin/Martin, where she manages the firm’s San Francisco Bay Area office and leads its data center, industrial, manufacturing, and process-driven building design practice. She has delivered innovative structural solutions for a wide range of mission-critical and technically complex facilities, serving both public and private clients. With more than 20 years of experience designing data centers, Emily has partnered with a wide variety of clients to deliver high-performance, mission-critical facilities. Her expertise lies in balancing the rigorous demands of security, redundancy, efficiency, and resilience with the practical realities of construction, budget, and schedule. She has worked across diverse sites and conditions, ensuring that structural systems support the evolving requirements of today’s data-driven economy. Emily is also a recognized leader in seismic resilience. She currently serves as Chair of the ASCE/SEI 7-28 Seismic Subcommittee, Chair of the Structural Engineers Institute (SEI) Technical Community ExCom, and Chair of the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) Code Advisory Committee, where she helps shape the standards that guide resilient structural design nationwide.

Tara Shabahang is a Partner in the Real Estate Transactions and Finance group at the San Francisco office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. She represents real estate developers, investors, property owners and operators in all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing, joint ventures and leasing. Tara leads her firm’s borrower-side finance practice with expertise in mortgage and mezzanine debt, construction financing, secured and unsecured lines of credit and CMBS loan servicing. Her project coverage is national and spans a variety of asset classes, including office, multifamily, retail, industrial, hotel and mixed-use. With a particular focus on commercial real estate development, Tara is trusted by some of the Bay Area’s leading developers and investors to navigate large-scale development projects, from the evaluation and acquisition of a development site, through project entitlement and construction, until assets are operational and stabilized. Tara is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) as well as her firm’s DEI and Women’s Initiative committees. Tara was named to Legal 500’s 2025 Next Generation Partner list for Real Estate, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s 2025 list of Rising Stars. In addition, she has been named to Best Lawyers in America’s Ones to Watch list in Real Estate Law from 2022-2024. Tara holds a B.A. from Amherst College and a J.D. from University of California, Davis.

Cherie Y. Song is a Partner in Lubin Olson's Real Estate and Business Practice Groups. She specializes in commercial leasing, acquisitions and dispositions, and telecommunications. Ms. Song represents institutional landlords, multi-billion dollar investment management companies, REITs, pension funds, and national retailers in a broad range of lease-related matters for office, retail, industrial, mixed-use properties and telecommunications assets. She also represents developers and investors in the acquisition, development, disposition and financing of commercial properties. Her practice also includes advising startups and private companies on various real estate and business-related matters. Prior to joining Lubin Olson, Ms. Song practiced in the San Francisco office of Buchalter Nemer and the Los Angeles office of McGuireWoods. Ms. Song was honored by Thompson Reuters as a Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in 2009 and 2010.