Believe it or not, Gables Residential COO Cris Sullivan had dreams of art and Sotheby's. Back in 1988, as she was pursuing an art history doctorate to be an art curator at the renowned auction house, she took a job with Trammell Crow Residential as a leasing agent for a property in Boca Raton. “My intent was to work for them that summer, earn some money and go back to school in the fall,” Cris tells us. But a quick promotion or two later, Cris became hooked on the multifamily industry. “I had a newfound career path I wanted to pursue.”

28 years later, that career is still going strong, and Cris is now being featured as one of Bisnow's Power Series: Women of Influence event later this month. Cris ranks her greatest career achievement as being a role model to young women in the industry. “My story is a compelling example that you can reach your career goals by working your way up from an entry-level position,” she says. “I hope they look at me and think, 'If she can do it, then I can do it!'” Cris says her best advice to young women is to not “try to emulate what you think it takes to be successful as a man. Do what comes natural to you. That is your strength.”

Cris is helping Gables develop an 18-story, 200-unit apartment tower on Columbus Circle (here) in Coral Gables with rents expected near the lux-rate of $2.95/SF with an anticipated opening in November of next year.

Come hear more from Cris, along with The Vagabond Group CEO Avra Jain (here), Miami Beach Commissioner John Elizabeth Aleman, The Related Group president Lissette Calderon and Blanca Commercial Real Estate CEO Tere Blanca at Power Series: Women of Influence, 7:30am, Thursday, July 28, at the Miami Beach Women's Club on Miami Beach. Register here.