Advertise on podcast: Speak Up! by AvalonBay Podcast

Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. 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.

Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. 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.

Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. 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.

Welcome back to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. 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.

Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay’s Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. 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.

This is the final episode of our three-part Summer Series, Lessons in Leadership. We have three very special women leaders, Debbie Coombs, Karen Hollinger, and Cathy White, retiring from AvalonBay in 2022. This series is our opportunity to showcase their unique transformational leadership stypes and their invaluable wisdom. 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.

This episode continues our three-part Summer Series, Lessons in Leadership. 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!

This episode launches our summer series, Lessons in Leadership. 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!

In this episode of the WLN Speak Up! Podcast, we are joined by Sarah Mathewson (SVP, Property Operations), Lindsey Romano (VP, Asset Management), Chris Milne (Director, Construction), and Margarita Wynn (Director, Portfolio Operations), as they discuss “Jumpstarting Your Confidence.”   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.

In this episode, we are joined by two AvalonBay associates; Jennie Rivera (Senior Director, Human Resources), Sophia Del Bianco (Sales and Service Supervisor), and a very special guest,  Cindy Persico, the Regional Vice President for EAP and Work/Life Services for Health Advocate. Cindy is a member of the EAP Leadership Team, and key contributor to delivering continued first-class clinical services. Cindy has a Masters of Health Science in Counseling and specializes in the development and growth of high-quality employee assistance programs (EAP). She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional and has been involved in all areas of EAP management including training, evaluation of program effectiveness, and program integrity. They discuss the hidden effects of Anxiety; how to recognize it, and tools to help manage it.

In this episode, we are joined by four AvalonBay associates; Liz Smith (Senior VP, Asset Management), Susie Maglich (Sr. Director, Design), Parks Underdown (Program Manager, Maintenance), and Angela Keckler (Director, Ancillary Services), as they discuss “Creating Your Own Career Path.”   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).

In Episode 8 of the WLN Speak Up Podcast, we are joined by Erika Saldivar (Dir, Special Projects), Sarah Tullo (Sales Manager), Chawn Jackson (Sr. Dir, Talent Acquisition), Lauryn King (Sr. Auditor), and Gauri Paydenkar (Dir, Pricing & Revenue Mgmt), as they discuss “Microaggressions & The Workplace.”   During this episode, they not only demystify the meaning of “microaggression,” but also share their personal experiences and lessons learned around this important topic.

In Episode 7 of the WLN Speak Up Podcast, we are joined by Cassandra McFadden (Director, Energy Mgmt) and Christine Coutts (Community Consultant) as they discuss what it means to “Bring Your Whole Self to Work.”  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 this episode, we are joined by a group of AvalonBay associates; Jennifer Cooper (Project Manager), Denise Evans (Regional Operations Manager), Josh Spalasso (Health & Safety Director), Gina Roberts (Portfolio Operations Director), and David Ridlehuber (Superintendent II), who share their experiences managing work and home as single parents.  Their stories of selflessness and perseverance inspire us to reach for success and Speak Up for what we need.

Throughout 2020, we heard from AvalonBay associates who were discovering or rediscovering things that brought value and meaning to their lives – things they want to keep doing.   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.