Diversity:
A long way to go
By
Charles Davidson
Contributing Editor
National
Real Estate Investor, Mar 1, 2002
 |
"I take that [role model] position seriously, and that's why I spend so much time at Howard." - Pamela Bundy |
Giving
back by giving inspiration to others
Their
areas of expertise vary. One is a developer, another is a broker
and a third is a lawyer. Yet all three of these successful minorities
in commercial real estate share a common bond — they spend
considerable time trying to show younger minorities the opportunities
the industry offers.
Pamela
Bundy, an African American and president of Bundy Development
Corp. in Washington, D.C., has conducted numerous classes at historically
black Howard University. A five-year-old D.C. organization known
as the African American Real Estate Professionals established
a relationship with Howard, and Bundy served as the liaison to
the school during 2001.
In
that role, she was on campus once a week. Bundy says that her
primary aim was to familiarize students with the various jobs
available to them. Many know about residential sales, she says,
but have had little exposure to commercial development, zoning,
legal issues, appraisals and other fundamental aspects of the
business.
Bundy
asked students to note the various construction company signs
dotting the D.C. metro area and to research those companies. She
encouraged the students to learn more about smaller development
firms, where an entry-level person might be exposed to a broader
range of duties than at a big company. Bundy also launched a program
in which students went to work with a real estate professional
for a real-life taste of the industry.
“The
more my firm grows and the more competitive it becomes, I find
that [donating time] is important for myself,” Bundy says.
“It's a political issue at a certain level. You have to know
the players and participate in certain community efforts.”
As
an African American woman in the commercial property business,
Bundy says she is mindful of her position as a role model. “I
take that seriously, and that's why I spent so much time at Howard,”
she says. “I just want people to know that opportunities
exist.”
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