International Women's Day 2021

Each March, during Women’s History Month, we like to find a way to honor the achievements women have made. As a company with so many amazing female leaders, we are happy to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th! Ready for some girl boss inspo? We’ve collected some empowering quotes for women by women (at Fairfield) on what International Women’s Day means to them along with some of their favorite quotes.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

“International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on where we have come in the area of women rights.  We must continue to acknowledge the enormous role women play in society and celebrate the amazing women preceding us that have impacted our lives through their stewardship for women’s rights.  I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the single most important woman that has impacted me – my mom (Jane Wyman).”

Kim Bender                Executive Vice President – Property Management

“International Women’s Day is so much more then just gender equality.  It is a time to celebrate all women and the difference we make in the world, but it is also a time for us to look at ourselves and remember it is ok to take care of me and to uplift other women and girls around us.  It is important for the next generation to know that they are supported by other women and not to be afraid to dream big.”

Favorite quote: “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”  Coco Chanel

Stacy Wells           Vice President of Strategic Operations – Property Management

“This is a great day to celebrate all the women that have forged the way for the rest of us. While there are many historic women who have done this for all of us, I have personally  been blessed to work for 3 amazing women in my career, who have done this for me.  Martha Carlin at UDR, Lili Dunn at Bell Partners, and the amazing Kim Bender at Fairfield.  In all cases, these ladies have blazed the trail for me, my peers, and other women who have followed them. There is commonality among all three. They never let their gender stand in their way; they understand the value of building relationships with women and men alike, and they are smart, persistent, and most importantly, confident!  They broke barriers because they never thought they existed!”

Favorite quote: “The only thing that stands in your way, is you. Break those barriers by believing in you!”

Erin Ditto         Senior Vice President -Property Management

“International Women’s Day is important to me because I am old enough to remember being told by a teacher that “it was ok not to know as much as the boys in math because I was a girl”.  And as a woman in the workplace prior to my experience at Fairfield, I remember the many “blonde” jokes told by those around me, many of them in supervisory positions (and let me tell you they were not intended for any blonde men).  International Women’s Day is a day to reflect on how far we have come and yet how far we have left to go related to gender equality.  As women we need to rally with and for other women and celebrate their accomplishments but more importantly, we need to ensure that we don’t allow for environments that are acceptaning of gender discrimination. 

At Fairfield, I am privileged to work for and with many talented and strong women that are continuously focused on improving our organization and on improving other’s lives.  My hope for all the ladies out there, no matter what your age, is that you aim high and seek out whatever path brings you happiness.  Everyone hears no at least a few times in their lives……don’t let it define you…..you define yourself and your future!” 

Favorite quote: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

Liz Culibrk              Senior Vice President – Property Management

“International Women’s Day is not just a day to celebrate the contributions and necessary roles that women play in our economy globally. It is as much about unifying all contributions around the world regardless of all biases, especially gender. Raising a young daughter and son in a world that can be uneven comes with a responsibility to evolve generations of thinking and practices that are now antiquated in the progressive and technologically savvy economy that is 2021. I am appreciative of the privilege and opportunity I have had to contribute to the growth and success of women in my career, to evolve our economy and to the human race via my children.” 

Easther Liu  Chief Marketing Officer

“International Women’s Day is a powerful reminder for me to have the utmost respect for women as we challenge ourselves to break into new territory (even when it is only new to us); it’s a reminder to support each other in failure and build off of each other’s successes.”

Meredith Olson Director of Project Management – Information Technology

“International Women’s Day is about recognizing and celebrating the amazing work that my female colleagues and friends do every day.  It’s a day to celebrate our achievements and raise awareness about women’s equality; the future isn’t female, it’s equal.”

Gina Metzger Vice President of Affordable Housing