2025 Betsy Award Application

Elizabeth Traczek Women in Commercial Real Estate Award aka “The Betsy”

Betsy Traczek was a member of the BOMA/Chicago Board of Directors, sat on the Labor Committee, volunteered as a Gold Circle Awards judge, and served as longtime chair of the Events Committee. Betsy gave 110%. This award was created in her memory, to recognize women who have made a difference in our industry and acknowledge BOMA/Chicago’s female leaders.

We are accepting applications for the Betsy Award! Applications must be submitted online by March 31, 2025. Please review these guidelines to understand the application requirements and selection process.

Application Requirements

The application packet should include:
- Completed application
- Bio or Resume
- Headshot
Applicants must be employed in a BOMA/Chicago member building or affiliate company or be within one year of when BOMA/Chicago membership ended.
Applicants must have at least ten years of experience in the commercial real estate industry.
Award recipients are not eligible to receive the Award again.
The Award recipient will be announced at the BOMA/Chicago Annual Meeting and/or a separate event.
BOMA/Chicago Board Members are eligible to be nominated.

Award Selection Process

Applications will be collected by BOMA/Chicago staff and presented to the Events Committee for initial review. The Committee will evaluate all submissions for completeness and against the following criteria:

To what extent has the nominee positively impacted the industry?
To what extent has the nominee’s leadership inspired others?
To what extent has the nominee mentored or advanced others’ professional growth?
To what extent has the nominee contributed to the industry through involvement with BOMA/Chicago?

Using the above criteria, the Events Committee will identify finalists to be interviewed by an Awards Panel consisting of:

Two members of the BOMA/Chicago Board of Directors
The Chair of the Event Committee
The Vice Chair of the Event Committee
The BOMA/Chicago Board Liaison for the Event Committee

Nominations

You can nominate someone for “The Betsy”
How does it work? Simply send your nomination to nominations@bomachicago.org, include their full contact information along with a short statement as to why you feel they are deserving of the award. We will contact all nominees to let them know they have been nominated for the award. The nominee will need to accept the nomination and submit the application packet. The application packet is due by March 31, 2025. If you are nominating someone please allow them time to complete the application packet. Self-nominations are also accepted.

Fields marked with an * are required.

NOMINEE INFORMATION

First Name *

Last Name *

Title *

Organization *

Building *

Email *

Phone *

Total Years in Commercial Real Estate Industy *

Bio or Resume *

20MB max

Headshot *

20MB max

QUESTIONS

Question 1 *

Please describe the role(s) in which you lead others in our industry.

Question 2 *

What path did you take to becoming a leader in our industry?

Question 3 *

Describe the professional accomplishments you are most proud of.

Question 4 *

What were some of the challenges you have faced as a female leader?

Question 5 *

Describe a moment where your leadership made a positive impact on the industry.

Question 6 *

During your time as a leader, how have you influenced the culture at your organization?

Question 7 *

How has mentorship impacted your personal growth?

Question 8 *

In what ways have you contributed to the growth of others in our industry?

Question 9 *

Describe your leadership style and how you lead others. Is it different from your male counterparts?

Question 10 *

In what ways have you participated in BOMA/Chicago over your career? How has BOMA/Chicago supported your career growth?

Question 11 *

Please provide any additional information you would like reviewers to know about you.

Please verify that you have checked the “I'm not a robot” checkbox.