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01/13/2021 07:30 AMThe Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Women’s Achievement Awards as a virtual event on Thursday, Jan. 28, honoring seven local women, including North Haven resident Nanette Pastore. Nanette, who is the president of Pearce Real Estate, will be honored with the Woman of the Year Award.
“I got the call out of the blue and I didn’t even know I’d been nominated so I was shocked,” says Nanette, who grew up in Hamden and has lived in North Haven ever since she bought her first home. “I’m very honored to have this designation. Barbara Pearce called after that and said she had nominated me and felt it was well deserved and she was happy they had chosen me.”
In addition to Nanette, other award recipients include Sherri Helget (HR director of C. Cowles & Company) for Excellence in Business, Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan (chief of outreach & access for Area Cooperative Education Services) for Excellence in Advocacy, Lorraine Cullen (senior director of clinical services at Gaylord Speciality Healthcare) for Excellence in Healthcare, Emily Walter (childcare services director for Wallingford Family YMCA) for Emerging Leader, Ann Collette (VP of strategy and business development for Masonicare) for Outstanding Innovator, and Samantha Williams (owner of Sam’s Word LLC) for Community Impact.
To find out more about the event and to register, information is available at www.quinncham.com/.
Nanette is familiar with the Women’s Achievement Awards as she sat on the board of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce for many years until stepping down two years ago. Though she never worked on the committee for the Women’s Achievement Awards, she remembers that the recipients each get to speak and she is excited to meet other women who are leaders in the business community.
“I’m interested to hear them speak about their companies,” says Nanette. “I’ve learned a lot working for a woman like Barbara Pearce, who has done a lot of firsts as a woman. She has taught me to stand up for myself and to know that I’m worthy of the position, being in charge, and taking control. I appreciate that. When I was new to company, that is not how I felt, but she had faith in me and helped me to where I am now.”
While Nanette has been with Pearce Real Estate since 1993, her career began in a different field. Nanette worked in the corporate office for a bank and when that bank was bought out, her job was eliminated. Though Nanette wasn’t sure what her future would hold after losing her job, the former president of the bank had other ideas.
The president introduced Nanette to Pearce, who was president of Pearce Real Estate at the time with her father, Herb Pearce, serving as CEO. Nanette was hired to work directly for the Pearces.
“Back then, I was so upset about losing that job—I loved my job at the bank—but this has been the job of a lifetime,” says Nanette. “I can’t thank the Pearces enough for what they’ve given me, taught me, and saw in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
Barbara Pearce says nominating Nanette was an easy choice.
“She lives in the region, she works in the region, and she has done a lot of not-for-profit stuff in the region,” Pearce says. “She’s just what you want every female executive to be. She has so many wonderful qualities and everyone loves her. Every time I push her outside her comfort zone, she succeeds. When she takes something on, she does it with her whole heart.
“No one could deserve this more,” Pearce continues. “One of the things I’m proudest of in my career is being a mentor to Nanette Pastore.”
Over the years, Nanette moved up in the company. When a new office opened in Wallingford in 2000, Nanette was asked to run that office. Though she was unsure of the new position, her office went on to become the most profitable. Since then she filled openings in the New Haven and shoreline offices, eventually taking over running the residential real estate with Barbara Pearce running the commercial real estate.
“They [Barbara and Herb] nurtured me through, teaching me all about real estate and even though I was unsure about managing the first office, they said, ‘We have every faith in you,’ so I took on the challenge,” says Nanette. “They have been very good to me.”
Recently Nanette was presented with another challenge as Barbara Pearce stepped back from real estate to work with Connecticut Hospice. Nanette was named president of Pearce Real Estate, overseeing both residential and commercial real estate as well as about 100 employees and agents between seven offices.
Nanette carries on the “open door” policy she learned from Barbara Pearce with the agents and employees, aiming to make herself accessible to help her team. She enjoys the camaraderie of the family-run company and thinks of her co-workers as family.
In addition, the company puts an emphasis on serving its communities. The agents and employees bring different ideas to the table and Nanette enjoys helping out the different causes. The offices have done events such as coat drives and delivering Thanksgiving baskets and cookie trays for the homeless.
Nanette and Pearce Real Estate have also supported different organizations over the years, such as the Ronald McDonald House, St. Martin de Porres, and the Columbus House. Ever since Sept. 11, 2001, the employees have also dedicated that day to giving back each year. For the past few years, Nanette and her co-workers have helped at Connecticut Hospice, most recently helping to clean up the grounds after tornado damage.
“Everyone donates their time for the day and this year, we painted, cleaned up the grounds, and did odd jobs—it’s a great day and we feel so happy to have served at the end of the day,” says Nanette. “We try to be involved in all of our communities and that keeps our agents with us because they also believe in that.”
In addition to having served on the board of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce, Nanette also was on the board for the United Way. When she is not working or volunteering, Nanette enjoys walking and cooking. Prior to COVID, she also spent time at the gym and traveling—especially to places with a beach and warm weather.
COVID not only halted her travel and time at the gym, but it changed the real estate industry, forcing her and her employees and agents to make adjustments. Having been with the company since 1993, Nanette has seen many other changes and challenges in addition to COVID. While much has changed, Nanette’s passion for her job has not.
“We’ve gone through recessions where prices were sky-high and when I first started, we just started having the MLS on a computer system—so much has changed,” says Nanette. “I love real estate. I love my job. I working with agents to get the job done.”