During Women’s History Month, we take the time to honor influential women from the past and present, celebrating their remarkable achievements. This March, NTCIC is proudly shining a spotlight on the inspiring leaders within our organization who are making a significant impact on the fields of historic preservation, community development, and sustainability.
Meet Kathleen Galvan, NTCICI’s Acquisitions Manager. Kathleen is responsible for identifying, structuring, and preliminary underwriting prospective federal/state HTC and NMTC investments and has been with NTCIC since 2012. During her time with NTCIC, she has worked on all facets of the tax credit investment lifecycle, from closing through compliance. Prior to NTCIC, she served as a Real Estate Development Manager for a financial advisory firm. Kathleen holds an MBA from the University of Texas, McCombs School of Business, focused on Real Estate Finance.
Get to know Kathleen and her outlook on her work, her life, and her interests.
Susan Doyle: Why did you decide to get involved in your current role with NTCIC?
Kathleen Galvan: I knew I wanted to pursue a career in real estate, specializing in real estate finance for my MBA; however, it was my sister, Sara Bronin, who ignited my passion for preservation. Sara has been dedicated to historic preservation for more years than I can remember and has taught university courses and written books about the subject. She suggested that I work with NTCIC on the NMTC application to learn more about the work of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the role of tax credits in real estate financing.
11 years later, I have held multiple positions at NTCIC, and Sara is now the chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. I suppose once you realize you can combine a love of real estate with positive change and community impact, it is hard to leave the industry!
Susan: What makes NTCIC a unique place to work? 
Kathleen: NTCIC encourages its employees to focus on all of the right things – integrity, collaboration, and healthy work/life balance. Given that we are a mission-driven company, the projects, and decisions we make are rooted in the right place. We try to choose partners we can trust and invest in projects that will truly make a difference. Within the organization itself, we have fostered a collaborative work environment that encourages each department to support each other and help each other grow. As you can see in our current and past leadership, we also encourage women leaders within the company.
Susan: What advice do you have for women entering (or wanting to enter) the industry?
Kathleen: Make sure that you advocate for yourself and other women throughout your career. Try to embrace a diversity of work experiences so that you are able to make informed recommendations and volunteer for speaking roles to share your knowledge and gain credibility among your peers. As you advance in your career, you can help other women by serving as a mentor and recommending high-performing women for positions within your organization. Joining groups such as “Women in Tax Credits” will help you to meet other high-achieving women and either find or offer to be a mentor to other women.
Susan: What are you reading right now?
Kathleen: Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. Erik Larson is one of my favorite non-fiction authors- he makes historic events truly come to life.