Her dedication to future generations of forward-thinking real estate developers can be found in several photographs in her office. One is a group shot taken last spring at Ohio Wesleyan University when Galante and two other alumni returned to speak about their careers since creating the urban geography major program as students. Two other photos are pictures of her two sons, one of whom is fostering the Galante political gene with an internship on Capitol Hill. Both are undecided about a future in real estate.
“I think what I do is the best job in the world, and I want other people to come into the industry and do it, but I [also] want the best and the brightest,” Galante says. “I feel an obligation to light that light, and I think that it might be that there are more young people gravitating toward the field in the future, particularly given the connection between housing and the environment.”
The one thing Galante doesn’t understand about up-and-coming generations? The proclivity for assuming elective risks. “One of my sons got his pilot’s license at 15, and the other one is a rock climber, and they both do stuff that drives me crazy. I’m not risk-averse, but that’s more risk than I would take on—and more than I want my kids to be taking.” It’s an odd sentiment coming from a woman who hit a 3-mile run in stride in the third leg of the See Jane Tri sprint triathlon. To that dichotomy, she laughs, pauses momentarily, and says, “I try not to ever attempt anything that I ultimately believe I am not going to be able to achieve.”
- Age: 54
- Favorite Quote: “Failure is not an option.”
- Best Business Decision: Coming to BRIDGE Housing Corp.
- Greatest Business Challenge: Keeping a smaller, entrepreneurial culture in tact while expanding the business
- Person You Most Admire: BRIDGE co-founder Don Terner
- Best Advice Ever Received: “Don’t cover the shit with a hankie and think no one will notice.” —BRIDGE co-founder Rick Holliday
- Leadership Philosophy: Build talented teams
- Playing on iPod: Van Morrison’s Greatest Hits
Last Book Read:Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, a very inspiring story of one person’s individual efforts to make a difference
BRIDGE HOUSING CORP.
Year Founded: 1983Headquarters: San Francisco
No. of Employees: 254
2007 Revenue: $116 million
Total Units Developed: 13,080
2007 Units Owned: 9,404 (84% are self-managed; 16% are fee-managed)
Geographic Coverage: California
