“She”™s my wingman.”
Simple though it may sound, coming from Renee Brown of C.W. Brown Inc., whose husband Charles Brown died in June, the title of “wingman” carries with it no shortage of responsibilities and is not lightly bestowed.
Just shy of 31 years old, Erin Griffin Loosen handles the title with an apparent ease that few people her age would be able to muster.
But to be fair, Loosen is unlike most people her age and her experiences have bestowed on her a perspective that puts her in a rarified air among peers.
As director of business developing and marketing at C.W. Brown in Armonk and unofficial sidekick to Renee Brown, Loosen is responsible for spearheading outreach efforts for a contracting and construction management firm that already boasts Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., PepsiCo Inc., Fordham University and Fujifilm Holdings America Corp. among its client portfolio.
While others might consider her position a daunting one, since being lured to C.W. Brown in March 2010 by Charlie and Renee, Loosen said she has fallen in love with the company culture and the openness that defines the firm.
“It really doesn”™t seem like work,” Loosen said on a recent Friday afternoon, sitting at the head of a conference table with a relaxed grace.
“We have this really great, fun dynamic. It”™s a total atmosphere that you want to be a part of,” she said, adding that for her, work is about much more than just “punching a card.”
And while Loosen”™s primary job responsibilities can be found at 1 Labriola Court, her work extends far beyond the walls of C.W. Brown”™s offices.
Just recently, she was named to the board of directors of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp., making her the youngest member by at least a decade. That, in addition to nearly a dozen other affiliations that read like a who”™s-who of the biggest economic development engines in the Hudson Valley, makes it difficult to fit her resume onto one page.
But for her, it”™s not about the accolades. Rather, it is about making her hometown of Putnam ”“ and work-town of Westchester ”“ places where other young people will want to settle down.
“As a young professional, what gives us that kick to stay is investing in the community ”“ investing and giving back is huge,” she said.
Born, raised and still a resident of Brewster, Loosen wants everyone else to see what she does in the two counties: namely, an alternative to the New York City”™s of the world where people can both enjoy themselves and still raise a family.
“You think about moving out of the house but there”™s just something about this area. It”™s such an amazing place to be able to give your kids such a diverse background,” she said.
If you ask Renee Brown, Loosen could do anything and go anywhere she wants.
“There are a lot of talented people out there, but I think she has a gift that”™s hard to match,” Brown said.
For Loosen though, much of the journey is about being able to step back and see what she has accomplished.
“To have Michael Oates from the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. say to me, ”˜How can I get you on my board?”™ ”“ you get to turn around at 30 and say, ”˜Wow, look at what I”™ve accomplished.”™”
