Instructor

Abigail McCarthy

Practical Experience:

Abigail McCarthy is vice president, Investment Affairs & Investor Education for the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), the national, not-for-profit trade association of the real estate investment trust (REIT) and publicly traded real estate industry. NAREIT's members are REITs and other businesses that own, operate and finance income-producing real estate, as well as those firms and individuals who advise, study and service these businesses.

The objectives of NAREIT's Investment Affairs & Investor Education Program are to communicate effectively the proposition of real estate investment through REITs to institutional and individual investors worldwide. Ms. McCarthy is responsible for leading NAREIT's educational efforts targeted to both institutional and individual investors. Additionally, she oversees the partnership between NAREIT and FTSE for the FTSE NAREIT U.S. Real Estate Indexes and serves as the liason between FTSE, EPRA and NAREIT for the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Real Estate Index.

Before joining NAREIT in August 1998, Ms. McCarthy worked for the U.S. House of Representatives on the House Budget Committee, under Chairman John Kasich.

Ms. McCarthy is a graduate of the Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, where she earned her bachelor's of business administration degree and Johns Hopkins University where she earned a master's of business administration.