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employees on their regular schedules throughout the pandemic . She and her three children in the business took huge pay cuts , but the staff was not affected .
“ It was a risky decision , but I believe it made all the difference ,” she says . Since there was no disruption in operations , O ’ Connor contends it enabled her staff to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic , leaving the workers fully equipped to meet the demands of the new buyers and sellers in the surge .
Her team has always been shown her appreciation at award dinners and company picnics . Since the virus curtailed them this year , O ’ Connor brainstormed new ways to keep her staff motivated and engaged . They now enjoy happy hours on Zoom and O ’ Connor is bringing in a chef to give virtual cooking lessons . “ At least we can interact online and keep our culture and sense of community ,” she says .
O ’ Connor ’ s outreach goes beyond the office walls , too . She is a member of the board of directors of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey and a former member of the board at the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce . She also serves on the Council for Hospice at Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River and she is a member of the board of Holy Name Medical Center Foundation . The businesswoman was formerly a member of the board of the American Lung
Association of New Jersey and a member of the steering committee for Habitat for Humanity “ Women Raise the Roof ,” building several homes in Paterson .
In recent years O ’ Connor has lent support to Covenant House in Newark , a charitable organization committed to providing shelter and services to homeless youth . Every year O ’ Connor participates in a “ sleep out ” on the streets of
Terrie O ’ Connor ’ s real estate school has transitioned to online classes .
Newark to raise awareness of the organization and provide funding . Even though the pandemic nixed this year ’ s usual format , the participants were undeterred . O ’ Connor and others braved a bitter cold night in their backyards to make their points .
O ’ Connor proves to be resilient . She expects the real estate market for 2021 to be strong and she and her team are ready to meet the challenge .
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