Women are key support staff at Wilshire Escrow Company
FOURTH GENERATION members of Wilshire Escrow are Joanna Shewfelt Girard and Kira Shewfelt.
Who are the women behind Wilshire Escrow?
Originally co-founded by Emma “Scotty” Shewfelt with her husband Roy almost 70 years ago, the female staff ranges from the receptionist to the escrow assistants to the junior escrow officers. Two fourth generation members of the Shewfelt family are among the 13 women at the 19-member firm. Joanna Shewfelt Girard has been operations officer for the past 10 years. Kira Shewfelt is helping out at the company during the summer.
“It was “Scotty’s” idea to buy out the original partners and start an independent firm,” said Joanna.
Scotty was an accountant, a field that few women entered in the 1950s, said Joanna. Today both escrow and real estate are progressive fields in hiring women.
“My grandmother was a skilled networker. She socialized at Wilshire Country Club and, when the office was next to Perino’s restaurant, she would take customers there. The office held its board meetings there as well.”
The women here are our co-workers—it’s a team effort without which we couldn’t function, said Eric Shewfelt, vice president.
Category: Real Estate
