Larken Associates' Nascimento and Heckman Named to ROI-NJ’s ROI Influencers: Women 2026 List
Larken Associates, a leading full-service commercial and residential real estate firm, is proud to announce that Melissa Nascimento, Executive Vice President of Marketing, and Jessica Heckman, ARM, CPM, Executive Vice President of Multifamily Operations, have been named to ROI-NJ's ROI Influencers: Women 2026 list.
Each year, ROI-NJ's ROI Influencers: Women list spotlights women across New Jersey's business community who are making a measurable impact on both their company and industry, and inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Nascimento has led Larken Associates' marketing strategy and operations for over two decades. She has been instrumental in crafting the firm's brand identity and driving leasing performance across both its four-million-square-foot commercial real estate portfolio and approximately 3,000-unit Larken Living residential rental portfolio.
The recognition follows several other awards and honors Nascimento has received in recent years, including: 2024 and 2025 Leasing Marketing Director of the Year from the New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA); 2023 and 2024 Marketing Executive of the Year from the Metropolitan Builders and Contractors Association (MetroBCA); 2022 and 2025 Enterprising Woman in Commerce from the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey; and 2026 Woman of Influence from GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum.
Heckman joined Larken Associates in 2008 and assumed the role of Executive Vice President of Multifamily Operations earlier in 2026. She oversees all asset management, leasing strategy, and operations across the Larken Living portfolio, which has grown by 1,100 units and 45% since 2020. Heckman and her team have also won several awards in recent years, including the New Jersey Apartment Association’s (NJAA) 2024 Excellence in Property Management Award and over half dozen Pennsylvania Apartment Association (PAA) 2024 Keystone Awards across Leasing, Maintenance, and Overall Excellence categories.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by ROI-NJ and even more meaningful to be included alongside a colleague as talented and dedicated as Jessica,” Nascimento said. “This recognition reflects the strength of our team’s integrated approach and our focus on ensuring our communities remain best-in-class.”
Women have historically been underrepresented in the commercial real estate industry, making recognitions like this especially significant. It reflects both the continued progress being made across the industry and our team’s successful approach to delivering an unmatched resident experience across our portfolio.
About Larken Associates
Larken Associates is a leading full-service commercial and residential real estate firm based in Branchburg, New Jersey. Leveraging over 60 years of experience, their long-term ownership strategy and full suite of in-house capabilities brings great spaces to live and work to life. Across a diverse commercial portfolio spanning nearly four million square feet and 1,200 tenants across office, industrial, retail and mixed-use properties, and approximately 3,000 residential units across 20 unique communities with another 1,500 in the development pipeline, Larken Associates is deeply committed to the communities in which they work as well as the tenants and residents who call their buildings home. To learn more about Larken Associates, please visit us at https://www.LarkenAssociates.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram
