She has made commercial transactions totaling more than 123.5 million square feet[1] and has been cited as a groundbreaker in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
[2] Her deals have anchored more than 14.4 million square feet of new construction in the New York region, a total believed to be a record in commercial brokerage.
"[6] She attended Cardinal Spellman High School, then went to Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. as a Timken Scholar, taking a B.A.
in English and graduating Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, and then received her Master's in Art History from the University of Maryland.
[7] Tighe became a fellow at the Smithsonian while finishing her master's degree, and moved on to join the White House Domestic Policy staff, serving as Arts Advisor to Vice President Walter Mondale.
She returned to live in New York City in 1981, where she parlayed her experience in fine arts into a career in the cable TV industry, becoming a Vice President at American Broadcasting Company Video Enterprises.
[10][1] Tighe helped drive some of the most influential projects in New York City's recent history, including the revitalization of Times Square when she brought Condé Nast there in 1996.
[8] Similarly, Condé Nast's subsequent relocation to One World Trade Center in 2014, a deal brokered by Tighe and her team, was described as a harbinger of the cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan[11] while deals such as Ogilvy & Mather’s 2008 worldwide headquarters relocation to 565,000 square feet at 636 Eleventh Avenue (a former candy factory) and Coach’s 2013 purchase of a condo interest in 10 Hudson Yards represent a shift west of Midtown Manhattan’s CBD (central business district).
[14] During her tenure as Chair, she advocated for the rezoning of Midtown East, as well as created a position for a technology officer to establish a broader web and social media presence for REBNY.
[22] She succeeded in helping to pass Greater Midtown East rezoning, an effort begun in 2011 while serving as REBNY Chairman.
[1] In 2016, she represented Coach in its 693,938-square-foot leaseback at 10 Hudson Yards;[25] ownership of 55 Water Street in the biggest leasing deal since 2014, McGraw Hill Financial's 900,027-square-foot renewal;[26] and L&L Holding Company in the 200,000-square-foot anchor lease to Citadel at the Foster + Partners-designed 425 Park Avenue, with a penthouse-level asking rent of $300 per square foot, the city's most expensive office at the time.
[10] Having credited Carol Nelson for mentoring her as a young broker, Tighe stated that mentorship is key to business growth.
[43] In her gratitude speech, Tighe named the many architects and engineers who taught her about civic engagement, including Henry N. Cobb, Norman Foster, Bjarke Ingels, and Renzo Piano.