The Best of the Best in Onsite Management

The HAA Honors Awards recognizes members for their commitment to their communities and the apartment industry. Here is the first group of 2023 Houston Apartment Association Honors Award recipients.

Owner/Management Executive of the Year Christy Rodriguez, CAPS, Judwin Properties

Christy Rodriguez is director of multifamily for Judwin Properties and, in her own words, “a people motivator and leader, thats what I do!” Her infectious energy and cando spirit lead her team and HAA to success.

“My first job in the industry was as a parttime leasing professional. I thought, I'm in college, I need a little extra cash. Little did I know that six months later, I’d be a property manager. I grew so fast and the rest is history.”

Christy has been in the industry for 26 years. She joined Judwin Properties six months prior to the pandemic and helped the company pivot from in-person operations to online, virtual and paperless success, with adoption rates exceeding 95%. Judwin also transitioned to a new renters insurance platform with compliance consistently performing at more than 99% portfolio wide. In 2022, Judwin onboarded a new property management software, built a new lease-up development, The Argonne in Fulshear, and struggled with the heartbreaking loss of key team members to terminal illnesses, all while Christy completed her duties as the president of HAA. Judwin is celebrating 60 years of excellence this year.

Christy is a long-time volunteer for the multifamily industry. Not only is she HAA’s immediate past president, she is a graduate of the HAA, Texas Apartment Association and National Apartment Association’s Leadership Lyceum programs.

She was 2015 Go-Getter of the Year, the 2020 HAA Presidents Award Recipient and winner of TAA’s Frank P. Finch TAA Presidents Award in 2021. Christy appointed HAA’s Adopted Charities Task Force to identify key charitable organizations to help HAA optimize efforts in the community.

Rodriguez is a CAPS credential holder and an industry speaker and panelist for local, state and national associations.

Congratulations, Christy!

Portfolio Supervisor of the Year Kathy Motis, CAPS, CAM, Greystar

Kathy Motis is regional property manager at Greystar. She currently oversees six assets: Sodo on Main South, Sodo on Main North, Lakecrest, Alexan River Oaks, Elan Med Center and Us Bayou Park.

“My first job was as a leasing professional. I was surprised, shortly thereafter, that I knew that I wanted to be in this industry because of the family that this environment creates for everybody.”

Kathy has been in the industry for 21 years and with Greystar for 17 years. She is a Rise Mentor, which is a trained mentor assigned other regional managers nationally to assist with their onboarding experience and help team members to be successful.

Kathy has also served on Greystar’s Operations and Processes Team, a national committee that vets out products, software and streamlines operations.

Kathy has chaired the Camp Hope Committee for many years and served to raise more than $80,000 in funds for veterans who need mental health assistance.

Motis is heavily involved and passionate about service in HAA and TAA. She is currently a HAA Expo Committee member, chairs the Chili Cook-off Committee and a voting member of the HAA PAC. She has served on the Resident Relations Committee, is a Go-Getter and her communities participate in the HAA Food Drive and NAA’s Maintenance Mania.

She is a CAPS and CAM credential holder, a CPM candidate and a 2022 HAA Leadership Lyceum graduate.

Congratulations, Kathy!

Corporate Support Professional of the Year Kathleen Coddou, CAM, CALP, Mosaic Residential

Kathleen Coddou is vice president of business services for Mosaic Residential, supporting her company and team members onboarding with new acquisitions and implementations. She has been in the apartment industry for 19 years and with Mosaic for 13 years.

Kathleen began her career as a leasing consultant and was promoted to APM, PM and director of business services before reaching her current role with Mosaic.

“I really wanted to be a leasing agent. Back in the day, I was flyering the city with my resume and walking into all these different communities trying to find a job. After my 20th property, they were looking for somebody immediately and I interviewed right away, got the job and here I am about 20 years later.”

She has played a critical role in 800 plus implementations for more than 32 properties. She handles everything from data conversions to rent relief programs to expense control to IT support, and much more. She also conducts companywide training sessions for Mosaic’s teams.

Yolanda Waters stated, “She is considered a guru in everything she does and respected by her peers as a result.”

Kathleen is an active participant in association events at the local and state levels, including education sessions with both HAA and TAA.

Kathleen is a CAM and CALP credential holder. Last year, she was named as a member of the HAA Forty Under 40 Class of 2022.

Congratulations, Kathleen!

Manager of the Year, 1 to 199 units Elvia Bustos, CAM, CALP, CAMT, AIME, Veritas Equity Managment

Elvia Bustos is community director for Veritas Equity Management, managing Crossings at Cherry, a 124-unit property built in 1999.

Elvia has been in the multifamily industry and with Veritas for nine years. After starting her career as a cashier for a drycleaning business, Elvia joined Vertias with a strong dedication to her team and a passion for serving residents. In just three years, Elvia’s remarkable work ethic led her to promotion from leasing agent to community director.

Elvia embraced the opportunity to turn around a struggling property, which had a poor reputation and high expenses. Under her leadership. the community underwent significant improvements, including construction of private yards to enhance the feeling of home, an expansion of the playground area and a large, covered pavilion for community events. Her efforts yielded a 99.0% occupancy rate, 70% renewal ratio and a 4.3 star review rating on Google in 2022.

Her visionary approach and dedication to sustainability resulted in a remarkable 50% reduction in the property’s water bill through a successful water conservation project. This earned Crossing at Cherry NAA’s Return on Energy Excellence Award in 2019, following being awarded a HAA Honors Award for Property of the Year in 2018.

Elvia’s work has been consistently recognized with the Best of Tomball Award Program honoring the top Property Management Company in the city for the past six years.

Elvia is a CALP and CAM credential holder and earned her CAMT credential in 2023 to expand her knowledge and understanding of the maintenance side of her community. She served on HAA’s Resident Relations Committee and has volunteered with the Community Outreach Committee, Mercy House Global, ReBuild Houston and the Houston Food Bank over the past several years. She is a regular attendee of local, state and national conferences.

Congratulations, Elvia!

Assistant Manager of the Year Jennifer Guillen, Venterra Realty

Jennifeer Guillen is assistant manager of Venterra Realty’s San Palmilla, a 347-unit property built in 2016. Jennifer has been in the apartment industry and with Venterra for four years.

“I was a hairdresser by trade and I needed a professional change in my life and my career. … I cannot say anything bad about this industry at all. I have so much passion for people. I love for people to feel good, even before this industry, it was my job. Now it's dealing with them in a different aspect – in their home – not making them feel good on the outside, knowing that they’re okay in their living environment. That's rewarding for me, so I'm very happy to be a part of this.”

Jennifer’s meticulous attention to detail and genuine care for residents’ experience has consistently improved Kingley survey move-out process scores by an average of 17.42 over the previous year.

Communication, final billing, notice submission, overall satisfaction and fairness of move-out inspections all saw significant increases. Despite exceeding budgeted targets in charging and collections, Jennifer’s commitment to excellence earned her the Better Living Manager Excellence Award every year since her promotion.

Jennifer has been an active participant in HAA events, including as a Venterra team member for the HAA Chili Fest, Bowling Tournament and the annual Food Drive.

She is a dedicated community advocate, including the Salvation Army Angel Tree, volunteering for her church’s summer camp and providing haircuts for the homeless in Victoria.

Congratulation, Jennifer!

Marketing/Training Director of the Year Nikki Chambers, CAPS, CAM, Hanover Company

Nikki Chambers is director of systems and training for the Hanover Company. She has been in the multifamily industry for 18 years, including more than five years with Hanover.

“I worked for a very small management company on Galveston Island, I was the leasing agent on a property that they leased down and then renovated the whole thing. I was responsible for leasing it up and it was so much fun. I was going to school to be an architect and fell in love with this industry and … I never looked back. … I’ve been with the biggest [management companies], I’ve been with the smallest, now I’ve been with the best and this is home for me, Hanover’s home.”

Nikki oversees all aspects of systems, training and global services for the property managment team of Hanover. This includes providiing support to all departments, including marketing, opening, financial services, quality assurance and training/development with the oversight of all property management software systems from Entrata to SmartSheet to Microsoft Suite programs. This also includes all training support including new hire, customer service, maintenance, software and manager training programs with Hanover’s internal training platform, Hanover University.

Nikki also has oversight of the remote team of 35 people in Ahmedabad, India, to provide support to property management operations, specifically administrative burdens that don’t require someone to be personally on-site.

Nikki is a CAPS and CAM credential holder and is an alumni and ambassador for the University of Houston’s Hilton College.

She is an active HAA volunteer, active in HAA and NAA events, and was a member of the HAA Awards Nominating Committee in 2022.

Congratulations, Nikki!

Manager of the Year, 200 to 299 units Tracy Sosa, CAM, Westdale Asset Management

Tracy Sosa is the community manager of Allusion at West University for Westdale Asset Management. The Allusion is a 231-unit property opened in 2014.

Tracy has been a member of the apartment industry for 26 years and with Westdale for one year and HAA received numerous nominations from her coworkers, HAA member suppliers and peers.

“I started out in 1998 as an assistant manager and started going to HAA classes and education conferences. I continued learning from all of my mentors along the way, working hard and following good leaders.”

Under Tracy’s guidance, total income for her property has increased 21.7% over the past 12 months, with repair and maintenance expenses 20% below budget.

She assisted the regional director with acquisitions by performing due diligence and filing audits for two apartment communities.

Tracy has a genuine care for her employees and residents. She is a mentor to new community managers, offers ongoing training for new team members within her region and assists with special projects, including team and marketing items, and annual operating and capex budget reviews. She was awarded the Westdale Diamond Award in 2022 for her leadership.

Tracy is a CAM and CALP credential holder and an active HAA member and volunteer. She is active in the Food Drive, Volleyball Tournaments, Sports Challenge, Chili Fest and was a judge for the Honor Property Awards. Congratulations, Tracy!

Manager of the Year, 300 to 399 units Necole Steward, CALP, Quarterra

Necole Steward is manager for Taylor Heights, a 363-unit community opened in 2021. She has been in the industry for 20 years, with Quarterra two years and received numerous nominations from her coworkers, former coworkers and peers.

“I started out as a part time leasing professional. I wanted to move out of my parents’, so I started going to every property asking for a position and, on the side, I was taking care of an autistic child. When I told the interviewers that, they’re like “then you probably could handle this.”

Necole is a Woman in Leadership with Quarterra, Brand Ambassador and a mentor to new employees.

Her property has had 12 employees promoted and her community’s occupancy rate averages 97.4%.

Necole volunteers with Big Sister and Little Brother, Pretty Girls With Cancer, the Houston Food Bank, The Rose, Lupus Texas Gulf Coast, and serves as a mentor to young women recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

She is a CALP credential holder, a HAA NEXT member, served as a Honors Property Award judge for five years, and volunteers for Camp Hope and the HAA Chili Fest.

Necole was a member of the 2018 Class of HAA’s Forty Under 40.

Congratulations, Necole!

Manager of the Year, 400+ units Irene Balderas, CAM, Allied Orion Group

Irene Balderas is property manager for the 400 unit Falls at Clear Lake for Allied Orion Group, opened in 1984.

Irene has been in the multifamily industry for 28 years and with Allied Orion for five years. When she joined the company, the Falls at Clear Lake was struggling with operations and Irene was vital to team building, resident retention, income growth and major renovations for the community.

Her team consists of eight members, five of which have been working along side her since 2018. She has promoted one leasing professional to assistant manager, who will make the transition to property manager in the future.

Irene and her team has achieved the Apartment Ratings Top Rated Award for 2021 and 2022, with more than 100 positive reviews via Google, FaceBook and Apartment Ratings. Falls at Clear Lake’s Google rating is currently an exceptional 4.2.

Sandra Kainer stated that “Irene shows up each day with a can do attitude like Rosie the Riveter! Irene also finds time for herself to make it to the gym almost daily … being a property manager, single mother of four, grandmother of one. I’m impressed!”

Irene is a CAM credential holder and a COS. She is a member of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce and is an active member of HAA.

Congratulation, Irene!

Leasing Professional of the Year Jackie Salazar, Abbey Residential

Jackie Salazar is a leasing professional for Abbey Residential and the 307 unit The Abbey at Northpoint, opened seven years ago. Jackie has been in the industry for five years and has worked for Abbey Residential for two years.

“This is a funny story. I used to work at TJ Maxx for five years as a cashier. We would always “sell the credit card, sell the credit card, sell the credit card.” One day, I had a lady that was a property manager ask if I was interested in leasing. I said, no I don't know what that is. … I'll look into it and I did. The very first place I went, I filled out an application, talked and I got in right away part time. I loved it and six months later I moved up to full time … and I have never looked back.”

When Jackie came to The Abbey at Northpoint in 2021, she completely flipped their leasing around. Thoughout 2022, Jackie toured a whopping 266 prospects, 164 of whom leased, or 62%. She was in the “90s Club” for making 90% or greater on her shops. Jackie gets high marks, with one report stating that “Jackie was very friendly and upbeat. She was very knowledgable about the community and surrounding area conveniences. She made me feel welcomed and was eager to assist me.”

She not only “leases up a storm,” but she has been providing amazing customer service to all of the residents, vendors and prospects who come through the door.

Jackie helped to create a sense of community through social media that helps with resident retention and attracting new residents. She posts mini model walk-throughts, videos, photos from events, food truck Thursday reminders, pet of the week posts and more.

In April, Jackie won the Leasing Consultant of the Year award at the Abbey Residential Award Dinner in New Orleans and was invited to attend Abbey’s full Leadership Conference for her win.

Jackie has participated in the HAA Food Drive, All Star Sports Challenge and more. Congratulations, Jackie!

Independent Owner of the Year Karen Zuckero, IROP, CAM TAZRock Asset Management

Karen Zuckero, TAZRock Asset Management, owns and manages properties in the Houston area, Dover Place and Villas at Braeburn, totaling 111 units. Dover Place was the winner of the 2018 HAA Honor Award Property of the Year – Less than 100 units.

Karen has been an independent owner for eight years and an active HAA member for seven years.

Karen spent the first 17 years of her career in the financial services industry as a Certified Public Accountant, working for a fortune 100 company in several roles. During that time and the following five years, she raised two very active daughters with her husband, Troy.

In 2016, Karen stepped out of her comfort zone and founded her woman-owed real estate business, TAZRock, and through the education provided by HAA, TAA, NAA and Lifestyles Unlimited, built on her formal education and work experience to take the lead for the TAZRock team.

In 2018, TAZRock purchased Dover Place, a 32-unit workforce housing community in the Hobby Areaa District of Southeast Houston. In an effort to clean up the community and provide better resident experience, Dover Place earned the HAA/HPD Blue Star Certification and have maintained the certification. Dover Place has maintained an average 92% occupancy and paid an average cash on cash return to its equity partners of greater than 13% per year over the past five years.

In 2021, TAZRock purchased Villas at Braeburn, a 79-units workforce housing community in Southwest Houston. This property came with a lot of deferred maintenance, low occupancy and almost non-existent leasing traffic. Within three months, the TAZRock team completed a complete exterior overhaul, addressed approximately 150 outstanding work orders, opened the community pool that had been shut down by the City of Houston for over a year, installed new BBQ ares, installed new pet park equipment, executed a new marketing plan and successfully increased occupancy to 95%. They proactively met with the Houston Fire Department to help identify and resolve any items necessary, including signage, site maps and numbering electric meters. They are currently working on the last step of Blue Star Certification.

Karen is a CAM and IROP credential holder and a 2022 TAA Bob Ross Independent Owner of the Year finalist.

She is a regular participant in the Hobby Area PIP and the HPD Southeast Community Back to School Drive. She is a partner with Echo and St. Vincent De Paul for resident assistance. She is a Lifestyles Unlimited Certified Lead Investor.

She regularly participates in, supports and mentors an informal North Houston/ Montgomery County group of women who are aspiring multifamily owners. Congratulations, Karen!