CHAIRMAN Tracey Crowe, CAM CHAIRMAN-ELECT Stephanie Liston, CAM, CAPS VICE CHAIRMAN Jenn Mulholland, CAM SECRETARY/TREASURER Katherine Morrow, CAM IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Stacey Holt, CAM MANAGERS REPRESENTATIVE Anne Adams SUPPLIERS REPRESENTATIVE Mark Darnell MAINTENANCE REPRESENTATIVE Rusty Guilliams, CAMT, CPO MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS Brigitte Byron, CAM Meredith Dixon, CALP Eddie Ivey, CAPS Sully Lemmons, CAM, CPM Erick Rocha Nicole Samson, CPM Wes Schmitz Giovanna Suastegui, CAM Alice Ward, CAM, CAPS Dee Wilson SUPPLIER DIRECTORS Nathan Lybarger, Esp. Jennifer McCoy, Esq. Loyd Owen, CAS Lacey Smithson, CALP Alberto Suastegui, CALP, CAM MAINTENANCE DIRECTORS Jeremy Byrd, CAMT, CPO Diane Mason, CAMT, CPO IREM LIAISON Richard Wright, CPM LEGAL ADVISOR M. Wesley Hall, Esq. MDHA LIAISON Norman Deep PRESIDENT Victoria Tobin DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & EVENTS Ginny Johnson COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Katelyn Cheatham STATISTICS COORDINATOR Jenny McWhorter MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Autumn Stiles FINANCE MANAGER Jenny McWhorter ACTIVE PAST CHAIRMEN Mary Bradley Stephanie Burns, CAPS, CAM, CALP Brad Cather, CPM, HCCP, SHCM, COS Kirby Davis Faye Ellis, CPM Andy Gass, ARM Shelley James, CAM, CAPS, CPM Andrew Klahn, CAPS, CAM, HCCP, CALP Tammy Lee, CAM Chari Lewis, CAM, CAPS, CPM Stacy L. Molen, CAM Nancy Morris Linda Page, CPM, ARM Ellen Parker Susan Sherfield, CPM Lisa Swick, CAPS Zac Ward, CPM Joyce Wolfe @gnaatn
CONTENTS GREATER NASHVILLE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION NEWS & EVENTS
FEATURES
05 07 09 11 13 15 17 19 25 27
Education Conference Recap
Educational Success at the Conference
Now Featuring
Timberland Partners
Golf Tournament Recap Movies on the Green
On Trend
Inclusive Design
It’s the Law
June is Pride Month
Management
Q&A with Alycia Anderson
Directory
Every Member Matters
Maintenance
Diversity in Maintenance
Holidays
Have a Proud and Happy Juneteenth!
Next Gen
Rising Stars Series
ASSOCIATION NEWS
10 12 18 26 29 31
General Membership Meeting
Nashville: Then and Now
June Managers Luncheon
Dress for the Job You Want
Maintenance Luncheon
On-Site Safety
Suppliers Luncheon
2022 Trade Show: A Show for All Seasons
New Members
Welcome!
Calendar
Stay up to date
ABOUT THE COVER Ashton Creek Farms, Timberland Partners
Thank you to our sponsor: Signal 88 Security
Cover photo by: John Albani, John Albani Photography
JUNE 2022
2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NASHVILLE
. . . a company for all your property needs.
FU L L S ERV ICE RE STO R AT I O N CO MPA NY Fir e • Wa ter • Win d • Smoke D a mage • Mol d Reme diation Bio -H a za r d Waste Cl ea n up/Di sp osal a s we l l a s Tur n Key S er vices for you r ever yday needs.
3283 FRANKLIN LIMESTONE ROAD • NASHVILLE, TN 37217
(615) 360-0079
EDUCATION CONFERENCE RECAP
Educational Success at the Conference
Three Years in the Making The 2022 GNAA Education Conference was a wonderful
Freeman Webb Company, The Hill Firm PLLC, Law
success with over 200 attendees. The Education
Office of Hall & Associates, The Law Office of
Auction raised $2,271 for our Education Scholarship
Jennifer McCoy, The Liberty Group, Lighthouse
fund. Topics of discussion included “Managing in the
Property Management, Lincoln Property Company,
Multigenerational Workplace,” “Emotional Intelligence
Signal 88 Security, Valet Living, UMG Inc., and
and You,” Super Teamwork for Super Performance,”
Yardi. Special thanks to the Education Committee staff
“Diversely Similar,” “Avoid Extinction,” “Rules for Highly
liaison, Ginny Johnson, GNAA Director of Education
Effective Leadership,” “What Type of Communicator
& Events.
are You?” and “Dave Rendall Brings the Freak Factor.” A special thanks to our presenters, keynote speaker Lindsey Pollak, Valerie M. Sargent, Rich George,
Attendee Quotes “GREAT CONFERENCE! Lots of hard work went into
Mark Howell, and the Freak Factor himself and closing
planning this event and it is very appreciated!”
speaker, Dave Rendall.
“I think the event was FANTASTIC! We appreciate
We want to thank the Education Committee chairs,
everyone who worked so hard on this for three years!
Susan Sherfield and Dee Wilson, and the rest of the
Thank you.”
committee for helping organize the conference, and
“All the speakers I heard were awesome, but I really
also a special thanks to our Education Sponsors, who
liked their messages and it was a theme with all of
made our education courses and conference possible.
them. They all talked about generational gaps and
Our education sponsors are as follows: Artisent Floors,
communicating.”
Brookside Properties, Chadwell Supply, Elmington Property Management, Floors First Nashville,
News & Events
“It was great to get together with everyone, in person, again. The two keynote speakers were amazing.”
5
NOW FEATURING
Driven by Integrity. Committed to Excellence. Bob Fransen founded Timberland Partners in 1992 when he convinced a couple of real estate friends to join him in acquiring a 46-unit apartment property in Minnesota. The firm grew from a single partnership focused on personal investment returns to a national organization that is focused on enriching the lives of thousands of residents. Timberland Partners has continued to expand as they now own and manage 88 properties, totaling over 19,000 units in 17 states. Ashton Creek Farms
Since entering the Tennessee market
in 2014, Timberland Partners has acquired a portfolio of nine multi-family properties encompassing over 1,500 units around the Nashville area. They recognize and appreciate that the area has emerged as one of the strongest apartment markets in the country with its growing, diversified economy and surging population growth due to its business-friendly environment, low cost of living and high quality of life. The firm’s first Tennessee purchase was Rivergate Meadows located in
Falls at 109
Goodlettsville in 2014, followed a year later by Legacy Village in Springfield. They quickly acquired a threeproperty portfolio in 2016, which included Fountains at Meadow Wood in Clarksville, Lakes of Columbia in Columbia and Falls at 109 in Lebanon. They continued their expansion with the acquisition of Brookes Edge in Cleveland, Ashton Creek Farms (pictured on the cover) in Smyrna, the Villas at Oak Crest in Chattanooga, and Heritage Lake in Knoxville. Due to their rapid expansion in the area, a regional office was established in Lebanon and is led by Regional Manager Lauren Miles. Lauren brings nearly 11 years of multifamily industry experience. She is a GNAA member who currently serves on the Statistics Committee. Timberland Partners is excited about the continued acquisitions of wellFountains at Meadow Wood
constructed, high quality assets in thriving locations throughout Tennessee. “We plan to add further value by implementing upgrades and improving the
living experience of the residents,” noted Matt Fransen, Chief Investment Officer for Timberland Partners. “Nashville continues to be a strong market performer with continued prospects for future growth. We look forward to continuing to build upon our portfolio in the Nashville area.” News & Events
7
Golf Tournament Highlights
8
Greater Nashville Apartment Association
GOLF TOURNAMENT RECAP
Movies on the Green
A GNAA Golf Tournament The GNAA Golf Tournament was a huge success! This
Attendee Quotes
year’s theme was “Movies on the Green.” Sponsors
“I loved the friendliness of everyone. Autumn was
were encouraged to decorate their carts or tents with
awesome helping sponsors close up shop. Lacey is so
movie-related themes. The tournament took place at
fun and spunky! That’s exactly what you need in your
the Pine Creek Golf Course.
photographer for the event.”
A special thanks to all our wonderful supporting
“I enjoyed this course better than previous years.
sponsors: 8th & Berry, Artisent Floors, BCJ Building
I thought the space between each hole made it
Services, Bell’s Bluff Apartments, BHS LLC, BluSky
productive for our team to not feel rushed, or feel like
Restoration, BrightView Landscaping Services,
we were rushing other teams. It gave us a chance
Bravo Flooring, Bug Solutions, Carter-Haston
to talk to each of the sponsors before we teed off. I
Management, Contractors Inc, CORT, Cotton
thought the bathrooms were well located throughout
Global, Crown Paving, DISH Fiber, Ferguson
the course too.”
Facilities Supply, Floors First Nashville, Fogelman
“Loved watching and listening to the participants
Roofing, Greystar, The Hill Law Firm, Home Depot Pro, Kings III Emergency Communications, Law Office of Hall & Associates, The Liberty Group, L.I.C.R.A.-Nashville, Nashville Plywood, NTS Development, Procare Property Restoration LLC, RAM Partners, Real Floors, RentDebt Automated
interacting with one another. It really showed the community of GNAA” “GNAA did a great job! The event was run so well that we were able to make several contacts that will hopefully turn into sustainable relationships.”
Collections, RiteRug, Rose Paving, ServPro, Signal
“Great event – can’t wait until next year!”
88 Security, Simply Gutters, Summit Roofing, Swift
“We are proud to be a part of this community.”
Lawn & Land, Timberland Partners, UMG Inc., Valet Living, VaVia, Volunteer Properties, Wheeler Inc., Wright Construction, and Zumper.
News & Events
9
ON TREND
Inclusive Design by Lisa Gunderson, Bristol Development We want our communities to reflect the people who live there. A mistake is that many developers focus on a specific target demographic in their design efforts. For example, we have all been to those properties that feel like they are recreating a nightclub experience in their interior design and marketing. This immediately alienates a larger group of potential renters because they feel excluded. How can we inclusively design? We begin by ensuring everyone is represented in our stock photo selection for our website. Is it time to revisit your imagery to make sure it is inclusive? Next, I remind my team on every project: This is not about you, it’s about the people who will live here. I might like an interior design choice, but it might be suitable for the project if I am trying to speak to a broader audience than just my specific representative niche. Next time you redecorate, ask your team for input on what residents and prospects might want to see.
News & Events
11
IT’S THE LAW
June is Pride Month by Alex Reynolds, Evictions Manager, The Law Office of Jennifer McCoy With that in mind, let’s dive into some steps you can take to ensure that yours is a culturally diverse and allinclusive multi-family community.
are creating an environment that is all-inclusive, and that can start with something as simple as the way you communicate.
Start from the Inside Out
“Actions speak louder than words, but language is powerful when it comes to both reflecting and effecting cultural change,“ says Betsy Feigin Befus, senior vice president and general counsel for the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC). From the marketing verbiage on your website, to the language used during in-person interactions with residents, most industry insiders agree that all communications should reflect cultural diversity. This includes using genderneutral language in support of the LQBTQ+ community.
According to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, while minorities remain the major source of demand for rental housing, housing staffs are decidedly less diverse. A recent survey of 2,900 professionals in commercial real estate reported that nearly 60% of their workplaces were not diverse enough, while nearly 29% of those surveyed reported that only 5% of their colleagues were minorities. When compared to renters, the lack of diversified staff in the multifamily industry is glaring. This absence of diversity can have a significantly negative impact on your business practices, including the potential to leave you open to Fair Housing concerns. To ensure your community’s hiring and retention practices are all inclusive, consider drafting job descriptions and creating policies that encourage attracting and interviewing people from all cultural backgrounds, as well as establishing oversight that assures that both diversity and inclusion are considered in all aspects of your community’s staffing procedures.
Change the Way You Communicate Arguably, your most important role as a property manager is to attract and maintain happy residents. Therefore, it is incumbent upon you to ensure you
News & Events
According to Bob Pinnegar, president and CEO of the National Apartment Association (NAA), “Using inclusive language demonstrates understanding and appreciation of everyone’s backgrounds and helps build stronger communities where everyone feels respected, included, and truly at home.”
There’s Always Room for Improvement While the multifamily industry has universally supported and encouraged cultural diversity and inclusivity, there is always room for improvement. “When you actively execute and achieve some level of diversity across race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and perspective,” says Dru Hill, CEO of Grace Hill, a technology-based company designed to help properties increase performance, “you have meaningfully better results.”
13
MANAGEMENT
Q&A with Alycia Anderson Who are you and what do you do? I am a TEDx speaker, founder and CEO of the Alycia Anderson Company, inclusion champion, advocate, DEI and accessibility changemaker, former VP of a Multifamily SaaS technology company and a believer in possible. I hold a European Masters Degree in Adapted Physical Activity emphasizing the benefits, practices and principles of inclusion. I am a tennis player, cyclist, identical twin and have been a wheelchair user since birth. I share my journey of inclusion globally to help communities and companies understand the true benefits inherent to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and society. I right size everyday obstacles to open your mind to a world of possibility. “And that’s how I roll!”
What does your message mean to the multifamily industry? The opportunity in multifamily to pave inclusion paths forward is there every day. Why? Because we are building the places that people call home, and these places are where the work of inclusion happens at every moment. I haven’t run into many people who look like me on the working side of the industry, and because of this I’m able to amplify a voice that is essential and also missing most of the time. My message has enabled me to stand out in an industry that is looking for a way to bridge the discussion of disability inclusion and accessibility from a mere compliance-driven discussion into a human discussion so that true change can occur. Through my voice, I shine a light on what is possible and inspire further opportunities for all of us.
You often give talks about disabling ableism. What are the primary messages you want people to know about this topic if they haven’t met you or attended your talk? Ableism is a social prejudice or discrimination that favors one over someone with a disability. Ableism is everywhere. It exists in a glance at the supermarket, a passing comment during a job interview, the way our media portrays the lives of people with disabilities as inferior or somehow “less than.” It’s so ingrained in our society that it’s often overlooked and goes unnoticed, but without recognizing ableism and its effects we will never fully understand what inclusion, accessibility and equity really means for all of us.
What is an accessibility barrier you would like to see solved? Ableism to me stands at the core of all accessibility barriers and leads to accessibility being an afterthought to the development of all products, services, technology, goods and infrastructure in our world. Ableism cuts at the root of progress by being one of the last standing acceptable measures against equality by facilitating exclusion, and this is because its prevalence is so often overlooked. As a world we have begun to dismantle the beliefs that one race is better than another or one sex is superior continued on p. 21
News & Events
15
2022 DIRECTORY
DIRECTORY
Every Member Matters The 2022 GNAA Directory is Here!
Be on the lookout for the 2022 GNAA Directory in your mailbox! The association is very excited to present to you the 2022 Membership Directory: Every Member Matters! The cover describes not only the diversity of the GNAA membership, but the sense of community that GNAA membership has to offer. The cover depicts a joining together of people. Don’t worry – the photo is not pixelated! It is made up of smaller images of our members at past GNAA Events, photos from events like the 2021 Trade Show, the Maintenance Cornhole Tournament, the 2021 Apartment Tour, the 2021 Golf Tournament, etc. Readers can take a closer look at the photos by clicking the link attached to the image.
A Little More Technical Information The GNAA Member Directory is an excellent tool exclusively available to members of GNAA. This guide allows members to quickly find companies and colleagues along with finding the perfect supplier for a property’s needs. Management companies are listed alphabetically and include contact information along with the apartment communities affiliated with each company. Apartment Communities are also listed alphabetically and include contact information plus Management Company name and the number of apartment homes. Suppliers include contact information and a description of services provided. Also included in the directory is a Buyer’s Guide which is a reference section of GNAA Supplier members and the products and services they offer. In addition, the News & Events
directory provides a list of GNAA staff members along with a list of the 2022 Board of Directors. Please feel free to utilize this directory for all your product and service needs!
Check out the GNAA Online Directory The GNAA website now features an online directory, open to all members of GNAA. The online directory serves as a significant resource for Management Companies, Apartment Communities, and Supplier members as it houses the most up-to-date information. The online directory is also a method of free marketing as companies and members can personalize their own profiles. Companies and individual members are able to upload professional biographies, headshots, contact information, links to social media, charity work, and award information. Having trouble finding a specific member? Members can utilize the search bar to find suppliers for their specific needs as well as scroll through a category list of services offered. For suppliers, the directory holds a complete list of apartment communities and management companies along with contact information and a list of employees, making it easy to reach the correct contact. Since new members join every month throughout the year, GNAA encourages its members to utilize the online directory because it provides the most current information. 17
MAINTENANCE
Diversity in Maintenance by Brandon Etheridge, Regional Maintenance Supervisor, Lighthouse Property Management Diversity in not only the maintenance field but the multifamily industry as a whole can be extremely challenging and forever evolving. With all the different people we come into contact with on a daily basis, from prospects to residents to co-workers from all different walks of life, it is our job as DEI innovators to be more aware of our unconscious bias and be more receptive to new ideas and concepts so we can pass that knowledge on to our younger emerging leaders and help create a culture of inclusion in the industry that will keep us moving forward as we continue to see diversity grow in our industry. Understanding that having a more diverse work force, especially in the maintenance industry, presents a lot of new diverse ideas and innovations that can help us grow as individuals as well as professionals is vital to keeping our industry moving forward and staying ahead of the curve. I have managed some large, very eclectic teams during my years of maintenance and renovations at various properties, all with unique and assorted resident bases. Managing an array of team members helped me learn to be more open minded when communicating with some of our Spanish- or Arabicspeaking employees. That in turn helped me be a more effective communicator with my residents as well. As I spent more time learning to manage and communicate with my team and residents, I learned how truly important it is to hire a distinct variety of team members. It improves your overall
News & Events
performance as a company. For example, how can we effectively communicate with residents of different ethnic backgrounds if we hire only Englishspeaking employees? Another thing I’ve learned Is that diversity in the workplace increases employee engagement, which will improve employee retention, because people feel more valued and feel their ideas are heard. Building a strong team with a range of backgrounds, opinions and skills helps everyone on the team grow in their skills and knowledge and allows more patience and understanding with employees and residents as well as overall team performance.
Ten reasons diversity works 1
Variety of different perspectives
2
Increased creativity
3
Higher innovation
4
Faster problem-solving
5
Better decision making
6
Increased profits
7
Higher employee engagement
8
Reduced employee turnover
9
Company reputation
10 Improved hiring results
19
Management, cont. from p. 15 to another. We have done this by evolving the idea of equality which promotes acceptance of our differences by choosing to highlight, explore and even feature these differences as valuable attributes to the richness of our world. Disability visible or invisible needs to be a part of this too. Our society will not ever truly value accessibility nor the effort it requires to gain true inclusion until disability is visible and included in all diversity and inclusion conversations.
What did it take for you to learn to love your disability? My disability has given me a very interesting life, full of peaks and valleys, a life I would never exchange for another. It defines me in some respects by determining what mobility means to me, shaping my definition of what healthy is, and adding its special touch to every facet of my life. This in turn helps my uniqueness show through in everything I do. My disability is just a part of who I am.
Is it hard sometimes? Yes, but I did not have a say in what form of life I would be given on this earth, and just like everyone else I had
to discover things about myself over time through life experience. My disability has been with me all along. It is my normal. I know that because of it I am different from everybody else, but the fact is we are all different in some way. The key is recognizing our differences makes each of us uniquely able, in our own ways, to contribute in life. Through overcoming adversities in our lives, we become proficient at something and this is valuable.
What are you working on next? A microlearning series designed to introduce the inherent benefits of disability inclusion, including lessons on ableism, how accessibility leads to innovation, the importance of the language we use by understanding microaggressions as well as how we move forward on the modern pathway to inclusion together. Learn more about adding this microlearning series to your corporate training curriculum: https://alyciaanderson.com/disabling-ableismmicrolearning-series/
How can people connect with you? Website: alyciaanderson.com LinkedIn: alyciaranderson Instagram: @alyciaspeaking Twitter: @alyciaspeaking YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah_NWrE291o
News & Events
21
Education Conference Highlights
Golf Tournament Highlights
ARCHITECTURAL DOG PARK PRODUCTS
DOG WASH TUBS
WATER FOUNTAINS
FUN PRODUCTS
PET STATIONS
AGILITY ITEMS
PLAY EQUIPMENT
GYMS FOR DOGS - NATURAL PLAY
GymsForDogs.com
sales@GymsForDogs.com
800-931-1562 24
Greater Nashville Apartment Association
HOLIDAYS
Have a Proud and Happy Juneteenth! “Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.” –History of Juneteenth, Juneteenth.com On June 19, 2022, America will celebrate its second year with Juneteenth as an official National Federal Holiday. Juneteenth marks a significant moment in American history as it commemorates June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to read the federal order abolishing the institution of slavery in Texas, the last of the Confederate states in which enslavement continued. Since then, Americans have observed and celebrated Juneteenth as Emancipation Day, a day of freedom. In 1980, Texas marked the day as an official state holiday, the first state to do so, and in June 2021 President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act officially naming Juneteenth as an official national federal holiday.
How can I celebrate Juneteenth in 2022? Juneteenth is actually the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, and according to the Juneteenth website there are several traditional ways to celebrate Juneteenth, such rodeos, fishing, barbecuing, and baseball. Others include prayer services, speaker series, reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, and dances. However, as the holiday moves to official national status, new ways have emerged to further engage with the meaning of the holiday. These are as follows and recommended: News & Events
Purchase food or products from Black-owned establishments. Resources for discovering Black-owned businesses are the platforms We Buy Black and Official Black Wall Street. Etsy is highlighting Black-owned vendors on its website and customers can use the app EatOkra, founded by Black developers and programmers, to search a list of Black-owned restaurants in many cities. Use the app Eboneats to help you find local restaurants. You can even search DoorDash for Blackowned restaurants.
Show support for the Black Lives Matter Movement. According to CNET.com, here are eight ways to get involved and support the Black Lives Matter movement. These include making a weekly to monthly donation to an organization, taking political action such as sending texts, and signing online petitions to continued selfeducation or attending local and virtual events.
Attend Juneteenth events in person or virtually. Some local events include Music City Freedom Festival: Nashville’s Juneteenth Celebration, Juneteenth615 Celebration at Fort Negley Park, Juneteenth Block Party, and Clarksville’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival. Find a list of Tennessee Juneteenth events at EventBrite.
Gather your family together for a time of education and reflection. Juneteenth provides a time to reflect on critical issues that perpetuate discrimination. Engage in movies, continued on p. 26
25
Juneteenth, cont. from p. 25 shows, books, and podcasts that can help reveal present-day issues. Watch the documentary “13th,” a 2016 film that explores the history or slavery and postCivil War racist legislation and practices that replaced it. “The future of Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states creating Juneteenth committees continues to increase. Respect and appreciation for all our differences grow out of exposure and working together. Getting involved and supporting Juneteenth celebrations creates new bonds of friendship and understanding among us. This indeed brightens our future – and that is the Spirit of Juneteenth.” –History of Juneteenth, Juneteenth.com
26
Greater Nashville Apartment Association
NEXT GEN
Rising Stars Series ANDREW KLAHN - Regional Manager, GVA Management Years in the Industry 17 years
Volunteer Positions Currently & Previously Held Currently Co-Chair Membership Committee. Have previously Co-Chaired the NextGen and News & Events committees since serving on the GNAA Board of Directors since 2012. Was Chairman of the Board for the Greater Nashville Apartment Association in 2018. Served on the National Apartment Association Apartment Careers Committee and Affordable Housing Committee in 2019.
What brought you to the apartment industry? A seasonal/part-time job as a groundskeeper in college. I fell in love with taking care of the property, which grew into wanting to run the property. My manager at the time brought me inside to start filing paperwork and auditing resident files as a means to learn the paperwork side of leasing (and because nobody else wanted to do it) before being introduced to interacting with residents and prospects.
Was this career path something that was always on your radar?
the reason I love property management is the people. I began my career shortly after H urricane Katrina and we housed several evacuees from New Orleans. There isn't much greater feeling than being able to help people find a home when they have lost everything.
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends? If I'm not running around between the kids' activities, I'm probably looking for a new spot in Nashville to eat good food and drink good whiskey.
Do you have any pets?
None at the moment. I've had dogs, cats, and fish, but one of the more memorable pets was a snapping turtle. Picked him up on the side of the road in KY driving to my grandparents for Mother's Day early '90s and he was the size of a quarter. I finally released him (no more pet fish) and he was the size of a serving platter.
Coolest place you've ever traveled? Coolest place? I don't know. Chicago is the greatest city. Riding from MD to Nashville in the pitch black back of a moving van with zero entertainment is a fun story. Savannah is cool because it is an acropolis with an amazing history. But Belize is probably the answer you are looking for.
Do you have a motto you live by?
Never! When I began college my major was chemistry with my plan being to become a pharmacist. After deciding I didn't want to go to school that long, I switched to human performance and
"Anything worth doing is worth doing right." It's a quote from a movie and in the context of the movie it is a satirical comment but it's also great advice.
exercise science so I could be a high school baseball coach.
What upcoming GNAA event are you excited to attend and why?
Did you have any unrelated jobs growing up that unexpectedly prepared you for the apartment industry?
I worked for a landscape company. Their big contract was BNA, but they also maintained several apartment communities. Other than that, I played a PC game as a kid called Caesar 111, where you build cities/empires with limited resources. You have to attract citizens to your city, create jobs and charge enough taxes to keep your government in the black while not overcharging and thus losing citizens, all while combating crime, fires, and the occasional military invasion.
Why is property management an attractive career path? It's not going anywhere and it is everywhere. You want to move across the country? There are going to be property management needs. For me, the
News & Events
The Golf Tournament. It is a great way to meet and build relationships with someone you aren't familiar with when you're riding around on a golf cart together for 4 hours.
If you could get a "do over" for something in your career, what would it be and why? Don't get complacent. Early in my career I had numerous goals and was constantly pushing myself. It was easy to always be working towards improvement and the positive consequences of that improvement. As more and more goals were achieved, I had fewer tangible goals to work towards and I became lazy. Never stop improving. Even if there isn't a promotion to strive for, make every day better than the last.
Any advice you could give to the rising stars of GNAA?
Get involved and build relationships with fellow members. There are a ton of fantastic people in this industry at all levels and on all sides. Don't discount someone because of who2they work for or what their title may be; you never know where life may take you.
NEW MEMBERS APARTMENT COMMUNITIES Aspire Gulch Dawna Spencer 805 Division St. Nashville, TN 37203 360 apartment homes 615-866-2885 info-gulch@aspirecollection.com www.aspiregulch.com Dinerstein Companies Cottages at Drake’s Creek Heather O’Saile 204 Safe Harbor Dr. Goodlettsville, TN 37072 60 apartment homes 615-859-4486 manager.drakescreek@freemanwebb.com
www.cottagesatdrakescreek.com Freeman Webb Company Crest at Burkitt Ridge Chance Blake 6948 Burkitt Rd. #103 Antioch, TN 37013 110 apartment homes 615-941-1216 crest.mgr@ram-mgt.com www.crestburkittridge.com RAM Partners, LLC Hobson Flats Maria 1717 Hobson Pk. Antioch, TN 37013 324 apartment homes 615-237-8988 hobsonflats@elmingtonpm.com www.hobsonflats.com Elmington Property Management Manchester Arbors Cindy Drake 185 Ester Ln. Manchester, TN 37355 57 apartment homes 931-728-1693 cdrake@volprop.net Volunteer Properties
News & Events
Royal Oaks Apartments of Franklin Connie Proctor 179 N. Royal Oaks Blvd., Suite B-2 Franklin, TN 37067 117 apartment homes 615-794-0532 royaloakfranklin@aol.com www.royaloaksaptsoffranklin.com Independently Owned
Magna Pest Solutions Karrlo Smith 4930 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78745 772-766-9002 k.smith@magnapest.com www.magnapest.com
Vintage Northcreek Amber Lockridge 155 Northcreek Blvd. Goodlettsville, TN 37072 127 apartment homes 615-460-6436
Securitas Kari Vlach 301 S. Perimeter Park Dr. Nashville, TN 37211 615-739-7815 kari.vlach@securitasinc.com
vintagenorthcreekmgr@elmingtonpm.com
www.vintagenorthcreek.com Elmington Property Management
SUPPLIERS
AppWork Christina LaMere 581 Franklin Tnpk., Suite 2 Ramsey, NJ 07446 888-858-1449 christinal@apprent.com Maintenance services/supplies
Aroma Retail Tim Micklos 13339 W. San Miguel Ave. Litchfiend Park, AZ 85340 702-780-7370 tim@aromaretail.com
Animal/wildlife control & removal; janitorial services; pest control services
Security consultants/systems
Shelters to Shutters Nashville Chris Smith 3810 Bedford Ave., Suite 300 Nashville, TN 37215 615-429-5141 chris.smith@shelterstoshutters.org www.shelterstoshutters.org
Education; employment staffing/screen services
Traka/Assa Abloy Isabella Restrepo 1925 Cannery Way Orlando, FL 32804 407-681-4001 info@trakausa.com Key control systems
Janitorial supplies/equipment
Lessen Tanya Lessen 4800 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 602-695-9151 tanya.schaffer@lessen.com www.lessen.com
The Lessen platform connects property owners to a nationwide network of vetted professionals for renovation, maintenance, cleaning and turn services.
29
COUNTERTOPS
|
BATHTUBS
|
SHOWERS
|
TILE
|
CABINETS
Law Office
Hall & Associates M. Wesley Hall III
Nathan C. Lybarger
s in Expert and bs bathtu tops r e t n cou ation r o t s re
Matt Schulenberg
772.3234 getagrip.com
LandlordAdvocate® Landlord Advocate®
615
223 Madison Street • Suite 212 • Madison, TN 37115
3 year warranty | 24/48 Service
6 1 5 . 8 6 8 . 4 1 0 1 • Fa x 6 1 5 . 8 6 8 . 3 8 9 3
Before you get started on your remodel, call Get A Grip! residential & commercial surfaces refinished & restored without removalTM
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday DEI Committee*
Thursday
1
Friday
2
9am
Saturday
3
4
10
11
17
18
24
25
Suppliers Luncheon* 12pm
News & Events Committee* 10am
5
6
7
NextGen Committee*
JUNE
9am
8
9
Managers Luncheon*
MEC Breakfast* 8am
12pm
Communications Committee* 2pm
12
13
14
Leasing: The Next Level* 9am - 4pm
Awards Committee* 9am Gala Committee* 10am
Maintenance Luncheon
15
Hermitage House 12pm
21
22
Statistics Committee* 9am
Chadwell Supply 9am - 4pm
11am
20
16
Hands-On Appliance Repair Course
Trade Show Committee*
19
Membership Committee* 9am
23
HVAC Certification Course* 9am - 4pm
NAA Apartmentalize
26
27
28
Apartment Tour Committee* 9am
29
30
Board of Directors 9am
General Membership Education Committee* Meeting Gaylord Springhouse 10am
News & Events
11:30am
*at GNAA Education Room **held via Zoom
31
CAPS Course Highlights
Industry Ad_Nashville.qxp_Layout 1 2/24/22 11:13 AM Page 1
Our Associates Are Available As: TEMP TEMP-TO-HIRE JUMPSTART PAYROLL SERVICE EXECUTIVE SEARCH
615-314-3310 nashville@intersolutions.com
Scan to Request Staff Today!
News & Events
33
HVAC A to Z Highlights
News & Events
35
