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 Tina Hamor Eddie Ivey, CAPS Sully Lemmons, CAM, CPM 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 Courtney Helms 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
CONTENTS
GREATER NASHVILLE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION NEWS & EVENTS
FEATURES
05 07 09 14 23
It’s the Law “You never fix anything!”
Feature Three Soft Skills Every Maintenance Tech Should Have
On Trend Now Trending in Maintenance
Feature The Mania Is Back!
Next Gen Rising Stars Series
ASSOCIATION NEWS
04 06 10 17 21 22 25 26 27 29
Maintenance Mania Gear Up!
CALP Registration Make that career commitment today.
Maintenance Luncheon Maintenance Mania
Low Voltage Electrical Class Troubleshoot residential HVAC electrical problems.
Managers Luncheon Ratings and Reviews
St. Patrick’s Day Mixer Join us at The Pub Nashville
New Members Welcome!
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Mixer What you don’t k now, you don’t know!
2022 GNAA Education Conference Educate, inspire, motivate
Calendar Stay up to date ABOUT THE COVER Carter Haston
@gnaatn
Cover photo by: John Albani, John Albani Photography
MARCH 2022
2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
IT’S THE LAW
“You never fix anything!” by Nathan Lybarger, Hall & Associates How many times have we heard this? It’s inevitable. You have a resident who hasn’t made their monthly rent payment. When you send them their late rent notice, you’re pelted with a barrage of maintenance complaints. There’s no telling what they might mention, but they all boil down to the same theme: “You never fix anything!” Most of the time, you can correctly identify these complaints as a smoke screen for their late rent. But when the resident tries to turn it into a legal issue, we can follow these tips to be sure we give ourselves the best defense to a resident’s allegations.
Communication From a strictly statutory standpoint, the law requires that before a resident can exercise their remedies for failures in maintenance, they must provide the landlord with a written notice of those failures. Because the definition of “written” notice has become blurred with the growth in digital signatures and email communications, we can safely assume that if a resident has communicated their maintenance issues in any medium, they’ve satisfied their obligations under the law. From there, if the maintenance issues go unresolved, the resident may invoke some of their own legal remedies. Always be on the lookout for this kind of resident communication; it could very well be an indication that the resident is positioning themselves to make a legal claim.
NATHAN LYBARGER
Hall & Associates
Diligence Of course, it’s not management’s responsibility to prevent an HVAC system from failing, or to guarantee that a dishwasher will always drain properly. It is management’s responsibility to address those issues when they arise. The past couple of years have strained the labor force at every level, and property maintenance is no exception. Combined with persisting supply chain issues, and we have a perfect storm for maintenance headaches. Even given these circumstances, our responsibility to maintain the premises remains. A delay could be excusable if the causes are out of management’s control, but we must continue to make reasonable and diligent efforts to minimize these delays. It’s almost equally important to communicate these delays and expected timetables with the resident not only to appease them, but also to affirm that management is eager and active in addressing the concerns.
Documentation All the efforts you’ve made to correct or address maintenance issues should be well-documented – in management’s internal notes system, in email correspondence, by maintenance personnel, and by third-party vendors. Not only is this important in proving our efforts to address known issues, but it can also be important in showing that a resident failed to timely report some of these items. In this area, it’s making a policy and sticking to it that is the key to success. To the best of our ability, maintenance requests should be submitted and addressed the same way every continued on p. 9
News & Events
5
FEATURE
Three Soft Skills Every Maintenance Tech Should Have by Kelly Pendergrast, The Liberty Group Do you have experience doing manual labor and
each project. Technicians who apply knowledge from
maintenance work? Maintenance jobs are on the rise
past experience are best suited for making decisions
in many industries, making this line of work popular for
and implementing the most effective repairs within
jobseekers ready to put their skills to good use. However, in addition to technical abilities, interpersonal skills are paramount for success in most maintenance jobs. As a maintenance technician, here are three soft skills that can help you stand out to employers:
In addition to technical abilities, interpersonal skills are paramount for success in most maintenance jobs.
a reasonable timeframe. Working well under pressure and prioritizing tasks while completing small and large assignments is essential for succeeding in any maintenance role.
Adaptability The best maintenance techs can shift their skillset and focus. An ability to
Customer Service
adapt to many repair needs involving various matters –
While this may not seem like the first skill that comes
such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, heating, and cooling
to mind, maintenance techs must deliver a high level
– is key for fulfilling many types of job requests. Typically,
of customer service to every person they come into
workers in the maintenance field with multifaceted
contact with on the job. For instance, maintenance
experience on different projects are most appealing to
techs who work at a large multifamily property often
employers (especially those in the multifamily industry)
communicate with residents to make repairs and resolve
that need qualified, reliable help to keep their properties
problems within their residence. Often maintenance
functioning at an optimal level.
techs hear complaints directly from residents, making it imperative that they maintain professionalism in all their communications and listen to residents’ concerns.
Problem Solving Every maintenance job is different, requiring techs to
If you’re a maintenance worker currently seeking employment, there’s great value in showcasing the soft skills above on your resume and during interviews. The more well-rounded you are as a candidate, the easier it will be to land a job you love.
adjust their focus and identify the best solutions for
News & Events
7
ON TREND
Now Trending in Maintenance by Lisa Gunderson The digital age is among us. Community-wide Wi-Fi has become an expectation of our residents. New or retrofitted properties with universal Wi-Fi provide a smart home technology system platform. Owners and operators are investing in monitoring systems inside the homes we manage. This allows for the things residents want, smart locks and thermostats, and a preventive in-home health assessment for systems. Water leak detection, HVAC monitoring, and smart appliances that can provide preventive service warnings are all available for a nominal charge in addition to the overall systems to manage them all. Increasingly, these platforms integrate with our property management software. Allowing for routine tasks, preventive maintenance can be seamlessly scheduled within apps, including coordination with third-party vendors. We have made a push to have all work orders documented with photos on a handheld smart device by documenting the before and after conditions. This has increased customer satisfaction and decreased misunderstandings.
Technology is playing a more significant role in our day-to-day tasks. One last trend gained early adoption in the single-family for rent market: app-based ondemand maintenance and additional services. This leads to centralized employee offices to service multiple locations, apps based on call/scheduled repairs, regularly planned services, and extra income opportunities. Last week we ordered our first robot vacuum, first seen in large hotels in airports. Our building will be digitally mapped, and an app will control the time and service route. Our maintenance supervisor will be alerted if problems arise and when the path is finished. This will free them to focus on new move-ins instead of hallway maintenance. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences with these new systems with you soon!
It’s the Law, cont. from p. 5 time. When the resident makes their accusations, we can testify in court that we always receive maintenance requests in that way, and that if we don’t have record of the request, it wasn’t submitted. There’s never a guarantee when these cases are presented in court, but following these tips can help give you the best chance of success if and when it becomes necessary. News & Events
9
February Event Highlights CAMT Class
CAMT Class
CAMT Class
Maintenance Luncheon
Maintenance Luncheon
Maintenance Luncheon
CAMT Class
Maintenance Luncheon
Maintenance Luncheon
Maintenance Luncheon
Maintenance Luncheon
Maintenance Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
Managers Luncheon
FEATURE
The Mania Is Back! Maintenance Mania is back, in person, for the first time in two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. GNAA and the Maintenance Committee have been hard at work preparing for this year’s Maintenance Mania to be held at Al Menah Shriners on Thursday, March 31. Practice opens at 11:00 a.m.; shotgun start at 12:00 p.m. Register your maintenance teams online or call 615-365-3047 for more information. For everyone who has never experienced this event, Maintenance Mania is a national program offered by NAA where maintenance technicians compete against each other in various skill-based games. NAA divides the country into divisions, placing Nashville in division three. Winners of each division will participate in the National Championship, held at the annual conference, Apartmentalize. Prepare for Maintenance Mania with the below information.
New Wildcard Qualifying Process Maintenance Mania is adding something new this year called the New Wildcard Qualifying Process. The Wildcard qualification process rewards the ten fastest remaining competitors from around the country who have not previously qualified for an MMNC event. Therefore, we will see MMNC Rookies compete against the top finishers from each of NAA’s ten regions.
2022 Games This year’s games include the A.O. Smith Water Heater Installation, the Frigidaire Icemaker Installation, the Halstead Click-Lock Plank Installation, Kidde Fire & CO Alarm Safety Installation, the Kwikset Key Control Deadbolt Test, the Pfister TopPFit Faucet Installation, and finally, everyone’s favorite, the Race Car Competition. News & Events
A.O. Smith water heater: Removing the mini water heater supply lines and swapping out with a new mini water heater, reinstalling the supply lines, flipping a switch to fill with water, and turning the breaker back on. Frigidaire ice maker installation: Setting the icemaker on the screws, lifting the ice maker arm, and pushing the water inlet tube through the rear panel. Halstead Click-Lock Plank Installation: Connect all Click-Lock plank pieces, use the hammer and tapping block to ensure all components are locked together and use the cleaning rag to erase all markings. Kidde fire alarm and carbon monoxide safety installation: Install a smoke alarm, test it, and plug a carbon monoxide alarm by plugging it into a wall outlet. Kwikset key control and deadbolt test: Lock the key control deadbolt, rotate the deadbolt faceplate and unlock the deadbolt, and then turn the faceplate back to its original position. Pfister TopPfit Faucet Installation: Run the Spout Body Water Supply Lines through the circular opening on the display set, place TopPfit Install tool at the top of the body, drill to tighten the metal bracket, unscrew the connector piece, pull the faucet neck hose through the opening, connect the faucet neck, screw the connector piece, and secure the supply lines to the L-shaped bracket.
Race Car Competition The Race Car Competition is one of the main highlights of Maintenance Mania. Competitors build a gravitypowered car using at least three maintenance supply continued on p. 16
15
Maintenance Mania, cont.
Maintenance Mania Quotes
items for this event. However, wood does not count in this competition. The car is required to be a maximum of 18” in length, 6” in width, and 6” in height with a maximum weight of 1 lb. 8 ounces. Glass may not be used on race cars, and competitors must use approved yellow competition wheels provided by the affiliate. Wheels can not be altered or modified. Wheels are available at the GNAA office.
Cash & Prizes There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place overall prizes. There are also 1st place prizes for each event. In addition, there will be a prize for “Best Use of Maintenance Supplies” on your race car and a “People’s Choice Award” for their favorite race car. Prizes awarded to the National Championship winners consist of a CAMT scholarship from NAA and local affiliate (if offered) for first place. In addition, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will also receive various prizes from presenting sponsor HD Supply and National sponsors.
Cheer Team Registration Properties and management companies can support their maintenance representatives by putting together cheer teams.
I’m a very competitive guy, so it allows me to compete with my peers. This allows us the opportunity to see people whom we do not see often in our field so we can share our experiences. It also allows us to show off our company we work for. I’m very lucky that I get to help run the event that gives back to the maintenance people in our industry. It’s just nice to allow a half day of fun, which we all enjoy. –Jeremy Byrd Maintenance Mania: this is something I look forward to every year. It lets us bring out our competitiveness and also have a good time with all our peers in the business. –Chris Mason What do I like best of Maintenance Mania? All of it! It’s a day of appreciation for all the hard work our maintenance people do. From seeing old friends, great food, the feeling of camaraderie, and let’s not forget the competition! The car race is my favorite event. Anyone can win, even me one year! It’s a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing everyone this year. –Dale Smith
YouTube Video
16
Greater Nashville Apartment Association
Maintenance Mania Throwback
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20
Greater Nashville Apartment Association
NEXT GEN
Rising Stars Series MEREDITH DIXON – Assistant Property Manager, NTS Development Company Years in the Industry 10 years
Volunteer Positions Currently & Previously Held 2022 NextGen Committee Co-Chair; 2021 Manager’s Representative; Previously 2020 Manager’s Representative; Previous Leadership Lyceum Candidate
What brought you to the apartment industry? Pure stroke of luck! I was ending my senior year of college at Belmont and was in the middle of my job hunt. I was living at The Grove Apartments during college, and on a whim decided to go into the leasing office to see if they were hiring. As it happened, they were in need of a leasing associate. I interviewed only days later and got the job!
Was this career path something that was always on your radar? No, I always saw myself working in the music industry. I just happened upon this industry by chance, but I have loved my time and wouldn’t change it!
Did you have any unrelated jobs growing up that unexpectedly prepared you for the apartment industry? My work in retail during high school and college really prepared me for the apartment industry, especially when it comes to dealing with people and customer service.
Why is property management an attractive career path? The job security that comes with working in property management makes this career path very attractive.
News & Events
Property management also allows you to play a variety of roles. On a daily basis you are running a team, assisting residents, completing administrative duties, and you also have the opportunity to get out from behind your desk and be a part of making your property and landscaping a desirable asset.
Best professional advice you’ve ever been given? Never stop learning.
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends? I enjoy catching up with friends and family over dinner, being outdoors, and spending time with my dog and cats.
Do you have any pets? Yes, they’re my family! A dog, Lulu, and two cats, Milo and Blue.
Coolest place you’ve ever traveled? Haiti for a mission trip.
What upcoming GNAA event are you excited to attend and why? I am very much looking forward to attending our 2022 Gala! I love getting dressed up and socializing with all my friends in the industry!
Any advice you could give to the rising stars of GNAA? Keep growing! Grow your skill set, grow your relationships, grow your experiences – invest in yourself!
23
NEW MEMBERS APARTMENT COMMUNITIES Album Indian Lake Jake Rightmyer 109 Cinema Dr. Hendersonville, TN 37075 138 apartment homes 615-431-1000 indianlakemgr@greystar.com www.albumindianlake.com Avondale Cottages Franklin Meg Evans 381 Mallory Station Rd. Franklin, TN 37067 40 apartment homes 615-369-9009 meg@bristoldevelopment.com www.avoldalecottagesfranklin.com Beersheba Heights Tower Stewart Hale 420 E. Main St. McMinnville, TN 37110 100 apartment homes 931-473-4909 FAX 931-474-4909 beershebamgr@lhp.net www.lhp.net Chapel Ridge Dallas Miller 1590 Airport Rd. Gallatin, TN 37066 208 apartment homes 615-653-4711 chapel.ridge@dominiuminc.com www.chapelridgelife.com Cool Springs Sally Ostheimer 222 Mallory Station Rd. Franklin, TN 37067 142 apartment homes 615-599-3000 coolspringsmgr@greystar.com www.avenidacoolsprings.com
News & Events
Murray Hill Stacy Molen 6060 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119 360 apartment homes 615-533-7850 manager@livemurrayhill.com www.livemurraryhill.com Oakview Laura Kinnan 1249 Hampshire Pk. Columbia, TN 38401 54 apartment homes 931-388-0006 oakview@ismrem.com www.ismrem.com
SUPPLIERS AppFolio Mindy Sorenson 50 Castilian Dr. Goleta, CA 93117 866-648-1536 mindy.sorenson@appfolio.com www.appfolio.com Property management software Clarke’s Cleaning, LLC Gilbert Clarke 311 Grandview Dr. Murfreesboro, TN 37130 615-295-4845 info@clarkescleaning.com Cleaning services; odor removal
Residences at Woodbine Park Derek Optiz 311 Carter St. Nashville, TN 37210 92 apartment homes 615-833-2001 woodbine@elmintonpm.com www.woodbineparkresidences.com
Cookeville Counter Tops Danny Lee 1075 Willow Industrial Ct. Cookeville, TN 38501-4145 931-520-1308 danny@cookevillekitchen.com Countertop materials distributor; countertop sales/service
Trails at Hunter Pointe Ashley Krantz 1006 Beaty Blvd. Gallatin, TN 37066 216 apartment homes 469-905-0950 trailshunterpointe.mgr@rreafresidential.com www.trailsathunterpointe.com
Dwelo at Level Home Catherine Spear 530 Edwin St., Unit 26 Nashville, TN 37207 248-770-6777 catherine@level.com Smart technology
Warrick Jim Bradley 339 Athens Way Nashville, TN 37228 118 apartment homes 615-733-4220 sr.thewarrick@gmail.com
Zeal, LLC Zach Smith PO Box 680638 Franklin, TN 37068 615-981-6423 info@choosezeal.com Commercial/insurance restoration & reconstruction/repair
25
Law Office
Hall & Associates M. Wesley Hall III
Nathan C. Lybarger Matt Schulenberg
CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR SERVICE, INC. Locally Owned and Operated Since 1990 Commercial • Industrial • Residential Free inspection, consultation and recommendation w w w. r e l i a b l e r o o f i n g . n e t
LandlordAdvocate® Landlord Advocate® 223 Madison Street • Suite 212 • Madison, TN 37115
6 1 5 . 8 6 8 . 4 1 0 1 • Fa x 6 1 5 . 8 6 8 . 3 8 9 3
Nashville: 615-333-3653 Fax: 615-333-6245 Murfreesboro: 615-895-7042
399 Haywood Lane Nashville, TN 37211
Eddie M. Patterson, Owner Industry Ad_Nashville.qxp_Layout 1 2/24/22 11:13 AM Page 1
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Greater Nashville Apartment Association
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Sunday
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NextGen Committee**
Thursday
Friday
3
Legislative Committee**
5
11
12
18
19
25
26
CPO Course**
CPO Course**
News & Events Committee**
4
Communications Committee** 9am
9am
9am
Saturday
9am
9am
MARCH
10:30am
6
7
MEC Committee** 1:30pm
Directory Committee**
8
9
NAA Advocate 9am
9am 9am
10
MEC Breakfast** 8am
NAA Advocate 9am
Managers Luncheon**
NAA Advocate
Membership Committee** 9am
Leadership Lyceum Committee** 10am
12pm
St. Patrick’s Day Mixer The Pub Nashville, 5:30pm
13
Daylight Saving Time Begins
14
15
16
Community Service Committee**
St. Patrick’s Day
Maintenance Luncheon
9am
9am
17
Statistics Committee** 9am
Board of Directors**
Hermitage House, 12pm
20
21
NAA Facilitator Course**
22
8am
NAA Facilitator Course**
23
9am
8am
DEI Committee** 9am
27
28
Trade Show Committee** 12pm
29
Awards Committee** 9am
24
Golf Committee** NAA Facilitator Course**
Maintenance Mania Sponsorship Meeting** 9am Education Committee**
12pm
12:30pm
30
31
Maintenance Mania Al Menah Shriners Center 8am
*held via Zoom **at GNAA Education Room
News & Events
29
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