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Faces of Suwanee

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CREATING CLOSER community is a big part of what we do here at Suwanee Magazine. That’s why we’re proud to bring you The Faces of Suwanee. Suwanee is a great community with great people. We’ll be featuring conversations we have with members of our community as a way of telling the story of Suwanee, one smiling face at a time. The Faces of Suwanee shines a light on the people who live and work here. You can read all of the interviews at

TheFacesofSuwanee.com, and even nominate someone you think should be featured on the website. Be sure to follow Suwanee Magazine’s Facebook page where we’ll be sharing new Faces of Suwanee interviews weekly. Kyle Berjeski Property Manager at Symphony at Suwanee Creek Apartments

Kyle is a friendly, familiar face in Suwanee. As the Property Manager at Symphony at Suwanee Creek Apartments, she has met many in our community. She is kind, fun-loving and has a way of making everyone she meets feel important and well cared for.

Interview and Photo by Julie Perdue

WHAT INSPIRED YOU OR LED YOU TO YOUR CURRENT CAREER? I was in the real estate industry and my company closed right before the market crash, so I moved back in with my mom. I decided that I needed a different job where I wouldn’t have to move back in with my mom! So, I thought, “Where could I work and always have the opportunity to have a place to rent? An apartment community!” I started with one, with no experience, and worked my way through to my current job.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN SUWANEE AND WHAT DO YOU LOVE THERE? Tequila Mama. I love their Ahi Tuna Tostados and the guacamole.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED OR LIVED IN SUWANEE? I moved from Michigan in 1994 when I was 12 to Hall County and then to Suwanee. I went to Collins Hill High School, and we moved around a couple of times in Suwanee.

WHAT HAS KEPT YOU HERE? The sense of community and how everyone is so welcoming. Suwanee has a big-town feel in a small environment, where we have the benefit of being as active or involved as we like or spend time alone. We can put up a hammock in Town Center Park and chill by ourselves or walk around and talk to people at the restaurants.

HOW BIG IS YOUR FAMILY? I have one sister and my mom. My dad passed away 17 years ago after a skateboarding accident where he fell and hit his head and later died. I was 20 at that time and the experience definitely made me grow up fast. Nine years ago, my mom and stepdad moved from Suwanee to a house on Lake Lanier. My stepdad was critically injured in a boating accident and also later passed away. When this happened, I moved to Flowery Branch to be near her and help her with her house after this sudden accident. Eventually, my mom and sister moved to Destin, Florida. So, it’s now me, my fiancé and his family here. We have two dogs, Koda and Bailey, and a cat named Serious Black. I wasn’t supposed to keep the cat, so I gave him the nickname of Blacky and gave him away. But he came back! They are all rescues and I love them so much.

WHO IS THE MOST INTERESTING PERSON YOU’VE MET IN SUWANEE? Can I say you [Julie Perdue]? You have a part in everything. You’re social and friendly whether you’re at work or not. Everyone knows who you are and being part of Suwanee Magazine, you help without being pushy.

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, WHERE WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Iceland. I love the cold and the snow and everything I’ve seen is beautiful. The people are friendly, and living is not congested there.

WHAT IS THE FIRST MOVIE YOU REMEMBER SEEING IN A THEATER? Beetlejuice! I remember because I had a diary and wrote in it, “I just watched a movie called Beetlejuice with Michael Keaton.” It was a good movie! It may not have been the first, but it was definitely memorable.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A CROWD OF PEOPLE? Know your surroundings and be aware of what people are doing and how what you’re doing impacts other people. I think that dealing with COVID-19 has taught us awareness of others and what might be important to them. WHAT IS SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? To retire and not have to work. I would like to live in the mountains away from people and have everything delivered to me by Amazon drone. I’d like to have someone cook our food and enjoy living in nature with wildlife. Enjoy the quiet. I would like to not have to be “on” all of the time.

IF YOU COULD TAKE ANYONE TO LUNCH (DEAD OR ALIVE) WHO WOULD THAT BE AND WHERE WOULD YOU GO? My dad, and I don’t care where. I would like to know him as an adult since I was not able to when he was alive. I would love to share my life with him and get his feedback.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC? NAME THREE BANDS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE. I like any type of music with a good beat, although I am not a big fan of rap. I really love early 2000’s music when I had a convertible and rode around with the music loud! Presently, I love One Republic and any bands with anthems. I like Imagine Dragons, too, and Lewis Capaldi. WHAT LOCAL BUSINESS MAKES YOU THE MOST NOSTALGIC ABOUT SUWANEE? Ippolito’s. I remember their first location and how cool it was to go there in high school because the restaurant had a garage door. The food was so good.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SUWANEE? The sense of community. My favorite thing is that I know people and love to talk to them. I like being known and knowing people in my community.

WOULD YOU RATHER SPEAK TO A CROWD OF 500 OR SING TO A CROWD OF 50? Speak, clearly. I love making a fool of myself and I’m much more comfortable being silly and having fun than being serious! Plus, I’m not allowed to sing in public without compensation, according to my agent.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Retired in the mountains, doing nothing, with my fiancé, Anthony, and my dogs. Being able to finally relax.

WHAT IS SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? I used to work at Medieval Times. I was a wench. My friend and I worked there to meet friends. It was a hard job but the most fun to work in a castle. Most of the hours were at night and, of course, we were in character with an accent and costume, serving people in the dark. I learned the skill of pouring a drink in the dark without it overflowing! I loved being around horses, knights and the sand. It was the best time of my life! So, I am open to new things, and I have no shame. I like to help and serve people.

F For more of this interview and more The Faces Of Suwanee interviews, go to

TheFacesOfSuwanee.com

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