ARLINGTON, VA - It’s awards season at the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI), and among those being honored is a man hit hard by the recent economic downturn who found his calling in apartment maintenance, an apartment leasing pro dedicated to serving his residents and a graduate of one our nation’s residential property management degree programs.
“These honorees are leading by example and demonstrating excellence not only in their own jobs but also in serving as leaders to others in our industry,” said NAAEI President William Wollinger, CAPS, SHCM. “Our industry is a very diverse one – both in terms of the people and the types of careers we offer. The people – and the organizations – we pay tribute to this year reflect that. It’s an exciting time to work in multifamily housing.”
The awards are part of the National Apartment Association’s PARAGON Awards, which recognize excellence and leadership in the rental housing industry. Honorees will be recognized at the 2013 NAA Education Conference and Exposition on June 22 in San Diego. More information on these awards may be found at www.naahq.org/about/awards
The following will receive 2013 NAAEI Designate Awards:
• Professional Designate of the Year: Suzanne Peperak, CAM, CPM, serves as a regional manager for Barrett & Stokely, which is based in Indianapolis, Ind. She has been in that role since 2010 and oversees six properties consisting of a total of 1,800 units. She joined the company after graduating from Ball State University’s Residential Property Management Program.
• National Apartment Leasing Professional of the Year: Justin Reilly, NALP, is a leasing professional with Chestnut Hill Realty in Boston, Mass. In 2012 alone, he was responsible for 148 out of the 186 leases completed at the four properties that make up the apartment community he serves. In 2012, the Massachusetts Rental Housing Association honored Reilly with its NALP of the Year award.
• Certified Apartment Management Technician of the Year: Jose Alvarado, CAMT, CPO, was laid off in 2011 but found a job in the apartment industry as a maintenance technician at Northlake Manor, which is managed by Rockstar Capital Management. He was named as the Texas Apartment Association’s Maintenance Personnel of the Year for 2013 and as the Houston Apartment Association’s (HAA) Maintenance Technician of the Year in 2012.
• Certified Apartment Manager of the Year: Stephanie Anderson, CAM, is senior community manager at Harbor Village Apartments in Richmond, Va. She has led her team of eight staff members to success using intense sales training, creative marketing strategies and unparalleled customer service. Anderson was recently elected to serve on CVAA’s board of directors. She also serves on the Virginia Apartment Management Association’s (VAMA) public relations committee.
The following organizations are recipients of the Anthony V. Pusateri Award for Apartment Career Promotion. This award was named in honor of the late Anthony V. Pusateri, CAPS, CPM, a past president of the National Apartment Association, a founder of NAAEI and member of the Institute of Real Estate Management Faculty.
• Comprehensive Career Promotion Program: The Arizona Multihousing Association was selected for its ongoing efforts to recruit qualified talent to the industry through job fairs and its “Jump Start Training” program.
• Single Apartment Career Promotion Event: The Charleston Apartment Association is being recognized for promoting apartment career paths at a job fair that introduced more than 100 current and retired military personnel, as well as military spouses, to apartment industry career opportunities.
About the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI)
The National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) is the education arm of the National Apartment Association. The mission of the NAAEI is to provide broad-based education, training and recruitment programs that attract, nurture and retain high-quality professionals and develop tomorrow’s apartment industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.naahq.org/education or www.apartmentcareerhq.org