ARLINGTON, VA - Now celebrating her 10th year working in the apartment industry, Suzanne Peperak, CAM, CPM, is one of a new breed of industry professionals who studied property management in college before continuing on to a successful career in the industry. In recognition of her leadership over the past 10 years, the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) has named her as its 2013 Designate of the Year.
“I am pleased to see a graduate of one of our nation’s college-level property management programs achieve so much,” said NAAEI President William Wollinger, CAPS, SHCM. “Suzanne has demonstrated excellence in our industry time and time again, and she doesn’t stop. She has committed herself to continued learning and to passing her knowledge on to the young professionals who are now where she was 10 short years ago.”
Peperak 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 and worked her way from assistant manager to community manager to district manager and finally to her current position.
“In my 40 years of experience in the multifamily industry, I have never met anyone quite like Suzanne,” said John Sweeney, Barrett & Stokely president and managing member, in his nomination letter. “She has the ambition, intelligence, the experience and the expertise to achieve an already impressive career.”
Over the years, Peperak has successfully managed multi-million-dollar property rebranding and renovation projects that have taken troubled properties from occupancy rates as low as 74 percent -- at one property -- back to a stable rate of 91 percent. She also has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn all she can about property management and to mentor young professionals following behind her. In fact, she frequently returns to Ball State to serve as a mentor for property management students and to provide them with job shadow opportunities.
She has been active with the Indiana Apartment Association (IAA) since 2004 and has served on – and chaired – several of its committees, including education, young professionals in multifamily and the SAL Leadership Committee. In 2011, she chaired the IAA Midwest Multifamily Education Conference and Exposition. In addition to her Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) designation from NAAEI, Peperak holds a Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and has been active with her local IREM chapter since 2010. Outside of the industry, she is active with Hands of Care, working to improve a women and children’s shelter, and with Gleaner’s Food Bank and the Ronald McDonald House.
Her professional accomplishments have earned her numerous awards, including IAA’s 2010 Grace McFadden Manager of the Year and 2012 Rick Stapp Regional Supervisor of the Year. IREM has recognized her with its 2012 Indianapolis Rising Star Award, and Ball State presented her with its 2010 Alumni Association Award of Merit.
Peperak will be recognized as part of the PARAGON Awards Ceremony that will be held at the 2013 National Apartment Association Education Conference and Exposition on June 22 at the San Diego Convention Center. The NAA PARAGON Awards recognize excellence and leadership in the rental housing industry. These national awards celebrate the unique contributions made to the industry by builders/developers, industry professionals and affiliated apartment associations.
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