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Marivel Bownds, CAS, Valet Living
- How long have they been active in the industry? Eleven years
- Who is your customer? Asset Manager, Regional Manager, and Property Manager.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Ambassadors, Expo, Community Outreach and Career and Community Development Committee
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I enjoy meeting new people and developing strong working partnerships.
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Dixie Caldwell, CAS, ControlByNet Cloud & Management Video Surveillance Solutions
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been in the industry for 20 years and I was on the management side for 8 of those years.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? Our customers are the properties, Management Companies Corporate offices, and Vendor offices. We supply temporary, temp to hire and direct hire Candidates for any Leasing, Assistant Manager, Manager, Maintenance, Make Ready, Porter, Housekeeper and Clerical positions.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Ambassadors, Careers and Community Development Committee, Community Outreach, Chili Cook Off, Century Club, PAC and Go Getters
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I enjoy the multifamily industry because of the great people and awesome opportunities it present and every day is different and exciting. It’s been 18 years and I am still learning new things and meeting new people. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with new supplier member’s to make their experience as great as mine.
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Shaun Callaway, CAS, Earthworks, Inc
- How long have they been active in the industry? For almost nine years, four in Houston
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? We sell our services from property managers to property owners
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? I'm involved with Ambassador One Society, NEXT, Community Outreach, Go Getter, Expo and Chili Fest Committee.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I have made so many friends and that makes it fun to be in the industry!
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Peggy Charles, CASE, Fidus Construction
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been active for 18 years
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? I deal with managers, asst. managers, maintenance and occasionally supervisors. If it is a large rehab project, supervisors, maintenance supervisors and occasionally VP & owners. Also on large rehabs I deal with general contractors and project managers.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Being involved with as many HAA committees has been a good part of my success in this industry. I would advise all new vendors to do the same. Ambassadors is a must for new vendors (in my opinion). Sports Challenge, Women Golf, Chili Cook off, Expo, Community Outreach, PSC - education subcommittee, Century Club.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? Working in this industry is like having one big family. Once you have made friends you keep them for years. People may move to a different company or move up in the company but rarely do they go out of the industry. Often the ones that leave come back because they miss the friendship that this industry has to offer. I think that is what keeps me passionate about the multifamily industry because owners and management are always changing (buying/selling/building) and I love change. Though all the changes the people remain the same, one big family. HAA, with all their events, makes it easy to get in front of the people you want to meet.
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Neal Conant, CAS, Gemstar Construction
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been active in the industry for nearly 20 years. I took a short break while I worked in Austin for a few years.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? My customers are anyone from the onsite maintenance team all the way up to the owner of the management company/property. No project is too large or small.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? PAC, Chili Cook Off, EXPO....
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? My whole career has been surrounded by multifamily and the HAA. From my days of selling paint to my days now in construction, this industry has always been here for me and my family. I have built lifelong friendships/relationships that have not only helped me professionally, but personally. Being able to see the difference I can make for my clients is something I take pride in and will continue to do.
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Sean Cunningham, CAS, Flooring Warehouse
- How long have they been active in the industry? Grew up in flooring, started working the apartment industry in 2008, joined HAA in 2017.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? We sell to anyone who needs to buy flooring; residential, commercial, and Multifamily. In the Multifamily industry, we work with everyone from the maintenance to the owner. Anyone who can make the decision to purchase.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Ambassadors, NEXT, Expo, PAC.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I work in this industry because of the people. Over the years, I have been lucky to form many great friendships. Watching those friends grow in their professional and personal lives keeps my passion for this industry growing.
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Deborah DeRouen, CAS, OneAppGuarantee
- How long have they been active in the industry? I’ve been in the industry for 16 years. About 10 years of that time was spent working on the management side. I have a pretty broad perspective of our industry. I’ve worked as a leasing agent, assistant manager and manager on site. I have association experience and I’ve been a supplier for a few years now.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? I sell to managers, regionals, owners.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Co-Captain for Ambassadors, Community Outreach, HAA NEXT, Go Getters, PAC, Chili Cook-Off Committee and Expo Committee
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? There are so many opportunities in our industry. There is never a dull moment in multifamily no matter what area you work in. It’s always exciting and there’s always something new to learn. We live in a great city that is booming with opportunity, especially in our industry and that makes it easy to stay passionate. I’ve also met some pretty amazing people along the way!
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Derek DeVries, CAS, Camp Construction Services, Secretary
- How long have they been active in the industry? Four years
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? Greystar, Orion, Francis, Tarantino
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Ambassadors, chili committee, community outreach, PAC, Expo committee
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? Every day is different from the day before. I come to work and don’t know what may come my way or whom I may meet. It is a never ending adventure.
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Clark Gregg, CAPSe, CASe, Fidus Construction
- How long have they been active in the industry? 26 years - 23 on the management side, 3 on the supplier side
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? Our customer is one who is looking for interior/exterior renovations, including unit upgrades, roofing, paint, concrete, etc.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Community Outreach, Career & Community Development
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? My entire career has been in the multifamily industry, whether in property management or as a supplier. During that time, I have made some lifelong friends, have learned much and understand many of the ins and outs of the multifamily rental industry. This industry is a very rewarding one, both in the way one can provide for both one’s family as well as the community as a whole. Additionally, I still learn something new daily, which helps to keep things interesting and in many cases, unique.
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Dan James, CAS, Redevelopment Inc
- How long have they been active in the industry? I came into the industry with Gemstar Construction in 1999.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? We
sell to owners, developers and management companies. Our customer can
be anyone from property level staff to executive management and owners.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Chili Cook Off Committee, Community Outreach Committee. I volunteer when I can.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I love the "work hard- play
hard" nature of this industry. No matter how hard the work is, the
people of this industry seem to always have a zest for life! I am passionate about real estate, especially redevelopment. To be a
part of the process that brings distressed properties back to viability
is always challenging and rewarding for me. I love it.
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Debra Knight, CAS, Fidus Construction
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been active for about 8 years and only on the vendor side.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? I sell to property manager's, supervisors, marketing directors and owners depending on the company. My customer is anyone who leases on-site, managers/supervises/owns a property that is looking to market to prospective renters.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? I am a part of the Ambassador Club, Community Outreach and CCDC.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I actually fell into the apartment industry without knowing anything about it and have been impressed constantly with all of the opportunity. I love the camaraderie among everyone in the industry, even competitors, and the opportunity to grow, especially in regards to education. What keeps me passionate is the relationships and friendships I've formed as well as the opportunity to constantly grow and learn.
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Stephanie Krop, CASE, Poolsure
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been active in the industry since fall of 1989,
working onsite from 1989-2004 and starting on the vendor path in 1994 with The
Apartment Guide. I was with Direct Energy for almost 8 years, Buyers Access and now Poolsure.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer?
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Expo Committee, Chili-Cookoff Committee, PSC.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I've grown up in the industry. My first job was part-time leasing, while going to night school. I was blessed to be surrounded and mentored by industry leaders from the beginning. These contacts enabled me to mature and utilize the knowledge in not only my onsite experience, but also when I joined the vendor side. The multi-family industry is the largest "family" on earth...and is very likely we have shared all aspects of our lives through births, deaths and disasters...and anything in between. I have the privilege of working with people, I care about. This enables me to stay motivated to do my best, thus motivates my team into providing their very best to our clients...our extended family. I think our success comes not so much from what we do in our job, but how well we do it...and who we are taking along for the ride.
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Jacob Kunath, CAS,
Century A/C Supply, Immediate Past President
- How long have they been active in the industry? 8 years
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? We sell to managers and maintenance on a property level but, also have good relationships with regional supervisors as well.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Several: Technology, Ambassadors, Community Relations
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I've always had a passion for sales, and this seemed like the perfect fit. All the new faces we run in to and the old friends we stay in contact with keeps our industry a close knit community and that makes it FUN!
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Laura Lestus, CAS, The Liberty Group, President
- How long have they been active in the industry?
I have been working in our industry since 1998 when I began my career as a leasing agent. On site I have held the positions of: assistant manager, manager and marketing director. I became an active supplier member in 2005 with the Houston Apartment Guide and now with The Liberty Group since 2008. I am currently the Regional Manager over Liberty’s temporary division and cover Texas and Colorado. Having the experience of working on the management side has helped me greatly in understanding the challenges my clients face day to day and that knowledge gives me the ability to team up with my clients to provide the most effective staffing solutions and assist with any personal development opportunities within the HAA.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? My customers are both our management partners and supplier members including any positions from corporate offices positions, sales positions and administrators to all on site, leasing, maintenance staff and management positions.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA?
I am currently the PSC President for 2020, PAC Trustee, Career and Community Development, Go Getters membership committee, Leadership Lyceum Graduate in 2016, on the HAA Board Of Directors and an alternate delegate for the TAA.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? Our association provides a platform that fosters personal and professional growth while providing an
opportunity to give back to our industry and community. My belief is it is our responsibility to share our experience and mentor new supplier members in order to continue to
grow our association year over year . I have been Blessed with many wonderful opportunities and friends for a lifetime through HAA and my motto is "Pay It Forward"... Now is
your time to get involved, let me know how I can help!
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Liz Levins, CAS, Rasa Floors
- How long have they been active in the industry? 17 years
- Who is your customer within multifamily? The manager? supervisor, maintenance staff? The Manager, Supervisor(s), Maintenance, Owner,Regional (all of the above)
- What committee/club do you volunteer for in HAA? EXPO, Chilli Cook Off, PAC, NEXT, Ambassadors, Product Service Council, Community Outreach
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I love this industry! The people I meet and the friends I make are endless as well as the professional career enhancements. To be able to Service someone with the product(s) they need and deliver with excellence is of high importance to me both personally and professionally. It's the feeling I get when assisting someone for the greater good that makes my soul feel full which is what this industry allows me to do on a daily. It is an awesome industry to be involved in and I take much pride in being apart of it.
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David Lindley, CAS, FSI Construction, Vice President
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been active in the industry since 2013
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? My customer is the individual property and the management company. I assist with capital improvements to their assets.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? I serve on the Expo and Chili committees. I am a member of the Ambassador ONE Society, Political Action Committee and Go-Getters. I am also on the Education Advisory Council.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I work in this industry for its ties to the community. I believe every step forward myself and my company make has a real impact on of the people who occupy the units and communities we serve. Houston is my home. I am honored to serve with all the individuals who work hard everyday to make the multifamily industry great. I maintain a high level of passion because I believe every little bit extra we do makes a difference.
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Candis Mohr, CAS, AAA Plumbers, Treasurer
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been active in the industry for a little over four years and I love every minute of it!
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? We sell to all
levels in the apartment association, from owners to the maintenance
staff.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? I am currently involved in many committees within The
Houston Apartment Association: Ambassadors, Community Outreach, HAA NEXT, Go
Getters, Better Government Fund, Chili Cook-Off Committee, EXPO, and I am
currently in the Leadership Lyceum Class of 2015.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? What keeps you passionate about it? With my father, Cesar, being one
of the owners of AAA Plumbers, I have grown up around HAA. When I started
working for AAA Plumbers I was very enthusiastic when they asked me to get
involved within the organization. I have already formed many wonderful
friendships that have helped me grow personally, professionally and spiritually.
I cannot think of a better organization, or group of people, to learn from, grow
with or form relationships with. It doesn’t feel like ‘work’
when you work with some of the best people in Houston!
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Tracey Moore, CAS, Flooring Warehouse
- How long have they been active in the industry? 5 years
- Have you ever worked on the mgmt side? No
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? I sell flooring, back splashes- most anything with tile, carpet, wood and vinyl. Managers, Maintenance managers, Owners
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Ambassadors, Chili, Street Team- I also love Sports Challenge and community outreach
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I work in this industry because you can make lots of money!! The truth is I enjoy this group so much. I have been in other industry groups and no one compares to what this group will do to help you succeed. If you give your time, share what you know and willing to learn you can accomplish anything with this group.
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Karen Nelsen, CAM, CAS, ALN Apartment Data
- How long have they been active in the industry? Since 2003 - originally as an asset manager.
- Have you ever worked on the mgmt side? Since then I’ve been Director of Training, Regional Manager, Asset Manager and now a Supplier. (17 years)
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? Everyone. ALN has a product for the owner/management companies as well as supplier members. We collect accurate data nationwide on occupancy, pricing, floorplans and updated contacts at the properties.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? Education Committee, Career & Community Development, Ambassadors, Political Action Committee
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I fell into the industry after the Enron collapse and have loved it since. There are so many great people to work with – both on the management side and the supplier side. Since my original career was education, it’s education that keeps me going. For many years it was on the management side – keeping our associates up to date on everything from leasing, touring, managing, legal issues, technology, etc. Now as a supplier, I love to do the same thing – and translate needs & concepts into strategies that support business growth.
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Matthew Nunn, CAS, Capital Construction
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been in the industry for 8 years
- Have you ever worked on the mgmt side? Really, my customer is any apartment management company that has a need for an experienced general contractor to handle small jobs all the way to major renovations and emergency mitigation services.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? I sell flooring, back splashes- most anything with tile, carpet, wood and vinyl. Managers, Maintenance managers, Owners
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? I have the privilege of working on the Chili committee, Expo committee, ambassadors club, PAC member and community outreach committee.
- Why do you work in this industry? I love working in an industry where I have the opportunity to meet so many people and being able to network with so many great people. What keeps you passionate about it? When I first started in this industry I knew nobody but that changed quickly! I had so many people take me in as one of their own, showing me the way and I realized then that this was more than just a business opportunity, it was one big family. One of the reasons why I’ve become so passionate about industry is because of all that HAA has done for me. From the mentors that have guided me along the way to the lifelong friendships I’ve developed, all because of the HAA. My goal is to give back to the HAA and its members the same way the HAA has given to me.
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Doug Oehl, CAS, Flooring Warehouse
- How long have they been active in the industry? We have been active with HAA for over a year, 3 years in July.
- Who do you sell to? Who is your customer? Everyone needs flooring but we work with upper management, ownership and property management companies.
- What committee/club are you working on in HAA? I am actively involved with Ambassador One as well as HAA Next and Community Outreach.
- Why do you work in this industry? Because I wanted to join a competitive environment where I could make a difference. Our goal is to push the envelope from a product and service perspective. There's limitless technology and service enhancements that can be done in the flooring industry. We're focused on developing and bringing those enhancements to our multifamily clients to help them become more efficient and profitable.
- What keeps you passionate about it? Being able to look at problems clients have been experiencing for years and being able to deliver solutions with immediate impact.
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Joseph Rodriguez, CAS, Urban Foresters
- How long have they been active in the industry? A little over 3 years
- Who is your customer within multifamily? The manager? supervisor, maintenance staff? Our typical customers are owners, regional managers, asset managers, property managers, construction managers & regional maintenance managers.
- What committee/club do you volunteer for in HAA? In addition to the PSC, I am also on the EXPO Committee, Chili Cook Off Committee, PAC, NEXT Committee & Ambassadors.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? Not only is this industry about building strong relationships, it is also about helping each other succeed. Whether it be from the management side or the supplier side, we all want to grow together. That is one thing I think our industry has an advantage over anyone else. Knowing that me, and the people around me, are here to help and serve others so that we can all be successful keeps me passionate about this industry.
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Nikki Sekunda, CAS, The Liberty Group
- How long have they been active in the industry? Combined about 6 years and I’ve also worked on the management side.
- Who is your customer within multifamily? The manager? supervisor, maintenance staff? Everyone. I help on site teams, regionals, VP’s, Owners, and even vendors.
- What committee/club do you volunteer for in HAA? NEXT, Ambassadors, Community Outreach, Board of Directors, and Career Development.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I’ve never met a group of people that are so passionate to help you. It’s genuine and incredible. The opportunities are endless and the sense of family makes you want to give right back to them. We are a community of people that are constantly trying to improve ourselves and those around us. You can’t find that anywhere else.
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Blaise Spitaleri, CAS, Gemstar Construction
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been active in the multi-family industry since 2009 and started with Rasa Floors in the DFW, Central Texas, Corpus Christi and Houston markets.
- Who is your customer within multifamily? The manager? supervisor, maintenance staff? Our customer is everyone involved in the spectrum. The on-site staff, regionals, owners, to our industry vendors.
- What committee/club do you volunteer for in HAA? I am involved with the PAC, 2019 Expo, Ambassador ONE and Go-Getters.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? My father had a small flooring business in New York. I grew up providing floors to families my whole life. This industries is a really great community of people.
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Blake Subinsky, CAS, HD Supply
- How long have they been active in the industry? 8 years
- Who is your customer within multifamily? The manager? supervisor, maintenance staff? My customers are management companies
- What committee/club do you volunteer for in HAA? Next, Ambassadors, Street Team, Chili Committee, and PAC
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? It’s part of my family for a couple of generations now and I love the people who I work for and work with! It’s the best industry to be in!
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Mat Tilley, CAS, WeDoTrash
- How long have they been active in the industry? I have been in the industry for 3 years.
- Who is your customer within multifamily? The manager? supervisor, maintenance staff? The property and residents are the end user of our services. I call on multiple levels within a management company from regional managers, asset or marketing managers, directors, C-Levels, and owners.
- What committee/club do you volunteer for in HAA? I am involved in Ambassadors, Go-Getters, NEXT, and PAC.
- Why do you work in this industry? What keeps you passionate about it? I enjoy the comradery of the industry and how people genuinely care and are willing to help you. This is an industry that you can spend a life long career in and every day/week/month/year presents new challenges and opportunities. It gives us the ability to develop long term partnerships with our clients. Knowing that a startup company could go from concept to scale keeps me passionate and motivated. It has been a lot of hard work, persistence, serving others, and patience but we continue to grow each year. Also, the industry is a lot of fun!
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Alan Young, CAS, Dixie Carpet Installations
- How long have they been active in the industry? I began my career in multifamily as a leasing agent 21 years ago. I’ve been on the supplier side now for 18 years.
- Who is your customer within multifamily? The manager? supervisor, maintenance staff? We provide flooring replacement services, i.e., relay/rehab/new construction to property owners, property management, and general contractors.
- What committee/club do you volunteer for in HAA? I’m currently involved with Ambassador ONE, Community Outreach, PAC, Steering Committee, and I’m privileged to serve on the Product Service Council.
- Why do you work in this industry? Having spent the majority of my professional career in multifamily, I can attest it is about as recession proof as an industry can be. What keeps you passionate about it? At the risk of sounding cliché, it really is the people. I’m blessed to work and serve alongside friends who genuinely care for each other, the companies they represent, and the industry that has been so good to all of us.
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