March 11, 2024

Welcome to People and Properties, the Cohen-Esrey newsletter where we celebrate the successes of our team members and keep you informed about what is happening in the Cohen-Esrey world. If you have something you would like to share or an achievement that you would like to celebrate, please send it to Lee Harris at lharris@cohenesrey.com. If you are on a property, please print and distribute this newsletter to each member of your property team. You can also find People and Properties on KnowledgeNet. Click here to view previous editions.

A Swimming Pool Tribute to the Chiefs

How many apartment communities do you know of that pay homage to a professional football team? The Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. As you can see in the accompanying photo, the swimming pool at The Carlyle in the Kansas City suburb of Shawnee, KS, is shaped in the form of an arrowhead and the property was formerly named the Arrowhead Apartments. Built in 1971, the 436-unit, two-and-a-half-story collection of apartment homes is in Johnson County, KS. The property is across the street from the Westbrooke Village Shopping Center; approximately one mile from the massive Advent Health Shawnee Mission complex; and is on the edge of several upscale residential subdivisions. A $4 million physical improvements program is underway which is focused on unit interior upgrades along with exterior, roofs, and amenities. CEC manages this asset for a Cohen-Esrey Apartment Investors (CEAI) partnership.

The Carlyle is easily accessible to I-35 and I-435 enabling residents to work minutes away in downtown Kansas City or at one of many employers in Johnson County. The property offers a pet-friendly environment with a bark park, resort-style swimming pool with a sun deck, fitness center with yoga area, package acceptance with 24-hour pickup, playground, cornhole game lawn, sand volleyball and tennis courts, covered outdoor fireplace and lounge area, and cybercafé with coffee bar. Studio units are 517 square feet and rent from $801 per month. One-bedroom units are 626 square feet and rent from $946 per month. Two-bedroom units range from 835 to 934 square feet and rent for $1,063 to $1,407 per month. Three-bedroom apartments are 1,124 square feet and rent from $1,552 per month.

Heidi Hess (2021), is the Property Manager and Amanda Zepeda (2023), is the Area Manager. Mike Gioia (2020), is the Senior Property Accountant, Nancy Lewis (2021) is the Accounting Assistant, and Rodney Chmidling (2015) is the Accounts Payable Specialist.

We welcome the following new team members to Cohen-Esrey and the Nexus 5 Group.

Denise Holliday – Century II, Sioux City, IA – Property Manager
Patricia Hartwell – Century II, Sioux City, IA – Resident Services Assistant
Randal Rowland – Century II, Sioux City, IA – Maintenance Technician
Wesley Church – Century II, Sioux City, IA – Maintenance Technician
Kendra Ebert – Shire, Sioux City, IA – Property Manager
Sarah Franco – Shire, Sioux City, IA – Resident Services Assistant
David Williams – Shire, Sioux City, IA – Maintenance Technician
Ronita Lipscomb – Willowpark, Lawton, OK – Assistant Property Manager
Corinne Klare – Bastion I, New Orleans, LA – Property Manager
Cruz Ybarra – Perry 81, Overland Park, KS – Maintenance Technician
Julio Rivera Cabrera – South Pointe, Dallas, TX – Groundskeeper
Saul Alvarez – Libertad Des Moines, Des Moines, IA – Maintenance Technician
William Ready – Landing at 818, Sun Prairie, WI – Maintenance Technician
Gina Dickerson – Big Chair Lofts, Thomasville, NC – Property Manager
Tisha Meacham – Childress Manor, Childress, TX - Property Manager
Gary Meacham – Childress Manor, Childress, TX – Maintenance Technician
Julie Wemark – Morning Hills, Sioux City, IA – Property Manager
Robert Gilbert – Morning Hills, Sioux City, IA – Maintenance Technician
Christian Toth – Morning Hills, Sioux City, IA – Maintenance Technician
Andre Ruiz – Preserve at Westover Hills, San Antonio, TX – Lead Maintenance Technician
Patrick Williams – Jefferson on the Lake, Olathe, KS – Groundskeeper

Meet the Sunset Team

Meet the Sunset team. L to R – Wesley Alexander (2023) Maintenance Technician and Groundskeeper; Shlonda Fields (2023), Property Manager; and Edward Moore (2023), Lead Maintenance Technician. This 150-unit affordable property in Texarkana, TX, is managed by CEC for a third-party client.

Welcome George!

George Wakeman joined Cohen-Esrey Communities (CEC) in February of 2024 as a Regional Manager with a portfolio of 16 properties owned by third-party client. His portfolio includes apartment communities in Iowa (350 Units), Nebraska (69 Units), and South Dakota (358 Units). The properties are a mixture of Project-Based Section 8, and Project-Based Section 8 with Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) layering.

Previously from January 2011 until joining Cohen-Esrey, George oversaw the management of Oakleaf Property Management which managed 24 properties with 1,180 units that had layered funding including Section 8, LIHTC, HOME-City, HOME-State, and Rural Development. The properties are a mixture of elderly-disabled and affordable. George has the COS and TaCCs designations. Additionally, he was certified as an Asbestos Abatement Supervisor.

Before joining the world of affordable housing, he restored 17 large Victorian houses in a two-block area around his home and then rented or sold them. His other corporate experience was as a Manager of Human Resources at Gateway 2000 Computers in North Sioux City, SD, from 1994 to 1999. When he started at Gateway there were around 6,400 employees at the North Sioux City campus; when he left there were over 13,000.

George graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, IA, with a Management Science Degree. He has three grown sons that live in Omaha and an additional son that lives in Los Angeles.

Welcome to Cohen-Esrey, George!

Transformational Construction!

Construction continues at several Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG) future communities.

Unveiling the new concrete slab at The Launchpad in Colorado Springs, CO,

Framing at Panorama Heights in Colorado Springs, CO, continues to remain on pace.

A representative kitchen and common corridor at the Trails at Lehow in Englewood, CO.

The first building siding and second building roof are nearly complete at Loma Vista Lofts in San Antonio, TX.

Stair towers under construction at the Lofts at Creekview in San Antonio, TX.

Here is the rendering of Lewis Lofts in Mankato, MN for which construction will start in the next few weeks.

How Do They Do It?

In this installment of our series, How Do They Do It, we are interviewing our Regional/Area Managers. Here is the question we asked.

What steps do you take to ensure peak performance of your properties?

To ensure peak performance at any level, consistent communication is the best foundation. For me, as a newer Regional Manager at Cohen-Esrey, communication has been a huge part for me getting to know my teams and properties. Knowing what is going on is half the battle, so having consistent communication with our on-site teams is crucial for task completion and overall success. There are a lot of other traits that are important, but communication is the necessary foundation for professional relationships and team/community/company success. Jayme Dannen-Deal (2024)

I set clear and attainable goals and objectives, deliver continued training and one on one mentorship, while always being available, anytime day or night! Constantly review, and communicate changes or new initiatives, explain how to utilize available resources, and provide direction on where to gain knowledge and ways to focus on results and productivity at each property. My goal is to ensure self-sufficiency and to motivate my TEAM so that each Property Manager understands “why” our processes and their positions are so important to Cohen-Esrey Communities. Rebecca Grimm (2019)

Having quick, frequent meetings and check ins to review specific items helps to keep everyone focused. Sometimes, reviewing to much at one time can overwhelm teams and make them unsuccessful. Giving them smaller goals and continuing to build on them seems to work great. While setting those immediate goals, it’s great to let them know about future goals so that they can know what is coming up next, but not the priority at the moment.

With the roll out of the new property KPI Incentives, taking the time to work with each Property Manager and their teams to review these and show them how they are the guide to our success and have them see where they personally impact the property, and the company has been one of the best tools to use for our teams! All members of the teams must be engaged and dialed in for peak performance at the site level.

Additionally, starting at the top and working with the entire site team on each operational component within our organization and helping everyone understand the “meaning behind the madness” of why we do things a certain way is very important. When you don’t understand the full “why” then it leads to less engagement, frustrations from the team members and gives an Us VS Them way of thinking. Having the many resources available to our teams is one of the best things as it shows how the entire company is vested in our sites success! James Huss (2013)

I believe that looking at the reports often and good communication between the Regional Manager and the Property Manager is very important. The Regional Manager should help whenever necessary and guide the Property Manager and team to be top performers in whatever task is at hand. Carolyn Henson (2021)

Steps I take to ensure peak performance include creating and executing goals. Working together to build a plan that works for each specific property and its challenges improves the chances for success. Regular check-ins with the team to ensure deadlines are being met and problem solving when issues arise is critical. Alyssa Garza (2021)

I ensure peak performance of properties with my teams through clear effective communication that fosters understanding and collaboration. I ensure adequate resources are allocated to support the needs of the properties and the teams. I foster our Team Member Fulfillment core value by developing a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging innovation, support, feedback loops and adapting to changes. I invest in ongoing training and development to enhance skills and keep them updated with current policies and regulations. I Empower my teams by delegating responsibilities and granting them autonomy to make decisions within their areas of expertise. I prioritize team members well-being by providing support and encouraging a positive work environment, which enhances collaboration and contributes to our collective success. I utilize technology solutions to streamline operations, improve efficiency and provide valuable feedback and insights into property performance. I implement risk management strategies to mitigate potential threats to property performance and ensure business continuity. I focus on our Customer Fulfillment core value with the teams to ensure we are striving to exceed our customer’s expectations that enhances their satisfaction and retention, ultimately contributing to the overall success of our properties. Cassie Colston (2004)

I believe peak performance starts from the grounds up. When curb appeal is in line, the property looks more appealing. Residents feel proud of where they live, and it also drives traffic.

Team members, working together, have a major impact on performance. Greeting residents with a smile, attending to their requests in a professional and timely manner all goes to making them feel welcome. Happy residents refer others. They stay in the community, minimizing turnover, which we know is much more expensive than retention.

Teamwork and proper education as to why we have these policies save everyone time and money. Invest in your team and they will invest in the property. Angie Bocquin (2024)

Complete quarterly Property Inspections to ensure operational performance.
One on one meetings with the property managers to ensure any questions or concerns are addressed.
Review of financials for accuracy.
Review of Annual Recertification Reports to ensure compliance is met with each individual property.
Deadlines for plan of action to be completed when property is not at its peak performance.
Review delinquency to ensure collections are being met.
Help managers to reach their NPS and KPI goals.
Train all staff in the Cohen-Esrey way to ensure the Standards of Excellence and Core Values are met.
Assist properties with day-to-day duties/operations when needed.
Ensure all team members are completing CE University training to stay abreast of all practices and procedures. Alisha Brooks (2017)

Regular communication with team members, communicating clear expectations.
Review delinquency reports and budgets regularly.
Utilize the resources available, including OASYS, Quick Connects, CE University courses.
Address troubled areas on the property immediately and work together to establish a clear plan to address them. This includes not just physical issues but also low NPS scores to meet customer expectations.
Hold myself and the staff accountable. Dawn Boyer (2022)

I believe being a top performing property begins with understanding what it means to perform successfully. Having a vision and making it clear. Then, having standards put in place to measure actions against. Understanding my team’s collective capabilities and setting standards in a way that positively pushes individual success - which contributes to the overall team effort. I dedicate time and invest in my team. Encouraging my teams when goals seem far and greatly celebrating the wins, even if they are small. Allowing input and collaboration to identify areas of improvement has helped set clear goals and expectations. I have had many leaders (and still do) that have inspired me, personally, to perform. Through their actions, words, support, and leadership an environment was created that made me want to exceed expectations. Because of this, I try to lead by example and emulate the leaders who inspire me, in hopes to inspire others to perform and exceed expectations. When each team member is fueled by inspiration to excel, the team’s performance reaches new heights, resulting in a top performing property. Amanda Zepeda (2023)

I believe on the whole that consistent preventive maintenance programs are essential for a property’s growth. Not only does an effective preventive maintenance program eliminate capital expenditures, but it also retains a longer lease life of residents with extended lease terms. Donna Anderson (2023)

Core Value of the Month

First Impressions

By Marilee Scheid (2019), Director of Learning and Development

You never get a second chance to make a first impression

Do you remember your first day with Cohen-Esrey? What set this first day apart from other roles you have started? The adage still holds true: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." What kind of first impression do you want a new team member to have. A new team member arrives full of energy and enthusiasm. They’re looking for the best way to get up to speed and start contributing. A great onboarding process lets them do just that. Onboarding is a core driver of the property success. Creating a great first day experience for new team members can determine their tenure and development. The entire property team plays a role in welcoming their new team members.

“69 percent of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding.” SHRM

The Onboarding checklist for field team members and new hire checklist is created to help new team members feel welcome. New Property Managers need to watch the training video in CE University in KNet titled: Administering the New Hire Orientation to learn how to complete orientation with their new hire. The Onboarding Checklist assists hiring managers to assure everything your new team member needs is ready for them to start their first day with Cohen-Esrey. The New Hire Orientation Checklist will ensure you review resources, policies, procedures including the Team Member Handbook and any acknowledgements. This information is also available in OASYS/Human Resources/Onboarding/New Hire Orientation.

Your goal in the first few days is to acclimate your new team member to their new work family, residents and begin to learn the Cohen-Esrey Way of property management. It is proven that how new team members are oriented impacts their longevity with the company. Let’s make an amazing lasting first impression for our new team members!

A Healthy Tip

By Jennifer Turner (2018), Director of Human Resources

Children Grow More During Spring: Kids, like plants, grow faster in the spring than any other time of the year. Maybe it’s the fresh air and sunlight that causes this growth spurt.
Busy Signals: More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other time of the year. According to History, holiday chats account for a 37 percent spike in phone calls. And that doesn’t include video chats or Zoom calls.
Let’s Call it Spring: Before spring was called spring, it was called Lent, according to Just Fun Facts. In the 14th century, it was changed to springing because plants were springing forth from the ground. The name changed to springtime about 100 years later and was eventually shortened to just Spring.
Spring Fever is a Real Thing: People talk about spring fever as a time to goof off, but it really exists. Medical experts think it could be caused by a change of diet, increased temperature and light, as well as hormonal changes. Of course, it could just be allergies.
The Easter Bunny is a German Import: While many people think of the hippity hoppity Easter Bunny as all-American, that is not the case. According to Good Housekeeping, the idea of a bunny delivering treats dates back to the 16th century Germany. Dutch settlers brought the tradition to America around 200 years later.
Get Your Umbrella Ready: While April showers bring May flowers, it turns out that April is not the rainiest month of Spring. But as a whole, spring is the rainiest time of year in the Northern Hemisphere so get your umbrella ready as you never know when you will need it!
Tulips are Worth Their Weight in Gold: Tulips are one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring and symbolize love and rebirth. But did you know that tulips were once more valuable than gold? This time of tulip speculation in The Netherlands was called Tulip Mania and like most commodity speculation, this boom went bust in 1637.
The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade Took Place in the US: St. Patrick’s Day is a really big deal in Ireland, after all he is the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. But the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not held in Dublin; it took place in New York City in 1762. So, no matter which side of the pond you live on, put on some green and celebrate everything Irish.

The Revenue Growth Champions!

By Michele Rollo-Burns (2018), Director of Revenue

Each month we recognize communities that have realized stellar year-over-year (YOY) revenue growth. For the month of February 2024, here are the standouts with growth of 5% or more. Congratulations to each team for the progress made! Eleven properties are on the list this month!

A Flurry of Activity

We’ve been extremely busy at Cohen-Esrey Communities (CEC) over the past six months and this will continue to be the case during the next three or four months. Why? Because we are assuming management for 48 properties totaling 3,315 units. Most of those properties are in the Affordable Division and represents an increase in our portfolio unit count of more than 30%. The new properties are scattered across ten states including Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas.

One of the most significant assignments will onboard effective April 1. The Texarkana, TX, Public Housing Authority (PHA), has retained CEC to manage its 914-unit portfolio which includes Section 8, tax credit and market-rate properties. The history of this assignment is interesting. As previously reported, the Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG) has renovated the historic Grim Hotel and repurposed this Texarkana icon into 93-units of affordable housing, known as the Lofts at the Grim. Recently, CEC assumed management of the 150-unit Sunset Apartments in Texarkana for a third-party client. With both properties, CEDG and CEC have worked closely with the PHA which led to their request that CEC manage their portfolio.

Over the past two years, we have spent considerable time and effort to refine and improve our property onboarding process as well as our training program. Fortunately, the results are paying off by enabling CEC to absorb this huge influx of properties in a smooth and efficient manner. Kristina Viera (2017), Deputy Managing Director-Affordable Division, has led the assumption process with significant assistance from a multitude of team members.

Congratulations, Pam!

Pam Weatherford (2016) has been promoted to Operations Support Manager for Cohen-Esrey Communities (CEC). She started her career in property management in 2008 at a conventional 721-unit property in St. Louis, MO, and was promoted to Assistant Property Manager. In 2012 the St. Louis County Housing Authority had an opening for an Intake Coordinator where she first learned about affordable properties and programs. She was then promoted to a Property Manager position for one of the Housing Authority’s project-based Section 8 communities and thereafter managed five properties. This is where she discovered that she had a passion for the affordable side of property management.

Pam joined Cohen-Esrey in October 2016 as a part-time Property Manager for the Grant School Apartments in St. Louis, a historic affordable property that was developed by the Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG). From 2017 to 2020 she traveled to assist team members or fill in where there was no Property Manager while continuing to successfully manage her property. In February 2020, Pam was promoted to full-time Property Manager of the Freedom Place Apartments in St. Louis while continuing to manage Grant School until March 2023, when it was sold. Pam learned while she was assisting other team members, Regional Managers and filling in for open positions, that she loved to travel and help others. In 2023 when the Operations Support Manager position became available, she knew that was what she wanted to do next with Cohen-Esrey. She obtained her Certified Occupancy Specialist (COS) designation in November 2023.

Pam graduated from college with an associate and bachelor’s degree in data processing, which is now called information technology. She then spent the next 20 years in that field owning her own business as well as filling in as a substitute teacher in several school districts including the Special School District of St Louis. In her new role, she assists Regional Managers wherever there is a need. And she has been extremely busy lately with the onboarding of 48 properties to the portfolio. With Pam’s familiarity with affordable programs, property management operations, and her knowledge of the “Cohen-Esrey Way,” she is excited about her new position and supporting others in their journey to success.

Congratulation, Pam, on this well-earned promotion!

Fun Photos

Here’s a nice cozy community room at Libertad Des Moines in Des Moines, IA. The colorful décor makes this a fun space for the residents of this third-party managed affordable community.

Another Empowerment Story

By Bryan Parsons (2020), Maintenance Technician

Bryan Parsons, (2020), is a Maintenance Technician at The Boulevard in Springfield, IL. Here is what he has to say about his Empowerment:

Just recently I was asked to share my Empowerment story with others. And I really didn’t give it a lot of thought until now. But I’d have to say that every day coming into work, I treat The Boulevard Townhomes as if it is my own property. And I consider it a personal challenge to provide our residents with service that goes beyond their expectations.

One of the best parts of my job is seeing the look of excitement on a potential resident’s face after they view one of our apartments and knowing that we have met or exceeded their expectations when it comes to choosing their new home.

No matter the task, whether it’s groundskeeping, completing service requests or getting a unit ready for someone to move in, there is no better feeling than knowing that you are making a difference in people’s lives and that they value you.

The crew that I work with are a family. And Trisha, Connie, George, and I do our best to go above and beyond every day to make sure that our Residents are taken care of.

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work for a company that not only values its residents but its team members as well. And Carolyn, Kristina and Cohen-Esrey Empower me to make it possible to reach my full potential.

It’s the Little Things That Make a Big Difference

This is a continuing feature in People & Properties where we highlight small Property Management 101 types of things that should be done to deliver Customer Fulfillment – and cost little to no money. Let’s talk about . . .

COMMUNICATE IF MAINTENANCE SERVICE IS DELAYED.

With supply chain and labor issues, everyone has probably experienced delays in providing maintenance service. Perhaps a part must be ordered or a property is shorthanded. Regardless, the show must go on. Residents continue to request maintenance service and don’t really care what our issues are to resolve their needs. To deliver Customer Fulfillment, communication is paramount in these situations. A simple call to the resident explaining the reason for the delay and providing an estimated time and date for service doesn’t cost anything and generates goodwill. If the delay is going to be more than a few days, another call would be in order keeping the resident updated. Even if we aren’t able to speak directly to the resident, leaving a voicemail will be appreciated and is the least we can do.

A Giant Leap Backward

I’ve never been so disappointed in a long time. We started the year at a +45 NPS under our new methodology and it has been in steady decline ever since. I’m glad we refined our methodology because it is exposing major issues we are having with delivering our Core Value of Customer Fulfillment. Twelve properties have a negative NPS over the past year. Twenty properties stand at zero. Thirty properties have a negative NPS for the quarter-to-date. There is a minor effect for all the new properties that have been added to the portfolio and the fact that the survey sample size for those properties is quite small. Our NPS trend is simply unacceptable and every member of the CEC team needs to make a Commitment to do better and be held accountable. Congratulations to Nexus 5 for maintaining a stellar NPS of +88!

There are 24 of our communities on a Leaderboard – that’s one more than last month and 18 have an NPS of +30 or greater – congratulations to those property teams. We also want to recognize Mills Crossing at +100.00, Justin Place at +92.31 and The Boulevard at +93.22 for their status in First Place atop their respective Leaderboards! And we want to recognize other properties with an NPS of +90 or better including the Summit at Osage at +90.48. We appreciate your Commitment to Customer Fulfillment and so do your residents!!