October 21, 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.

Affordability in the Corn Palace City

Cathedral Square is an 80-unit affordable property built in 1980 and managed by Cohen-Esrey Communities (CEC) in Mitchell, SD. Mitchell is a city of 15,660 located in the southeast corner of South Dakota. The property is part of a large portfolio of affordable assets that CEC manages for a third-party client across Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. One-bedroom apartments averaging 554 square feet are available to persons 62 years of age or older, or persons of any age with a disability, and rent for $879 to $897 per month. Section 8 rental assistance is available. Amenities include a central laundry facility, an outdoor seating area, an elevator, business center, and a community room. Apartment units have an emergency call system, discounted cable television, high-speed internet access, pantry space, and large closets.

Located about an hour west of Sioux Falls on Interstate 90, Mitchell is a small and secluded city on the plains of South Dakota. Mitchell’s biggest claim to fame is as the home of the Corn Palace, a popular events venue and world-famous roadside attraction which receives a new set of exterior murals (made of dried corn) every year. Beyond this historic novelty, the community cultivates a charming suburban atmosphere for its residents, with lush tree cover, serene neighborhoods, and a charming downtown district packed with historic storefronts. On the north side, Lake Mitchell serves as a popular destination for swimming, camping, and hiking in the warmer months.

Kati Muntefering (2024) is the Property Manager and Kristina Viera (2017), Senior Regional Vice-President, is the interim Regional Manager. Jennifer Fields (2024) is the Property Accountant and Garrett Cook (2022) is the Accounting Assistant.

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

Breana Thompson – South Pointe, Dallas, TX – Leasing Agent
Alondra Turcios – South Pointe, Dallas, TX – Leasing Agent
Austin Usher – South Pointe, Dallas, TX – Maintenance Supervisor
Samantha Nusz – Carlyle, Shawnee, KS – Maintenance Supervisor
Alexander Jackson – Park Edge, Lenexa, KS – Maintenance Technician
Vanessa Garcia Rodriguez – Perry 81, Overland Park, KS – Leasing Agent
Shavonda Davis – Lofton Place, Fort Worth, TX – Property Manager
Christopher Malcomb – Western Heights, Sioux Falls, SD – Maintenance Technician
Sharelle Davis – Big Chair Lofts, Thomasville, NC – Assistant Property Manager
Terell Braxton – Hamptons at East Cobb, Marietta, GA – Maintenance Technician
Kevin Martins – Hamptons at East Cobb, Marietta, GA – Groundskeeper
Cantiana Clark – Preserve at Westover Hills, San Antonio, TX – Leasing Agent
Douglas Reed – Loretto at Creekside, Live Oak, TX – Groundskeeper
Gene McKeever – Canterbury Village, South Sioux City, NE – Maintenance Technician
Xavier Rodriguez – Preserve at Westover Hills, San Antonio, TX – Maintenance Technician
Shannon Frank – Nexus 5 Group – Superintendent
Christopher Malcomb – Western Heights, Sioux Falls, SD – Maintenance Technician
Araceli Lopez – Elmhurst Terrace, Elmhurst, IL – Leasing Agent
Alex Fairbanks – Pam Apartments, Pampa, TX – Maintenance Technician

Meet the Information Technology Team

Meet the Information Technology team at the Corporate Office. (L to R) Josh LaValley (2024), IT Help Desk Technician; Ryan Rupert (2018), IT Infrastructure Manager; Levi Cook (2022), Level 1 Web Developer; Lizzy Darby (2021), Software Development Manager; and Zach Wise (2020), Web Developer. The IT team manages the network for the entire company including properties, helps with hardware and software issues, and has been instrumental in developing many of our software applications.

Transformational Construction

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

Window installation is nearly complete at The Launchpad in Colorado Springs, CO.

Finishing touches being applied at Panorama Heights in Colorado Springs, CO.

The building in the foreground at the Loma Vista Lofts in San Antonio, TX, is set to open in the next few days.

Sewer lines are being installed at the Lofts at Creekview in San Antonio, TX.

Work is progressing inside and out at Lewis Lofts in Mankato, MN.

New plumbing cleanouts installed at Village Park in Amarillo, TX, to help resolve longstanding sewer issues.

Water lines are being installed at the Heritage at Cottonwood Creek in San Marcos, TX.

Much progress was made on driveways, sidewalks, and retaining wall work at Overlook 157 in Asheville, NC, prior to Hurricane Helene.

Congratulations, Garrett!

Garrett Cook joined the Cohen-Esrey team in October 2022 as an Accounting Assistant where he excelled and proved to be a tremendous team player. We are pleased to announce that Garrett has earned a promotion to become a CE Accountant where he is responsible for the accounting of a portfolio of properties and accounting for a portfolio of corporate entities. Garrett recently earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from BYU-Idaho while continuing to be a part-time team member. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family and is frequently helping his brothers with home improvement projects. He also enjoys taking walks and playing sports alongside his wife, Kira. Garrett and Kira are also expecting their first child, a daughter, in December 2024. We are very proud of Garrett’s accomplishments and are excited to Empower him through professional development, training, and online resources. Congratulations, Garrett!

CEDG Awarded New Project

Opportunity Home San Antonio (OHSA), formerly known as the San Antonio Housing Authority, has awarded the Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG) a to-be-built affordable project called Victoria Commons near downtown San Antonio. The 410-unit affordable property is in the preliminary stages of planning and will be a collaboration between CEDG and OHSA. Stan Waterhouse (2022) is the Development Director overseeing the development process. Cohen-Esrey has a large presence in the San Antonio market including two market-rate apartment communities totaling 596 units; one existing affordable community of 200 units; and two affordable projects under construction totaling 513 units. San Antonio was the fastest growing city in the U.S. during 2023. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new project.

Way to Go, Gina!

Congratulations to Gina Long (2022), Human Resources Business Partner, on becoming Certified by Caliper. Cohen-Esrey has used Caliper Assessments to assist in hiring since 2003. Becoming certified required completing all necessary coursework and attending remote training over the course of several weeks. Some of the information included was how to leverage the Caliper Assessment insights to make intelligent talent decisions across recruitment, onboarding, training, succession planning, leadership development, and team building. Gina received in-depth information to read and analyze the Caliper Assessments. Great work, Gina!

A Turnaround Success Story

By Arley Hoskin (2022), Leasing Performance Strategist

In six months, Carlyle’s occupancy jumped from 88% to 95%, thanks to a dedicated property staff and talented leasing agents. In February 2024, Heidi Hess (2021) became Property Manager at the 436-unit Carlyle Apartment Homes in Shawnee, KS. She had previously served as property manager at nearby Park Edge (Lenexa, KS). “Getting the right people in place was the first priority,” Hess said.

Her current team includes Assistant Property Manager Arlette Galvan (2023) and Leasing Agents Guadalupe Camacho-Santiago (2024) and Kimberly Espinoza (2024).

Creating a Weekly Availability List

Hess said the next step to increasing occupancy included getting her make-ready board together and printing a weekly availability list for her Leasing Agents. The list has a section for ready units, units that are being worked on, and units that are on notice. “It’s letting the team know what we need and sending that sense of urgency,” Hess said.

Setting Goals

Monthly goals played a significant role in bringing up Carlyle’s occupancy. “I set some pretty high ones,” Hess said. In March, she set a goal of 25 leases. The team achieved 21. The team has had 94 move-ins since March.

Being Prepared

“We walk units every day. We have to walk our units and know what we are showing,” Hess said. Hess and her team have worked through issues like water backups and pool glitches while maintaining high leasing numbers each month. She credits their successes to the daily walk-throughs, monthly goals, and constant teamwork. Hess said each team member has their role and thrives in it. “I see the bigger picture,” Hess said. “Arlette sees the details.”

Focusing on People

Hess and Galvan continue to lead their Leasing Agents toward success. Camacho-Santiago said she focuses on being friendly and attentive to prospects. That strategy has served her well in gaining leases. “I make them feel welcome,” she said. “I tell them by experience since I live here on the complex.” When Camacho-Santiago meets with a prospect, she talks up the apartments and the entire community – the schools, the stores, the restaurants. And she doesn’t just talk. She also listens. “When they tell me their life stories, I just listen,” Camacho-Santiago said.

Encouraging Other Properties

Carlyle's success can be replicated anywhere with the right leadership and teamwork. “The team has to work together,” Hess said. “Communicate. Set goals, reasonable goals. Celebrate the success.”

(L to R) Heidi Hess, Guadalupe Camacho-Santiago, Arlette Galvan, and Kimberly Espinoza.

Cohen-Esrey Welcomes Laura Powell

Cohen-Esrey Communities (CEC) welcomes Laura Powell as a new Operations Support Manager.

Laura attended Wayne State College in Wayne, NE, and was an Assistant Community Manager and a Community Manager in Omaha from 2017 until March 2024. Most recently she was with Campus Advantage as a Community Consultant engaging with local schools and universities to analyze student accommodation demands and implement solutions for meeting their housing challenges.

In her new role, Laura will be assisting affordable properties in the upper Midwest which will include resident certifications and recertifications, lease-ups, marketing, state housing finance agency and HUD management reviews, coordinating funding requests and ensuring that resident files are complete.

Thank you for choosing Cohen-Esrey, Laura!

Educational Courses Available

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

Where do I start? I need to learn how to budget by personal finances.

You can start by watching a Lunch & Learn Budgeting 101 seminar presented by Mariner Wealth Management. This course and Lunch & Learn 401(k) Basics can provide valuable information about your personal finances and how to approach saving for your future. You can watch these courses and others by accessing K-NET/CE University/Course Catalog. Use the search area and type in “lunch” to access the seminars. Below is a list of additional topics we have covered

Cohen-Esrey Apartment Investors (CEAI)
Innovation in Motion (iiM)
Marketing
PreservingUS, Inc.
Smart Technology

Why We Do What We Do . . .

We continue our new feature for People & Properties focusing on stories about why members of our team do what they do. In this issue, Lauren Cano (2021), Development Manager for the Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG), shares her inspirational thoughts.

“I joined Cohen-Esrey because I wanted to make a real impact on the built environment, using my professional experience as a landscape architect and expanding my skills in real estate. In the last three years, we have taken on several new construction and rehabilitation projects, as well as creating a pipeline for more housing development in years to come. In doing so, we create jobs, enhance communities, and build quality places to live, which positively impact the lives of so many.”

New Management Assignments Added

Cohen-Esrey Communities (CEC) has added more management assignments recently.

The New Broadview is a 110-unit affordable property in East St. Louis, IL.
Canterbury Village is a 96-unit affordable property in South Sioux City, NE.
Oakwood is a 28-unit affordable property in Vermillion, SD. CEC already manages another 70-unit property in this market.

CEC is managing these properties for third-party clients. Five more affordable properties totaling another 366 units are anticipated to be added to the portfolio over the next few months.

The New Broadview

Canterbury Village

Oakwood

An Empowerment Story

By Alexis Cruz (2024), Human Resources Coordinator

Alexis Cruz, (2024), is the Human Resources Coordinator for Cohen-Esrey. Here is what she has to say about her Empowerment:

“Prior to joining Cohen-Esrey’s Human Resources Team, I worked in retail management. I was heavily involved in the hiring process for my store – which meant I was able to gain exposure and experience in HR before pursuing a full-time career. I enjoyed welcoming new employees to the company and developing them in their professional and personal lives; however, I was eager to escape the long weekends and holidays spent away from my family. It was a no-brainer to relocate back to the Kansas City area, so I started my job hunt. I came across the HR Coordinator position for Cohen-Esrey and began researching the company. Cohen-Esrey’s Core Values solidified my belief that this would be a great place to work so I applied and crossed my fingers.

Gina Long (2022), HR Business Partner and Jennifer Turner (2018), Director of Human Resources, brought me in for an interview that made me feel welcomed and capable of the opportunity at Cohen-Esrey. They believed in my skillsets then and have been invested in my growth since.

Cohen-Esrey has Empowered Me to Thrive by giving me an opportunity to work alongside an amazing HR Team. Its members continuously deliver Team Member Fulfillment and Commitment as they are invested in seeing Cohen-Esrey and others succeed in life. They are supportive, helpful and reliable. I am grateful to have supportive team members that stand behind the values that made me excited to work for Cohen-Esrey.”

Fun Photos!

The Corporate Office held its annual picnic on September 26 (team members from Kansas City area properties were also invited). A facepainting artist was on hand. Here are some photos showing her handiwork.

Matt von Ende (2017), CEAI Managing Director

Bennett Williams, son of Kathleen Williams (2022) Corporate Accounting Assistant.

Debbie Van Dyne (1987), Office Manager

This is How It’s Done . . .

We’re introducing a new feature with respect to our Net Promoter Score (NPS). We want to celebrate property teams that are delivering Customer Fulfillment at a high level. Earlier in this issue you read about the occupancy success at the Carlyle Apartments. Well, that success extends beyond occupancy. In addition to filling units, Heidi Hess (2021), Property Manager, and her team have made huge strides toward wowing the customer.

After the annual meeting this year, Heidi committed to Connie Riley (2012), Senior Regional Vice-President, that Carlyle was going to be the next Justin Place when measuring NPS improvement. The Justin Place team of Cynthia Cobbins (2016), Property Manager, Anthoni Alexander (2021), Maintenance Technician, and Randen Woods (2023), Make Ready Technician has done an amazing job with turning around a tough property and vaulting into first place on one of the NPS Leaderboards. So, it is certainly a success story to be emulated by other properties.

Here is the progress made at Carlyle under Heidi’s leadership:

Q1 NPS = -52.17
Q2 NPS = -3.13
Q3 NPS = +21.88
Overall NPS to Date = +.85

Keep in mind, the entire time, Carlyle has been short on maintenance staff and the office team was not always fully staffed either. Just last quarter they ended with 450 work orders and were still able to make huge progress delivering Customer Fulfillment. They finished the week of October 7 at 250 work orders and completed 100 work orders that week alone. The team worked together calling every resident that received a survey invite (they have done this all year) and had not completed their survey. These residents were encouraged to provide their feedback. They explained that feedback was invaluable and asked for the 10, then went on to say, if you cannot give us a 10, what can we do to earn a 10 from you? They captured 47 nine and ten scores all while battling 30 scores of zero. They didn’t stop, they all did it together, and all while being in cash management.

This is a terrific accomplishment to be celebrated. And it shows what can be done even when the circumstances are challenging. Congratulations to Heidi and her team for achieving this level of success.