Mar 7, 2024

2024 Manager's Meeting Recap and Achievement Awards

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Last week, Continental Properties held its annual Manager's Meeting at the Aloft Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. The Manager’s Meeting brings together our Community Managers, Operations team, and strategic partners to reflect on the past year, discuss goals, and celebrate achievements. This year’s theme was "Team Continental: Sustainability through Accountability."

The two-day event kicked off with a keynote discussion led by Heather Riggs, Vice President of Multifamily Operations, and Paul Seifert, Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Legal Officer. Following the keynote, a series of workshops and discussions delved into topics such as leveraging advancing technology, enhancing the customer experience, and utilizing data-driven strategies to foster organizational success.

The first night of the event culminated with an awards ceremony celebrating 2023’s outstanding achievements. Meet our honorees below!

Community Manager of the Year:

The role of Community Manager is one of the most critical positions within our organization. They are responsible for successfully managing people, impacting our customer experience, and ensuring that our communities are well-maintained and financially solvent.

Elizabeth Hummell

Elizabeth is a leader of distinguished character, dedicated to exemplary customer service and visionary thinking. Her impressive performance speaks volumes with consistently high customer satisfaction ratings at her community, Springs at Hammock Cove. She embodies Continental’s One Team mindset, supporting several Florida communities while surpassing expectations at her own.

Joining Continental four years ago, she quickly made her mark, embracing company culture and establishing a reputation for excellence. Today, she leads one of our largest communities, achieving milestones such as induction into the Million Dollar Club and pioneering our Manager in Training program. Congratulations on achieving Community Manager of the Year, Elizabeth!

Christina Musell

Christina exemplifies the Continental One Team mentality, providing support to colleagues and embracing new opportunities. An early adopter of technology, she supports leasing goals for her community, utilizing innovative marketing strategies to leverage market trends. Christina’s leadership at multiple Continental communities has resulted in a track record of success. As a positive and energetic leader, she prioritizes the resident experience, reflected in high satisfaction ratings and quality scores. Christina sets and maintains high standards for herself and her team, driving successful communities and fostering customer loyalty. Congratulations to Christina Musell of Springs at Eastmark, Community Manager of the Year!

Community of the Year:

Springs at Liberty Township

Despite facing challenges such as staffing shortages and unforeseeable construction obstacles in 2023, the Springs at Liberty Township team demonstrated remarkable resilience and not only weathered these challenges but also emerged as a thriving community. Through attentive resident care, they achieved exceptional performance including top customer satisfaction scores, consistent maintenance bonuses, and exceeding budget projections. With a dedicated team boasting long tenures, they excel in problem-solving and customer service, embodying Continental’s value, Passion for All We Do. Congratulations to the Springs at Liberty Township team, Jason Gilkey, Todd Kolp, Alex Kallmeyer, Stuart Bidwell, Chris Holter, and Kelly Cook, on your well-deserved Community of the Year recognition!

Springs at Bettendorf

Our second 2023 Community of the Year recipient embodies our culture and Continental Values in their daily operations. The team fosters Respect for the Individual, evident in their cohesive team and strong customer interactions, reflected in impressive reputation scores and glowing reviews. Passion For All We Do drives their commitment to customer satisfaction and financial success, demonstrated by exceeding retention and budgetary targets. Distinguished Character shines through honest, thoughtful support for peers and customers, exemplified by mentoring and remote assistance. Congratulations to the Springs at Bettendorf team - Rhonda Calhoun, Andrew Mellecker, Evan Harmon, Jeremy Nordholm, and Lyndie Crimmins - for earning the 2023 Community of the Year award!

Steve Heldenbrand Award:

Dustin Shadle

Dustin Shadle, Maintenance Supervisor of Peña Station, embodies One Team mentality, providing invaluable support to multiple communities across Colorado. His efforts range from day-to-day operations to vendor management, significantly improving resident satisfaction scores and enhancing our residents’ experiences. Dustin's proactive approach includes assisting sister communities with occupied unit walks, lease-up operations, and vendor setup, freeing up resources to focus on high-impact areas. He played a pivotal role in the successful sale of his community and identified cost savings initiatives, demonstrating his dedication and impact.

Dustin is presented with this award because he embodies the attributes of Steve Heldenbrand, a former Maintenance Supervisor at Continental for several years, who consistently surpassed expectations in his dedication to the community and its residents. Although Steve is no longer with us, his legacy at Continental endures every day, and we continue to honor the impact he made on countless team members and residents through this award. Congratulations to Dustin Shadle, the well-deserving recipient of the 2024 Steve Heldenbrand award!

Rising Star Award:

Continental provides many opportunities for growth for our team members. This year, we recognize three team members who have demonstrated empowerment in their roles and taken the initiative to take on new opportunities to develop themselves further.

Codey Brazeau

Codey Brazeau exemplifies Continental’s value, Achieving More Together, consistently offering support to sister communities across the country. He demonstrates exceptional leadership and commitment, readily assisting during challenges and maintaining high service standards. Codey's dedication to customer satisfaction is evident in impressive customer ratings. Eager for growth, he actively seeks development opportunities, recently earning a promotion to Dual-site Maintenance Supervisor. Congratulations to Codey Brazeau, our well-deserved 2024 Rising Star award recipient!

Alyssa Zeiler

Alyssa Zeiler joined Continental during the peak of the pandemic, contributing significantly to the successful lease-up of her community. Despite starting with no property management experience, she quickly took charge of her career, pursuing knowledge and skills to excel in her role and earning a promotion to Assistant Community Manager. Alyssa's dedication to customer satisfaction is evident in her impressive resident survey scores. She maintains a strong drive for results, shown through her net closing ratio and other achievements. Currently enrolled in our development program, Elevate, Alyssa is actively preparing for further advancement, taking on additional responsibilities and supporting colleagues at sister communities. Congratulations to Alyssa Zeiler, Continental's 2024 Rising Star!