HOMESTEAD HAPPENINGS
APARTMENTS ON THE GO PODCAST: Featuring Laura
In case you missed it, Laura spent some time chatting with Apartments on the Go about Identifying and Developing a Culture Strategy.
“I don’t think culture is a ‘one and done.’ I think any organization change is a constant, especially after the year we’ve been through. We’re continually evolving and continuing to grow. Leadership is transitioning and changing, so I think it’s important to continually assess where you are and where your culture is, and take the pulse of that and recalibrate as you go forward.”
Listen to the episode here:
Employee Spotlight: Maggie Purdy
Job Title: Lease Up Specialist
Property: Homestead Village (Grove City and Beavercreek); Harlow On Main and Bentley when needed.
1.) How long have you been with Homestead? 4 months
2.) What were you doing before Homestead? New Homes Sales for EPCON and Leasing Specialist before that at Kaufman Development.
3.) Where are you originally from? Born and raised in Columbus, OH!
4.) What are your favorite hobbies? Watching movies (preferably comedies), working out, and taking my dog, Lola Bean, for a walk.
5.) What would you most like to tell your 13 year old self? Just be happy with who you are and stop worrying so much about what others think.
6.) If you could have coffee with three people, dead or alive, who would it be? Audrey Hepburn, Barbara Corcoran, and my dad (he passed two years ago).
7.) Who is the most famous person you have ever met? Mario Andretti
8.) What is your dream vacation? I would love to visit Paris one day.
9.) What is the one THING, you can’t live without? My dog, Lola Bean. She isn't exactly a "thing", but there's no way I could live without her now!
10.) What is your proudest moment at Homestead? My proudest moment is right now!
11.) What is on your retirement bucket list? Traveling A LOT, owning a boat, and starting a pet rescue.
Champ Chain Winner: Russell Bell
Congratulations to the February Champ Chain Winner, the team member who went above and beyond to deliver on our mission statement of providing the best resident life experience possible: Russell Bell, our awesome Maintenance Tech at River Park in Athens Ohio!
River Gate, our sister property, experienced a massive power surge that destroyed all 3 main breakers in the building. It occurred on one of the coldest weekends of the year. Russell was instrumental in taking care of our residents; he rounded up extension cords and gave to residents to run to their apartments, he went through and knocked on doors throughout the weekend, including evenings, providing residents updates and fielding calls from the answering service. He also worked with the electricians providing them entry as soon as they arrived with parts to ensure repairs could be made as quickly as possible. I'm not sure he slept that weekend! I am very proud to have Russell on our team, he is the epitome of what we should expect from our maintenance team members! " - Donna Stage, Community Manager
Thank you, Russell, for being a shining example of our mission to provide the best resident life experience possible! Your commitment to taking care of our residents and providing them much-needed comfort and reassurance during a stressful time is so appreciated and deserving of this recognition!
CAPTAIN JOHN’S HEALTH TIP: Sleep Better at Night
Sleep is an essential pillar of our overall well-being. When you’re not getting at least 7 to 9 hours every night, you’re unlikely to function as well as you should with adequate rest.
And with world sleep day coming up on March 17th we wanted to give you a head start with 5 quick tips for getting a better night's sleep!
Avoid drinking caffeine within six hours of bedtime.
Create a pre-bedtime routine like breath work or journaling (and stick to it).
Try a sleep supporting supplement like magnesium.
Turn your thermostat down to 65 degrees aka the gold-standard sleep temperature.
Skip putting a glass of water by your bed to prevent interrupting your sleep to get up and go to the bathroom.
Happy dreaming, Homesteaders! 😴
IN THE NEWS: Homestead Construction
Homestead Construction is proud to be part of the development of North Fourth Street! It's going to be great for the Italian Village area. We can't wait to break ground for The Lusso! Read our feature article on Columbus Underground below.
We're proud to be part of the development of North Fourth Street and excited to break ground for the Lusso! Read our feature article on Columbus Underground below.
Notable Anniversaries- March
Sonia Galdamez, University Village, 12 years
Harry Stevens, University Village, 9 years
Samuel Casarez, College Station, 5 years
Alicia Lee, Home Office, 5 years
Emily Walter, University Village, 5 years
Alicia Pae, River Gate, 3 years
James Vest, Orchard Grove, 3 years
Richard Arrington, Schrock Park, 3 years
Floyd Castle, Home Office, 2 years
Patrick Boland, College Station, 2 years
Jennifer Spaulding, Bentley, 1 year
Madison Niemann, River Gate, 1 year
Anthony Hill, Helix, 1 year
Michael Johnson, River Park, 1 year
Abdulla Al Kaisi, Pavilion, 1 year
Paul Zirkle, Orchard Grove, 1 year
CEO Summit 2021
We are all feeling reconnected and recharged after The 2021 CEO Summit! The theme: We are survivors–was chosen to celebrate the strength, resilience, and resourcefulness we saw during such a challenging year for everyone.
Thank you to our two amazing speakers: Jason Berger and Kristen Hadeed who not only inspired us, but helped to facilitate the right conversations amongst our team so we are fully prepared to tackle 2021 in a fun, empathetic and collaborative way.
The Summit ended with Dave presenting the 2020 Homestead U President's award!
"This manager has led her team. She pushes them, she has high expectations. She rolls up her sleeves and works with them–I've watched it!"
Congratulations, Donna. Thanks so much to you, your team and your undying effort. You're the best!
Rent Grata x Homestead
Homestead U is pleased to announce a new partnership with Rentgrata– a platform that offers prospective renters the opportunity to message with current residents of apartment buildings when considering a new place. Rentgrata will help our residents and incoming residents feel more engaged and excited about our communities. The platform also makes it easier for property management teams to learn more about what their prospects and residents like and want, and increase their lead-to-lease conversion rates. It's a win-win-win!
Employee Spotlight: Angie Tsitouris
Job Title: Office Administrator
Property: Home Office
1.) How long have you been with Homestead? 6 and 1/2 years
2.) What were you doing before Homestead? Hotel Business for 25+ years
3.) Where are you originally from? Columbus, OH
4.) What are your favorite hobbies? Traveling, watching sports, yard work, and hiking.
5.) What would you most like to tell your 13 year old self? Quit worrying about things you have no control over; Everything always works out the way they are supposed to. And always, always be happy and kind to others.
6.) If you could have coffee with three people, dead or alive, who would it be? The Pope, Dolly Parton and any of my grandparents ( I actually only knew one grandparent so even seeing/meeting the others would be overwhelming ).
7.) Who is the most famous person you have ever met? I have met a few- Aretha Franklin, Wayne Gretsky and Jon Bon Jovi.
8.) What is your dream vacation? Going to Italy for a month and going back to Hawaii.
9.) What is the one THING, you can’t live without? Ice Cream, oh and of course my family!
10.) What is your proudest moment at Homestead? Not one proud moment stands out. Just being hired at 60 yrs old and being with such an awesome company has been a privilege!
11.) What is on your retirement bucket list? Travel, travel , travel....