BOMA

Over her tenure at Banyan Street Capital’s iconic Wells Fargo building located on the river in Jacksonville, FL, Kim Hill has worked through hurricane restoration and many large projects. A1 Orange recently partnered with Kim and her team on a large and challenging pressure cleaning of her building and garage.

We asked Kim what advice she has for working with vendors on pressure cleaning a large property such as this. She shared her expertise for managing this process successfully for all concerned – tenants, visitors, property management team, and the vendor:

• Sit down with the vendor and team ahead of time to review expectations.
• Make sure all of your staff knows what is going on.
• Send tenants a written notice in advance of the project, informing them of the dates and key information.
• Schedule work on high traffic areas after normal business hours and make sure the vendor has work areas properly blocked off.
• Communicate with vendor weekly for status updates and pass along this information to interested parties.

We also asked Kim to tell us about how she got involved in the property management field and any advice she would have for industry newbies.

1.How did you get started in property management?

I came in through a temp agency in Denver for CBRE for someone on maternity leave.

2.How long have you been in the property management field?  12 years

3.Can you give a brief overview of your career path?

I started out as a high school business teacher and basketball coach for 8 years and then decided to do a career change. I went to work for a staffing agency, got the temp assignment at CBRE and sort of “fell into it.”  

4.What is your favorite quote?

“Control what you can control.”

5.What is your best advice to individuals new to property management – anything that might have made your job easier later?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask more questions, and ask more questions. Don’t feel like you need to know all the answers on the first day or right away. Maybe take an “Into to Psychology” class because you will be dealing with a lot of different personalities, people, and backgrounds in this field.

When Karen isn’t busy at Wells Fargo, she likes to get outdoors. Karen grew up in Nebraska and is a University of Nebraska Cornhusker. She is the oldest of 5 children with 2 brothers and 2 sisters, and has 4 nieces and nephews in Florida and 6 in other states – or 10 total! She favorite sports team Denver Broncos.

 

After you learn more about Brandon Ivy’s diverse career choices and outside interests/pursuits, you’ll see that it’s not surprising that he finally pursued a career in building maintenance. For almost nine (9) years, he has served as Chief Engineer of Highland Oaks, a 62-acre office park with five (5) buildings totaling 576,000 square feet. In addition to the challenges of typical multi-story office buildings with minimal outdoor space, Brandon’s responsibilities also include a large, park-like campus with beautiful shared outdoor areas.

Brandon’s working career began when he joined the Air Force out of high school to work on jets as an F-16 mechanic. Once discharged in 1989, he started in General Maintenance at a downtown Tampa office building and earned his CFC license from Tampa Bay Tech. In 2000, he returned to jet maintenance and went to school to get his FCC A&P license. Five years later, he returned to building maintenance, where he has enjoyed a total of 25 eventful years.

With characteristic humor, Brandon listed “beer” first among his interests/hobbies. Other interests/hobbies included riding a Ninja (“those days are long gone!”), playing baseball through age 35 (2^nd/3^rd baseman), certified scuba diver since 2014, and collector of old stuff.  He owns and maintains a ’67 Firebird 400, a 68 GMC Fleetside pickup, a 1987 Sea Ray Pachanga, and a 1995 Corvette.

What Brandon’s work experience in jet and building maintenance and his diverse hobbies and interests have in common, is that they required both broad-ranging and detailed/specialized expertise. Most likely, he sense of humor and positive attitude contributed to his success also.

1. How long have you been with Cushman & Wakefield and the Highlands Oaks properties?

I’ve been at Highland Oaks since November of 2010 – staying when Cushman & Wakefield came in August, 2015.

2.What is your biggest ongoing challenge as an engineer?

There are literally dozens of directions one can take on a single day and priorities change by the minute.

3.It’s hurricane season. How does this impact your workload and priorities?

Hurricane season takes a lot of preparation, a lot of work! My #1 priority has been addressing those pesky wall and window leaks. A1 Orange is our “go-to” waterproofing company – they are very good at what they do.

4.With 25 years in building maintenance, what do you enjoy most about your work?

I’ve been probably the luckiest engineer in the business. I’ve worked at places that have exposed me to many different kinds of equipment and have worked with so many good people.

5.There is a shortage of property engineers as Baby Boomers are retiring. What are the most important criteria needed by individuals interested in this field?

It’s seems to be common knowledge as to why it’s a challenge with today’s younger people. The following seems simple but…

1. Show up every day and don’t be surprised that you have perform your duties.
2. The need to be flexible. Tasks and duties change daily.
3. You must be a responsible Self-Starter.

 If you have all 3 of these skills, you are 3/4 of the way there!

Brandon was born in Taipei, Taiwan and lived in the Far East until he was 16, and then he lived full-time in the USA.  His wife is a Property Manager in downtown Tampa. “Nope, we do not talk shop at home!” His favorite sports’ teams are Tampa Bay Lightning, the St. Louis Cardinals, and Florida State. He is “starting to like the UGA Bull Dogs more.” His favorite two charities are Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled American Veterans.