The Campus Advantage Quarterly Newsletter
CAMPUS SPRING 2015
ADVOCATE CELEBRATING 12 YEARS
Campus Advantage reflects on our growth as a company — and new opportunities for the future pg. 2
IN THIS ISSUE The 2015 CAmmys Property Spotlight Success Week New Properties
4 6 8 10
MARCH 3, 2015 MARKED THE 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF CAMPUS ADVANTAGE.
As I look back over the last 12 years, I am extremely grateful for all of the hard work put forth by our dedicated team members. We have experienced tremendous growth as a company — establishing roots in third-party management, expanding into property acquisition, adding development to our portfolio of services, and consulting with universities and properties both domestically and internationally. As we embark on this, our 13th year, we look forward to further success and continuing our mission — to lead the world in creating financially successful communities that excel in providing rewarding living, learning, and career experiences. Growth such as ours presents opportunities to strengthen current staff members and assist them in “building their bench.” Each year we welcome our employees from all over the country for our annual General Manager’s Conference held here in Austin, Texas. It is an exciting time for the company as employees come together and share their own experiences to help one another grow and thrive within this industry. We are all reminded of the hard work that goes into managing each property in our portfolio and recognize those exceptional efforts. Our growth trend continues into 2015 as we have recently welcomed five new properties to our family. We look forward to this introduction to the Reno, Nevada, Huntsville, Texas and Shippensburg, Pennsylvania markets. We are also thrilled to be expanding our family of properties in North Carolina with newly awarded management opportunities in Charlotte. As we approach the launch of Success Week in April, we look forward to introducing the Campus Advantage Students FirstTM Program at these new property additions. With growth comes new and exciting opportunities, and this summer Campus Advantage will be inviting interns to our corporate office as part of our ongoing goal to provide living, learning, and career experiences to both employees of Campus Advantage properties. I look forward to the fresh ideas and new perspective they will bring to our company. These are a few of the many initiatives underway for 2015. We look forward to even more opportunities for growth and innovation as we embark on our second quarter goals. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year holds for Campus Advantage. Mike Peter CEO, Campus Advantage
LETTER FROM MIKE PETER 3
BUILD YOUR BENCH
CAMPUS ADVOCATE
CAMPUS ADVANTAGE ANNUAL GM CONFERENCE PREPARES CA TEAM FOR GROWTH On February 9, 2015 Campus Advantage kicked off the annual, weeklong General Manager’s Conference held in Austin, Texas. This year’s theme, “Build Your Bench,” focused on strengthening leadership skills, identifying top skills of team members, and recruiting employees to continue growing teams for future opportunities. The theme focused on the importance of having a strong ”bench” to meet and exceed goals put forth by the company. The conference highlighted Campus Advantage’s mission, vision, and purpose, allowing new team members to experience the values of the company as they captured moments using the hashtag #CAMVP2015.
THE THEME FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A STRONG
“BENCH” TO MEET AND EXCEED GOALS. Individual training sessions covered key topics such as leasing and marketing, risk management, property health, and personality assessments. Individuals evaluated their personality styles and learned how best to communicate with team members of different personality types. Other events from the conference included an outing to Alamo Drafthouse for a screening of Office Space and a trivia contest. The group was then challenged in a team building exercise that required groups to work together to build a bridge out of cardboard and tape. Each team was assigned a captain and given plans to build one part of a five-section cardboard bridge. Once the bridge was fully assembled, we witnessed the power of teamwork as a golf cart was driven successfully across it. The conference concluded on February 12 with the 8th annual CAmmy Awards, planned by our corporate MOJO team. This annual event brings together corporate employees and general managers to recognize our properties for achieving resident retention goals, 100% occupancy, achievement in philanthropy, and so much more (see a full list of awards and winners here). The annual conference is always a highlight for Campus Advantage as a whole, and we look forward to seeing all of our attendees put their new training into action.
2015 CAMMYS 5
PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT:
THE KNOX
QUICK FACTS LOCATION: Knoxville, TN
UNIVERSITY SERVED: University of Tennessee
NICKNAME: Volunteers
MASCOT: Smokey X
COLORS: Orange, White
NCAA CONFERENCE: Division 1 SEC
UNITS: 101
BEDS: 382
PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS: 100 feet
PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT: THE KNOX Campus Advantage’s newest student housing development project, The Knox, broke ground this quarter. The Knoxville, Tennessee property will serve students at the University of Tennessee beginning in the fall of 2016, and will bring an additional 382 beds to the market. Holli Ahiers, the new general manager, is preparing for the opening of the temporary leasing space. In addition to offering upscale three-, four-, and five-bedroom apartments, The Knox will feature unmatched amenities in the market, including our signature Students First TM Program, and an outdoor roof-top deck with an outdoor theater area, hot tubs, grills, hammocks, and more. The Knox will offer students the closest housing option to the University of Tennessee at less than 100 feet from campus. Residents will enjoy a short walk to class while many of the other properties in the area are more than two miles from campus. Learn more about The Knox and keep an eye out for additional updates on the construction progress at livetheknox.com!
PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT 7
CAMPUS ADVOCATE
SUCCESS WEEK SUCCESS WEEK TO SUPPORT CAMPUS ADVANTAGE’S MVP At Campus Advantage it is our mission to excel in providing rewarding living, learning, and career experiences and we will further deliver on this promise with Success Week, April 13 – 16. This company-wide week of programming is designed to ensure that residents who choose to live at Campus Advantage communities will have more opportunities to achieve success both now and in the future by focusing on three key areas: living, learning, and career. Success Week will be a week of national events dedicated to our residents’ social, intellectual, and professional growth. Our goal is to provide experiences directly related to building the softskills that employers are looking for in college graduates. This week will include events such as academic success seminars, résumé workshops, mock job interviews, and social and networking events, all in an effort to give residents a well-rounded experience and to set them up for success.
e HuIgZE
S PR ING RAW DAY! D RY EVE
8 SUCCESS WEEK
We are proud to put our residents first, and will continue to strive to achieve our brand promise of creating an experience that is hassle-free, a great value, and fun.
SUCCESS WEEK FOCUSES
ON SUCCESS IN THREE
KEY AREAS: LIVING, LEARNING, AND CAREER.
In support of the Students First TM Program, Success Week will further the Campus Advantage mission, vision, and purpose to serve and inspire our employees and residents so they can achieve their full potential.
During Success Week we’ll be giving away amazing prizes each day, including some valued at $1,000, such as a Southwest Airlines gift card, a cash scholarship, and a Macy’s shopping spree.
REPUBLIC AT SAM HOUSTON
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY BARD TOWNHOUSES
THE HIGHLANDS
CAMPUS ADVOCATE
CAMPUS ADVANTAGE WELCOMES FIVE NEW PROPERTIES Campus Advantage has acquired two new student housing communities in new markets and has added three new properties to our third-party management portfolio. This exciting introduction to new and familiar markets sets the tone for our continued growth, and we look forward to watching the success of each of these properties. FLATS AT MALLARD CREEK
REPUBLIC AT SAM HOUSTON (WWW.LIVEATREPUBLIC.COM)
Formerly University House – Lake Road, Republic at Sam Houston was acquired as a core investment strategy for Campus Advantage and offers studio, one-, two-, and four-bedroom apartments to the Huntsville market. • Caters to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas • 687 beds THE HIGHLANDS (WWW.LIVEHIGHLANDS.COM)
The Highlands brings Campus Advantage to the state of Nevada and is a Core+ investment for the company. The property offers outstanding views of downtown Reno, and we expect to make several capital upgrades to it for continued success. • Caters to the University of Nevada – Reno in Reno, Nevada • 732 beds FLATS AT MALLARD CREEK (WWW.THEFLATSATMALLARDCREEK.COM)
The Flats at Mallard Creek offers modern two-, three-, and four-bedroom units just 0.3 miles from campus. • Caters to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina • 386 beds FLATS AT CAMPUS POINTE (WWW.THEFLATSATCAMPUSPOINTE.COM) FLATS AT CAMPUS POINTE
The Flats at Campus Pointe, built in 2012, offers UNC-C students an ecofriendly student housing option just one mile from campus. • Caters to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina • 183 beds BARD TOWNHOUSES (WWW.BARDTOWNHOUSES.COM)
The Campus Advantage team adds this asset to its management portfolio and will work to identify and deliver significant capital improvements. The property sits on a dedicated walking path to campus. • Caters to Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania • 458 beds
NEW ADDITIONS 11
CAMPUS ADVOCATE
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CAMMYS At this year’s annual CAmmy Awards we recognized the amazing team that works to ensure success at our properties. Join us in celebrating these outstanding employees. Congratulations to all of our winners and we look forward to seeing what you all do this year!
AMY VERNER
JOSH GREENLEAF
ASHLEY DELI
JENNIFER CASSIDY
General Manager of the Year
Corporate Employee of the Year
Passion Award
Mojo Award
As general manager of Crimson Student Living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Amy Verner has faced many challenges and has repeatedly overcome adversity. Since her time at the property, Amy has reduced bad debt from 3.4% to .86% and improved total revenue by 4.8%. Amy continuously leads her team with a positive attitude, creating an excellent environment both for her team to work and for students to live. Congratulations, Amy, and we look forward to seeing you continue to “roll with the tide” at Crimson!
Josh Greenleaf is an integral part of the acquisitions team and was a driving force in helping Campus Advantage close on a record number of properties last year. It is Josh’s role to conduct countless hours of research and perform due diligence on properties before they are acquired, and his tireless efforts have allowed the company to double our joint venture portfolio. We can’t wait to watch as Josh continues to help us grow the company with his outstanding behind- the- scenes efforts.
Few people embody the Campus Advantage core value of passion like Ashley Deli. Ashley has been with Campus Advantage for nine years and is a keycomponent of the Leasing & Marketing department. In addition to supporting properties with training and frequent webinars, Ashley sees that all of our leasing reports are correct and complete on a weekly basis. No matter what the task, Ashley is happy to take it on with a smile and remain upbeat. As Ashley enters her 10th year with the company, we are excited to see her continue to bring 110% effort to all that she does.
If there is anyone who takes her job and her work seriously, but not herself, it is Jennifer Cassidy (see her lipsync video from our annual GM Conference). Jenn is Vice President of Management Services but on a day-to-day basis she is in the trenches to help with any and every need her properties may have. Jenn’s outgoing personality and charm go a long way to helping all of her team feel like a family, and her support is unmatched. As her award suggests, everything is awesome when you’re part of Jenn’s team. Congratulations, Jenn!
ANNIVERSARIES 10 YEARS
2 YEARS
Jennifer Cassidy
5 YEARS
Makenzi Sargent Richard Schmidt II Nikki Thompson Terry Trimble
Erica Counts Marya Durst Hugo Gonzalez Lori Moran Hugo Quiroz Christina Williams Mark Williams
Stormy Head Andrew Hoffman Mitzi Ingold Dhanya Thomas
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHTS & ANNIVERSARIES
AVAILABLE POSITIONS AT CAMPUS ADVANTAGE We are always looking for bright new members to add to our team. See below a list of open positions at both our corporate and property levels. For more information, please visit www.campusadv.com/careers.
CORPORATE OPENINGS Strategic Solutions Manager
Corporate - Catalyst, Austin, TX
Floating Property Manager - Corporate
Corporate - Location Flexible
Campus Advantage Corporate Intern
Corporate Headquarters - Austin, TX
Financial Analyst Intern - Corporate
Corporate Headquarters - Austin, TX
ON-SITE OPENINGS Porter
Arcadia - Charlotte, NC
General Manager
Bard Townhouses - Shippensburg, PA
Part-Time Maintenance Technician
Bloom - Bloomington, IN
Resident Director
Campus Pointe - Kent, OH
Maintenance Technician
Fairway View 1 - Baton Rouge, LA
Maintenance Supervisor
Fifty Twenty Five - San Diego, CA
Porter
Fifty Twenty Five - San Diego, CA
Leasing Manager
Frassati Hall - Jacksonville, FL
Maintenance Supervisor
Islander Village - Corpus Christi, TX
Maintenance Technician
Islander Village - Corpus Christi, TX
Maintenance Technician
Northgate Lakes - Oviedo, FL
Part-Time Porter
Red Mile Village - Lexington, KY
General Manager
STA Newman Hall - Kingsville, TX
Resident Director
STA Newman Hall - Kingsville, TX
Maintenance Technician
Shadowood - Chapel Hill, NC
Resident Director
Sterling Park - Greensboro, NC
Leasing Manager
Sunstone - Chapel Hill, NC
Maintenance Technician
District on Luther - College Station, TX
Assistant General Manager
The Flats at Mallard Creek - Charlotte, NC
Maintenance Technician
The Flats at Mallard Creek - Charlotte, NC
General Manager
The Park at 1824 - Milwaukee, WI
Part-Time Leasing Agent
The Park at 1824 - Milwaukee, WI
Part-Time Maintenance Technician
The Park at 1824 - Milwaukee, WI
Maintenance Supervisor
Titan Court - Eugene, OR
General Manager
University Crossing - Manhattan, KS
Maintenance Technician
West 22 - Kennesaw, GA
JOIN OUR TEAM
110 WILD BASIN ROAD #365 AUSTIN, TX 78746 (512) 472-6222 WWW.CAMPUSADV.COM