Making a difference in the lives of their tenants, residents, and in their communities is what real estate managers and firms do every day. IREM celebrates the achievements of these professionals and companies by honoring a very select few with the REME (Real Estate Management Excellence) Awards. Why? “Because beyond managing ongoing building operations, from leasing to crises, these are the professionals ensuring our health, safety, and wellbeing where we live, work, and spend our leisure time.”
Individual and corporate winners are chosen from seven different categories. In 2022, a new category was added – ACoM of the Year – to recognize the achievements of an IREM member who has achieved excellence in commercial real estate. Winners were announced on October 20, at the 2022 IREM Global Summit in Dallas.
ACoM of the Year
Christiana Webber, ACoM
Christiana is with Gordon Partners Management in Houston, Texas. As a Senior Property Manager with oversight of a team of professionals, she’s responsible for the implementation of all property procedures and programs. Her strengths include cultivating and supporting her team, as well as maintaining the landlord’s financial reporting, and tenant and vendor relationships. Her dedication to IREM through student outreach and community engagement have shaped her 18-year career and leadership skills. Today, she manages approximately 1,020,000 square feet across several asset classes.
AMO® of the Year
Cortland, LLC, AMO®
AMO® companies are in a class by themselves. Less than 500 real estate firms hold this prestigious accreditation, earned by businesses that have demonstrated uncommon commitment to the highest standards of ethical behavior and financial stability.
Cortland is a vertically integrated, multifamily real estate investment, development, and management company focused on delivering resident-centric, hospitality-driven apartment living experiences. Headquartered in Atlanta, Cortland manages and is invested in, directly or indirectly, over 240 apartment communities comprised of more than 80,000 homes in the U.S. with regional offices in Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa.
Cortland’s CPM® program has allowed many of its associates to build their industry knowledge by earning IREM CPM® certification with the company’s funding. As a result, over 40 CPM®s and CPM® candidates have been added to the IREM network. Cortland believes in lifelong learning and the opportunity for associates to grow their careers.
ARM® of the Year
Tasha Rush, ARM®
Tasha Rush is currently an assistant property manager at Greenleaf Apartments Senior Subsidized Housing Community in Bolingbrook, Illinois. She’s an IREM Chicago Chapter IREM Board member, DEI committee chair, and social media committee chair, and serves as a DEI Advisory Board member at IREM Headquarters. Her deep community engagement, both professionally and personally, defines Tasha’s commitment to service, integrity, and career advancement for herself and others.
CPM® of the Year
Kaci Hancock, CPM®
IREM’s most coveted professional recognition, CPM of the Year goes to an extraordinary individual who’s demonstrated a unique combination of professional expertise joined by exceptional personal strengths. Kaci Hancock epitomizes real estate management at its best. In addition to her professional achievements, Kaci has helped define the entire IREM organization by her successful efforts to advance the careers of women, women of color, young professionals, and many others in the dynamic world of real estate management. Her energy knows no limits.
She’s currently Operations Director for Houston’s historic Rice Village Shopping Center, and has successfully managed several diverse commercial portfolios including mixed-use, office, retail, industrial, and office/warehouse. Kaci’s attention to detail and passion for customer service fuel a strong focus on relationship building with everyone from ownership to the maintenance team.
IREM Excellence Award – Corporate
FirstService Residential, AMO®
The IREM Excellence Award – Corporate recognizes a real estate management company that has demonstrated a commitment to the profession, made extraordinary achievements, or has made a positive impact on the communities it serves. FirstService Residential captures all those strengths. The company’s list of philanthropic activity and donations ranges from a beach clean-up to raising money for medical research.
The company is a leader in North American property management, partnering with more than 8,500 communities across the U.S. and Canada, including condominiums and cooperatives, single-family communities, active-adult communities, and mixed-use properties. Their expertise extends to HOAs, community associations, and condos for extensive experience and resources to maximize property values and enhance residents’ lifestyles.
IREM Excellence Award – Individual
Chrystal Skead, CPM®
The IREM Excellence Award – Individual acknowledges a real estate management professional who has demonstrated commitment to the industry, made extraordinary achievements, and has had a positive impact on the community they serve. In recognition of her dedication to IREM and to the real estate management profession, this year the honor was bestowed upon Chrystal Skead. Her influence on elevating education and professionalism among Canadian operators has built her reputation as an expert source for industry issues and trends and has advanced the careers of many aspiring property managers.
Chrystal has over 30 years of residential property management experience and has been an active IREM member since 1990. She’s a partner with Clear Stone Asset Consulting Inc., based in Calgary Alberta, which provides real estate management and consulting services. She served as the first Canadian RVP in 2006-2008 and accepted a second appointment as IREM Canada VP in 2019-2021. She’s also a Past President of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC), IREM’s Canadian partner and a recipient of the CPM Emeritus award in 2014, the highest honor awarded by REIC to an REIC member.
IREM Excellence Award – Individual
Sherri Commander, CPM®
There were too many great candidates this year to choose only one, so this year IREM selected two individuals in the IREM Excellence Award – Individual category.
Sherri’s a Senior Property Manager with Lincoln Harris where she’s been employed for 15 years managing medical office buildings for Atrium Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest non-profit healthcare systems. With over 24 years in the commercial real estate industry, she’s been an active member in IREM since 2008, earning her CPM® certification in 2009.
Her desire to lift others up, especially those less fortunate than she, lights her way in life. In the words of Danny Thomas, “Success has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish for yourself; it’s about what you do for others.” Words we can all live by.
IREM® Innovator Award
RangeWater Real Estate, AMO®
Real estate management is a highly innovative field. Every day brings something new and possibly never seen before. Which is why IREM honors those companies that have made significant contributions to technology, customer service, sustainability, or marketing that have transformed their businesses.
This year’s IREM Innovator Award goes to RangeWater, a fully integrated, multifamily real estate company creating fulfilling experiences for its partners, clients, residents, and employees across the Sun Belt. This Atlanta-based company has acquired and developed more than 31,000 multifamily units since its inception in 2006 representing over $5.6 billion in total capitalization. RangeWater currently manages a portfolio of over 77,000 multifamily units across 11 states.
At the dawn of the pandemic, RangeWater needed an edge to attract residents and grow property value. The company’s artist-in-residence program filled this gap by providing artists with a place to live in exchange for artwork connecting properties with their communities. The goal was to create beauty that could be enjoyed by residents and others, while supporting local artists. As a result, RangeWater properties have captured strong interest and skyrocketing property values. Congratulations to all the winners!
