November 7, 2022

Welcome to People and Properties, the Cohen-Esrey newsletter where we celebrate the successes of our team members and keep you informed about what is happening in the Cohen-Esrey world. If you have something you would like to share or an achievement that you would like to celebrate, please send it to Lee Harris at lharris@cohenesrey.com. If you are on a property, please print and distribute this newsletter to each member of your property team. You can also find People and Properties on KnowledgeNet. Click here to view previous editions.

How Would You Like to Live in a Junior High School?

Where is Goodland, KS? It’s the next to last town on I-70 before reaching the Colorado border. In case you are wondering, the last town is Kanorado, KS. In 2017, the Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG) completed renovating the Grant Junior High School which was initially constructed in 1926 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This repurposing resulted in the Grant Historic Residences which offers 21 affordable apartment units available as workforce housing. The two-story Late Gothic Revival-style building is located five blocks west of downtown Goodland and is an L-shaped configuration. Think about how cool it is to live in an apartment that was formerly a classroom space complete with the old blackboards. The $4.6 million project was funded by federal and state historic tax credits and federal affordable housing tax credits. Each apartment has a washer and dryer, hardwood floors, tall ceilings, a kitchen island, ceiling fans, and energy efficient appliances. Like many older schools, the building had window air conditioning units which were removed and replaced with central heating and cooling units. Amenities include a picnic area, basketball court, Wi-Fi access in common areas, a weather safety shelter, and an intercom system. One-bedroom units range from 685 to 850 square feet and rent for $643 per month. Two-bedroom units are 895 to 995 square feet and rent for $765 per month.

Goodland is a town of approximately 5,900 people 17 miles from the Colorado border. It is home to Northwest Kansas Technical College, is the county seat of Sherman County and is in the Mountain time zone. As a rural community located in the heart of America, Sherman County is home to over 385 farms accounting for 618,428 acres. With over 854 community members employed within the industry, agribusiness is the backbone of the Goodland/Sherman County economy.

Amanda Trew (2020), is the Property Manager and Dawn Boyer (2022), is the Regional Manager. Amanda also is the Property Manager for the St. Thomas Historic Residences in Colby, KS, approximately 38 miles to the east. Kurt Parrett (2008) is the Senior Property Accountant, Nancy Lewis (2021), is the Accounting Assistant, and Rodney Chmidling (2015), is the Accounts Payable Specialist.

We welcome the following new team members to Cohen-Esrey and the Nexus 5 Group.

Patricia Veneziale – Lakes at North Port, North Port, FL – Leasing Agent
Kathryn Reed – Nexus 5 Group – Project Engineer I
Gina Dickerson – Oneida Mill Lofts, Graham, NC – Property Manager.
Josue Rivera – Perry 81, Overland Park, KS – Make Ready Technician
Kelly Greeff – Tonganoxie-Sundance, Tonganoxie, KS – Property Manager
Kadmiel Woodford – Tall Oaks, Conyers, GA – Maintenance Technician
Shannon Doyle – Tall Oaks, Conyers, GA – Property Manager
Kaliyah Parker – Hamptons at East Cobb, Marietta, GA – Property Manager

Meet the Mills Crossing Team

Meet the Mills Crossing team in Salem, IL. Rebecca Roddy (2020), Property Manager and Mark Isaiah (2020), Maintenance Technician.

Mills Crossing is a 42-unit affordable property that is owned by a partnership sponsored by Cohen-Esrey Apartment Investors (CEAI).

Another Empowerment Story

By Brian Sweeney (2015), Development Director – Cohen-Esrey Development Group

Brian Sweeney, (2015), is a Development Director for the Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG) and coordinates development efforts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. He is based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. Here is what he has to say about his Empowerment:

Cohen-Esrey has Empowered Me to Thrive and to Help Communities Thrive.

I’ve been in the development field in different capacities for 24 years often working with cities and communities in the Twin Cities area, including in the affordable housing space.

In Spring of 2015, ‘out of the blue,’ I was approached by former CEDG Managing Director Tom Anderson to work as CEDG’s first Development Director outside of the Kansas City office. It seemed like the perfect fit. In fact, it seemed, well, destined, in a way.

With some hesitation, I’m going to get personal. A few months earlier, in February 2015, my wife of 25 years, Karla, had passed away after 10 years of battling late-stage breast cancer. From a personal perspective, I was looking at what was next for me. It certainly was time for a change, after years of balancing work, family, and more caretaking than I realized. Then came the call from Tom.

Seven years later, Cohen-Esrey has provided the platform for my passion to ‘build community, build communities’ and to assist communities to Thrive via the development of quality, affordable/workforce housing. CEDG put together a talented team to support my efforts which has resulted in affordable housing tax credit awards for beautiful historic projects in Dubuque, IA and Waverly, IA; three developments in WI – Reedsburg, Sun Prairie, and Waunakee; and two projects in Mankato, MN. There are now several exciting new projects in the queue, and I look forward to many more years of working with the CEDG team and continuing our efforts to assist communities to Thrive.

Thank you, Cohen-Esrey, for this most rewarding and fulfilling opportunity.

Customer Fulfillment in Action

When you have a Customer Fulfillment story to share, please send it to us. Here are a few examples that we received recently.

Amber Rodriguez (2021), Property Manager at Washington Historic Residences in Independence, KS, organized a flu shot clinic for our residents there and nearby 8th and Main Senior Residences.

Lori Jeffries (2004), Property Manager at the Summit at Osage in Osage Beach, MO, ordered little appreciation tokens with motivational cards and also served the residents with chili, hot dogs, Frito pies, and snacks.

Alanna Johnson (2020), Property Manager at Rankin Mills in Boonville, MO, reports that the property sponsored a community-wide garage sale, and the children there set up a lemonade stand. Alanna also did treat bags for the residents of Willow Point in Concordia, MO.

A Conversation with Jeanette

This is another installment in conversations with members of the Executive Leadership Team. Today we’re talking with Jeanette Jayne, (1996), Executive Vice-President and Managing Director for Cohen-Esrey, LLC.

P&P: How long have you been in the real estate industry?

Jeanette: Back in the mid-80’s I worked as a Help Desk Technician when PCs were first being used in business. I was recruited by a real estate developer who was a client at the time, and never looked back. I loved real estate! I started in commercial property management with that large developer in 1987. I managed 500,000 s.f. of office space and learned about managing buildings and closing transactions. And I learned that real estate was the career I would stay with the rest of my life.

P&P: How did you come to Cohen-Esrey?

Jeanette: I left the other real estate development company and decided to take a chance in asset management at a bank. I worked in their loan foreclosure department. I handled the disposition of commercial and multifamily assets and managed the properties in-house. I did not like the banking industry and wanted back into real estate. I called a friend who was with Cohen-Esrey at the time, begging for a new opportunity. He told me all they had available was an executive assistant position for the President. I came in, met Lee Harris (1975), and the rest is history.

P&P: Tell us about your family.

Jeanette: I have been married for 12 years to Clint. He owns a small single/multifamily development company and specializes in renovating old rundown properties, making them beautiful, then leasing or selling them. We have a large, noisy, fabulous, blended family with seven children whose ages range from 18 to 40. We also have 11 grandchildren, soon to be 12! Those ages range from 20 months to 16 years. The new baby comes in early January.

P&P: What do you do outside of work?

Jeanette: When I’m not hanging out with kids and grandkids, I’m drawing. I am a portrait artist and that is my passion and my peace. Hubby and I also enjoy collecting wine and going to concerts. Any live music is fun!

P&P: What is the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?

Jeanette: Did I mention I have seven children?…..or maybe hunting snakes with my brother when I was a kid. I’m not much of a risk-taker.

P&P: Tell us about your education and credentials.

Jeanette: I started studying Psychology at Columbia College in Columbia, MO where I grew up. I had a partial scholarship to study Art at Stephens College in Columbia, but just couldn’t figure out what I would do with that degree. Ultimately, I decided I liked working better than going to school. Most of my education has been on-the-job training and specific classes/courses to further my career. I was trained in Boulder, CO to be an IT Help Desk Technician and learned some programming along with that. I received my Kansas and Missouri real estate licenses in 1987. I took Grammar and Business English classes at Longview because I wanted to learn to write well. I studied Human Resource law for a semester at William Jewel College in the early 2000’s so I could handle HR for Cohen-Esrey (that was before we had an HR department). I received the Caliper Essentials Certification in 2019. In 2015 I received the Kansas City Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business Award. It was a huge honor and connected me with brilliant women in Kansas City business.

P&P: What do you do outside the company to help the community?

Jeanette: I have been on several boards such at the Greater Kansas City YMCA, In the Name of Grace (Giving Recovering Addicts a Chance to Evolve), and Lakeview Village continuing care retirement center. Currently I sit on the board of Newhouse, a domestic violence shelter. I also support many charities with monetary donations and offering portraits for auctions.

P&P: How has Cohen-Esrey Empowered You to Thrive?

Jeanette: Every day of my career here, I have been Empowered. When I originally interviewed with Lee Harris to join Cohen-Esrey, I remember telling him, if you keep me challenged, I will be the best employee you’ve ever had. He has kept his end of that deal for 26 years! I worked hard, took every opportunity offered to me, and grew every day. I started by offering to build our very first website in the mid-90’s – not that I knew much about web design or HTML programming – but I was offered the opportunity and figured it out. That is empowerment! I worked my way through as executive assistant, Chief Information Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and finally Managing Director and Executive Vice-President. Lee constantly asked if I was challenged and if I was happy. Opportunities and growth are always within reach here!

Transforming a Warehouse

By Tom Hoelting (2022), Nexus 5 Project Manager

Snap One, a national smart technology supplier, gave the Nexus 5 Group the opportunity to transform a 12,950 square foot basic grimy Lenexa, KS warehouse space into a beautiful, clean, open sales floor. The new space includes sales counters with ADA access and black slat wall. The training room has new updated walls, ceiling, and carpet tile. A breakroom was separated from the training room and given access to the warehouse floor. The breakroom included new casework, countertop and sink for employees. In the back of the warehouse, we framed a receiving area and 24-hour room with access from the rear of the building to give customers a place to pick up items after hours. The receiving area is outfitted with a forklift charger, large ceiling fan and updated ruck bays for deliveries. When completed our customer will have a welcoming, open space to allow for the sales of audio-visual equipment.

Josh McDonald (2018), Senior Project Manager, started the project. He worked with Snap One’s corporate office and a local architect to design a space that was comparable to their other locations. Once plans were complete, Josh handed the project to Tom Hoelting (2022), Project Manager who worked with Nexus 5 trade partners and suppliers to deliver pricing to Snap One. Once the project was underway, Josh Buller (2017), Superintendent, coordinated the demolition process and had the Nexus 5 Mechanical Division add new rooftop units to give additional heat and air conditioning to the warehouse. The rest of our subcontractors made quick work of the walls, electrical and low volt installations. The paint, carpet tile and other finishes were completed to match the customer’s existing locations throughout the United States. The space is scheduled to be completed the week of November 7th. Once again, Nexus 5 has proven its versatility through a unique transformation of space and is delivering on its ServeWell mantra for Snap One.

Revenue Success!

By Michele Rollo-Burns (2018), Director of Revenue

Beginning this month, we are going to recognize communities that have realized stellar year-over-year (YOY) revenue growth. For the month of October, here are the standouts with growth of 5% or more. Congratulations to each team for the progress made!

Tell Everyone About CEAI and iiM Podcast Episodes!

Cohen-Esrey Apartment Investors (CEAI) and Innovation in Motion (iiM) have developed quite a series of podcasts! Lydia Kinkade (2013), Managing Director of iiM and Manager of CEAI Funds XXIII, 24, and 25, moderates both podcasts.

The CEAI podcast includes Lee Harris (1975), President and CEO, and Ryan Huffman (2002), Cohen-Esrey’s Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of CEAI. They discuss apartment investing strategies and review some of the acquisitions and dispositions made by CEAI.

The iiM podcast is focused on early stage investing in start-up companies. Lee and Lydia talk about the venture capital industry and how iiM makes investments including the review of some of the firm’s portfolio companies.

You can listen to all episodes for both podcasts on Spotify, Apple, or other major podcast platforms. New episodes are posted monthly.

Core Value of the Month

The Reality of Community Impact

By Sonya Shifflett-Bly, PMP (2018), CEDG Development Manager

At Cohen-Esrey we share a unique responsibility that few other professions can boast. We house people. That’s our business. Whether behind a computer or in front of a resident, each of us has a direct impact on people’s lives. People call the work we do their home. They raise their families where we work. They experience moments of great happiness, and tragedy, under the roofs for which we are responsible. We are constrained by stringent regulations, tight budgets, and mountains of paperwork. We are confronted with great need and asked to fix failures that are not ours yet must be resolved for the benefit of our residents. It is nothing if not challenging.

However, because of our persistence, an older person has an accessible apartment instead of a deteriorating house with too many stairs. Because of our tenacity, a middle-schooler has a safe place to do her homework, instead of moving from place to place due to unaffordable rent. Because of our perseverance, a toddler is free of asthma attacks because his family was able to move him and his siblings into one of our clean and healthy apartments.

Safe, attainable, housing allows for positive outcomes in health, education, and opportunity. It allows people to save money, get an education, and even live longer. It increases resiliency. In turn, this creates stable, vibrant, communities where neighbors from many walks of life connect and share in pride of place. We don’t just impact communities here at Cohen-Esrey, we create community legacies, and that is truly something to boast about.

The Big Chair Lofts in Thomasville, NC is an affordable housing community developed by the Cohen-Esrey Development Group (CEDG).

Unit Interiors in Sun Prairie and a Parking Lot in Mankato

Interior construction at the Landing at 818 in Sun Prairie, WI, is nearing completion with a project opening in late November or early December.

Major progress has been made paving the parking lot paving at Sinclair Flats in Mankato, MN.

Happy Halloween from the Corporate Office

We Were Making Progress, But . . .

In the last issue of People & Properties, we reported that the overall Net Promoter Score (NPS) had bumped back up to +35. Ah, but the progress was fleeting. Within a couple of days the NPS dropped back to +34. Why is pushing the NPS to our Vision 2026 goal of +50 so hard? Most of the Cohen-Esrey team has bought into our Core Value of Customer Fulfillment. Sadly, it only takes a few disgruntled customers who have had a bad experience to give us poor marks on their surveys. Sure, we have challenges. Maintenance is a huge issue due in part to a shortage of qualified Maintenance Technicians. But that means we have to work even harder to put the warm blanket around our residents and make them feel valued. The more we can help each other develop a Customer Fulfillment mindset, the more likely we are to deliver on that Core Value. Bottom line – we need to hold each other accountable.

We applaud the Nexus 5 Group for a +89 NPS, along with Clay Hall at +91.49, Eileen’s Place at +75.00, and The Boulevard at +93.60 for topping the Leaderboards!