“I was born and raised in the small town of Arkansas City, KS. Windsor Court, the building I manage, is in that same town. My mother was young when she had me, in essence we’ve grown up together.  Throughout my lifetime I’ve watched that woman sacrifice herself to give my siblings and me the things that we needed no matter the cost to her. I’ve seen her fail, but I’ve never seen her quit. She taught me to be resilient, to lead with a kind heart. She knew there were things in this life that she couldn’t give me, so she instead taught me to keep my head down, to work hard and to go out in the world and forge the path I wanted.

At 22 years old, I walked into Windsor Court, looking for a job. Due to poor life choices I had pretty much worked everywhere in my small town, and short of moving this was the only option I had left. Fortunately for me, the property at the time saw something in me, probably desperation, but at any rate, I was employed. My first day on

the job, I was standing inside a seven-story high rise, with 26 vacant units and very little money to work with.  It seemed overwhelming at the time. If this beautifully broken building has taught me anything about success, it’s that the most important thing I can do is to show up, to be consistent. Eventually that earned me the respect of my residents, they have seen me at my worst, my best, and most stages in between, and they have loved me anyways. They’ve set boundaries when I needed them, shown me grace when I’ve needed it, and inspired me in ways that other people haven’t been able to. My residents fight for me even when I forget to fight for myself. They have helped me find my self-worth, and each day I walk through those doors it is my personal goal to return just a little of that to my community.

I’ve seen several management companies come through Windsor Court’s doors – usually they decide to hire the employees that come with the building. When Cohen-Esrey took over the building I didn’t receive an offer letter. I was devastated, a decade of my life was over, my past had finally caught up to me. At this point, I was faced with a couple choices. I could sulk and let my hurt feelings dig the hole deeper or I could do what my Momma and my residents expected me to do. Keep my head down, and work hard, make the most of the time I had left at Windsor. I chose the second option. After six weeks of ugly crying, and a whole bunch of selfcare, my offer letter came. And at that moment I couldn’t feel anything other than gratitude, I was so thankful for the opportunity. I knew at that moment Cohen-Esrey expected a certain level of professionalism, and I was willing to do anything I could to prove that I was capable and deserved the gift I’d been given.

By this point I was very knowledgeable about the maintenance side of Windsor Court, and I had tried multiple times with many other companies to advance, to become the manager at Windsor. It wasn’t until I met big bad Alisha Brooks (2017), Regional Manager, that someone’s perspective was large enough to see my vision; someone who had experienced her own setbacks and transformed them into success. She is calm under pressure, powerful and fierce, all I knew was that I wanted to be like her when I grew up. Alisha’s leadership makes me believe that there is literally nothing that I can’t accomplish. She took her confidence and made it my own. She’s a mentor and at times a therapist, she’s created a space that is safe to ask questions, a team that leans on each other, and a productive work environment that diminishes the fear of failure.

The touch points were helpful. CE University courses taught me quite a bit, but what truly made me want to be Cohen-Esrey-strong were the dedicated team members who didn’t let me slip through the cracks or feel alone for one second. Brent Phillips (2021), Maintenance and Safety Director, is the only Maintenance Director I've ever seen bring a tool bag into this building. He proved to me at that moment that no matter what the task, he was willing to lend a hand wherever necessary. At the Annual Leadership Conference when my hearing impairment made it difficult for me to engage, Cassie Colston (2004), Regional Vice-President, and Rebecca Grimm (2019), Regional Manager, managed to find a way to incorporate higher volumes and slides to include me without singling me out. I know it wasn’t just for me, but it sure felt like it was! Cathy Everetts (2024), Compliance Specialist – your dedication to growing my knowledge when it comes to compliance has been unmatched, I have absolutely no clue how you have time for anything else.

The Cohen-Esrey Core Values aren’t just a poster that hangs behind my desk. They are a way of life that has been adopted and brought to life by a brilliant group of people that I am excited to have the privilege of working with and learning from. For me, Cohen-Esrey has been a new perspective, not just professional but personal as well.  Thank you to each and every person that has thus far shared a piece of their skill set with me in order to grow my own. Thank you all for creating a safe place for me to be vulnerable enough to ask questions when I'm in doubt and to truly have the freedom to transform into the best version of myself. Together we are Cohen-Esrey. And that's Empowering.”