2023 Annual Awards Nominees

Outstanding Young Professional of the Year Nominees

Matthew Carter: I am honored and grateful to be nominated as an Outstanding Young Professional of the Year. It is the amazing professionals and colleagues I am surrounded by that have helped me advance in my career. I feel I am deserving of this award because of the hard work, determination and loyalty that I continue to put forth. I aspire to continue to grow as a leader and professional and strive to be a mentor to guide future young professionals.

With thirteen years in the industry, I have been involved in several facets of community management. I heldmany roles within FirstService Residential, most recent a Regional Director of the NJ Condo/HOA division. As Regional Director, I provide leadership and oversight to managers and interface with the community association boards we serve in New Jersey. Having a variety of roles at FirstService Residential has allowed me to see different perspectives and have a better understanding of different levels throughout the industry. I was also selected to be as a member of the first Emerging Leader class within FirstService Residential in 2017. Being a part of this program inspired me to seek advancement and growth within my profession. As a member of Community Association Institute (CAI), I have earned and maintained the Certified Manager of Community Association (CMCA®) designation and am working towards obtaining my AMS designation.

Shelby Evans, CPA, CMCA: It is an honor to be nominated for Young Professional of the Year! As a family business, GEM Property Management has always been an integral part of my life. After graduating from Rutgers University and obtaining my CPA license, I spent a few years at PwC before realizing I missed the energy and uniqueness of the property management field, which I grew up around. Also, having the opportunity to help grow a small business, started by my father, was something I could not pass up. I channeled my entrepreneurial spirit and haven’t looked back since! Since starting full time with the company, we have tripled the number of properties managed, doubled our staff and expanded our office. I have spearheaded modernizing our processes and promoted the spirit of continuous improvement. Also, it has been empowering to attend large on-site capital project meetings with engineers and contractors and be the one calling the shots, as a woman in a male dominated field.

Our unofficial office logo is “Get It Done” and I am proud to have created a culture of teamwork at GEMwhere we all roll up our sleeves, rely on each other’s expertise and figure it out. It is very fulfilling to watch staff members who start as property administrators learn and advance to property managers, under my mentorship. No matter how busy the day is, I make a conscious effort to always have my door open to provide guidance to the team members under me, whether the topic be on accounting, maintenance, insurance claims or just connecting on how our week was. During my time with CAI-NJ, I have obtained my CMCA and have been an active member of the F.A.S.T. Committee for the past 4 years. I am proud to have helped fundraise for Make-A-Wish New Jersey and the Adopt A-Family program through planning the Olympics, Kickball Event and Snaps with Santa. Also, attending the CAI Conquer + Connect retreat was a highlight of my year. I look forward to expanding the breadth of knowledge required to be successful in this industry and appreciate all those who have guided me thus far. Thank you for considering me for Outstanding Young Professional of the Year!