January 2025 CT

MANAGEMENT TRENDS Why Do We Do It? By Dan Penix, CMCA, INTEGRA Management Corp., AAMC ( A s a manager ) Have you ever had some one say to you, “I could

never do your job” or “how do you deal with this every day?” If the answer is no, I’m shocked and you may want to find a new career (just kidding). If it’s yes, then you’re probably pretty good at your job. There is no prize, the light at the end of the tunnel is dim, very dim. There is no gold watch, no award, and you must always be on your toes and keep your head constantly on a swivel. So, to all managers, com munity, property and portfolio, why do you do it? You’re yelled at constantly, there is always a deadline, you rarely hear something as simple as, “good job.” Why do we show up day in and day out and perform against all odds? For Dawn Vinci, CMCA, CPM, currently working as a mid-rise onsite manager for FirstService Residential, in her words, she fell into the job. “I was pushed by the board in one of my previous associations” to take the position when it became available. “I show up every day for my staff, I want to build a great, dynamic and team-oriented environment,” says Dawn. She added “the sense of com munity plays a huge factor in why I’m here. I like the idea of building the ‘family’ at work.” Dawn desires to get things done daily, “there is also a sense of accomplishment when I’m able to solve an owner’s problem.” Andrew Newman, PCAM, CMCA, AMS, a high-rise gen eral manager for INTEGRA Management Corp, AAMC, comes to the community management field with an opera tions and hospitality background. “I’m here to help people, I like to help people,” says Andrew. “Seeing smiles is what I want, I like those moments,” Andrew reveals. “I want to make a difference, and in this field, there is always an opportunity to do so.” Seasoned manager, Vincent Rapolla, PCAM, AMS, Regional Vice President at Taylor Management Company, AAMC, AMO believes, “the one constant thing that I see is that folks in this industry generally care and want to help.” In his role, Vincent crosses paths with many managers

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“So, to all managers, community, property and portfolio, why do you do it? “

throughout the course of the week. “As you know, it can be a rather thankless job,” states Vincent. “However, there is also a lot of satisfaction when things go right, and we know we’ve made a difference. We manage the largest invest ment that many people will ever make in their lives and so often is this taken for granted.” That alone, the major investment aspect, is a chief reason that we have so many “passionate” homeowners. Vincent adds, “in the end, the underlining factor that brings anyone who continues to do this day in, and day out is that we care. We also need to realize that it may seem like we get a lot of complaints but with the number of homes we manage, it’s relatively a small number.” Some managers seize an opportunity and decide to stay in it for the long run. Which is exactly what happened to Kim Rizzo, CMCA (retired) portfolio manager from Integra Management. “I found the field very interesting and enjoyed learning new things each day,” said Kim. “And my perspec tive about buildings, landscaping and roads changed due to my tenure in the field. Educating homeowners and mov ing communities were also aspects of the job that I enjoyed

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JANUARY 2025