Trends Transforming Property Management

Exploring Facility Operations, Lease Management, Best Practices, and Cost Optimization

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  Kelly Wheeler

  Kelly serves in multiple capacities as the Asset Services team leader for Transwestern’s Houston office and Central Texas Region. She is the single point of contact for select clients - ensuring consistent, elevated service delivery across geographies, supporting strategic property initiatives, capital planning and deployment, amenitization and tenant experience programs, and tactical property operations. Kelly strategically focuses on differentiating Transwestern by leveraging the power of the family of companies across the firm to provide clients with unsurpassable real estate solutions. Kelly has 18 years of experience in commercial property management in the Houston area. She has managed noteworthy properties such as 5 Houston Center, 1000 Main, Bank of America Tower, and the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical campus. Kelly built and led the Transwestern team that commissioned Bank of America Tower in 2019. Kelly is currently engaged as a national single point of contact for Beacon Capital Partners across all Transwestern-managed assets and supports multiple teams in a range of asset classes, including office and life sciences real estate.

  Transwestern

  SVP & Director of Operations & Strategy

  Kelly Wheeler

  SVP & Director of Operations & Strategy

  Transwestern

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  Meredith Cress

  Meredith is responsible for Southwest Region Management Services which includes property and facility management, engineering, and maintenance services for over 39 million square feet of commercial office, residential, industrial, life sciences, medical and retail assets under management. Meredith is also responsible for the diversification strategy and growth of her property management business into different sectors of real estate. In her role, Meredith is responsible for operational oversight of all asset types in Texas, Colorado, and Arizona, leading a talented team of approximately 400 employees. She was responsible for starting up Hines’ new multifamily property management arm, Hines Living formerly known as Willowick Residential, in the Southwest Region, scaling from one property of 224 units under management in late 2019 to nine properties at over 4,200 units by year-end 2023. Meredith believes providing exceptional service and support to our clients, as well as our valued employees who serve them, is paramount to Hines’ success. Meredith brings two decades of experience in leading real estate property and facility management teams with an expertise in Class A commercial office space. Having joined Hines in 2004, she has contributed to the industry through the Houston chapter of the Building Owners & Managers Association, where she served on the board of directors for six years, including the role of president in 2016. Additionally, Meredith participated as a board member for Texas BOMA, as well as the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business Advisory Board. Meredith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Texas Tech University. She enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her husband, two kids, and French bulldogs.

  Hines

  Senior Vice President, Management Services

  Meredith Cress

  Senior Vice President, Management Services

  Hines

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  Mack Armstrong

  Mack Armstrong is a Senior Managing Director and leads the Central South division of the Property Management business. Mack oversees the operations, construction services, and business development activities of the 50,000 unit, 160-property management portfolio of assets under management in the Houston and Louisiana markets. In addition, Mack provides oversight of the national construction services and maintenance programs. Prior to joining Greystar, Mack served as a Financial Management Officer in the United States Air Force, where he reached the rank of Captain and was selected as the Officer of the Year for the Strategic Air Command. After working at Greystar for six years, Mack worked at Greystone Management Services, where he served as Executive Vice President before re-joining Greystar in 2008. Mack is actively involved in the Houston Apartment Association, where he served as President in 2015, and currently serves on the Board of Directors. He received his designation as a Certified Property Manager by the Institute of Real Estate Management. Mack earned a bachelor's degree in Communications and Economics from Texas A&M University.

  Greystar

  SMD, Property Management

  Mack Armstrong

  SMD, Property Management

  Greystar

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  Michael Kasmiersky

  Michael Kasmiersky has 28 years of commercial real estate experience. He enjoys all aspects of property management, with emphasis in tenant retention/relations, construction management, and budgeting. He honed and established a strong construction management background while overseeing Sage Plaza and Post Oak Central. Projects ranged from tenant improvement work of less than 1,000 sq. ft. to multiple floor buildouts, including several capital projects. During his tenure in real estate, he has managed various commercial and retail properties and portfolios ranging from 60,000 to 2 million sq. ft. Leading up to his career in real estate, Michael worked within the hospitality industry with ClubCorp, which provided a strong base from which to produce his current customer service skills. One of Michael’s strengths is maintaining strong tenant relations, which in turn over time has led to higher tenant satisfaction and retention. As Vice President Property Management for Lincoln Property Company, Michael has responsibility for all aspects of property management in Houston, including client relations, third-party business development, review of asset performance and business planning, budgeting, operations, strategy, staffing, and leadership. Michael promotes a team-oriented workplace and strives to motivate all employees to succeed. He encourages a positive and collaborative environment and understands that the success of the team is imperative to the success of the portfolio managed.

  Lincoln Property Company

  VP, Property Management

  Michael Kasmiersky

  VP, Property Management

  Lincoln Property Company

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  Seth Eslami

  With 18 years of experience in property management, Seth Eslami is a passionate advocate for sustainability and operational efficiency. Currently serving as the Asset Manager for 1225 North Loop Investments and Chief Operating Officer for Stellar International Commercial Real Estate, Seth oversees all aspects of commercial real estate, from leasing to project management. A board member of the Houston BOMA Foundation and the USGBC Texas Gulf Coast, Seth is dedicated to increasing the quality of service in the industry. Notably, Seth initiated and managed the first Commercial PACE project in Texas, reflecting a commitment to sustainable and innovative real estate solutions.

  Stellar International Commercial Real Estate

  COO

  Moderator

  Seth Eslami

  COO

  Stellar International Commercial Real Estate

Beyond The Lease

Tenant Retention Strategies, Amenities and Enhancing the End-User Experience

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  Cindy Magouirk, CPM®, RPA®

  Senior Property Manager

  MetroNational

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  Jen Suddreth

  Jen Suddreth is Vice President with JLL. She oversees the downtown office portfolio for JLL, providing mentoring and support for iconic properties like Pennzoil Place and brand new, state of the art properties like 1550 On The Green. She is actively involved in team training, strategic planning, and Client Relations. Her real passion lies in PropTech; Jen has become a subject matter expert in digital innovations as she brings new technology to her portfolio to improve real estate processes and enhance the Tenant experience. She has a love of learning and has shared that with the BOMA community as an active BOMI Instructor for Houston RPA and SMA candidates for over 8 years. And, she was President of the Houston Building Owners and Managers Association in 2010. Jen began her career in commercial real estate as an Admin in 1998. As she learned the industry, she worked her way up to Vice President and has now been with JLL 13 years. Her portfolio consists of Class A, downtown properties varying in age from 3 months new to 50 years old. With over 20 years experience, Jen continues to develop her team through training, encouragement, and a true passion for commercial real estate. She has brought AI solutions to her portfolio and has launched many innovative solutions utilizing technology to improve property performance.

  JLL

  VP

  Jen Suddreth

  VP

  JLL

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  Janet Shipley

  Janet L. Shipley is the Director of Property Management for the Houston market. She directs day-to-day operations and provides Property Management leadership support for office, life science, industrial and retail properties totaling 35 million sq. ft. Her responsibilities have included team leadership, strategic planning, recruiting, employee engagement, performance management, complex financial analysis, business development, key metrics, technology systems, marketing, construction management, tenant and client relations. Janet began her commercial real estate career in 1990 in Houston with her involvement in the management of commercial office portfolios as well as developing and managing an executive suite operation. Janet has broadened her property management and accounting experience with the preparation of financial statements, cash flow analysis, proforma preparation, due diligence, annual budget projections, construction management, receivership transitions, sustainability, and LEED projects. Janet utilizes her abilities to develop the professional and teamwork environment required for a successful business. Maintaining a positive relationship and high retention levels with all Clients, Employees and Tenants

  CBRE

  Director, Property Management

  Janet Shipley

  Director, Property Management

  CBRE

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  Renee Boutelle

  Renee Boutelle is a Certified Property Manager with over 15 years of experience in the Commercial Real Estate Industry. She has been privileged to manage a variety of asset classes, including high-rise office, industrial, mixed-use, residential, and most recently, healthcare real estate. Her passion for exceeding client expectations, and her drive to provide top-of-class facilities for her tenants, patients and visitors, has helped lead her to excel within the field of Medical Office Building management. Since recently stepping into her new role as Associate Vice President of Real Estate Management at NexCore Group, she has been able to utilize her varied knowledge and skills to help oversee a portfolio of nearly 30 assets across 10 states. She is also heavily involved in Houston CRE community, and is currently serving on the Houston BOMA Board of Directors.

  NexCore Group

  Associate Vice President, Real Estate Management

  Renee Boutelle

  Associate Vice President, Real Estate Management

  NexCore Group

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  Leslie Atkinson

  Leslie Atkinson is the Marketing Manager for Allied Fire Protection. The Texas Lutheran University Alumnae recently celebrated 22 years in the Fire & Life Safety Industry and 12 years as part of the Allied Fire Protection team. She began her career on the security side of the business, working for a DVR manufacturer and camera distributer. During that time, she was introduced to the fire alarm side of the industry and made the move over in 2006. After spending 4 years focused on alarm, she had the opportunity to move over to fire sprinkler and jumped at the opportunity. She immersed herself in learning the Inspection and Service side of the business. In 2018, Allied transitioned Leslie into her current role as Marketing Manager. In addition to being a proud member of Team Allied, she also serves on the Executive Board of Directors for Houston’s Chapter of National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). Personally, Leslie enjoys time with her family and friends and giving back to the community. She currently serves as Captain of the Calf Scramble Arena Committee for Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, where she has been a volunteer for 17 years. In May, Leslie completed her 6 th JJ Watt Charity Classic, where she served as Volunteer Coordinator for the JJ Watt Foundation, which she has proudly volunteered with for the last 10 years.

  Allied Fire Protection

  Marketing Manager

  Moderator

  Leslie Atkinson

  Marketing Manager

  Allied Fire Protection