I’m Sherry – Leader, Creator, Mentor & Trainer.

Forward-thinking servant-leader, with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree and a passion for real estate and the multifamily industry.

I began working in the multifamily industry in 1986. I was recruited by a client of mine at an answering service where I was a switchboard operator/dispatcher. I answered the phones for her office and her sister property’s office when they were out. She offered me a position as her assistant manager because of how I handled my duties at the answering service. I loved the job, but it was just that, a job. I wasn’t career focused at this point. I was however, very active in our local Apartment Association where I was the Secretary for two years, the Treasurer for one year, and chaired 6 committees. Through this networking, I met my new boss.

In 1991, I was offered a position as an assistant manager at a 152-unit, student community in Nacogdoches, TX. After a few months, the manager retired and I was promoted to the manager position. This was no longer just a job. Now I was hyper-focused on my new career. Managing my first property at 26 years old! At the time of my employment, the property was privately owned and managed. The property was managed without property management software or accounting software. All systems in place were manual systems. My major accomplishments at this property include automating systems: rent collections/tracking, work order system, budget control and inventory control. Through the use of MS Excel, I created spreadsheets with calculations to better assist in tracking payments made and monies owed by residents, spreadsheets that were formatted to track expenses, flag the category if you were not operating within budget, and to track variances to assist in month-end reports. Through the use of MS Access, I created a database to enter work orders, print work orders, and to track by completion date, pending work orders, category, or unit number. Through the use of MS PowerPoint, I created eye-catching presentations to assist in marketing efforts at trade-shows at Stephen F. Austin State University to gain occupancy from students. I also earned my CAM (Certified Apartment Manager) certification when taking this position in 1991. Now it was time to get serious about my education! I resigned in May 1997 and began attending Stephen F. Austin State University in June 1997 to work towards a degree.

I attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches for 4 years (June 1997 – December 2001). My accomplishments include awards given for academic excellence from the Honor Society for AACSB Accredited Business Programs, Beta Gamma Sigma, the National College Honor Scholarship Society, Alpha Chi, the SFA Honors Program, Honor Student Association, and the Management Honor Society, Sigma Iota Epsilon. I was also on the Dean’s List and President’s List for four semesters. I graduated Magna Cum Laude (3.7 G.P.A. out of 4.0) with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management and Computer Information Systems with a minor in Business.

After graduating in December 2001, I moved to Austin to work for EPT Management Company located in El Paso, TX. I was employed by EPT Management Company for 3 years as a Senior Multi-Site Property Manager. I managed 204-unit, student/conventional property located in Austin, TX, a 289-unit, student/conventional property in Shreveport, LA, and a 259-unit student property in Nacogdoches, TX. At the community in Austin, my accomplishments include improved marketing efforts thus increasing occupancy by 7%. This was a conventional property and management had not targeted the student market by reaching out to the University of Texas at Austin. I signed our property up with a locator company called Shuttlebus Tours of Austin. This company toured students by bus to properties around Austin. By targeting this market, our occupancy increased from 89% to 96%.

At the community in Shreveport, my accomplishments include decreasing delinquencies, increasing occupancy, and budget control thus reducing expenses. I had to implement a more aggressive approach to collections through notices, door-to-door collections, and evictions thus decreasing delinquencies by 42% by the 10th of the month. Through the use of MS Access, I created a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database to assist in focusing on prospective residents. This database contained our prospective resident’s information and tracked our contact with them. By improving marketing efforts and customer service, the occupancy went from 85% to 97%. The expenses on this property were not tracked and out of control. I utilized the same spreadsheet that I previously created to track expenses and inventory thus decreasing the monthly expenses.

I was then assigned the project of overseeing the major rehab at a 259-unit, student/conventional property located in Nacogdoches, TX. The rehab included relocating the a/c units from the roof to the ground, building closets in each unit to house the air handler, pitching and roofing all 19 buildings, digging lines and installing high-speed internet, rehabbing the interiors of all upstairs units from serious roof leaks, and complete re-branding and marketing of the community. Through the use of MS Project, I was able to track scheduling, expenses and deadlines.

In 2007, my mother became ill and I moved home to Nacogdoches, TX to take care of her. I exited the multifamily industry and began working at Allsport Dynamics in October 2007. The company manufactured ankle and wrist braces, and my initial position was to manage their customer relations department with a special new product promotion for the company. The promotion was a complete success and the Senior Vice President of Allsport Dynamics then put me in charge of all activities in the office. My responsibilities included designing and maintaining both retail and medical websites, design and printing of all product brochures, design of all patient data forms and promotional items, design of product advertising, layouts for periodicals, designed published magazine ads for Racer X and Transworld magazines, designed artwork and layout for custom paint jobs for customer wrist braces, and the management of the human resources and payroll department. In August 2013, Allsport Dynamics downsized and I was layed off.

I returned to the multifamily industry in August 2013 when I accepted a position as a senior community manager for Fairfield Property Management where I managed a 240-unit conventional property in Shreveport, LA, a 36-unit mid-rise of lofts in New Orleans, LA, and a 140-unit property in Covington, LA. After 3 months of dedicated service, I was promoted to a regional property manager. My portfolio consisted of 1,640 units in Shreveport, LA, Bossier City, LA, and Longview, TX. There were 6 conventional properties (1,260 units) in Shreveport, LA, 1 conventional property (280 units) in Bossier City, LA, and 1 Section 8/Tax Credit property (100 Units) in Longview, TX in my portfolio. I was responsible for assisting in the development and monitoring of company policies and procedures related to property management, responsible for recruitment, training, development, and supervision of community managers, and my primary responsibility was to ensure the physical asset is maintained and performance of assigned properties. I also assisted senior management and other supervisors with special projects and other related work.

In 2017, a recruiter reached out to me about an amazing opportunity with a very young management company. I was excited about bringing my experience and education to help with the operations of these properties. I moved to Austin in September 2017 where I was a regional property manager for CSC Management. My portfolio consisted of 1,252 units in Austin, TX and Houston, TX. There were 5 Conventional properties, 111 units in Houston, TX, 5 Conventional properties, 920 units in Austin, TX, and 7 Student properties, 221 units in Austin, TX. The Houston properties were sold, the company restructured, and I was layed off in December 2019.

I wanted to remain in Austin, and quickly found a position as a community manager of a 1,072 unit conventional property in Austin, TX with Northland Investment Corporation. This property was a beast. There were 3 phases, 54 buildings, 1,072 units, 5 swimming pools, a fitness center, a sand volleyball court, 2 tennis courts, a soccer field, 2 dog parks, and 25 employees. All I needed was a sheriff’s badge, a general store, and our own zip code, and we could have had our own mini-city! In December 2021, my husband contracted COVID-19 and I returned to Nacogdoches, TX permanently to take care of his health.

I returned to work in March 2022 where I ventured into the BTR (build to rent) sector of housing. I am a regional property manager (Dallas Division) for TBD Management, which is a branch of Wan Bridge Group. My portfolio consists of 468 BTR single-family homes and townhomes in Dallas, TX. There are 179 homes in Forney, TX, 280 homes in Denton, TX, and 9 scattered homes in Dallas, Rowlett, DeSoto, Mesquite, and Forney.

When I am not working, I spend my time in fulfilling and relaxing pursuits such as spending time with my husband, playing with my 4 weenie dogs, cooking, reading, gardening, or taking an online class and learning something new.

I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say, ‘Because of you, I didn’t give up.’

– Unknown