A message from Jennifer Radcliffe, Regional Manager  

The Ben Franklin has been a part of Homestead America for 15 years. 2020 was a rough year for all of us, and we are so excited that 2021 has brought all of our teams together to show us your hard work and your beautiful communities! The judges had a tough decision this year. Each property had the details down. Curbs, light poles, utility boxes and doors were painted. Flags were new, flowers were blooming, and community branding was on point! I know that I speak for all of us on the tour when I say that we were proud to hand all of you $100 bills. 

This year, we have three new communities to the Ben Franklin, so we have added a new award for communities built within the past five years. We are calling it our "Rookie of the Year" award, but these communities have staffs that are anything but Rookies! They have years of property management experience, and it shows. 

  Our 2021 "Rookie of the Year" winner is the team at Bentley! Community Manager Sharron Giles greeted us with a smile and proudly showed off the beautiful clubhouse and pool. The "B" logo was present on the pool umbrellas and flower planters and tied everything together. The community was clean, the pool was sparkling, and branding was a WOW factor for the judges. Congratulations to Sharron, Jennifer Spaulding, and RC Matthews! 

Our 2021 "Best Team Effort" was a tough decision for us because we saw how the Homestead team mentality was in full force in all of our communities. This year, our "Best Team Effort" award will be going to the brand-new team at The Atlas! They have completed a top to bottom cleaning of the entire building, the marble has been polished, the lighting has been updated, and it has brightened up the whole first floor! The care this team has for this historic building shined through to all of the judges. Congratulations to Community Manager Robyn Lynch, Maintenance Supervisor Rennell Mahone and Leasing Consultant Will Beauchamp on this achievement!   

Last but not least...Our 2021 "Best Curb Appeal" winner is Georgetown! When you drive into a community, and it makes you want to live there, you know that your goal has been accomplished. The mature landscaping was commented on by several judges. Taking care of an aging property is difficult, but this team showed they can do it and hit all of the points! The pool looked great, the landscaping was spectacular, and everything was painted and bright. Congratulations to Sarah Schaffner (Assistant Manager, but soon to be promoted to Community Manager!) Maintenance Supervisor Steve Wright and Maintenance Techs John Baylous and Monte Patton. 

It is hard to shout out honorable mentions here because we can list something in each community we loved. We hope you all know that we appreciate your strong efforts and hard work! It made the past few days a joy. Dave was here with us in spirit and has already seen all of the great photos and videos of your hard work. 

We look forward to celebrating with all of you in July at our Annual Summer Outing!