HOMESTEAD HAPPENINGS
Ben Franklin 2021:
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!
HOMESTEAD U BIG NEWS
College Station, Texas and Charleston, S.C. — Homestead U and Columbus Pacific have acquired three student housing properties located in Texas and South Carolina.
Acquisitions include 2818 and Parkway Place, two sister communities totaling 1,124 beds near the Texas A&M University campus in College Station; and SkyGarden, a recently built 309-bed community serving students attending the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
The new ownership plans to invest $5 million to renovate interiors and amenity spaces, and rebrand both 2818 and Parkway Place as The Cottages.
“We are optimistic that our student residents’ academic year experiences will soon look and feel more ‘normal’ than those of recent, mitigating consumer uncertainty,” says Seamus Brennan, director of capital markets for Homestead U. “We expect to achieve strong performance in this sector over the long term.”
BEHAVIOR DRIVES CULTURE
Last spring, Homestead went through a rebrand and rolled out a new identity and website. Employee feedback was crucial in the decision-making process, and it helped Homestead gain a better understanding of where we still needed to evolve.
Over the last several months, our team has been working with Jason Barger, a culture coach and a globally celebrated author of Set Back From The Baggage Claim and Thermostat Cultures. Several Homestead team members from all divisions participated in the 5-month long culture workshop. They collaborated with Jason on creating stronger leaders, cultures, and clarity of mission, vision, and values for Homestead.
We are excited to share the progress and involve you in the process of building a company that inspires people to innovate and grow as leaders.
Stay tuned!
Champ Chain Winner: Eve Detter
Please join us in congratulating the June Champ Chain Winner, the team member who went above and beyond to deliver on our mission statement of providing the best resident life experience possible: Eve Detter, our graphic designer for Homestead Companies!
"Eve supports all of our properties so well and is always going above and beyond! She is incredibly prompt, kind, and creative in managing any last-minute requests and changes when we need them most. Her talent goes well beyond flashy graphics and catchy copy; she truly understands our residents, and how we can best serve them with clear messaging and relevant content. She serves the site level teams with attention to detail and sincere care, despite the challenge of so many different personalities and property needs." - Kara Lackman, The Valley
Thank you, Eve, for truly bringing the resident experience to life with your amazing design skills and creativity! The work you do brings our unique brands to life, and the support you provide our team is a true example of the HU culture in action; we are one team, committed to each other and our mission statement of providing the best experience for residents AND employees! We appreciate all you do.
Employee Spotlight: Rae McKenney
Job Title: Community Manager
Community: Olde Towne Apartments
How long have you been with Homestead? 15 years
What were you doing before Homestead? Real Estate
Where are you originally from? Columbus, Ohio
What are your hobbies? Gardening, swimming and hiking
What would you most likely tell your 13 year old self? Enjoy life, family and friends
If you could have coffee with three people, dead or alive, who would it be? Cheryl Davis, Minnie Pearl and my beloved grandfather.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met? Loretta Lynn
What's your dream vacation? I would love to visit Italy.
What is one THING you can't live without? Laughter
What is your proudest moment at Homestead? Winning the Property of the Year for our sound wall construction at Olde Towne Apartments.
HEALTH TIP: BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
1. Better focus and concentration
Mindfulness meditation helps you focus on the present, which can improve your concentration on other tasks in daily life.
A 2011 study from the Harvard Medical School examined the effects of mindfulness meditation on the brain and found a connection between mindfulness and processing new information.
2. Improve self-esteem and self-awareness
Mindfulness meditation encourages you to slow down, allows for deeper self-reflection, and can help you discover positive attributes about yourself.
3. Reduce stress
Mindfulness meditation can also lower the levels of cortisol — the stress hormone —which helps you feel more relaxed.
In a 2013 review, researchers analyzed more than 200 studies of mindfulness meditation among healthy people and found meditation to be an effective way to reduce stress.
4. Manage anxiety or depression
Mindfulness meditation helps train your mind to focus on the present, making you less likely to ruminate on anxious thoughts that can fuel depression.
A 2014 research analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that mindful meditation can help ease anxiety and depression, and could be part of a comprehensive mental health treatment plan.
5. Fight addiction
Meditation can alter the brain receptors associated with drug and alcohol addiction, which may reduce cravings for these substances, Davidson says. Additionally, mindfulness meditation can increase your awareness of cravings and allow you to better manage them.
6. Control pain
Many doctors recommend mindful meditation practices as part of a comprehensive pain management plan, Davidson says.
For example, a 2020 study of more than 6,400 participants across 60 trials found that meditation could reduce pain in those who suffered from post-surgical, acute, or chronic pain.
7. Make you more kind or loving
Loving kindness meditation can foster compassion for yourself and others. It strengthens circuits in the brain that pick up on other people's emotions, promotes altruistic behavior, and decreases the implicit or unconscious bias responsible for perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
To start a loving kindness meditation, you might envision a loved one in your mind and wish them happiness. You can then extend that love to yourself and other people in your life.
Try mediation out yourself and download one of the following free apps:
HEADSPACE
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/headspace-meditation-sleep/id493145008
CALM
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/calm/id571800810
AURA
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aura-meditation-sleep/id1114223104
Learn more about the benefits of meditation:
Jerry Taylor, University Village, 18 years
Ashley Gall, River Park, 9 years
Debra Sanborn, River Park, 9 years
Chad Hudnall, River Park, 9 years
Angela Slay, River Annex, 9 years
Vanessa Marcum, River Park, 9 years
Cecil Stage Jr, University Village, 9 years
Ryan McGahan, Home Office, 8 years
Charles Heller, River Annex, 7 years
Scott Mcmahan, Parkway, 4 years
Priscilla Robles, College Station, 3 years
Riley Kelly, The View, 1 year
Jose (Rey) Orellana, University Village, 1 year
Steve Turner, Worthington Commons, 1 year
Keara Lynn, College Station, 1 year
Stephen Wille, Pavilion, 1 year
Brett Smith, Pavilion, 1 year
WELCOME TO THE TEAM! JEREMY BECKS
Columbus, OH 5/25/21 – Homestead U hires Jeremy Becks as Regional Manager over Texas portfolio.
With the recent acquisition of 2818 and Parkway Place, Homestead U's total owned and managed bed count in the College Station market exceeds 2,400 beds. Sister community The Cottages, acquired in 2014, rounds out the portfolio, which provides three distinct levels of living to TAMU and Blinn College Students.
"Bringing Jeremy on board to oversee our College Station assets will provide the operational support and oversight needed to execute on our business plan, which includes $5M in capital improvements," says Laura Formica, Executive Vice President of Operations for Homestead Companies. "Jeremy's industry experience and drive have made for a great addition to the team and smooth transition of management. We're very excited about the continued growth in Texas under his leadership."