Changemakers is back for 2020 with a whole new class of senior living leaders! Published by Senior Housing News (SHN) and sponsored by Yardi, the series spotlights industry pioneers who’ve taken unique approaches towards shaping the future of senior living. And this time around, these are also leaders who’ve shown what it takes to safely navigate their communities through the current health care crisis. For the first inductee, meet Michael Schonbrun, founder and CEO of Balfour Senior Living. Schonbrun got his start in senior living while researching communities for his mother to live in. He decided he wanted to build one that she herself would love. So in 1997, he founded Balfour in Colorado, and the company has grown steadily since. They now have nine locations, with three more under construction. Prior to senior living, Schonbrun had spent a decade in charge of National Jewish Health, a leading respiratory clinical and health care research center. That experience has helped position Balfour well for the pandemic. From the first signs of trouble, Schonbrun and his team have taken the coronavirus seriously. In this excerpt from the SHN interview, see how Schonbrun’s unique background and proactive measures have kept Balfour’s residents and staff safe. How has COVID-19 impacted Balfour and influenced your thinking — and the industry’s? Do you think people are going to see more value in having on-site health care? The answer to that last question is yes. My first 10 years after getting out of law school I spent in the public health and health care regulatory environment. I think one of the benefits of COVID-19 — if you want to call it that — is that there’s going to be a willingness to invest in public health and to appreciate that, as...

There is a common saying that every lesson you need in life, you learn in kindergarten. A few fortunate people, like Gretchen Walker, get to learn those lessons again through the eyes of a professional adult. As a team leader with Yardi RentCafe Reach services and an active member of a Montessori community, Walker regularly takes her lessons from the classroom to the conference room. The far-reaching benefits of work-life balance The RentCafe Reach team is a digital marketing agency for Yardi clients using RentCafe websites. Clients can take advantage of add-on features such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), social posting and reputation management. Walker enjoys her work with the team and the company for three major reasons. “Corporate culture at Yardi is collaborative, transparent and family-oriented,” reflects Walker. “It’s collaborative because everyone is willing to help, no matter what! I’m consistently impressed with the ease at finding answers by asking around. It’s transparent because Yardi’s open-door policy allows for anyone and everyone to know what’s going on with the company from the top down.” “Lastly, and importantly, I believe Yardi is family oriented.  The work-life balance here allows for employees to excel in both areas. I can be an engaged team member and parent without pressure to choose.” South Coast Montessori: lessons for life Yardi’s work-life balance has made space for Walker to serve as a founding board member of South Coast Montessori School. The school stands on the grounds of a previous Montessori school. For the last three years, Walker and her peers have worked hard to revive, redefine and remarket the new entity. In addition to her role as a board member, Walker serves on the fundraising committee and volunteers regularly as a class mom. It’s a lot...

For the latest installment in Voices, a Yardi-sponsored interview series, Senior Housing News spoke with Lisa Conrad, manager of the clinical and compliance team at Yardi. The series features different leaders’ views on trends, topics and issues in the senior living industry. In this case, Lisa’s experience gives her a unique perspective on not only technology changes but the COVID-19 crisis as well. Lisa’s background is actually in health care, not software. She’s a registered nurse who has worked in several different practice areas, from oncology to sports medicine to long-term care. Before Yardi, She was a director of nursing at a facility that had adopted electronic medical records very early on, which spurred her interest in the technology side of care. That role directly led to her position today at Yardi. Keep reading to see what Lisa had to share in her interview with SHN: Generally, how do you apply that clinical background to the technology in your day-to-day work at Yardi? My role is on the clinical compliance team, which focuses on supporting our implementation and customer service teams. We interact in the background with the various departments, whether it be assisting with a sales demo or working with an account manager on client workflows. We develop and do the quality assurance check on all the clinical software to make sure that it meets federal and state regulations. We keep up with federal and state requirements to make sure the software is always compliant. The team itself is composed of health care professionals from different specialties. It’s a really unique group in that we have team members from a variety of backgrounds who bring their own specialized skill sets to the projects we work on. What are the challenges and solutions that...

As multifamily real estate continues to adapt to new standards of social distancing and uncertain economic times, a longtime asset management executive sees signs of positive momentum for the industry. Greg Slang is executive vice president of asset management at KETTLER, a national recognized developer/owner/operator of multifamily assets in the Washington D.C. region as well as Florida and the Carolinas. With a portfolio that includes apartments in all asset classes from affordable to A+, Slang is positioned to observe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across property types and resident experiences. He recently sat down for an interview with Dhar Sawh, industry principal at Yardi, to speak about multifamily’s adaption to the changing times and KETTLER’s particularly swift response. You can listen to the full commentary here. Having worked through 9/11 and the Great Recession of 2007-2008, Slang provided an insightful look at the state of the multifamily industry from an asset management perspective. Among the topics covered in his interview: remote work, resident considerations during COVID-19, and what to look out for next. “This all happened very quickly,” said Slang. “It has been very difficult from a shock perspective. I liken it to 9/11, where one day all seems to be fine, and the next day, the whole world seems to be thrown into disarray.” Multifamily has reacted quickly to the social distancing circumstances required by COVID-19, incorporating the use of virtual tours, online leasing and other proactive measures. The only things that truly can’t be resolved remotely are major maintenance concerns. Slang said that the KETTLER team has reacted well to working remotely and is continuing to serve their residents effectively from a safe distance. That may be the norm in the months to come, he noted. “We were very surprised at...

How can technology help senior living providers overcome their biggest challenges? To get the answer, Senior Housing News (SHN) recently interviewed our own Ray Elliott, vice president of senior living at Yardi, as part of their Voices series. The content program, which we’re a sponsor of, asks executive leaders for their insights on trends, topics and issues that are shaping the industry. With almost two decades at Yardi, Ray has extensive experience working on software solutions for property management, initially supporting Yardi’s public housing product before taking charge of senior living. He’s seen how technology has grown in both sectors, transforming business as usual in powerful ways. Read on for an excerpt from Ray’s interview with SHN: What do you see as the most impactful way a property management platform such as Yardi can move the needle for senior living providers? Yardi goes beyond just being a property management platform. If you look at our history, that was where the company started, but today we do much more than that. We provide an end-to-end solution that our clients can use from the first engagement with a prospect all the way up through the care of residents. With the Yardi Senior Living Suite, everything is automated. If you’re using our CRM (customer relationship management), and you enter prospect data, details about that individual will make it through the sales cycle. When they end up in your community, you’re able to see everything in our EHR (electronic health record) product, down to their hobbies and interests. All that information flows automatically. Nobody has to transcribe it. Nobody has to enter it again. There isn’t a risk of that information being lost. It’s that sort of value-add that helps move the needle for providers. It helps them...

Sometimes experiencing a true hardship, like a life-threatening illness, can present a way to later extend a healing hand for others. That is the story of Erica Jones, a technical account manager at Yardi’s Raleigh, North Carolina office. A breast cancer survivor, Jones is the founder of a 501c3 non-profit organization called Tickled Pink Breast Cancer Support, Inc. which provides healthy Cuisine Care Packages  for patients (men and women) who are without the support of a spouse as they battle breast cancer. That was the position that Jones found herself in when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. “It was heart stopping to hear those four words: ‘you have breast cancer.’ But going through the treatments really did something to my heart and filled me with compassion for others who were going through those same experiences. I knew I wanted to be able to help others that were on that journey as well.” Jones promised herself that once she was declared cancer free, she would start such an organization. Last year, Tickled Pink Breast Cancer Support, Inc. became a reality and Jones and her non-profit have helped a dozen patients so far, with plans to help many more in the future. Patients receive the complimentary Cuisine Care Packages weekly for up to three months during their treatment timelines. Culinary partners of the non-profit prepare the cuisine, which is full of healthy nutrition and made without preservatives or additives. It’s a much better option than reaching for frozen food or a packaged alternative. Dishes typically include protein, grains and vegetables. For those who might need it based on circumstance like low to no appetite, tender palates or mouth sores, soup and smoothies are an alternative option. Tickled Pink also provides healthy Snack Care...

As of March 2020, Carlos Perez will have spent two decades in the data management industry. Three common themes run throughout his career and personal life: technology, Yardi software and change. Carlos has a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree with a concentration in Business Analytics from the University of Phoenix. He enjoys collecting music on vinyl, DJ’ing, reading self-motivational books and playing scrabble with his wife and kids. His current position is senior technical analyst for Yardi, specializing in support of public housing agencies and cloud-based technology. The story of how he got here is a bit complicated, to say the least. Carlos was born in Los Angeles, where he spent his first five years before moving to Ensenada, Mexico. Later, he’d move back to Los Angeles, and then back to Ensenada, then San Diego, Tijuana, and ultimately to Santa Barbara. Throughout his moves, Carlos built the foundation of his professional skills on technology and data. He began his career in the PHA industry in 1999, working for the Los Angeles County Development Authority (formerly known as Community Development Commission/Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles). “We were using VisualHOMES software, but were in the process of switching to Yardi. Our VisualHOMES team was understandably disappointed that we were leaving. But then, not long after, Yardi acquired VisualHOMES, and somewhat ironically, we were once again working with our VisualHOMES team to implement Yardi Voyager PHA,” says Carlos. In 2007, Carlos got married, moved to San Diego and began working as a crime data analyst for the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. In that role, he made a professional connection with a Yardi executive who was doing some work with the San Diego Housing Commission. That connection eventually led to another job change...

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question that kids throughout the nation have considered with light-hearted curiosity. Doctor? Astronaut? Director of an investment management consulting team? That’s is an unlikely response, but Jace Swank has thrived in an unexpected field. Yardi: the right fit Shortly after graduating from UCSB, Swank began his career at Yardi as a technical account manager. About seven years later, he serves as director of consulting practices. He now oversees support and implementations across North America for the Investment Management Suite of products including Investment Manager, Investment Management, and Investor Plus. Though the account manager position interested the recent graduate, he accepted the job offer because of corporate culture at Yardi. “As I asked around and learned more about what Yardi did, I was excited to see the cross hairs between technology and real estate management,” says Swank. “I come from a family of contractors and have always been interested in computers. Using technology to professionally manage properties was of high interest to me.” “Upon further research about the company,” he continues, “I found nothing but great things about the culture and how well Yardi takes care of employees. I can confirm that after nearly eight years here, all my findings were an understatement. Yardi is a great place to be!” Learning investment management firsthand Once he identified the right company, it was time to learn his new role within it. Investment management is new terrain for most entry level new hires. Though the demand for investment management personnel is high, there are surprisingly few programs to prepare young adults for careers in the field. In addition to technical knowledge of the software, discerning clients seek consultants with a firm understanding of their business...

It all started with a baby.  In 1995, Catriona Orosco welcomed a handsome baby boy into the world. She was quickly dissatisfied, however, by the drab and impractical clothing on the market for nursing moms. “I thought I could do better,” she says. She had no idea that her career with Yardi was in the making. Nursing Mamas and Internet Marketing A few years later, while pregnant with her second son, Orosco created Nursing Mamas, a clothing line for breastfeeding mothers. She teamed up with a friend and began making trips to the Los Angeles Garment District. After each trip, they returned to Santa Barbara with cozy, natural fabrics that they’d take to a local pattern maker and producer. Once a few good products were in development, Cat turned her attention to marketing. “I started a website because I really just wanted to sell the clothes online and work from home,” she says. “It was an incredible learning experience.” Orosco witnessed the birth of Google, and quickly saw the marketing opportunities with AdWords. “I used AdWords very early on and figured out how to optimize my website back in the days when there really were only 10 blue links,” Orosco laughs. “I learned a lot about marketing, and it was exciting to participate in everything that was happening online.” At that time, the average jane did not build her own website. There weren’t handy drag-and-drop features or convenient widgets. There certainly weren’t many resources on increasing organic rankings with search engines. Cat explored the terrain of website building and online marketing, talking to as many people as she could find and testing on her own. When she exhausted her available resources, she got the help of a SCORE consultant. “While they were impressed with...

Kelvin Arps braced himself as he steadily dribbled the ball. He was surrounded by his siblings and cousins, some as teammates and others as opponents. Basketball was serious fun in this family, and he knew he’d have to think fast, communicate well, and find creative ways to out-perform his older family members. When those skills combined, he knew he could help bring home victory for his team. In the Office with RentCafe Little did Arps know that he’d grow up to use similar skills in his career. As a RentCafe solutions consultant with Yardi, he applies lessons from the court to his work in the office. “Through basketball, I’ve learned how to overcome adversity and obstacles. I’ve learned to be flexible and accommodating to the clients I work with on an everyday basis. Communication is also key, like explaining our features and the benefits of the RentCafé suite. That way, our clients can choose the solution that’s best for them and optimize their use of the products.” As a consultant, Arps enjoys working with sales representatives across the nation. Each interactive gives him a unique insight into how people handle situations. He then adapts that knowledge to better serve customers in future interactions. “It’s a bit like studying plays and learning about other players,” he reflects. Though Arps excels in his role at Yardi, it’s his coworkers who have made his career most fulfilling—even coworkers those who aren’t Lebron James fans like himself. “Since day one, I have always been myself and been accepted within the Yardi family. I enjoy most how the Yardi culture embraces you and your family with open arms.” Back on the court with his family Arps is no longer a little kid outwitting his siblings on the neighborhood court....

How do you efficiently run an affordable assisted living community? We spoke with Nicole Graham to get the answers. Nicole is a licensed administrator for Nevada HAND, the largest nonprofit for affordable housing in the state. They’ve helped thousands find a place to call home – including older adults. Nevada HAND owns and operates two affordable assisted living communities in Las Vegas under the Silver Sky brand. Nicole’s in charge of their location at Deer Springs. Nicole revealed how they grow their community, connect with family members and provide the best possible care for residents through the Yardi Senior Living Suite. We’ve transcribed a few highlights from the interview here, but be sure to catch the video below too. Q: What Yardi products have been most transformative for you and why? We have definitely enjoyed Yardi EHR and Senior CRM. On the marketing side, it’s about knowing where our prospects are coming from and if we want to go back to that market area. But then once they are a prospect in the lead database, it goes all the way through the workflow on to the care side with EHR. Just being able to visually see that whole process has been really great. Q: How does your team maximize lead conversion with Senior CRM? Because you’re able to see the reports and analytics in Senior CRM, we know how long each lead takes and why they might not have moved in. We understand where we are at with that prospect. Are they in rehab? Are they still at home making the decision? Are they over resource because of our affordability and our income limits? Or are they waiting on other resources because they need to make the rent limit? So knowing those lead conversion...

In honor of National Apartment Careers Month, we shine a spotlight on professions within the multifamily housing industry. Accountants embrace a multifaceted career that stays relevant even when the winds of change blow their hardest. Their versatile skills sets prove useful in various arenas of the field, offering the professionals options for growth and new challenges. Across the board, accountants enjoy the dynamic atmosphere of the housing industry. It’s not a matter of sitting at a desk for hours, pushing paper and crunching numbers on the same tasks day after day. Tiffany Godley, Senior Accountant at Avison Young, values the flexibility offered by the field because it allows her to remain passionate about her job and interested in her continued growth. “It’s not monotonous by any means. There are new challenges every day; the market is changing every day. Real estate offers so many different avenues to take: apartments, retail, hotels, commercial properties, building–once you’re in, you’ve got so much flexibility. It’s actually hard to get bored.” That flexibility comes in the form of vertical and latitudinal job tracks. Real estate firms open a world of career options for accountants. Sandy Roberts, Controller at Thomson Companies, discovered that her degree and experience qualified her to wear many hats within the company. “[A controller’s] responsibilities can vary, from financials from the beginning to the end of projects, as well as human resources, payroll and beyond. Accountants are under a large umbrella with lots of potential.” Such endless possibilities make accountants an invaluable part of the housing industry. “Accountants become the go-to person that’s always in demand,” she says. Such demand has not seemed to dwindle in face of increasingly sophisticated software. Rather, advances in technology have enabled accountants to perform their jobs more efficiently without...

Do you have members on your team that go above and beyond the call of duty? Or maybe you want to reassure your staff that their opportunities are just that—opportunities! There are several reasons for employee appreciation efforts. But unless you can offer family vacations and luxury cars for everyone, you may struggle with affordable ways to convey that you care. Show your team some Valentine’s Day love with these creative and inexpensive staff appreciation ideas. First Things First—Thank Them Have you actually said, “Great work” or” Thank you”? If not, start there. The phrases are so simple but when they’re sincere, they’re effective and motivating. While exploring the other ideas on this list, be sure to include a verbal and/or written word of thanks to make the maximum impact. Affordable Group Outings Organize a free, outdoor activity for your staff. Consider a group hike, walk, frisbee golf, or team sport at a local park. Such activities encourage team members to get active (ahem, lower health care costs) while building camaraderie. Team Yoga Corporate yoga classes are another great way to unwind. Yoga can teach employees healthy ways to destress, control their emotional responses, boost energy, and improve sleep. The possible benefits are truly endless! Host a visiting teacher at your office to include as many employees as possible at a reasonable rate. You can also request a private class for your group at a local studio. Many studios will provide mats and affordable pricing for private groups. To accommodate the most students, consider a basic hatha or restorative yoga practices. Community Activities Many neighborhoods host inexpensive activities that can serve as a fun outing for your team–and you don’t have to organize the events! Outdoor movies, concerts, festivals, and food fairs are easy...

Dorothy Day Place, owned and operated by Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, has made history. With 370 permanent supportive homes and 356 emergency and medical respite beds, it’s one of the largest affordable housing projects in the state. The project is also the largest public-private partnership involving housing in Minnesota history. Dorothy Day Place was made possible in part by a philanthropic collaboration between Catholic Charities and Yardi client, Dominium. New Phase, New Chapter in History Dorothy Day Place wasn’t planned as a record-breaking collaboration. With the first phase complete, Catholic Charities turned its attention to phase two in 2017. Leadership recognized that the ambitious second phase would benefit from the insight and expertise of an experienced developer. Catholic Charities contacted Dominium, one of the country’s largest affordable housing developers and a fellow Minnesota-based organization. The response of Paul Sween, managing partner of Dominium, took Catholic Charities by surprise. Sween offered to develop the second phase of Dorothy Day Place free of charge. Perhaps to Sween’s surprise, the initial request came from the bank. “We instinctively said ‘yes’ to helping with the project when our partner U.S. Bank asked us to do so simply because we knew how important it was to them,” Sween explained in an interview with Housing Finance. “We know the great work of Catholic Charities and how critical the transformation of the property would be to their mission.” Dorothy Day Place broadens the scope of Dominium’s work. Historically, the firm develops and manages affordable housing for people who earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income. The Dorothy Day Place project serves residents with incomes below 30 percent of the area median income. Jeff Huggett, vice president and project partner at Dominium explains, “Every unit...