 Gina Carter
Gina is responsible for the development and implementation of programs that promote the optimum performance of Blue Ridge Companies (BRC) multifamily portfolio. She began her career at BRC in 2001 and transitioned to the corporate headquarters five years later. Gina holds the CALP, CAM, and CAPS credentials through the National Apartment Association (NAA) and is a member of the NAAEI Faculty and a 2023 Education Advisory Board (EAB) appointee. Gina is also a graduate of the NAA Leadership Lyceum Program. Gina serves on the NAA Technology Committee as the Education Subcommittee Chair. She is an active member of the Apartment Association of North Carolina. Gina also serves as Co-Chair of the RealPage Steering Committee.
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 Josie Eatmon
Josie has served as the Executive Director of the Triangle Apartment Association for 17 years, where previously she was the Communications Director for seven. During her tenure, the Association has experienced significant growth, from 72,000 units in 2006 to 174,000 units in 2023. On the state level, Josie has worked to advance the mission of the AANC, even serving as its first PAC treasurer. Nationally, Josie was honored by the National Apartment Association (NAA) as its 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for an Association Executive. She was voted to the NAA Association Executives Council, serving as AEC President in 2014. Josie was appointed by NAA 2017 Chair, Cindy Clare, to serve as co-chair of NAA’s Inaugural DEI Task Force. In 2018, Josie earned the Certified Association Executive credential from the American Society of Association Executives – the highest professional credential in the association industry.
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 Michele Edelen
Michelle empowers audiences with her transformational principles, so they learn to embrace greatness and F.L.O.W. in excellence. Fondly revered as “The Excellence Engineer,” Michelle works with individuals and organizations to amplify their communication, connection, and confidence so they can make an influential impact on the world. She mentors passionately, guiding her clients to reach their highest potential. She facilitates robust workshop training and brings a unique perspective of diversity, equity, and inclusion to high-level corporate leaders and their employees. Leveraging over 30 years of leadership experience, Michelle has a unique talent for making meaningful connections with audiences and a remarkable ability to help others maximize their strengths. Her down-to-earth humor compels audiences to laugh while learning and leaves them with empowering tools and focused mindsets.
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 Dion Harris
Dion is the Director of Learning and Development at Burkely Communities with over twelve years of property management experience. Dion is a passionate storyteller weaving words to create ripple effects of change. He is the current Chairperson of PTAA’s DEI committee, driving diversity, equity, and inclusion in his local housing community. He is an Advocate, Communicator, Change catalyst and a DEI Champion. Dion was selected to be a student in the National Apartment Association’s Inaugural DEI class. He is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and Full Sail University. When they’re not at Burkely, Dion is an avid church goer and minister in the AME Zion Church and loves spending time with family and friends.
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 Chris King-Dye
Chris has over 25 years of experience in facilities and property operations. He currently oversees operations in Michigan for The Liberty Group, and has held the roles of Executive Vice President, National Training Manager, Regional Maintenance Director, Community Manager, Service Manager and maintenance technician. His diverse history includes working with small privately owned companies, large national REITS and higher education institutions. Chris has an MBA in Facilities Management and has proudly served on the Boards of Directors and committees for local and state associations.
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 Kelli Lea
Kelli has been with Greystar since 2006 and is a Regional Property Manager. Kelli excels in building a strong team that can successfully carry out the individual client’s objectives. Kelli’s strengths are found in building and executing a brand, team member engagement, operation excellence through purpose driven reporting and a deep understanding of financial objectives. Kelli has demonstrated her dedication as a multifamily real estate professional having worked in the industry since 2003, receiving her CAM designation, and serving on the Triangle Apartment Association’s (TAA) Board of Directors since 2015. She holds her NC Broker’s license, is a member of the NAAEI Faculty, and served as the TAA President in 2020 and 2021. Kelli was recognized as one of the Triangle Business Journals’ “40 under 40” class of 2021 and currently is the Vice President of National Apartment Association Education Institute.
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 Mindy McCorkle
Mindy has 30+ years of experience in restaurant operations and property management and has held just about every role in those industries. She founded Enhancement Talent Development, LLC, in 2013 where her mission is to enhance the talent and performance of our clients’ teams through exceptional learning experiences and consultation while motivating individuals to explore greater self-fulfillment, higher self-awareness, and transformational thinking. As a facilitator and trainer, she brings a unique authenticity to every interaction and presentation and shares transformational insight from her experiences. She’s not a game-changer; she’s creating a whole new game! She has facilitated exceptional learning experiences for more than 20 years, impacting tens of thousands of attendees. If you’ve seen one of her presentations, you’ve witnessed the exceptional learning experiences she provides!
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 Elizabeth (Liz) Newkirk
Liz (she/her) currently serves as Manager of Digital Media at Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC, based in Charlotte, NC. Liz has a background in digital marketing and analytics, content creation, leasing, and overseeing the execution and design of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies. Her industry leadership roles include Chair of the AANC DEI Committee and President of the GCAA Services Council. She is the Secretary of the GCAA Education Foundation Board of Directors and was Charter Chair of the SCAA Marketing and PR Committee. She is a 2022 AANC Leadership Lyceum Graduate, NAA DEI Advocate of the Year Finalist, and 2021 TAA DEI Champion of the Year recipient. In addition, she currently serves on the GCAA Education Advisory Council, and the AANC State Suppliers Council. She has assisted in the formation of the GCAA, TAA, and AANC DEI Committee and is a six-time social media of the year recipient.
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 Megan Orser
Megan, the accomplished professional behind Smart Apartment Solutions, has over 21 years of experience in apartment management, a degree in Marketing & Communications, and several accreditations (including HCCP and NALP). Megan oversees operations for Smart Apartment Solutions and Smart Moves LLC, providing occupancy solutions and property management services across the Midwest. When not working, Megan is an active member of various local, state, and national committees and councils, including IREM, NAA, and NAAEI, and has held multiple board positions with her local and state affiliates. Megan currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Independent Rental Owner Committee with NAA. Supported by the Smart HQ team and Smarties, Megan and her team provide engaging educational offerings based on practical experience and personal insights.
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 Kimberley Parsons
Kimberley is passionate about supporting leaders to develop and deliver on the full power of their leadership so they become a catalyst for their teams to reach higher levels of performance and results. With deep experience in Technology and talent development, she has led high-stakes business initiatives and developed differential investment leadership programs. As a team consultant and executive coach specializing in team effectiveness, she has helped leaders from various industries increase their impact and results. Highly credentialed, Kimberley holds numerous certifications, including the International Coach Federation’s Professional Certified Coach accreditation. Currently, she is a co-director and adjunct faculty in Georgetown University’s Leadership Coaching Certificate Program. She has a BBA and MS in Computer Information Systems.
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Dr. Debbie Phillips
Debbie is President of The Quadrillion, an internationally recognized real estate consulting firm. With a career spanning more than 33 years with experience in diverse property types, Debbie serves as a real estate advisor, as an adjunct professor, speaker, career coach and nationally acclaimed author. Debbie earned a Masters of Science degree from The University of Georgia where her research focused on Seniors Housing and she received her Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology as her doctoral thesis produced an Employee Engagement Model for the Multifamily Housing Industry. Debbie’s current research emphasizes talent, workforce initiatives and leadership development.
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Maria Pietroforte
With 30 years of experience in multifamily turnarounds and startups, Maria offers a unique blend of leadership, vision, and knowledge. She has served President of Tribute Properties, Move.com, Kettler and E&S Ring where she positioned these companies as leaders in their industry & employers of choice, established brand identity & reputation and revenue growth. Maria is known in the multifamily industry for her positive energy and her dedication to put people first. She is a motivational speaker, leadership coach, organizational strategist, and entrepreneur. Maria shares her experience to help leaders, teams, startups, and businesses thrive. Maria holds a BS in Business Administration and is a Certified Property Manager, a Certified Defense Property Manager, Advanced Facilitator and NAAEI faculty member.
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Stephanie Puryear Helling
Stephanie has 25+ years in corporate learning and leadership development, developing and implementing strategic initiatives, and speaking throughout the U.S. She is the Past President of the National Apartment Association Education Institute, a Featured Podcast Guest – Get Celebritized, Multifamily Leadership, PropTalk, and recently featured in New York Weekly, CEO Weekly, Global Woman Magazine. Stephanie is a Certified Maxwell DISC Consultant, Strengths Finder Facilitator/Consultant/Coach, John Maxwell Leadership Team Certified Coach, Speaker and Trainer, and Leadership game facilitator. Select awards she has received include: Apartment Career & Education Industry Practitioner Award, NAA (2018), Multifamily Executive Magazine’s Rising Stars Under 40 (2005). Stephanie is also a Former Army National Guard Combat Medic.
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Rebecca Rosario
Rebecca Rosario is a nationally recognized speaker and facilitator, presenting at local and state apartment associations, as well as a recurrent presenter for The National Apartment Association’s Apartmentalize Conference. She is President of Full House Marketing, Inc., based in Durham, N.C., Founder of Diversity-Connection, and an ApartMentor. In addition to over 30 self-authored talent development programs, Rebecca facilitates CALP and CAM for NAAEI. She serves on local, state, and national committees focusing on DEI and Apartment Careers. Recent Acknowledgements include induction into the 2021 AANC Hall of Fame, and Globe St. Woman of Influence.
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Jared Schmidt
Jared is a Partner and has been a member of the Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC team since the very beginning. Jared loves his fellow attorneys and teammates and prefers to travel around the state to hearings, lunch and learns, client events, and apartment association events to being stuck behind a desk all day. He is a die hard Cincinnati sports fan and, along with his wife Kris, he spends all of his free time entertaining the demands of his daughters and his dogs.
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Samantha Simpson
Samantha is an attorney with Brownlee, Whitlow & Praet, PLLC. She currently manages the firm’s Charlotte office. She is actively engaged in the education of members of the industry in both North and South Carolina on various topics including Fair Housing, Debt Collection, and Legal Issues. Samantha was raised in Eagle River, Alaska and enjoys cooking, traveling the world and hanging at home with her husband and two dogs.
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Lisa M Trosien
Lisa is an experienced educator specializing in the multifamily industry. With her extensive knowledge of the field, Lisa has developed expertise in multifamily strategy, curriculum development and design, and training delivery. She has a deep understanding of the multifamily industry's unique needs with over 20 years of experience, which has helped her design and implement effective educational programs that have helped businesses achieve their goals. Lisa is a skilled communicator and is known for her ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of an organization. Her dedication to excellence and passion for training has made her a highly respected leader in the industry.
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Veda Tucker
Veda works with businesses and organizations to train individuals on “How to Bring Forth the Best You" by focusing on Leadership, Personal Branding, Valuing your Gifts, and Position & Perspective. As Speaker/Trainer for over 20 years, she has impacted the lives of thousands of individuals through organizations and groups such as Rachel’s Challenge Organization, Making it Count Organization, Michigan Business Women's Association, Monster.com Diversity Leadership Program, and more. Veda is the creator and host of "The Fullest Life" podcast empowering women around the world. Veda is a product of the multifamily housing industry with over 10 years of experience ranging from leasing consultant to revenue manager. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in marketing and holds a Life Coach certification.
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Todd Whitlow
Todd is a partner and co-owner of Brownlee Whitlow & Praet, PLLC, where he has been representing members of the rental housing industry for over a decade. Todd has served on a variety of committees with the National Apartment Association, along with the Apartment Association of North Carolina and a number of local affiliates throughout North Carolina and South Carolina. Todd is a faculty member of the National Apartment Association Education Institute. Todd attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his undergraduate studies before attending Campbell University for law school where he graduated with honors. Todd serves as the director of legal operations for the firm including the rental housing industry section which includes all aspects of representation from resolving and litigating resident disputes, such as Fair Housing matters, to contract negotiations and drafting in NC, SC and GA.
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Questions? Email info@aanconline.org.
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Opening Keynote: Neil Ihde
Closing Keynote: Annie Meehan