AANC Board Spotlight | Krysti Keser

Krysti Keser was born in Defiance, Ohio, in the same hospital where her father was born decades before.  She was raised in a military family and moved to different places just about every year, including a year and a half in Germany. Krysti’s family eventually landed in Northern Virginia, where she attended and graduated from Herndon High School.

After high school, Krysti attended George Mason University, where she received a B.A. in Psychology in 1995 and an M.A. in 1997. While in college, Krysti participated in an internship studying emotional regulation in children and was an Autism therapist, learning basic sign language to communicate with her clients. After graduate school, Krysti wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her degrees, so she began working at a restaurant named Vocelli’s. Due to her previous experience working at Domino’s throughout high school and college, coupled with her strong work ethic, Krysti was quickly promoted to General Manager and began to assist in the opening of new restaurants.

Krysti continued to work in the restaurant industry until the birth of her son, after which she became a teacher at Chesterbrook Academy, teaching Junior Kindergarten. Not completely satisfied with teaching, Krysti soon began looking for other opportunities and accepted a position as a Leasing Consultant in Fairfax, Virginia with Summit Properties, marking the beginning of an esteemed career in the multifamily industry.

After a year or so as a Leasing Consultant, Krysti’s drive and determination led to a promotion as Marketing Manager for two lease-ups in downtown Washington DC. One of the properties was being developed much quicker than the other, so she focused all her efforts on that property, and it was leased up in record time. Her dedication was noticed and the Regional Vice President began to send Krysti to a variety of different locations to assist properties until she was promoted to Property Manager of a lease-up in Ashburn, Virginia.

In 2006, Krysti decided she wanted to be closer to her family, so she accepted a Property Manager position with UDR, a real estate investment trust (REIT), and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, where her parents and sister and brother-in-law had recently relocated. In 2007, the portfolio was sold and Krysti began working for Bell Partners. She worked for Bell Partners for ten years, during which time she was promoted to Regional Manager. The portfolio was then sold to CARROLL, where Krysti worked for seven and a half years before the portfolio transitioned to Highmark Properties in 2025. At that point, Krysti made the decision to join Hawthorne Residential Partners as a Regional Manager, marking her 25 years in the multifamily rental housing industry.

KRYSTI'S FAVORITES
COLOR: OCEAN BLUE   
PIE: PIZZA PIE - CHEESE IS BETTER THAN ANY DESSERT COULD EVER BE!
MUSIC: MY TASTES ARE SO ECLECTIC THAT I WILL HAVE TO DEFER TO MY FAVORITE CHURCH SONG - ON EAGLES WINGS
SPORTS TEAM: WHATEVER SOCCER TEAM MY SON IS PLAYING ON

_{(pictured:  Krysti and Buddy at the beach)}

Krysti’s drive and commitment to multifamily has not gone unnoticed. She began volunteering with the Wilmington Apartment Association (WAA) in 2010 and was awarded the WAA Regional Manager of the Year in 2017 and in 2021. Krysti also received:

• Regional Manager of the Year from CARROLL in 2022
• Globe St. Women of Influence Award in the Mentor category in 2023
• WAA Larry Cranford Award in 2025

From 2018-2025, Krysti served as Secretary, Vice President, President, and then as Past President of WAA. Her other leadership roles also include:

• Past Chair of the WAA Membership Committee
• Past Chair of the WAA Governance Committee and current member
• Co-Chair of the WAA Government Affairs Committee
• Member of the AANC Board of Directors since 2018
• Chair of the AANC Housing Affordability Committee
• Member of the AANC Membership Committee
• Member of the AANC Government Affairs Committee.

Outside of her time spent supporting the multifamily industry in North Carolina, Krysti loves to spend time with her family, who all live within 15 miles of her house in Wilmington. She has two 27-year-old sons and three nieces that she is very close to and feels blessed to have all four of her parents still living and close enough so that they can see one another regularly. Beyond her human family, Krysti shares that her world revolves around part Miniature Pincher and part Chihuahua pup Buddy, stating “He is the best!!!”

After a childhood spent moving from place to place, Krysti has found her forever home in Wilmington, where she has built a life surrounded by family, friends, and a community she loves. She has also found her home in the multifamily industry, where her dedication, leadership, and passion have made a lasting impact. What began as a career opportunity has grown into a 25-year journey filled with meaningful relationships, professional accomplishments, and a commitment to making a difference in the industry.