2024 AAWNC Board Nomination Bios
AAWNC Board Nomination Information
Board nominees were asked to provide a short bio and answer the following five (5) questions.
- Why do you want to serve on the board?
- What are your 2024 goals for the association?
- What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
AAWNC board of director's serve a two-year term.
The election will take place on November 14, 2023 at the annual meeting – meeting details.
Voting and Electing the Board
During the membership meeting, members vote for three new members to serve on AAWNC's board of directors. The 2024 AAWNC board of directors will be comprised of five newly elected members and four previously elected. Board Positions will be determined by the board at the first meeting.
- All votes must be cast in person at the annual meeting. Please register to join us on November 14, 2023.
- A quorum of 10% of the membership must be at the meeting for the vote to be valid.
- Companies and organizations are members, each member has only one vote.
- A maximum of three supplier members can be elected to the board of directors.
- Votes will be conducted by secret ballot – unless there is only one nomination for a position.
- Proxies must include a written statement authorizing the proxy and completed ballot.
Attending the meeting is free and members do not need to remain for the meeting after voting.
2024 Nominees: Vote for Five
Board Property Nominee
- Bethany Lykins - Hawthorne at Weaverville; Hawthorne
- Lindsey Storer - Weirbridge Village; Pegasus Residential
- Kimberly Medearis - Ansley at Roberts Lake; Fogelman
- Kendra Bee - Hawthorne
- Emily Kirchmeyer - Pegasus Residential
- Taylor Russell - Asheville Exchange; Fogelman
Board Supplier Nominee
- Brian McCarthy - Affinity Waste Solutions
- Tina Gorby - Apartments.com
- Roger Ward - Warren Restoration
- Taylor Holly - Professionals Painting
Bethany Lykins - Board Property Nominee
BIO: Bethany Lykins is an experienced property management professional from Northwest Georgia. She graduated from Bryan College with a degree in Politics and Government and a 3.78 GPA. Don’t let her height fool you. Measuring at staggering height of 5’4, Bethany played all four years of college basketball. After graduating college, she began her work experience in as a political fundraising intern at the Tennessee Democratic Party and transitioned into retail sales and management. She moved in Western North Carolina in 2017 and has worked in property management since. Along with currently serving as the President of the Apartment Association of Western North Carolina, she is a fantasy football enthusiast. She has obtained the Gold level status 3xs in yahoo sports and currently has a record of 111-97.
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I am very passionate about AAWNC and our Asheville community. I truly believe that we are stronger together, and any help that I am able to provide for association to help it grow and prosper I am happy and eager to do. Our Association have experienced so much growth in the last few years and I would like to continue that positive momentum into 2024 & 2025.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
My goal for the association is to continue to show our value to multi-family community and support our members. I will continue to serve on the Events committee while chairing our PAC/Government Affairs committee. I would love to see our association continue exceed our NAA and AANC Pac goals in the next two years. I would love to continue working towards providing events that truly benefit our members with offering both networking and educational opportunities. I currently serve as the Board President and would love to continue in a Board Leadership role. I have been involved with the Board since 2018, and I would love to continue the positive progress that we have been making.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
I have worked in property management since 2017. I can’t believe it’s already been almost 7 years! Time flies when you are having fun and loving your career. I have been involved with AAWNC since 2018 and genuinely love it. Through AAWNC, I have made wonderful friendships and built the best support system. Along with serving on the board for AAWNC, I have served on the Board of Directors Apartment Association of North Carolina for the past two years. I am currently the committee chair for the Governance Committee with AANC. I joined the Hawthorne Residential Partners team in December of 2022, and I am the Community Manager at Hawthorne at Mills Gap. I truly enjoy the work involved with providing and taking care of someone’s home. Working with my team in a common goal to help foster a sense of community keeps me going daily.
Lindsey Storer - Board Property Nominee
BIO: In October 2019, I embarked on my property management journey with MEB in Albuquerque, NM, where I developed a strong foundation in the industry. In June 2021, I relocated to Asheville and joined Pegasus Residential, initially as a Leasing Agent. Within six months, I was recognized for my dedication and capabilities, earning a promotion to Assistant Manager. Through continuous training and unwavering commitment, I furthered my career, attaining the position of Resident Services Manager in July 2022.
In my role as Resident Services Manager, I have played a pivotal role in orchestrating the seamless transition of multiple properties. Additionally, I have been instrumental in the restructuring and strategic organization of community growth. My expertise has been pivotal in integrating new employees into the core foundations of our company, ensuring a cohesive and efficient team. I take pride in my contributions to enhancing property operations and fostering a thriving community environment.
I have been recognized by the Apartment Association for my proficiency in my role, receiving the 2022 Assistant Community Manager of the year award and nomination for AANC 20 in their Twenties scholarship.
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I believe that my experience and vision align well with the goals of the association. My goal is to actively participate in strategic decision- making processes that will facilitate the association’s expansion and enhance its overall impact. I am particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to positively influence fellow association members, leveraging my knowledge and dedication to promote a thriving community.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
To perpetuate the growth of the association, our focus will be on attracting new members while also promoting active engagement among our existing membership base.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
In 2019, I began my career in property management as a Leasing Agent at MEB in New Mexico, where I gained valuable experience and honed my skills in the industry. In June 2021, I transitioned to Pegasus Residential, where I initially served as a Leasing Agent. Demonstrating dedication and proficiency, I have since been promoted twice to the role of Resident Services Manager. Through these roles, I have consistently contributed to the enhancement of resident experiences and property operations, showcasing my commitment to excellence in the realm of property management.
Kimberly Medearis - Board Property Nominee
BIO: My Property Management career began with Metzger & Company in Atlanta, GA in 2005 as a parttime leasing specialist. During my time with Metzger, my strength in leasing and overcoming objections was quickly recognized and a new role was developed for me as a trainer/mentor to team members in our portfolio. I quickly began cultivating my career and served in several leadership roles over the years as my love for supporting my teams, serving people’s needs as well as my community became my passion. I have had the good fortune to experience all aspects of Property Management including working for many great companies such as Kaplan Properties, Wesley Apartment Homes and now Fogelman, whom I have been with since 2014. Throughout my career I have been instrumental in developing training platforms, outreach marketing programs and have participated in career fairs to bring awareness to our industry. I have enjoyed supporting my community through volunteer work at charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, The Ronald McDonald House and The Atlanta Food Bank. My involvement with The Atlanta Apartment Association and IREM Georgia Chapter have helped me to grow my personal and professional relationships by attending monthly association meetings, continued education programs and leadership seminars. Due to that support, my career has been very rewarding and I have received numerous accolades throughout the years including the President’s Award 2015 and The W.D. Stanly Award in 2017, 2019 & 2022. In September 2019, I relocated from Atlanta to Asheville with Fogelman to manage Ansley at Roberts Lake Apartments. The excitement of learning a new market and building new relationships has reminded me of what I love so much about the ever-changing landscape of Property Management. Through this shift to a new market, I was also honored to be awarded the Arc of Optimism in 2020. I quickly became involved with AAWNC and have developed wonderful friendships along with finding great mentorship among my peers in this market. My involvement in AAWNC continued to grow and I was awarded the AAWNC Manager of the Year in 2020. Though the leadership of our amazing organization I was provided a wonderful opportunity to be in the graduating AANC Leadership Lyceum Class of 2022. The knowledge I have gained from my involvement with AAWNC has been one of my greatest achievements. Due to the support from my amazing team at Ansley at Roberts Lake, together, we were awarded a Reputation Management award for 2020, the Community Team of the Year Award in 2022 and the Greatest Improvement in Delinquency 2022 within Fogelman. I believe my core strength is to promote exceptional customer service with honesty and integrity.
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I want to be a voice for members, to share my knowledge and experience in the industry and encourage others to pursue a career in multi-family industry
What are your goals for the Association next year?
To continue to give back to our community, promote inclusiveness within our industry. I want to continue to grow and be a valued resource for our association members and to seek out new members by promoting property management as a rewarding and lucrative career path.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
I began my career in 2005 in leasing and have worked my way up through the ranks holding many leadership roles along the way. Today, I manage a 296 unit community for Fogelman. I work diligently to empower my team, cultivate their career goals and to provide exceptional customer service to the residents we serve.
Kendra Bee - Board Property Nominee
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I have served on the board for several years in the past and feel I bring a great knowledge of what the board needs to stay competitive with working towards the overall goal of what it has become now. The ever-growing board has developed into such a great resource for our area that I feel I can really help with bringing the support within in my company and industry.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
I would like to see more education classes and trainings in general to the calendar next year. Being an area manager of the top performing management company in Asheville, I get to hear and experience what my communities and team members need to succeed. Bringing that knowledge is a huge benefit with having me on the board once again. I also want to see change with feedback from our fellow members in what they need from us as an association. So, getting out into the field and having those conversations is important, and I feel I am the perfect fit for that position. I am also committed to putting together a bus tour next year. Board member or not, I will be taking lead with that planning process.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
I have been in the industry for 12 years total. I grew up as a leasing agent, to ACM, to CM within my first year and a half withing the start of my career. From there I held a board member position as Secretary for around 5 years. During that time, I lead 6 successful lease ups in Asheville and assisted on several sister lease ups within the company. I also was in a regional training and support role for around 3 years within my career. I started with my current company three and a half years ago, with a distressed community that had never been stabilized consistently. I was able to bring delinquency down to under 3%, occupancy at a stable 98%, retention the community had never experienced, and growth financial numbers to an all-time high. All of this was during COVID when evictions were tricky. From there I managed the largest asset in WNC with 552 homes and 3 phases ranging from 1974 to 2016 built. Turning the page to my current position as an Area Manager with 6 communities total with 2 having multiple phases. I hold the largest unit count in my company and hold our top preforming spots week after week. My team is one of the most seasoned in Asheville and I feel we hold a high standard with our elevated culture here. With that, my background has transformed me into a book of knowledge that I look forward to bringing back to the Association in 2024.
Emily Kirchmeyer - Board Property Nominee
BIO: With 15 years of dedicated experience in multifamily property management, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the industry. Throughout my career, I have successfully overseen the management of over 2,414 residential units, spanning across a portfolio of 13 distinct properties.
One of my key strengths lies in my ability to lead high-performance teams and cultivate the growth of exceptional individuals within the field. My leadership has consistently demonstrated the capacity to drive operational excellence and deliver superior results.
In addition to my extensive hands-on experience, I have had the privilege of serving as both President and Past President of our esteemed association. This involvement has allowed me to contribute to the advancement of our industry by actively participating in strategic decision-making, shaping policy, and promoting best practices.
I am particularly proud of my achievements as a Regional Manager of the Year in 2020 and 2022. These accolades serve as testament to my commitment to excellence, my dedication to providing exceptional service, and my consistent delivery of outstanding results within the multifamily property management sector. Not only am I dedicated to the AAWNC, but am also committed to our national chapters with the AANC and NAA. I have been fortunate enough to attend conferences and participate in legislative days to advocate for our local chapter.
My passion for this industry, combined with my leadership capabilities, proven track record, and industry recognition, position me as a standout professional in multifamily property management. I am dedicated to continuing my journey of excellence in this field, with a focus on driving success for both my team, my clients, and our vendor partners.
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I have a great deal of knowledge and experience in the multifamily industry. My primary objective is to inject fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that can invigorate and elevate our organization. I am wholeheartedly committed to enhancing the association's growth and fostering engagement among its members. I have worked in the multifamily industry in Western North Carolina for 13 years, and I know the qualities, and struggles, our association has faced. I would like to leverage my regional strengths and affiliations to set a new standard and take our association to the next level.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
My objectives for the apartment association include the enhancement of member participation and engagement, to continue to offer education classes to our members (where they are not required to travel to larger metro areas), and to continue to grow our association.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
With 15 years of dedicated experience in multifamily property management, I have cultivated an extensive skill set that encompasses the successful oversight of more than 2,414 units across a diverse portfolio of 13 properties. My professional journey has been marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence in every facet of property management. I have been nominated and won Regional Manager of the Year twice with the apartment association and been recognized and received awards within my own property management company. Along the way, my team has won many AAWNC annual awards and been recognized by the AANC. I say this not to toot my own horn, but to prove that I strive for excellence in all things that I do and encourage those around me to do the same.
Throughout my tenure in this industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to lead high-performance teams, fostering an environment of productivity, innovation, and operational efficiency. My commitment to developing individuals within these teams has resulted in the growth and advancement of numerous professionals under my guidance.
Beyond my direct operational responsibilities, I have actively contributed to the broader multifamily property management community. Serving as both the President and Past President of our esteemed association, I've had the privilege of shaping industry standards, participating in forward-thinking initiatives, and advancing best practices. The knowledge and insights I have gained during these roles have been invaluable in my ongoing pursuit of excellence within this ever-changing field.
I am motivated to return to the association with a fresh perspective. My dedication to enhancing multifamily property management, combined with the depth of knowledge I've acquired over the years, positions me as a valuable asset poised to continue driving positive change in not only this industry, but to bring that to our association as well. I look forward to embracing new challenges, leveraging my wealth of expertise, and contributing to the ongoing evolution of multifamily property management.
Taylor Russell - Board Property Nominee
BIO: Hi! My name is Taylor Russell, and I am an Assistant Business Manager at Asheville Exchange. I come from the hotel industry and have only been in this industry for two years, but I have fallen in love with it. My goal is to become a regional in the apartment industry. I would love to learn and grow in this industry and community through the board!
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I would like to sit on the board to become more involved in the apartment community and to be a part of a group of people that want to bring the community together.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
My goal for the association next year is to volunteer and get more members involved and let them know how awesome the association is as a resource to our own communities and how it is like a family.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
I have been in the apartment industry for two years. I started as a leasing consultant at Asheville Exchange, and I am now the Assistant Business Manager
Tina Gorby - Board Supplier Nominee
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I believe with my experience of 20 years in multi-family property management, leadership skills and a desire to serve others in our industry, I will be an asset to the AAWNC in 2024 as we continue to grow and expand.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
To bring more education to the association where members can grow in this industry and to engage the association with the mission of the AAWNC with specific emphasis on professional growth, provide networking opportunities for industry professionals and partners (suppliers) and continue to work with the NAA on legislative opportunities to benefit our industry. I am interested in board leadership.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
I have been in the multi-family industry for 20 years starting out as a part-time leasing and marketing professional with MAA and being promoted in 6 months to assistant manager, to joining Lincoln Property Company (now Willow Bridge) to manage a lease up and worked for them for 15 years handling new construction and renovation properties with their NYLife portfolio, managing for Pegasus Residential for 2 years in Greenville, SC to joining Apartments.com/Costar last year to pursue and endeavor in marketing, which has always been a part of the manager job that I loved. I served on the Greater Augusta Apartment Association for 4 years and for 2 years as Secretary. I also served on the Membership committee of the Atlanta Apartment Asso for 2 years as well as a member for 15 years. I have won various awards with all of the management companies I worked for with the most prestigious being 2 Gold Medallion Awards with Lincoln Property Company and The Flying Pig Award with Pegasus Residential.
Roger Ward - Board Supplier Nominee
BIO: With a lifelong career in the hospitality industry, I understand the importance of customer service. "People" is my superpower. I have a history of leadership in the hospitality industry from restaurants to hotels to country clubs. I have been a manager of people my whole working career. My current role and title is Business Development and Company Culture for a fast growing Restoration company called Warren Restoration. I handle sales and marketing with an emphasis on orientation, training and growth of our employees. I believe everyone needs to feel valued. Conversations and approaches need to be GENUINE, approached with same respect, and received the same, from the janitor to the CEO. I foster an environment where each employee has a voice, that they are seen, heard and understood.
I have held community roles to include, but not limited to, Goodwill Industries Work Force Development Business Advisory Council Chair, Ambassador of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, Event planner for large-scale private events, weddings, wine tasting dinners, room staging, menu planning, and network marketing. Active volunteer roles with the Asheville Tourism and Development Authority. I am an Ambassador for the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce and double qualified for the rewards trip with the Total Resource Campaign of Henderson County Chamber in my first year. (Only 25% first year applicants qualify, and I double qualified -2023)
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
My interest is to learn more about the community housing association in my home town. Housing is obviously a crisis for families nationwide, and I would love to help make an impact locally. But also act in the best interest of the Association at all times.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
One My goals are to get more engagement in the Association, assist with event planning, and get people excited about joining and retention. Although I do not have a professional background in the apartment industry to date, I feel like my high energy and likeability factor will help to create and foster relationships that should be of value to the Association.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
I get joy out of connecting others, after all, my business friends have called me Mr. Asheville! What an honor! Heck, my Tik Tok profile is Biz Connector for Heaven's sake. Please consider this new-but well-seasoned candidate. It will be an honor to serve. Thanks.
Brian McCarthy - Board Supplier Nominee
BIO: Brian McCarthy is the Regional Account Executive for the Central and Western North Carolina and Upper State South Carolina markets for Affinity Waste Solutions. Brian has been involved in the multifamily industry as a supplier for 15 years with companies such as HD Supply, Central Wholesalers (Now Lowes Pro) and GE Appliances and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s a relationship builder and problem solver. Brian is described as proactive and customer centric and is involved in associations at the local and state levels including AAWNC.
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
I see a tremendous amount of potential in the Western North Carolina market and in the opportunity for growth. This potential leads me to spend quite a bit of my time in the market and I have a vested interest in the association and its future which compelled me to want to be a part of helping to lead.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
One of my goals is to increase not just membership, but member participation at events. Along with that goal is the formation of a supplier council to drive better partnership between suppliers and members not just in business, but at the association level.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
15+ years as a supplier partner with companies such as HD Supply, Central Wholesalers (Now Lowes Pro), OpsTechnology and GE Appliances
Taylor Holly - Board Supplier Nominee
BIO: Taylor Holley is the Director of Operations for Professionals Painting overseeing daily operations for North and South Carolina. Prior to her position at Professionals Painting, Taylor spent 12 years onsite managing multifamily and build-to-rent lease-ups and communities throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Taylor also worked her way up through her previous company and was promoted to Regional Director in 2022. During her tenure as Regional Director, she oversaw 11 communities throughout North and South Carolina. Taylor’s extensive knowledge of onsite operations allows her to fully understand the daily tasks and questions that her clients handle every day from their owners and upper management throughout their company. Taylor also served in the River Region Apartment Association and Alabama Apartment Association in Alabama for over 4 years. During that time, she held multiple positions including Secretary, Treasurer, and President Elect. Taylor’s has a great passion for our industry and the talented people within it. She is extremely excited to become more involved in the local and state level associations in North Carolina in the upcoming year.
Why do you want to serve on the Board?
This industry and the National Apartment Association have given so much to me personally and professionally and I want to assist in helping our local association continue to grow and for others to see the great benefits it can offer. There are so many people that simply think their local association is a click n lease program, but the apartment association is so much more than that. It is about being with likeminded individuals that understand our day-to-day struggles, celebrating our teams, and watching all of the members grow within their careers through some of our continued education webinars and classes. I have loved my previous experiences being on the state and local boards in other states I’ve worked in and it would be an honor to continue giving back to this industry by being on the AAWNC board.
What are your goals for the Association next year?
I would like to assist with growing our member participation at events and creating events that really reflect the uniqueness of Western North Carolina. I would also like to also bring in new and creative education ideas that are tailored to our specific market and to show our members the value that our association brings to their professionals careers.
What is your professional background in the apartment industry?
I have 13 years of experience within the industry, with 12 of those years spent serving onsite at various communities throughout the Southeast or within upper management operations. During this past year, I made the switch to be Director of Operations for Professionals Painting. I have had a really great time expanding our small business over the past couple of months and fine tuning our daily operations to continue our success. I have also loved getting to meet with all our amazing clients and look forward to building and fostering even more of those relationships in the upcoming years. I do have 4 years of prior experience serving on a local and state board of Alabama. During that time, I held several board positions including Secretary, Treasurer, and President elect. I also attended NAA Advocate in 2017 and 2018 and met with key legislators to lobby on the hill on behalf of the apartment industry. Throughout all my years onsite and in my new role as supplier, my passion has always been about giving back to the industry that provided me with so many opportunities and to help others grow in their journey as well. It would be an honor to give back to the AAWNC and be able to support this amazing association.