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USDA Announces National Site Managers of the Year

Name
Christine Feroli
City
Washington
Release Date

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Lisa Mensah today announced the winners of the National Multi-Family Housing Site Manager of the Year award for 2016.

“The site managers we are honoring today make our multi-family housing properties great places to live,” Mensah said. “These partners work tirelessly to ensure that USDA dwellings provide individuals and families living in them with top-notch customer service and a great place to live.”

This year’s awards were presented in four categories: farm labor housing, maintenance services, elderly housing and family housing. The top site managers of 2016 are:

  • Farm Labor Housing: Helen Mitchell, property manager from the 174-unit Golden Acres, working for Nelson & Associates, Inc., Pompano, Fla.
  • Maintenance Person: Albert Hill, maintenance manager from the 36-unit Golden Leaf Apartments, working for Florida Management Associates, Inc., Quincy, Fla. 
  • Elderly Housing: Don Bowen, property manager from the 40-unit Ivy Terrace Apartments, working for Partnership Property Management, Bishopville, S.C.
  • Family Housing: Jackie Lee, property manager from the 50-unit Westminster East Apartments and the 44-unit Springbrook Apartments, working for Partnership Property Management, Westminster and Seneca, S.C.

Mensah presented the awards at a breakfast hosted by the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH) in Arlington, Va., during its annual meeting. The selections were based upon tenant satisfaction with the manager/maintenance person, and a combination of property curb appeal, timeliness and competency of maintenance, accurate and complete recordkeeping with no incidents of noncompliance, and actions of the manager that were rated consistently above and beyond the requirements of the position.

A panel of housing professionals from CARH and representatives from USDA Rural Development made the selections. The winners were selected from 47 nominations representing 16 states. Members of Congress, Rural Development staff and family members of the winners attended this year’s awards ceremony.

Through its rental and farm labor housing programs, USDA helped 244,000 low-income households have access to safe, affordable homes in 2015.

Since 2009, USDA Rural Development (@USDARDImage removed.) has invested $11 billion to start or expand 103,000 rural businesses; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; funded nearly 7,000 community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care facilities; financed 185,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results