Executive Assistant, Candi McDowell, is a North Carolina native – growing up in Madison and living here in Raleigh for the last 25 years. She went to school at UNC-Chapel Hill, received a degree in biology, and shortly after graduation (while trying to figure out what to do with her life) started temp work with our office.

Thankfully for us, she forgot to leave and so here we are 22 years later! Candi is an indispensable part of our leasing and property management teams.

Candi’s motto is, “Don’t put too many pots on the stove.” She believes in order to work and live efficiently, we need to do our best to stay on track, keep focused, and find a perfect balance.

When she’s not at work, you’re most likely to find Candi at a concert. She is passionate about live music and, along with her husband, attends about 50 concerts annually. She says that there is nothing that makes her smile bigger than hearing bands singing her favorite songs! For an escape from normal life, Candi chooses Asheville for its walkability, greenways, hiking trails, and all the delicious downtown eateries and breweries.

Candi loves supporting the SPCA of Wake County. All of her fur babies have come from there. She laughingly laments, however, that she cannot volunteer with the SPCA as it would be a major foster fail and she does not have room for the 25 cats she would adopt in her downtown condo. Candi is a volunteer with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Backpack Buddies, and helps her mother build toiletry kits for unhoused folks.

Candi says her favorite thing about working at York is being able to help a client quickly by scanning a form they need or reviewing a particular lease clause for an owner. It is very satisfying to be able to assist in a snap!

We are so grateful that Candi chose to stay here at York with us!

If we had one, Bloomsbury’s Production Manager, Willie Hunt, would be at the top of our leader board for Most Years of Service. With 40 years (and counting!) under his belt, the only person who can claim to have worked here any longer is our Chairman, Smedes. Willie proudly tells us he has worked for Mr. Willie York, Mr. Smedes York, and now Mr. George York.

Willie is a God-fearing man. He is an ordained minister and was a Deacon at Castalia Missionary Baptist Church where Reverend Victor Fenner now presides. He has been married for 32 years and has a daughter living in Raleigh with a grandbaby on the way.

He was born in Louisburg and ended up in Raleigh because his cousin, who lived in the area, secured him a job on the Bloomsbury team. As the years passed, Willie was promoted from Landscape Maintenance Tech to Supervisor, then Project Supervisor, Crew Leader, and now Production Manager. He spends most of his time out in the field making sure our crews have what they need, trouble-shooting, and helping out where he can. Willie says he enjoys the outdoors, meeting new clients, and pleasing our existing clients. He always tells his guys, “Your work is a reflection of you. Treat people the way you want to be treated, show respect and have a good attitude.”

Willie says he truly appreciates the employees that they have on the Bloomsbury crews right now. He says they are good people and they make good teams.

We are thankful to have Willie as part of the York family!