Senior Association Manager Virginia Davis is a treasure to our Association Management division!

Born and raised in western North Carolina, Virginia moved to the Triangle area during her college years when she transferred from Appalachian State University to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She graduated from UNC in 1986 with a degree in journalism and worked in several different industries before entering the real estate world.

In 2004 Virginia began her career here at York, starting out in our Commercial Management division but later shifting to Association Management. Her problem-solving skills have come in handy over the years and she supports the entire team with her experience and understanding. Virginia says she enjoys the opportunity to teach others what she’s learned during her nearly 20-year tenure.

Over the years Virginia has managed to maintain a broad portfolio of properties (condominiums, townhomes, and neighborhood developments) while continuing to stay abreast of the latest laws and regulations. She joined the Community Association Institute in 2007 and served on the Legislative Action Committee from 2010 – 2022. In 2015 she received her Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation, the highest association manager recognition nationwide.

Outside of the office, Virginia puts a priority on her family, regularly traveling to western North Carolina to look after her mother. She is also an animal lover and has two dogs and one cat at home. She tells us she would love to rescue more critters in the future.

We are extremely proud of all that Virginia has accomplished and look forward to her NEXT 20 years at York!

We are delighted to announce that Patty Friedman has just received her Certified Property Manager (CPM) certificate.

To achieve this premier designation, candidates must pass about 10 required courses given by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), including marketing, human resources, asset management, and ethics. Then, candidates are required to complete a management plan on a subject building and pass a 150-question exam covering all the courses.

Patty has dedicated many hours of hard work, studying, and testing to earn her CPM and it is a testament to her commitment to excellence in the property management industry, as well as a rewarding professional achievement.

Congratulations, Patty, on this well-deserved achievement!

From the town of Bunn, where she lives, to the Oak City and beyond, our Corporate Accountant, Rachel Vorys, is a shining leader. Born just south of Buffalo, NY, Rachel moved to Raleigh, NC, with her family at the age of 6 and has stayed near the Triangle area ever since.

Rachel and her husband of 21 years, Tom, live with their two children – Thomas (22) and Lily (18) – and one granddaughter – Maelynn (3). On any given weekend, you can find Rachel wandering around Chris’ Green House, finding new plants to put in her garden, and perusing the treasures at SuzAnna’s Antiques in Rolesville. She enjoys local eats with her family at the Farmer’s Kitchen or Levi’s Soul Café, but her favorite thing to do is go to Clifton Pond to hike, meditate, or paddle board around the ponds and streams.

Before joining York, Rachel had experience with bookkeeping and accounts payables and receivables for a local real estate firm. She says that what feels like 10 minutes has now become 10 years at York. During that time, Rachel has had many different titles and has become the go-to person for all accounting needs. We consider her the “fixer of things” and “sorter-outer of messes.”

In 2022, Rachel was selected to participate in Leadership Raleigh, a program designed to prepare and connect community leaders and business professionals in the Triangle. As part of the Leadership Raleigh program, she and a group of peers are currently working with the non-profit SAFEchild, whose mission and purpose is to end abuse and neglect for children and families.

While Rachel might not have just one saying or motto, when you chat with her, you are bound to hear something that will make your day brighter. Her pleasant and joyous personality brings smiles and laughs to all the York team.

Thank you, Rachel, for all you do! We are so proud to call you our own!

North Carolina native Stuart Fuller is a treasure to our York Maintenance team.

Born in Henderson, Stuart’s family lived in Benson and Louisburg before making Raleigh their home. He graduated from Millbrook High School in 1982.

Stuart worked with another local real estate firm for almost two decades before joining York Maintenance. He came to our team with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and now serves as the head locksmith of the Maintenance division. Stuart takes joy in the variety of his daily workload. He gives his full self to his work which his team members can attest to.

When Stuart isn’t rekeying or repairing locks, you can find him at home with his wife of 31 years, Jackie Fuller. They have two sons together, Johnny and Nicholas.

Stuart also loves deep sea fishing. His catches include a 29lb Almaco Jack, 26lb King Mackerel, and a 21lb Cobia, but one of his favorite catches was a Triggerfish – a tender white fish perfect for grilling.

The family atmosphere and good relationships are just a few things that Stuart says he appreciates most about working with York. When asked about a life motto, Stuart said that honesty is very important and to “always treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Thank you, Stuart, for your years of commitment and dedication to our clients and the York Maintenance family.

Marketing Specialist, Vicky Eaton, is a Raleigh native with a degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from North Carolina A&T State University.

After graduating from A&T, she spent the next year and a half as a Hostess/Server at the former 18 Seaboard on Peace Street. It was there, while waiting on a table for one of our employees, that Vicky was (unknowingly) earmarked as someone who had exactly the type of personality we were looking for to fill a position within our Marketing department.

As it turned out, she was interested in the opportunity and a few weeks later, she was onboarded as an assistant to our marketing team. Fast-forward 3 years and Vicky is now a Marketing Specialist supporting her own team of four commercial brokers in our office. She is a North Carolina Notary Public and is responsible for our internal company newsletter. Vicky is also a board member for the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation (HSCSC) and Concept Factory.

If you ask her, Vicky will tell you that her passion in life is media and story-telling. She is a photographer, videographer, and graphic designer. She volunteers her time doing videography for Victorious Praise Fellowship Church in Durham. Vicky loves her family – Mom and two brothers (one of them is her twin) – and spends as much time as she can traveling, visiting extended family and friends, shopping, and dining her way through the City of Oaks. As she likes to say, “Life is too short for bland food.”

When asked about her job, Vicky says, “In addition to the work-life balance and amazing, vibrant coworkers, my favorite part of the job is the creative problem-solving element. I enjoy seeing puzzle pieces become a work of art. I enjoy helping others bring things to life and it is a privilege to do so with such an amazing team of people surrounding me daily. My team of brokers bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and connections to the table which makes supporting and learning from them all the more valuable and intriguing.”

North Carolina native Julie Price is a staple here at York.  She was working in an Administrative Assistant role at Lyston Farmer & Associates when the firm was purchased by York in 2000.  Since that time, Julie has been a major part of York’s Association Management division, supporting the property managers with her full dedication.

Outside of the office, Julie loves to read and spend time with her children and husband.  She says she doesn’t like to cook; however, her youngest loves to cook with her and she really enjoys that.

She is a Board Member for her HOA and volunteers with the Durant Road Middle School PTA because she believes schools and parents should always work together in the best interest of children.

When asked about her work life Julie says, “My favorite part is talking to homeowners and helping them solve issues. Well…that and enjoying laughs with my cubicle mate, Beth. I love working for York. It really is like family here. I’ve always felt appreciated & needed. I just want to do the best job I can do and be the best person I can be.”

Thanks, Julie.  We love you too!

Captain Eric Thompson is a North Carolina native and an indispensable part of our Security Team.  He is married with 4 children and 3 grandchildren – all of whom live nearby and visit often.

He is originally from Little Washington and entered the United States Army straight out of high school. There he spent the next 26 years of his life, eventually becoming a member of the 82 Airborne – an elite division that can rapidly deploy in just 18 hours’ notice.  Once out of the military, he completed a police training course, intending to work in the Washington, D.C., area.  Unfortunately, a hiring freeze put an unexpected halt to those pursuits. Instead, Captain Thompson moved back to North Carolina, landing a job managing a warehouse for a furniture company.  He spent several years in the furniture business, shipping and receiving products from High Point to all over the world.  He says that after 9/11, the furniture business began to decline and after seeing an ad for York Security, he made the call.

Captain Thompson started out with York in 2009, filling in for a few days as an on-call security officer.  Not long after, he was asked to step into a role as a nighttime Mobile Supervisor and he has been a full-time employee ever since.  He is one of only a few York officers who is PPSB Certified for both armed and unarmed security.

When asked about his daily routine, Captain Thompson says that, with the exception of working from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, there is no routine. Each day brings something new…alarm calls, break-ins, damage to property. A day that seems like it might be a slow one can turn hectic at the drop of a hat. With his straight-forward and calm demeanor, he doesn’t seem to mind. His favorite part of the job is interacting with our customers and the public.  He tells us that he is always striving to be better, each day. Words to live by!

Having someone as diligent and exceptionally qualified as Captain Thompson helping to lead our Security Team is a gift!  Many thanks to Captain Thompson for all that he does and for his years of loyal service.

Property Manager Amy Rogers has been with the company going on 12 years. She is a North Carolina native, growing up in Robersonville and then moving to Raleigh to attend Peace College. After spending two years at Peace, she then transferred and graduated from NC State with a BS in Business Management with Concentration in Finance.

After graduation, Amy worked for eight years at Highwoods Properties. She resigned just after her twins, Tripp and Caroline (now 14 years old), were born. We asked her how it was that she ended up at York and she told us, “I ran into John Kerr one day when my kids were little and told him that I would eventually like to get back to work and to please keep me in mind if there was ever an opening at York. I got a call the following week and here I am! Wouldn’t change a thing!”

Here at the office, Amy manages a portfolio of some of our highest-profile clients and is loved and respected for her kind but firm approach to property management and her seemingly unflappable roll-with-the-punches attitude. Amy says her favorite things about the job are getting to work with many different people and that each day is unique. While that makes the work day more interesting, it can also make it challenging. In those challenging moments she proudly reports, “The people that I work with are always there to lift me up and support me!”

In her downtime she enjoys playing tennis, reading, and working in the yard. Her family also enjoys camping and hiking together.

When we asked about any words of wisdom she works and lives by, Amy told us she tries to do her best while knowing her limits and managing a good work-life balance. Reasonable expectations and boundaries are a key component of that.

We are thankful that Amy is part of our team and look forward to all she will accomplish in the future!

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!