Meet Our People

Thomas Hester is a bona fide Raleigh native. He is an App State graduate who joined the York brokerage team seven years ago after stints teaching high school civics in upstate France, working off-Broadway at Tweetsie Railroad, and walking the streets as an analyst for the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. Thomas specializes in retail properties and strategic redevelopment in Raleigh, the Triangle, and throughout the state.

You may spot Thomas and his wife, Caity, around town riding their bikes on the greenway, running with their two dogs in nearby Dix Park, or breaking it down at their favorite local concert venue.

Thomas says, “Working at York is truly a privilege. The depth of experience on our team is unmatched in the market. There’s no way to replicate the institutional knowledge that York has earned over the past century as the firm has helped to build Raleigh into what it is today. A wise broker once told me ‘the best fertilizer for a piece of property is the owner’s [agent’s] boot prints,’ and that full-service mentality is what drives me to do the extraordinary things that I do here at York Properties.”

We are so happy to have Thomas here!

Meet Our People

Security Officer Agartha Owusu is originally from Ghana in West Africa and she has lived in North Carolina since 1994. She was in Connecticut for several years prior to NC, but says that she had to “run away” from the snow up there.  We are so glad she did!

Officer Owusu has three kids – the youngest is going off to college next year. She is someone who likes to work and is respectful of others. She enjoys smiling and believes that you always have to do your best. Officer Owusu tells us, “Always be on time. Always show up. Always set an example for others. Responsibility is the most important thing.” We know that she lives by this mantra because we see it in her work ethic and dedication to the company.

Officer Owusu says she appreciates how well-organized the York management team is and how much they respect their employees.

Thank you Officer Owusu for all you do!

Meet Our People

Haley Day started working at York in 2016 as an HR Intern. She was brought on as a full-time employee the following year, acting as Accounting and HR Assistant, and then transitioned to HR Coordinator in 2019.

“Weirdly enough,” Haley says, “the accounting background helps me do my HR job 100% better. Experience in both helped me to see how the company works as a whole instead of just from one division/viewpoint.”

Haley enjoys playing tennis with her husband and hanging out with her 4-month old chocolate lab puppy, Dudley. She volunteers at her church, Hayes Barton Baptist, by keeping the nursery during service. Haley and her husband are expecting a baby girl to arrive in early October!

When asked about working in the office, Haley says, “I love working at York because it feels less like a corporate office and more like a combination of family and friends that happen to work together. While HR can be challenging at times, I love that it provides me with the ability to get to know every employee across all of our divisions. We have such a diverse employee base and some truly wonderful employees.”

We are happy to have Haley on our team!

Meet Our People

Payne Eller joined us in 2017 as an Association Manager. He handles a large portfolio of condominium, townhome, and single-family homeowners’ associations throughout the Triangle.

Payne is a Raleigh native and graduate of East Carolina University. He is a great communicator and enjoys project management.

Payne volunteers at Broughton High School doing small repairs to the baseball facility, as well as coaching at the annual Blayne Brown Baseball Camp at Broughton.

When asked about his job, Payne says, “I enjoy working at York Properties because I am surrounded by honest and hard-working people.  Everyone at York works as a team and I truly feel like I am surrounded by family.”

We are so happy to have Payne here!

Meet Our People

Patty Friedman is the newest member of our Property Management team. She moved to the Triangle from Denver, Colorado (where she worked in commercial real estate) in January of 2020 and came to work for us in an administrative position. Fast-forward 18 months later, Patty now holds a North Carolina Real Estate License and works with a portfolio of properties, including Capital Apartments, Transfer Food Hall, and Greystone Shopping Center.

Patty enjoys volunteering with the North Carolina Museum of Art and the American Red Cross. She loves to cook, travel, and enjoy the arts. One of her favorite quotes is, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”

When asked about her job, Patty says, “I love and am proud of working at York. Everyone is truly a team and we enjoy each other. It is a wonderful work environment. What I enjoy about property management is the challenge of solving problems and working with people. Every day brings something new.”

We are so happy to have Patty here!

Meet Our People

Gardenia joined York in 2016 as an assistant to the Marketing Department. She is now Senior Marketing Specialist and a licensed North Carolina Real Estate Broker. She works closely with our Retail team, representing Landlords and Tenants in the Triangle market.
Gardenia is a skilled communicator, fluent in both Spanish and English. She has a degree in marketing from North Carolina State University and is a notary public.
When asked what she enjoys about her job she says:

 

“My favorite aspect of working at York Properties is that I am surrounded by honest, supportive, highly driven, and successful people who genuinely care about those they work with and the community in which they live.”

Meet our People

Meet Taylor Turner, Property Manager with York since 2016.

 

My favorite aspect of York Properties is the people. Everyone here genuinely cares for one another and it is that familial environment that makes me excited to come to work every day.