Amy Rogers, Senior Property Manager, York Properties

Meet Our People

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!

Meet Our People

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!

Meet Our People

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!

Three Cheers for Officer Banks

York Security’s Senior Officer Shawn Banks has been quietly supporting youth in the Raleigh area for years now, and he has no plans to slow down.  Officer Banks is the owner, head coach, marketing manager, procurer of funding, emergency transportation provider, team psychologist, and more, for a youth basketball program called Team Raleigh.

The program is a registered member of the AAU Basketball League (one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the US).  It provides a space for youth to play basketball in the off-season, continue to develop their skills, and even compete in high-profile tournaments.  You can hear the pride in Shawn’s voice when he talks about “his kids,” rattling off names of youth who have moved through his program and on to college teams.  He says that recruiting isn’t too difficult, as he uses word-of-mouth and seeks referrals from existing players to fill spaces when the older kids move on.  He holds try-outs just like any other sports program would, and when their season is in swing he schedules practices twice a week to help them get ready for tournaments.  Last year, his teams played in 17 tournaments!

   

In addition to devoting a great deal of his time to this program, Officer Banks invests a lot of his own money as well.  Just like other AAU teams there is a fee to join. Shawn makes it clear, however, that he doesn’t want cost to prevent an interested youth from participating. Instead of requiring a lump-sum payment up front he actively works with families on monthly payment schedules. And he tells us that he purposefully ensures that his team’s fees are lower than most other AAU teams.  So far he has been able to supplement player’s fees with private donations, most of which come from family members of the team.  Recently however he has begun working on creating sponsorship opportunities for companies in an effort to help cover costs for things like practice facilities, jerseys, and traveling to tournaments.

We are incredibly proud of Officer Banks and his involvement in our community!

Raleigh Union Station Hosts Saint Mary’s Prom

Raleigh Union Station looks forward to hosting the students of Saint Mary’s School for their Junior-Senior prom this Saturday! The lofty ceilings and unique atmosphere of Raleigh Union Station combined with the exciting sounds of The Soul Psychedelique Orchestra are sure to produce an evening to be remembered! Vendors include Table of Contents NC, Curated Events Raleigh (CE Rental), and Catering by Design.

For information about how to plan your next event, get in touch with Raleigh Union Station.

Meet Our People

Accounting Manager, Ryan Beacham, joined York Properties in 2015 and has been busy ever since building tools to help create efficiencies, managing a team of accountants, and keeping a whole list of properties going strong. He is a University of Maryland alumni, having graduated with a degree in accounting and business administration.

Ryan’s family is originally from the Triangle, but he has spent most of his life in the DC/Baltimore metro area. He moved down to Harnett County eight years ago because he really loved the area and wasn’t much of a big city person.

When he’s not in the office Ryan enjoys camping, shooting, yard work, and anything that gets him outdoors. He also volunteers his time handling finance work for his church, Buies Creek First Baptist.

Ryan believes in putting everything you’ve got into whatever you do. Do it right, or don’t do it at all. He says he enjoys working with York because of the people. “We have a phenomenal team of really great people. I’ve had the pleasure to work with some outstanding clients, as well, that I’ve really built solid relationships with over the years.”

We are fortunate to have him on our team!

Meet Our People

Skipper Day is a Raleigh native – born in the old Rex Hospital at Wade Ave and St. Mary’s Street. He has been with the York brokerage team since 2012 and has over 37 years of commercial real estate consulting experience. Prior to joining the company, Skipper was with Cushman & Wakefield. He received the REDY Award in 1998 for the top office deal in the Triangle (124,000 SF) and received the REDY award in 2000 for the second top office deal (113,000 SF). Skipper enjoys assisting both entrepreneurial clients who may be just starting their business as well as established corporate clients.

In his downtime, you can find Skipper on the golf course, enjoying time on the lake with family, or doing volunteer projects with one of the several organizations he is involved with. A few of these include Hayes Barton Baptist Church, First Tee – Triangle, and NC State Alumni Association. His wife, Barbara, is an NCSU engineering graduate and was a cheerleader when State won the ’84 NCAA basketball championship. Their two sons, Chad and Wilson, both attended NCSU and were members of the men’s golf team. We are pretty sure that family’s blood runs red AND white.

When asked about his job, Skipper says:

My time at York has come full circle. When I was about to graduate from college and starting to explore the commercial real estate field, I had a meeting with Smedes and his father in “the cave” (for non-York employees, “the cave” is our affectionate name for the old office that used to be where the Village District Rite Aid currently resides). I was a nervous 21-year-old sitting across the table from these two accomplished gentlemen. Things did not initially work out and there is usually a reason when that happens. I feel very blessed that the opportunity opened up in 2012 to join the York team.

Coming from a corporate real estate firm to a local family-owned firm has been very refreshing. The opportunity to interact with all the York employees through the various company functions and the volunteer services within the community that York is involved with has been great. The depth of experience and knowledge amongst our brokerage team is hard to come by.

We are so happy to have Skipper on our team!

Alison Lipschitz, Association Manager, York Properties

Meet Our People

Alison Lipschitz is from Long Island, NY, and grew up in Massapequa. Because of relatives already living in North Carolina, when her own family was looking to move, NC was their first choice. She says that they chose Wake County specifically because of the great schools.

Alison has been married for 23 years and has 2 kids – one at Syracuse University obtaining her master’s degree and one attending Appalachian State University. She joined York as an Association Manager in 2021 and manages a portfolio of condominium, townhome, and single-family homeowners’ associations throughout the Triangle. She is working on getting her Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation – the highest professional recognition available nationwide to managers who specialize in community association management.

Alison got into the HOA business by accident, but she says it was a good fit because she truly enjoys helping people and solving problems. It is never dull and there is always something new to learn. She says she “enjoys working at York because of (her) coworkers. They are all just amazing and always ready to pitch in and help out.”

Thank you Alison for all your hard work!

York Divisions Come Together for the Holidays

Holiday brunch with all of our employees is something we look forward to each year! It’s a time when all divisions come together under one roof to celebrate.  Since we weren’t able to host the event last year, this one was extra special. George York presented service recognition awards for both 2020 and 2021.

****2020 Awards****

25 YEARS of Service – Lyle Wilkinson
15 YEARS of Service – Robert Howell, Jose Romero
10 YEARS of Service – Amy Rogers
5 YEARS of Service – Ryan Beacham, June Wright, Pablo Peralta, Randy Sichterman, Carlos Ruiz Del Cid, Jose Sanchez and Eladji Lambongo

****2021 Awards****

40 YEARS of Service – Willie Hunt
35 YEARS of Service – Mike McCormick
30 YEARS of Service – Kenneth I’ve
25 YEARS of Service – Kathy Decker
20 YEARS of Service – Shelton Griffin
15 YEARS of Service – Pablo Turcios
10 YEARS of Service – Jose Alvarez Estrada
5 YEARS of Service – Haley Day, Shawn Banks, Alita Copney, William Williams, Gardenia Buendia, Joshua Lee, Preston Parker and Fred Rodriguez

Thanks to all of our employees for your hard work, dedication and loyalty!

Meet Our People

Lieutenant Stallings-Acres is from Rocky Mount, NC.  She moved to Raleigh 14 years ago and began working as a Correctional Officer within the prison system. Three years ago, she came to work for York Security. She started as an on-call Security Officer, gradually working her way up to Sergeant, and then Lieutenant. She is now responsible for training all of our new field officers and tells us, believe it or not, it is sometimes easier to train someone with no security experience at all than someone coming to the company with a background in security.

Lieutenant Stallings-Acres says it is important to her to keep up a positive image and be a role model for the junior staff and officers.  She says she has benefited from lots of support from upper management and she wants to do the same for others. She tells people, “I have an open door policy. You can talk to me about anything.”

In her downtime, Lieutenant Stallings-Acres enjoys spending time with her family, shopping, and traveling.

We are so glad to have Lieutenant Stallings-Acres on our Team!