What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?
CPFM, Campus Planning Office
What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?
I am the Real Estate Property and Leasing Specialist. I oversee and manage off-campus leased buildings for university purposes, as well as track all leases that are both on and off campus. I also manage real property taxes for all UO owned properties, including the management of real property tax exemptions for leased off-campus locations. I serve as a resource to others regarding work, activities, and processes related to these properties. I am also the direct liaison between the university and the owners of the leased properties.
What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?
My first experience in property management was when I worked for a low-income property management company for 12 years. I had the opportunity to work with agencies such as HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) and Rural Development (part of the US Department of Agriculture), and with programs such as the low-income housing tax credit program (LIHTC). I became certified and was an occupancy compliance manager; I also managed budgets for several of these locations.
The property management company I worked for managed about 55 apartment complexes throughout Oregon, on behalf of private and public owners. Tenants had to qualify for rent credit and that was based on income per number of household members. Program requirements were different depending on the type of agency that helped with the funding, as it included federal funding. I also had to follow certain criteria and guidelines when working on budgets for each of the complexes and when I requested the use of special funds for construction projects. This work was very enlightening. I learned so much, and I was able to be a part of some amazing projects and work with a lot of great people.
After that, I worked for a title and escrow company and learned a lot about the process of loans and helping folks to be able to purchase or sell property. At the end of 2014, I applied for a position in the Campus Planning office, which led me to the great opportunity I am in now.
What do you like about your current position?
I really enjoy the interactions I have with the folks across the campus portfolio, as well as with those in CPFM. I have the opportunity to work with people from outside the UO, such as the owners of properties that UO leases from, people who lease space from UO, and folks throughout city and government offices. I like that each day is different, and I can’t always anticipate what is going to happen.
Share a little about yourself personally:
My husband and I have been married for 15 years, and we have two wonderful daughters. In the picture at the top is my husband Steve, and my daughters Kaylin and Khloe. We enjoy spending time out on our property and always seem to have a project we are working on. We have a mini-farm, a big garden, two dogs, and a cat. We also like going out to the woods and spending time getting fresh air, watching movies, and enjoying some good Thai food from a local restaurant or goodies from the local bakery every now and then.
(May 2022)