John is Senior Vice President of
Morguard Management Company Inc. responsible for Morguard's U.S.
Operations. He oversees Morguard’s residential and commercial
holdings, including responsibilities over property management,
asset management, operations, acquisitions, development and
construction. John began his career at Morguard in 2006 as Vice
President Residential of Morguard's U.S. portfolio. He started his
career in real estate in 1997, working on his own multi-family
residential projects. He formally began his career in the
profession in 2001, working with Trammell Crow Residential. John
holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University in industrial
engineering/technology and an MBA from Tulane University's A.B.
Freeman School of Business. John is a Member of AFIRE, National
Multifamily Housing Council, The International Council of Shopping
Centers, and The National Apartment Association.
Kevin Paustian, Associate Vice
President
Kevin joined Morguard Management
Company in 2014 and is the Associate Vice President for Morguard
Management Company Inc. He is responsible for Morguard's U.S.
residential’s portfolio; including property management, asset
management, operations, maintenance, lease-ups, marketing,
acquisitions & dispositions. He started his career in real estate
in 2005, working as a Project Manager for Bay Communities. He also
spent eight years with FirstService Residential, where he held
several positions including Regional Manager for the Florida
portfolio. Kevin holds a bachelor's degree from Florida State
University and is a Member of the National Apartment
Association.
Dara May, Director of Human
Resources
Dara is the head of Morguard’s Human
Resources department. She began her career in the multifamily
industry with Morguard in 2014, having served in a variety of roles
within the HR team. As a seasoned leader and respected authority on
employee relations and compliance, she also leads the overall
performance management, recruiting, payroll, and benefits
strategies for Morguard. Prior to finding her home in the
multifamily industry with Morguard, she started her career in Human
Resources over 20 years ago, and has worked in a variety of
industries including construction, home health care, staffing, and
wireless networks. Dara holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from
Florida International University and is a member of the Society for
Human Resource Management.
Bryan Middleton, Director of
Maintenance
Bryan joined Morguard Management
Company in 2014 and is the Director of Maintenance. He is
responsible for capital budgeting and project management, training
and development, standardization of maintenance operations,
emergency preparedness and response, and health and safety
programs. After serving in the U.S. Army, Bryan began his career in
property management in 2010 as a groundskeeper. Since joining
Morguard, he has held every role within the maintenance department.
Bryan holds board certified designations in both Indoor Air Quality
Management and Emergency Operations Professional through the
American Council for Accredited Certification, along with an Air
Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology Residential
Advanced Certification from Wake Technical Community College. Bryan
is a member of the American Council for Accredited Certification,
the National Apartment Association, and has served on the
Maintenance Council for the Southeast Florida Apartment
Association. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s Degree in
Business Administration and pursuing his Master’s in Corporate
Finance from Southern New Hampshire University.
Laura Echar Morris, Senior Regional
Manager
Laura is a Senior Regional Manager
for Morguard Management Company’s residential portfolio and is
responsible for the overall residential operations for her regions.
Laura started her career in real estate in 1991, working in
residential leasing and property management, joining Morguard in
2004 as a Community Manager. Laura understands what drives business
forward and is a powerful force in the workplace, using her
positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to
succeed. Laura is a Certified Apartment Manager, holding a CAM
designation and has won several awards over the course of her
career. She was recognized as a Morguard Keeper of the Flame in
2019, a prestigious award for exceeding performance expectations
and delivering superior service.
Samantha Heckert, Senior Regional
Manager
Samantha is a Senior Regional Manager
for Morguard Management Company’s residential portfolio and is
responsible for the overall residential and mixed-use operations
for her regions. Samantha started her career in real estate in 2003
as a residential leasing consultant. After a cross-country move,
she spent 6 years working for Fairfield Residential in the Southern
California market in various positions of growth. While in
California, Samantha served as the as the Chair for the SDCAA
Rental Owner Publication and was nominated for and won several
company and industry awards. After returning to Chicago, Samantha
spent time working as Regional Manager for IRT Residential,
overseeing their Midwest portfolio and as the Director of Leasing
and Portfolio Management for Mac Properties. Samantha attended
Clarke University in Iowa, is an Illinois Licensed Leasing Agent
and a member of the National Apartment Association. She was
recognized as a Morguard Keeper of the Flame in 2022, a prestigious
award for exceeding performance expectations and providing
exceptional leadership.
Jonathan Jones, Regional Manager - South
Florida & Tampa
Jonathan serves as Regional Manager
of Morguard Management Company’s portfolio of residential
communities in South Florida and Tampa Regions. Jonathan began his
career in multi-family with Morguard in 2005 has held multiple
roles within the organization including Leasing Consultant, Leasing
Manager, Community Manager, Multi-Family Trainer and District
Manager before being promoted to Regional Manager. Over his career,
Jonathan has overseen residential assets in Alabama, Colorado,
Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, South Florida and Tampa.
Jonathan is a model of consistency and a strong protagonist of
Morguard Culture. He is a Certified Apartment Manager, holding a
CAM designation and has received multiple awards over his career
including Morguard’s prestigious Keeper of the Flame award in
2022.
