Student Housing Matters Podcast - Join The Conversation

Today we explore the profound impact of on-campus housing on student recruitment and retention. In this episode, we sit down with Gray Bekurs, VP of Business Development at COCM, to discuss: • How on-campus housing influences a prospective student's decision to attend a particular university. • Innovative strategies COCM has implemented to make on-campus housing more appealing to new students. • The relationship between quality student housing and student retention rates. Specific features or amenities in student housing that have been shown to positively impact student retention. • COCM's approach to addressing the unique housing needs of different campuses and student populations. Gray Bekurs brings a wealth of experience and insights into how well-managed student housing can foster a supportive and thriving academic community. Tune in to gain valuable knowledge on enhancing student satisfaction and boosting retention through strategic housing solutions.

In this episode, we’re chatting with Liz Toombs of PDR Interiors, about her experience in transforming student housing spaces into havens of mental well-being. Liz, a Certified Interior Decorator, has channeled her expertise into creating spaces that not only look beautiful but also promote mental health across numerous campuses. Her work, recognized by major media outlets, reflects a commitment to nurturing environments where students can thrive. Beyond her design achievements, Liz's dedication to community and empowerment, seen through her philanthropic efforts and mentorship programs, underscores the importance of supportive spaces in fostering holistic wellness. Join us as we explore how Liz Toombs crafts more than interiors; she designs sanctuaries for the mind.

I've always enjoyed the collaborative team aspect and problem-solving with clients,” - Stephanie Lachina Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." On this episode of "Student Housing Matters," Emily Hill, COCM Corporate Accountant, and Stephanie Lachina, COCM Financial Reporting Accountant, sit down to discuss the integral role financial reporting plays in the student housing industry and how the financial services at COCM have evolved over the years.  Emily and Stephanie delve into the various types of financial reports provided to clients and owners and how the financial reporting at COCM has changed over the years in order to meet each client's specific needs. Plus, how financial reporting services, and audit assistance have helped COCM's clients. Listen in to learn about the role of financial reporting in the student housing industry and the crucial role it plays in fostering problem-solving for the site d

"I think that the important part is making sure that we have a variety of voices at the table... looking at what their concerns are and their perspective. That's going to be important as the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) task force moves forward," - Kern Williams Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." College campuses are the pulse of the political landscape, and it's crucial to engage the right people in the conversations to incite change. On this episode of "Student Housing Matters," Dr. Mecca Marsh, Corporate Support Specialist for COCM sits down with Corey Reedy, Vice President of Operations, and Kern Williams Regional Vice President to introduce and discuss the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) task force at COCM. They share how the task force came to be at COCM and the significance of having a variety of voices and perspectives addressing the unique needs and experiences of ALL individuals. Liste

“Housing is a critical activity that relates directly to the status of the university, and if it's not healthy, the rest of the institution is not either,” - Doug Brown, President, COCM Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." On this episode of "Student Housing Matters," Gray Bekurs, Vice President of Business Development sits down with Doug Brown, President of  Capstone On-Campus Management (COCM) to discuss COCM’s implementation of the Student Housing Calculator for use in forecasting housing demand based on historical data and enrollment trends The conversation explores how and why the Student Housing Calculator was created, how the calculator simplifies what seems like a complex problem, and the importance of understanding the critical parameters necessary for filling housing relative to enrollment. Listen in as Doug shares interesting stories related to the use of the Student Housing Calculator, the outcomes

"Strike up conversations with everyone you possibly can while you're at conferences, you never know what threads will come from them. Thank you, Doug, for talking with me on a bus ride, oh, so many years ago. And [to COCM] for being such engaged participants in addressing leadership issues for the fellows," - Dr. Sharon McDade Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Alton Irwin, Director, and Chief Marketing Officer at COCM, sits down with Dr. Sharon McDade to discuss her involvement with COCM and the Fellows Program of the American Council on Education (ACE). Dr. Sharon A. McDade, a seasoned higher education leader, is the senior executive leadership and search consultant with Greenwood Asher & Associates' leadership and strategic services, specializing in searches for educational leaders and organizational development. With an illustrious background, Dr. McDade's

What makes a Director of Facilities successful in leading their maintenance team? It’s more than just showing up and doing the job. And it’s more than just taking good care of the facility. Success comes from taking care of the students and staff as well, building relationships with them as people to make sure they have what they need to thrive. Chris Adams is Director of Facilities for The Village at the University of South Florida, Chanal Alford (better known as Al) is Director of Facilities for Millennium Hall at Towson University, and Hermond Lawson serves as Assistant Director of Facilities for Walker Avenue Apartments at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Hermond, Chris and Al join host Jeremy Steed to explain how they got their start in facilities maintenance at COCM and share their experiences working at different sites in multiple roles. Hermond, Chris and Al discuss how campus maintenance has evolved since the 2000s, describing why ongoing train

"The great thing about Capstone is it gives you the ability to get some skills that you wouldn't have, otherwise, for years. Especially because in housing, it's not like you're back in the office somewhere, just pushing paper; you're right there on the frontline with students," - Patrick Savolskis Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Alton Irwin, Director, and Chief Marketing Officer at COCM, sits down with Patrick Savolskis, one of the very early employees of COCM. Patrick Savolskis is the Executive Director Purchase College Association at SUNY-Purchase. He has over twenty years of success both in higher education and private industry. Patrick spent five years in the privatized student housing market managing properties and working with development teams for new construction and turning around failing properties by building a solid staff and focusing on what was imp

"I've really enjoyed working with Capstone. Capstone is truly a learning organization, and our relationship has evolved over time. I've never doubted that we had their attention. I appreciate that commitment to the project and making sure the resident life experience is where it needs to be," - George Frasier, Green River College Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Masha Sapper, SVP of Business Services at COCM, sits down with George Frasier of Green River College.  George Frasier is the Vice President for College Advancement and Executive Director of Green River College Foundation. George is a non-profit executive and development professional with 28 years of experience and is passionate about supporting the educational dreams and aspirations of Green River Community College students. George discusses his role at the Green River and the college's focus on meeting st

"It was just this juxtaposition of people from very different places with their heads down working on stuff. And I thought, you know, this is going to work, and it's going to work well. And everything that we couldn't have hoped for, and more has happened. And I'm very appreciative." - Sheri Stoll Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Alton Irwin, Director, and Chief Marketing Officer at COCM, sits down with Sheri Stoll of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, one of Capstone's esteemed long-time clients.  Sheridan (Sheri) Stollis the Vice President for Finance and CFO at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). With a background in public higher education, she previously held positions at Kent State and Northeast Ohio Medical University. With over 16 years of experience at BGSU, Sheri has played a vital role in the university's financial management and strategic decis

"COCM is receptive to hearing from their team. So…speak up if there's something that you need or have feedback on. Most people are really willing to listen and work with you to help create something better."— Dr. Amy Lorenz Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future." On this episode of Student Housing Matters. Alton C. Irwin, Director, and Chief Marketing Officer at COCM, sits down with Dr. Amy Lorenz, former COCM student housing professional and current Director of Residence Life at the University of North Florida. Dr. Amy Lorenz is a highly experienced professional in the field of student housing. In her current role at the University of North Florida, she oversees the residence life team, including the Assistant Directors of Residence Life and the Residence Life Coordinator of Educational Initiatives. As a valued member of the Housing and Residence Life Senior Leadership team, Amy brings a wealth of expertise

"You've got something unique here with COCM with so many different types of schools. One of the things I loved about COCM is the ability to move on within the company and grow and progress. I would really encourage people to do that as much as possible. It's really worth it,"— Erik Elordi Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "honoring the past, celebrating the present, and building the future."  On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Alton C. Irwin, Director and Chief Marketing Officer at COCM, sits down with Erik Elordi, a former COCM staff member and now the Director of Campus Services at the University of Idaho. Erik shares his journey of how he came to work with Capstone On-Campus Management (COCM), his initial hesitation in working for a third-party company, and the story of what made him decide to apply. He discusses his various roles within the company, the challenges he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how he utilized his skills in different ways to support th

"I may not have direct contact with our clients and owners and residents, but when I can fix a problem, or solve an issue for someone, that's what gives me satisfaction every day," — Tamiko Thompson  Join us as we celebrate COCM's 20th anniversary with the theme "honoring the past, celebrating the present, and building the future." On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Kern Williams, COCM's Regional Vice President, sits down with Tamiko Thompson, Accounts Payable Manager, who has been with COCM since March 1997. Tamiko shares the story of her unexpected hiring at COCM and her initial impression of the company. Then she reflects on the evolution and remarkable changes she has witnessed over the years, with a focus on the transformative impact of technology on the accounts payable process. Gain valuable insights from Tamiko's extensive experience as she shares the essential role of remarkable service, the unwavering commitment to excellence in student housing management, and her anticipation for wha

In this episode of the Student Housing Matters Podcast, host Alton Irwin, Chief Marketing Officer COCM, celebrates the 20th anniversary of Capstone On-Campus Management by looking back at the company's early days. He is joined by three longtime employees of COCM:  Doug Brown is the President and Founder of COCM. Doug's passion for higher education and dedication to fostering partnerships have been instrumental in shaping COCM's success. His visionary leadership has led the company to become a leader in managing student housing, challenging industry norms, and setting new standards along the way.  Michelle Smith, the Regional Vice President at COCM, drives growth and exceeds expectations through exceptional leadership. With a talent for building strong university relationships and mentoring her team, Michelle's contributions have made a lasting impact on the student housing industry. Marsha Sapper, the Senior Vice President for Business Systems at COCM, brings extensive expertise and invaluable insights t

For Maria Saad, of the COCM team providing guidance and making a positive impact on students' lives is not just a job—it's a passion. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Maria sits down to share her insights on the student housing industry. As someone who believes that 'it's more of a learning experience for the students,' Maria shares why she ‘is passionate about providing guidance and making a positive impact on student's lives and why, for her, 'it's all about the experience' and 'making that connection' with students. In this episode, Maria takes us on a journey through her experiences from her multifamily background to her current role at CSCM. We discuss the challenges facing the industry today and Maria shares her wisdom on how to create a successful student housing experience that goes beyond the classroom and the importance of providing guidance and teaching moments for students who are living on their own for the first time. Maria also shares her experience attending Lease Con and the

“It's been an interesting, interesting time since early spring of 2020. And I think what we have learned are some lessons about how we can better provide service for both our students and our employees… Those folks on the front line really are the key to our success. We know that, and we're going to work really hard to make sure they understand that we understand that.” —Jeremy Biddy Jeremy Biddy is the new Executive Vice President of Operations at COCM. He began his professional career working to prevent shoplifting at Kmart before transitioning to an opportunity in student housing at Spring Hill College in July of 2002. In 2008, Jeremy joined the team at COCM, where he has served as Site Director, Regional Manager, Regional Vice President and Senior Vice President of Operations. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Jeremy joins host Alton Irwin to share his journey from Kmart to COCM, discussing some of his mentors in student housing and what they taught him about putting students and staff first. Je

"I think I'm the proudest of how much growth we've had. By expanding, we got to get on so many different diverse campuses. And we get to meet so many different administrators in the business of student housing, and that gives you the opportunity to provide jobs for folks, which gave me all the interactions I've had with the incredible employees we've had through the years." — Sandy Hill Sandy Hill  began her career in student housing as a desk attendant in 1979 and has served as the Executive Vice President of Operations at COCM since 2003. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Sandy joins host Alton Irwin to discuss how she came to COCM. We'll discuss her years with student housing, beginning as a desk attendant to the famous student she acted as a residence assistant for and her transition to COCM in 2003. Sandy will share the highlights of her career and the most memorable figures she met along the way. Listen in as she reflects on her years in student housing, her more memorable mentors along the wa

Web3 is coming and it will revolutionize the internet and how we transact business in all aspects of our lives. In the student housing arena, technologies like blockchain and smart contracts can offer digital credentialing, making the real estate process faster, more efficient, and even more secure. But, like with all new technologies, many new terminologies are being bandied about, with more questions than answers. So how can we begin to understand these technologies and how they will be employed in student housing? Michael Huereque is an entrepreneur with unique experiences in traditional and non-traditional media and marketing. As the founder and former executive vice president at Agency Fifty3, Michael managed marketing services for over 1000 communities and helped the agency bring home 68 awards and six years, including being voted a top place to work. For the last two years, Michael has switched gears, taking a deep dive into studying Web3 and how it will drastically change the way we do business in the

Sexism, racism, and economic and educational inequality are just some of the significant challenges and barriers women face today. There are gender injustices everywhere, and women often struggle to make their voices heard. So, what can student housing organizations do to make gender equality a priority? Hannah Mountford serves as the Director of Facilities and Operations at Roundtree commons. As a hard-working team player, she takes great pride in her master’s degree focused on Counseling Education with an emphasis on Student Affairs from Mississippi State University. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Hannah joins host Brittany Pieper to discuss why she chose COCM, the importance behind her position within the Women's Alliance, and the impact the Women's Alliance has on the student housing industry. Hannah shares several examples of how the Women's Alliance is creating a safe space for members of COCM to share concerns, network, and champion one another. Listen in for Hannah's insight on how the Wo

It’s one thing to see photos or even watch a two-dimensional video of a student housing complex you’re interested in. But what if you could experience what it’s like to walk around the apartment, sit by the pool and even play cornhole with other students on the property—from anywhere in the world? Or even well before the property is built? Rami Kalla is Founder of Point in Time Studios, an award-winning video production company and marketing firm that creates engaging content, photo-realistic renderings and VR tours for several well-known brands in the student housing space. With a goal to help clients maximize their content across all channels and put more heads in beds, Rami and his team have helped clients successfully recruit and retain students year after year. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Rami joins host Brittany Oliver to explore how immersive marketing takes people to another world and explain why it’s a game changer for marketing in the student housing space. Rami discusses the future