Celebrating Katrina! "My passion is mentoring others."

Describe your role at Bellwether.

I oversee daily operations of a Portfolio of Affordable Housing Apartments. I have 8 buildings in my group along with several commercial spaces.

What do you find most meaningful about your work?

What I find most meaningful is seeing the smiles and hearing “thank you” from the families that we serve. When we do tenant events where we hand out school supplies and a parent comes to you with tears in their eyes expressing gratitude because they didn’t have enough money to buy supplies that makes it all worthwhile. My passion is mentoring others and sharing experiences that was done with me. Over the years I have been able to work my way up from a temp leasing agent to where I’m at today.

Tell us about a woman that you admire or are inspired by (past or present).

The woman that inspired and mentored me was Judy who was my Senior Manager in conventional market rate housing. As I started this career as a leasing agent, I would be intimidated by her during site visits or training. During the 10 years Judy and I worked together, she showed me how to work with vendors and maintain lasting relationships. She elevated my confidence when dealing with residents with effective communication. She also reminded me that people are the same as I am and I should never be scared of other individuals. She would always say, “They put their pants on the same way as you do, one leg at a time!” I still stay in touch with Judy to this day as she relaxes by her pool in sunny Arizona.

What Colleagues Say:

“I’ve really admired the way Katrina’s able to handle very difficult, delicate situations with grace, ease and humor. She is a leader who is open, fair, and honest. Her ability to balance her job with family is amazing. “