Multi-Family Grit

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Angie Hug, Executive Vice President of Property Management at Pivotal Housing Partners, for an inspiring conversation about purpose-driven leadership, affordable housing, and building high-performing teams that never lose sight of the people they serve. Listen in to hear Angie:

• Share how an unexpected transition from the restaurant industry led to a 30-year career in multifamily housing—and why she believes affordable housing offers one of the most meaningful, purpose-driven career paths available, with incredible opportunities for growth and impact.
• Break down her leadership philosophy of developing people before processes, including creating career pathways, celebrating team wins, embracing accountability, and removing roadblocks so leaders can focus on empowering their teams instead of simply completing tasks.
• Reflect on the future of affordable housing through thoughtful centralization, stronger resident relationships, and a moving story that reminds us why this work matters—helping families find stability, opportunity, and a place they can truly call home.

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Chris Clemons, an affordable housing leader with nearly two decades of experience, for an inspiring conversation about purpose-driven leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and keeping the human side of affordable housing at the center of every decision. Listen in to hear Chris:

• Share how helping a struggling family secure affordable housing during the Great Recession inspired his career, and why educating both residents and teams has remained central to his mission of serving people beyond policies and procedures
• Break down the importance of cross-department collaboration, preparing teams for evolving compliance requirements like HOTMA, and using AI as a tool to improve efficiency while ensuring human judgment, empathy, and thoughtful decision-making remain at the forefront
• Reflect on why purpose, patience, and genuine care for residents and team members are the foundation of successful affordable housing, sharing powerful stories about building trust, supporting communities through difficult challenges, and creating lasting impact by never losing sight of the families who depend on a safe place to call home

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Rachel Spakes, Affordable Housing Programs Coordinator, leadership coach, and self-described “Department of One,” for an inspiring conversation about human-centered leadership, resident services, and supporting the people behind affordable housing. Listen in to hear Rachel:

• Share her unconventional journey from education and teaching in Japan to creating a first-of-its-kind role in affordable housing, where she helps more than 100 properties navigate resident service requirements while building meaningful support systems for on-site teams.
• Reflect on how the challenges of COVID transformed her focus from compliance alone to employee wellness, leading her to develop trainings, connection initiatives, and practical tools that help property managers navigate stress, isolation, and the realities of multifamily operations.
• Break down why human connection remains irreplaceable in affordable housing, her vision for more flexible and impactful resident service programs, and how empowering managers ultimately creates stronger outcomes for both residents and communities.

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Rebecca Norman, Compliance Manager at an affordable housing property management and development company in Southern California, for an inspiring conversation about growth through risk-taking, leading with empathy, and navigating the ever-evolving affordable housing landscape. Listen in to hear Rebecca:

• Share how she started in property management just months after high school and built a 20+ year career in affordable housing by embracing opportunities others were hesitant to take—from learning project-based Section 8 programs to stepping into compliance leadership without fear 
• Break down the realities of managing layered affordable housing programs, including the challenges of constant regulatory change, supportive housing operations, and why communication, training, and explaining the “why” are essential to keeping teams aligned and successful 
• Reflect on the human impact of affordable housing through a powerful story about helping a senior resident move from living in a garage into a safe home—and why leading with grace, vulnerability, and heart continues to shape her approach to leadership today

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Danielle Little, Executive Vice President of Affordable Housing Compliance at Apartment Management Consultants (AMC), for a thoughtful conversation about leadership in affordable housing, building systems that scale, and why organization must come before innovation. Listen in to hear Danielle:

• Share how she unexpectedly pivoted from a path toward pharmacy school into affordable housing—and how an entry-level role at a rural West Virginia senior property and a crash course in a REAC inspection sparked a career built on curiosity, resilience, and a passion for helping families secure stable housing
• Break down her philosophy of “organization before innovation,” explaining why taking inventory of processes, tools, and team capabilities is critical before implementing new technology or large-scale operational changes
• Reflect on leading a national compliance team during a period of growth in affordable housing, translating complex regulations into actionable guidance for operations teams, and why in compliance it’s not about who moves first—it’s about who gets it right

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Luke Leins, SVP of Business Development at ResProp Management, for a forward-thinking conversation about reimagining multifamily operations through data, innovation, and people-first leadership. Listen in to hear Luke:

• Share how he unexpectedly found his way into multifamily after starting in financial services and senior living acquisitions—and how joining ResProp gave him the opportunity to help build a third-party management platform from the ground up, driven by curiosity and a commitment to challenging industry norms
• Break down ResProp’s push toward data-driven operations, including the rollout of a Power BI platform, open API integrations, and Amazon-inspired decision frameworks that replace gut instinct with structured problem-solving, upstream indicators, and directed workflows
• Reflect on the industry’s talent deficit, the burnout facing regional leaders, and why initiatives like management training programs, profit sharing for site teams, and even bold ideas like tokenized rent-to-own models could be the next yield catalysts in a rapidly evolving multifamily landscape

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with David Lynd, CEO of The Lynd Company, for a candid, no-nonsense conversation about operational discipline, leadership through adversity, and the hard truths shaping the future of multifamily. Listen in to hear David:

• Share how growing up working on apartment sites—from digging sewer lines to running properties—shaped his relentless, data-driven approach to operations and why property management became the most challenging and rewarding work of his career
• Break down why operating expenses have surged more than 40% since 2019, why rents haven’t kept pace, and how technology, amenities, and herd mentality have quietly eroded value instead of creating it
• Reflect on leadership, culture, and accountability—from building teams that thrive under pressure to redefining work environments that prioritize performance, trust, and long-term sustainability in one of the toughest market cycles multifamily has ever faced

In this episode, Kerri Davis sits down with Jack (John) Sipes, longtime multifamily leader, former President of Dominium, and West Point graduate, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, service, and scaling people-first organizations. Listen in to hear Jack:

• Share how his journey from the U.S. Army and West Point to multifamily property management shaped his leadership philosophy of learn, earn, and serve, and why so many professionals “fall into” the industry and stay
• Break down what it really takes to scale from 13,000 to 45,000 units, including the power of promoting from within, investing in leadership training, and building systems that support both growth and culture
• Reflect on the future of multifamily management—what AI and centralization get right and wrong, why human connection still matters, and why developing first-line leaders may be the industry’s most urgent challenge

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Marc Pollack, Managing Director at FirstService Residential, for a candid conversation about grit, leadership, and the human realities of multifamily operations. Listen in to hear Marc:

• Share how growing up as a lifelong apartment resident in Queens led him intentionally into property management—and how early career risks, asking for more responsibility, and learning “through fire” shaped his leadership style
• Break down what it means to bridge capital and community, translating income statements into lived experiences while balancing owner expectations, operational realities, and resident needs across affordable, workforce, and luxury housing
• Reflect on the grind of multifamily, the emotional toll on on-site teams, and why empathy, culture champions, accountability, and scalable—not perfect—processes are essential to building resilient teams and livable communities

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Zachary Guerin, Vice President of Residential Property Management at Seldin Company, for a grounded conversation about leadership, innovation, and the realities of running teams in a rapidly changing industry. Listen in to hear Zach:

• Share how this industry is sitting on untapped potential, why many people are too tired or burnt out to challenge how things have been done, and how he focuses on finding people who will challenge what people have been doing every day for the last several hundred years of property management
• Break down how AI cleaned up all of our ledgers, how his teams rose to the KPI and AI challenge with a challenge accepted mindset, and how he pushes operations to meet KPIs or risk being outperformed by automation
• Reflect on treating managers and operators like they are running micro economies, why he wants his company to bet on courage instead of comfort, and how he creates space for teams to become indispensable while navigating burnout, staffing challenges, and multigenerational leadership