Stacy started working in commercial property management in the 90s, early in her career. The role felt like a breath of fresh air after a miserable stint selling pagers door-to-door in the tough streets of Maryland. After a move west, she began working at a San Francisco high-rise with Shorenstein Realty Services, at the advice of her father’s then-girlfriend, now Stacy’s stepmom. 

Property management suited Stacy’s detail-oriented personality, and she began quickly climbing up the ladder. She started as an assistant, then moved into construction coordination, before she eventually found herself managing a 58-floor high rise in New York City! 

It was a stressful role, full of daily demands, but Stacy rocked it. She spent New Year's Eve on the turn of the millennium, atop the roof of that building, preparing for the electrical fallout of Y2K. Yet all was good! 

Then motherhood blessed Stacy. She and her husband decided it was best for their family that Stacy stay home with their brand-new baby boy. As a mama, Stacy says she became more resilient, patient, and organized. As their baby grew, Stacy kept busy as a small business owner, running a Menchie’s frozen yogurt shop.

Then, over ten years after she left the field, Stacy decided to make the move back into property management. She expected there would be challenges, but she did not anticipate the reality she faced. In interview after interview, Stacy felt demeaned by the people sitting on the other side of the desk. They questioned her decision to leave, doubted her ability to handle the new modern technology, and one person even suggested she take an unpaid internship; a notion that left her in tears. It felt like all the wisdom she had gained in her decade-plus of high stress property management was completely disregarded by her interviewers. The most disheartening part of this ordeal was that most of the interviewers were fellow women.

Stacy finally broke back into the industry and has since excelled. She says the job is actually much easier now thanks to technological advances. After just five years back, she became the General Manager of one of San Diego’s largest and most-esteemed office parks; Jay Paul’s Summit in Rancho Bernardo. 

Stacy’s experience returning to work after motherhood has ingrained in her a deep sense of self, and she has advice for both hiring companies and those in the position she was in. First off, she believes that experience is not lost over time. In fact, time makes people wiser and gives them more perspective. She also thinks it is extremely important to have people in your life who are there to remind you of your strengths and capabilities. 

Now that Stacy is again at the top of her game, she is here to stay and bring her wisdom to the field. Thank you, Stacy, and welcome to BOMA San Diego’s Board of Directors!