Our Company
Veste’ - Co.
Veste. Meaning fortress or stronghold.
Vesteco Real Estate Management Services, LLC., specializes in providing our clients with professional property management services and in optimizing their real estate investment returns.
Our team of experts brings value to your investment through our recommendations on the most up-to-date market conditions, rate and fee structure, long time vendor relationships, and our professional structure of sales, accounting, and property management staff.
Executive Team
George R. Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Taylor obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Duke University in Durham North Carolina. After obtaining a Master’s degree in Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from Columbia University in New York City, Dick began his business career with the Pershing missile division of the Martin Marietta Corporation in Orlando Florida. His real estate career began by working with Florida Ranch Lands, Inc. the Orlando firm primarily responsible for assembling the 28,000-acre parcel where Walt Disney World is now located. Experience in the subdivision development arm of that firm followed, Including land planning, site development, financing, home construction and sales. The 42-acre Showalter Airport in Winter Park was purchased, and development, financing, and construction began on Town and Country Apartments, which was the first rental apartment community on the east side of Winter Park. This continued with the development, construction, and contracting and asset management of the 267-unit apartment community now known as Winter Park Village Apartments, which continues to operate today.
Ron Wenzel
President & Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Wenzel is a well-known and highly respected leader in the Florida multifamily marketplace. He recently served as the President of the Florida Apartment Association in 2015 and previously as the President of the Apartment Association of Greater Orlando. He acquired 14 years of local expertise working in large, national multifamily companies. In addition, he was responsible for overseeing combined 50+ class A and B Multi-Family assets with a portfolio of more than 15,000 units located in Florida, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Arizona. In all, Ron has a solid and successful 35+ years of experience in multifamily. He is the Qualifying Broker for Vesteco Real Estate Management Services, LLC., and holds NAA’s prestigious and professional designations of NALP, CAM, and CAPS. He is a member of IREM and currently holds and maintains both professional designations of ARM and CPM. In addition, as a firm believer in giving back to the industry, he continues to lead and teach as a faculty member at AAGO. His passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm for the industry are unmatched.
Jason Ackman
Operating Partner and Board Member
Prior to joining and co-establishing Vesteco Real Estate Management Services, LLC., in Orlando, Florida and as the firms Operating Principal and Board Member, Jason founded and operated his first company in 1996. He grew this start-up business to a company with a multimillion-dollar annual revenue by overseeing sales, development, and operations and sold it in 2015 to CIVC, Chicago based private equity firm.
Since selling his company he has been a private investor in multiple businesses, with a primary focus in commercial real estate and multifamily.
Muffie Taylor-Austin
Vice President of Operations
Ms. Taylor-Austin is a veteran of residential property management with over 23 years of experience in the field. As a native Floridian, she grew up in her family's apartment business and therefore has the unique perspective of seeing operations from the owner’s point of view. She loves a challenge and is passionate about lifelong learning. She holds a B.S. in Economics from Wheaton College with concentrations in Management and Psychology. She is a graduate of Leadership Orlando and an active participant in her church. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, traveling, and painting.
Nuria Shick
Vice President of Finance
Nuria has over 4 decades of experience in accounting and finance and over 20 years of experience with multifamily property finance. She directs financing strategies, analysis, forecasting and budget management. She oversees operations such as receivables, payable and financial reporting. She monitors cash flow, accounts, and other financial transactions. She assists in company-wide budgetary planning, preparing official reports on a monthly and annual basis. She also ensures that all financial practices are being adhered to and seeks out methods and practices to minimize financial risk. She manages, reviews, and adheres to the budgets for the corporate office and for each community\asset. She establishes and implements a training program for new finance employees and maintains a policy manual for the finance department. In addition, she creates and maintains relationships with service providers and contractors, including banking institutions CPA’s and accountants.
Jacqueline Brice
Director of Marketing
Jacqueline has over 5 years of experience in property management and is currently working on finalizing her degree in management. In addition, she maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; and participating in professional societies. She develops the marketing strategy for new and existing communities. She is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the brand and marketing strategy by studying economic indicators; tracking changes in the market; identifying current and future marketing needs; and monitoring the competition. She provides short and long-term market forecasts and reports by directing market research collection, analysis, and interpretation of market data. She works with staff by orienting, and training employees on marketing initiatives by providing information, educational opportunities, and growth opportunities. She also oversees the marketing strategy for the company- including campaigns, events, digital marketing, social media and PR.
Karla Figueroa
Director of Training
Karla has over 6 years of experience in the hospitality industry, as well as experience as an apartment property manager. She is responsible for designing and overseeing the use of training programs within the company. She is constantly looking for and applying new ways to help employees better develop their skills. She reviews existing training materials in place to determine appropriateness and relevance, then directs the design, planning, and implementation of training programs aligned with the objectives and strategy of each community. She monitors training programs and manuals to ensure that they are effective and up-to-date and makes updates as necessary. She specializes in the multifamily industry and keeps current on the activities and needs by attending regular meetings, conferences, and seminars. She also oversees and establishes relationships with vendors to provide additional outside training programs.
Suheily Santiago
Director of Leasing
Suheily has spent the last 4 years building her experience in customer service and advancing her communication skills. As Director of Leasing, Suheily develops and implements aggressive, property level leasing plans consistent with Vesteco’s rent and occupancy growth objectives. She produces and reports on critical tenant lease dates and provisions, monitoring to ensure compliance in a proactive manner. She presents a leasing plan for approval and implements the plan by working with consultants to identify prospects, secure commitments, and obtain executed leases. She conducts property tours for prospective tenants, and visitors to build relationships with potential new tenants with the goal of decreasing vacancies. Suheily oversees leasing team members in all facets of their operation, tracking performance and providing guidance as needed to ensure that the leasing activity reaches desired levels and goals. Suheily collaborates with various departments, both internal and external. She works in conjunction with the Training Department to implement all facets of the development process at the property including strategy, planning, design, and leasing. She works with the Marketing Department to create a unified strategy to improve occupancy. She also works with the Construction Department on tenant improvement projects to ensure projects are completed on a timely basis and meet the requirements of the lease. She maintains strong contacts in the industry staying up to date on industry news, advances, and trends through continuing education, reviewing industry publications and by monitoring competitor procedures, rates, and amenities.
James Cheney
Director of Construction and Capital Projects
James has over 4 years of general maintenance experience and over 12 years in the multifamily industry. As Director of Construction and Capital Projects, James directs, oversees, and coordinate construction project management activities associated with the renovation and improvement of Vesteco’s apartment communities. James is responsible for the complete construction process including project budget preparation, developing and monitoring construction schedules, overseeing the completion of tenant build-outs, redevelopments, expansions and renovations. James works closely with the Director of Leasing, coordinating with tenants and general contractors. He ensures that the project building permits are in place and up to date. He manages a diverse set of local contractors and vendors to execute renovation scopes including the negotiation of local pricing for standard contractor services and products. He coaches develops and mentors staff, meeting with them regularly. He interviews hires and trains teams of field and office-based personnel designed to operate efficiently, compressing repair and renovation costs while maintaining product quality. He encourages membership and attendance in key professional organizations, conferences, classes, and other growth and support activities.
Next Steps...
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