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 am...
Jul 12, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 2
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...
Apr 18, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 1
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 financia...
Oct 12, 2023•14 min
"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 rig...
Sep 29, 2023•33 min
“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 di...
Sep 08, 2023•20 min
"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 Ma...
Aug 31, 2023•20 min
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, Chenal Alford (better known as Al) is Director of Facilities f...
Aug 25, 2023•32 min
"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, ...
Jul 14, 2023•11 min
"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...
Jul 10, 2023•20 min
"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, ...
Jun 22, 2023•24 min
"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, form...
Jun 20, 2023•12 min
"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 Chi...
Jun 16, 2023•21 min
"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 ...
May 23, 2023•9 min
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 le...
May 19, 2023•22 min
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 'mak...
Feb 21, 2023•12 min
“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 ...
Jan 19, 2023•5 min
"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 Vic...
Dec 29, 2022•8 min
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 employ...
Dec 13, 2022•33 min
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 Educa...
Nov 29, 2022•17 min
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 r...
Sep 06, 2022•21 min
Women and other minorities often struggle to make their voices heard, especially in the tech industry. But Erica Steele proves that a dynamic, young Black woman can rise through the ranks and become a C-suite leader in the technology space. Erica is the Chief Marketing Officer for the proptech startup EZ Turn , where she oversees the planning, development and execution of all marketing and advertising initiatives for the company. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Erica joins host Britt...
Jul 29, 2022•15 min
Do you seem to have the same issues with turn year after year? Are you still using paper lists? And communicating with vendors in a fragmented way? What if you could use a proptech platform to streamline the process, making turn season (and many other aspects of your student housing operations) run much more smoothly? CEO Chase Minnifield and COO Lincoln Ogata are the cofounders of EZ Turn , the world’s first property project management software. The EZ Turn web portal and mobile app helps stude...
Jun 21, 2022•26 min
Storytelling is a powerful teaching tool. It helps us engage with history and make sense of complex ideas. Telling stories is also an effective way to demonstrate the value of a business or organization and help consumers make informed decisions. So, what does that mean for us in the student housing industry? How can we best use storytelling to communicate with students, their parents and each other? F.J. Talley is a career educator with more than 40 years of experience. He began his career in s...
May 19, 2022•18 min
The bar for providing an unforgettable student housing experience gets higher every year. And it’s crucial for a student housing community to develop a digital marketing strategy that showcases its differentiators and truly stands out from the rest. That's where a strong agency collaboration comes in. Matt Pavlick is President at GRO , a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in student housing. GRO serves 200 communities in 100 markets, leveraging proven digital marketing strate...
May 03, 2022•41 min
Circumstances in our world have challenged individuals to be resilient in ways they never have before. The pandemic was new territory for all of us. As our world is changing, we need to activate new skills in order to land on our feet. Mental toughness is believing you will prevail when confronted with the unknown. So, how do you develop the mental toughness that will see you through? LaRae Quy grew up on a remote cattle ranch in Wyoming. Her influences there prepared her for her 24-year career ...
Mar 29, 2022•26 min
There are over 100 languages spoken at Queens College. It is one of the most diverse higher education institutions in the United States. So how can other colleges, universities, and companies across the country become more proactive in their diversity efforts? Frank Wu is the first Asian American President of Queens College in New York. He is also the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White . On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Frank joins host Brittany Pieper to discuss...
Mar 08, 2022•28 min
We all know about the supply chain issue. Manufacturers, companies, and even individual buyers know they’re more susceptible to issues receiving their products than ever before. But what is the impact on the furniture and student housing industries? Division Twelve is a minority-owned contract furnishings company, representing the finest manufacturers in the contract furnishings industry. President Christopher Washington is joined on the podcast today by Vice President of Account Management and ...
Feb 24, 2022•27 min
Higher education has evolved drastically over the last century. These unprecedented times have put the strategic leaders of colleges and universities inside a whirlwind of financial, demographic, and social challenges. On today’s episode of Student Housing Matters, guest host Alton Irwin sits down with Richard Gaumer and the authors of the new book Leadership Matters: Confronting the Hard Choices Facing Higher Education , W. Joseph King and Brian C. Mitchell. They discuss the importance of accep...
Feb 16, 2022•30 min
It’s important for students to feel valued in the place where they live. And emotional intelligence is key in giving Gen Zers that sense of belonging and connection. So, what can student housing organizations do to make EQ a priority? How can we create a culture where students feel seen, heard and understood? Natalya Cook is one of the newest team members at COCM. She serves as Marketing Coordinator for THE MARQ , a unique collection of student housing communities on the campus of Marquette Univ...
Feb 10, 2022•25 min
How do you achieve 100% occupancy in a new student housing community—during a pandemic? ReNesha Martin is the Director of Affiliated Housing at Bowie State University’s Christa McAuliffe Residential Community and Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community (ELLC) , a new development designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs and other business-minded students with the resources and space for collaboration, creativity and innovation. On this episode of Student Housing Matters, ReNesha joins host B...
Nov 30, 2021•10 min
