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USDA Rural Development Selects “2015 National Site Managers and Maintenance Person of the Year” Vicky Brooks and Micaela Dosal to be Honored

Name
Michelle Jacobs
City
Gainesville
Release Date

USDA Rural Development State Director Richard A. Machek announced today that the Agency has announced the National Site Managers and Maintenance Person of the Year Award winners for 2015.  Selected for Family Housing properties were Vicky Brooks with Pelican Bay Apartments in Crystal River, Florida and Micaela Dosal with Esperanza Place apartments in Immokalee, Florida for Farm Labor Housing properties.

Rural Development administers a national loan portfolio of nearly 450,000 rural rental housing units. In partnership with our private sector and nonprofit borrowers, we provide housing to very low and low-income rural families, elderly residents, and farm workers.

“The site managers and maintenance personnel guarantee the success of our housing properties,”’ commented State Director Richard A. Machek. “They make sure that day-to-day operations go smoothly, and they often invest a great deal of their own free time and resources in providing tenants with a safe and cohesive community”.

This year the awards are presented for four categories: farm labor, maintenance person, elderly, and family housing.  Maintenance Person is a new category added for the first time this year.

The selections were made based upon tenant satisfaction with the manager/maintenance person, and a combination of curb appeal of the property, timeliness and competency of maintenance, accurate and complete recordkeeping with no incidents of noncompliance, and actions of the manager consistently above and beyond what is required.

A panel consisting of housing professionals from Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH) and representatives from Rural Development made the selections.  The winners were selected from 47 nominations representing 16 states.  Awards were presented at a breakfast hosted by CARH on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City in Arlington, VA.  Members of Congress, Rural Development staff, and family members of the winners often attend the awards ceremony.

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has an active portfolio of more than $199.3 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers, and improve the quality of life in rural America.

President Obama’s historic investments in rural America have made our rural communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities.