Student Housing Matters Podcast - Join the Conversation

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. • T...

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 t...

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 disc...

"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 Fu...

"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 Bus...

"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 "Honorin...

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 Villag...

"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 Pr...

"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 "Hono...

"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 Pr...

"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...

"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, an...

"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...

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 bee...

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 ma...

"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...

"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...

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 ques...

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...

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-...

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 adverti...

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 w...

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 oth...

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 st...

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 g...