It All Starts
With Our People

Elliot J Tamir is Co Founder and Co Chairman of CLS Living and Vesper Holdings, one of the country’s leading firms with over 30,000 beds under management.

Mr. Tamir is known for his superb investment, redevelopment and management strategies, spearheading the enhancement and transformation of property values throughout the CLS/Vesper owned and managed portfolio. His vision to create an unparalleled five star resident experience, a best in class workplace environment, an unrivaled company culture and groundbreaking style and design has been a primary contributor to the overwhelming success the portfolio has enjoyed to date.

Mr. Tamir serves on the board of various charitable organizations including The Grammy Museum, Propel Network, The Amtrak FOP and Apex Care Foundation.

Mr. Sitt is Co Founder and Co Chairman of CLS Living and Vesper Holdings, one of the country’s leading firms with over 30,000 beds under management. He oversees all property acquisitions and focuses on private equity real estate investments in both commercial and residential properties. He directs all debt and equity placements for the company.

Throughout his career, Mr. Sitt has invested in, developed and managed retail and residential real estate. He utilizes an in-depth understanding of the industry to lead the company in acquiring its rapidly expanding portfolio of assets located throughout the country.

Mr. Sitt is a graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business and sits on the boards of several charitable institutions.

Mr. Shoepe brings more than 25 years of property management experience to his role as COO. Prior to his current role as COO, he was the SVP, Operations at CLS.

Mr. Shoepe started his career by holding various on­ site positions as Leasing Manager, General Manager and Area Manager. Before joining CLS, Mr. Shoepe served as a Regional Manager and then for seven years as Regional Vice President for American Campus Communities, where he was responsible for overall fiscal operations, physical asset management, leasing of assets and personnel administration for a 35-property portfolio of owned properties.

Mr. Hughes brings more than a decade of experience to his role as Chief Financial Officer at CLS Living. He comes to CLS from American Campus Communities, where he began his career as a financial analyst and progressed to the Head of FP&A.

In his previous role, Mr. Hughes was responsible for public reporting metrics and analysis as well as all budgeting and forecasting for over 200 owned and managed communities. In addition to his FP&A role, he also brings site ­level experience having served as a Regional Manager with ACC.

Mrs. Nix brings more than 20 years of  experience to her role as CMO at CLS Living. Before joining the CLS team, Mrs. Nix launched her own business, JNix Consulting, where she provided executive strategies for marketing, community positioning, market analysis and lease ­up plans for all property types.

Mrs. Nix began her career as a community advisor and climbed the ranks to VP of Marketing at Peak Campus Management, the second largest third­ party  management company in the country.

Geary Dancy brings over 20 years of experience to his role as Executive Vice President of Operations at CLS Living. Mr. Dancy has held various positions throughout his tenure including General Manager, Regional Director and, most recently, Senior Vice President of Operations.

Mr. Dancy is responsible for all aspects of portfolio operations and puts a strong focus on training his teams to ensure development and promotion from within.

Laurie Lyons brings over 30 years of experience to her role as Executive Vice President of Strategic Ventures at CLS Living. Lyons is an industry speaker and serves in multiple advisory, committee, and Board positions with the National Multihousing Housing Industry (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA). She is a contributing member for the NMHC PAC working with Members of Congress and congressional candidates to improve, preserve and promote the multifamily industry.

Lyons started her career as the co-founder and CEO of BH Management. She was the first female CEO on NMHC’s Top 50 Managers Ranking. Lyons has worked with multiple companies such as Cardinal Group, The Bainbridge Companies, Pegasus Residential, and US Residential in Multifamily, Affordable, Senior Living, BTR, and with all asset classes. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

Santiago Quiroz, Jr. serves as SVP of Facilities and Construction for CLS Living. Mr. Quiroz has over 20 years of experience in maintenance operations, asset preservation, capital planning and project management since starting his career as a maintenance technician in 1992.

Before joining the CLS team, Mr. Quiroz served as District Maintenance Director for Holiday Retirement, a position he held from 2003 to 2015. Mr. Quiroz managed Holiday’s multi state portfolio where his vast responsibilities included oversight and management of all corporate maintenance programs, initiatives and protocols for the properties including asset preservation, regulatory compliance in relation to state surveys, and safety.

Mr. Ledet brings more than 14 years of accounting experience to his role as Senior Vice President of Property Accounting at CLS Living. He comes to CLS from American Campus Communities, where he began his career as a Property Accountant progressing to Director of Property Accounting. He led a team of four Accountants that oversaw all aspects of financial reporting for a portfolio of owned and managed assets. In addition to his Accounting role he collaborated with a team to test, implement and write procedures for reporting tools and software which increased efficiency within the company.

Robert Ferrara serves as the Senior Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis for CLS Living. His career covers over fifteen years of financial and asset management activities including over ten years with national  management and development companies.

Mr. Ferrara he has been involved in the acquisition and asset management of over 60,000 beds and a total of $4 billion in value of real estate assets. Prior to CLS, he was Director of Asset Management for Campus Realty Advisors in Atlanta, GA. He has also been in asset management and FP&A positions overseeing housing portfolios with American Campus Communities, Capstone Real Estate Investments and Capstone On-Campus Management.

Mr. Ferrara received his Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Alabama-Birmingham and his Masters of Real Estate Development from Auburn University.

Erin Mahone serves as Senior Vice President of Innovation and Implementation and brings more than 15 years of industry experience to CLS Living.

Prior to working at CLS, Mrs. Mahone held a vast array of positions from on-site Leasing Professional to Assistant Manager to Regional and National Training Support. Mrs. Mahone’s focus and passion lie in all things Training along with creating/enhancing the customer experience.

In addition to her Leasing and Operations Training expertise, Mrs. Mahone is extensively trained by Forbes Travel Guide, and subsequently created, developed, and implemented a 5-Star Service Training platform intended to bridge the gap between luxury hotel hospitality standards and the experience.

Heather Tobey brings more than 20 years of accounting and systems experience to her role as Vice President of Operational Systems & Support at CLS Living.

Before joining the CLS team, Ms. Tobey was an Accounts Payable Supervisor at American Campus Communities. At CLS, Ms. Tobey leads several teams to include in-house Utility Billing Services and the in-house Support System. She also manages the transition process for all for new assets and dispositions undertaken by CLS by acting as liaison between all relevant parties

Travis W. Downing serves as Vice President, Controller for CLS Living and specializes in tax & financial strategy, financial reporting, and treasury management.

After completing his graduate degree from St. Edward’s University, Mr. Downing began his professional career working in taxation – specializing in tax return preparation, strategy, and consulting. With the explosive growth of the real estate market in Austin, Texas, he soon found himself working within the private equity real estate investment and management arena. He began working in commercial real estate and eventually moved on to multifamily assets.

After gaining invaluable accounting experience in commercial and multifamily niches, Mr. Downing was hired to work for a real estate developer, where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the businesses’ financial operations.

Mr. Downing has a proven track record of success in executive leadership roles with over ten years of finance & accounting experience in real estate-related businesses. As a creative problem-solver, he is adept in strategic management and proactive and collaborative as a leader. Ensuring top-quality results in situations requiring adaptability and decisiveness to succeed. Mr. Downing is a licensed tax professional specializing in real estate partnerships, holds a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree in accounting from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

Ron Bright brings more than 15 years of experience to the role as Regional Vice President at CLS Living. Prior to his current role, Mr. Bright held the positions of Regional Director, Area Manager and General Manager in the industry.

At CLS, Mr. Bright is responsible for overall fiscal operations, physical asset management, leasing, and personnel administration for a portfolio of owned and managed properties. Mr.Bright also holds a position on CLS’ Life Committee.

Mr. Bright graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Marketing and is a Certified Property Manager.

Jennifer Cooper brings more than 20 years of experience to her role as Regional Vice President at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Mrs. Cooper held a variety of positions at the site level including Leasing Manager, Assistance General Manager, Property Manger as well as remote positions such as Area Manager, Regional Director, Senior Regional Director to her most recent role as RVP of Operations.

At CLS, Mrs. Cooper is a Legacy Award recipient and is responsible for overall fiscal operations, physical asset management, leasing, and personnel administration for a portfolio of owned and managed properties.

Matt Letendre brings more than 15 of experience to his role as Regional Vice President at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Mr. Letendre worked in a variety of operation-focused roles beginning as a Community Assistant to his most recent role as Senior Regional Director.

At CLS, Mr. Letendre is responsible for overall fiscal operations, physical asset management, leasing, and personnel administration for a portfolio of owned and managed properties. He graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Marketing.

Cristi Giguere brings more than 25 years of experience to her role as Vice President of Capital Projects at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Giguere was Director of Projects for Impact Commercial Services where she led a team managing capital projects for multi-family property owners. She has successfully delivered multi-million-dollar capital projects in the hospitality sector and has worked on the vendor side of multi-family housing. At CLS, Ms. Giguere is responsible for the planning, execution and successful completion of capital renovation projects and provides strategic direction and leadership to the capital projects team, ensuring projects are completed on time, within scope, and within budget.

Amanda Guillory brings more than 14 years of experience to her role as National Director of Property Accounting at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Amanda was a Property Accountant at American Campus Communities, as well as a Staff Accountant and Accounts Payable Associate at two non-profit organizations in San Antonio, TX.

At CLS, Mrs. Guillory is responsible for accounting operations and systems, analysis, and report preparation for owned and 3rd -party managed properties. She leads a team of accounting professionals, as well as being involved in collaborating and implementing platforms and procedures to increase accounting efficiencies.

Mrs. Guillory graduated from University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Accounting.

Tiffany Castro brings more than 14 years of experience to her role as Vice President of Leasing at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Castro was a Leasing Professional while obtaining her college degree. During her time at CLS, she has held a vast array of positions from on-site Leasing Manager, Assistant General Manager, to Regional Marketing and Leasing Specialist.

In her current role, Ms. Castro is responsible for overseeing the in-field marketing and leasing efforts for the company. She works closely with all departments to ensure community goals are established, strategic plans are created, and the execution of these plans occurs throughout the portfolio. Additionally, she leads a team of deployed resources to augment and support local teams.

Ms. Castro graduated from the University of Central with a degree in English Education.

Rich Norris brings more than 16 years of experience to his role as Vice President of Reporting at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Rich served in several roles, including leasing, operations, management, team development, and systems creation.

At CLS, Mr. Norris is responsible for the gathering, reporting, and the communication of company performance indicators. He also oversees the creation and development of systems that support several departments.

Mr. Norris graduated from the University at Buffalo with degrees in Chemistry and Communication, is a member of Lambda Pi Eta The National Communication Association Honors Society.

Jessica Godinez is the Director of Payroll & Benefits at CLS Living. Prior to this role, she was a part of the CLS Support Team as an Operations Specialist and then promoted to Director of Operational Systems & Support.

Mrs. Godinez is responsible for processing property and corporate payroll, overseeing and maintaining the benefits program, the onboarding and off boarding processing, HR reporting & auditing, and acting as a liaison between employees and our 3rd party Human Resources vendor among other responsibilities.

Mrs. Godinez graduated from the University of California - Irvine with a degree in Cognitive Science & Psychology.

Rachel Settle brings over 10 years of experience to her role as National Director of Property Accounting at CLS Living.

Mrs. Settle started with CLS in 2016 as a Property Accountant and was promoted to Senior Property Accountant and then National Director of Property Accounting. In her current position, she oversees many aspects of the property accounting department, implements accounting policies and procedures, prepares financial statements, manages budgets, and provides leadership and guidance to her team.

Mrs. Settle graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and went on to earn her Master's Degree in Accounting from Texas State University.

Victoria Owens brings more than 15 years of Talent Acquisition experience to her role as Director of Recruiting at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Victoria was at Q2, as Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist for six years, where she focused on process improvement, operations and creating an expectational candidate journey.

At CLS, Mrs. Owens is responsible for the structure, develop, and maintain a high-performing talent acquisition team that attracts top talent and strengthens a positive, mission-focused culture. This is a hands-on management role that involves the standardization and centralization of new and existing policies, processes, and procedures; whilst ensuring that these initiatives are aligned to meet business goals and objectives.

Mrs. Ownes graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Psychology.

Jon Lawson brings more than five years of accounting and finance experience to his role of Manager – Budgeting and Forecasting at CLS Living. Prior to working at CLS, Mr. Lawson held a variety of accounting positions, including his most recent at Yeti.

In his current role, Mr. Lawson is responsible for budgeting and forecasting. He oversees the annual budgeting process as well as updating projections and rental rate forecasting.

Mr. Lawson graduated from Texas State University.

Andy Jones brings over 20 years of experience in his role as National Director of Training & Innovation.

Prior to joining the team, Mr. Jones held several roles in the field, including Account Manager, Operations Specialist, and General Manager.

At CLS, Mr. Jones is responsible for supporting our on-site teams with training, creating instructional content, managing our Learning Management System, and working with other departments to implement new systems and initiatives.

Hannah Diamant brings more than five years of experience to her role as National Director of Digital Marketing at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Diamant was a Content Specialist at GoDaddy and a recruiter for her university.

At CLS, Ms. Diamant is responsible for the digital strategy, SEO efforts, pay-per-click search and social advertising, data analytics, and reporting for the portfolio. She oversees a digital team as well as property social media coordinators and works to develop and educate the team on best practices for paid and organic social content. In addition, she works with a portfolio of digital vendors and upholds a 4.0 or higher companywide reputation score.

Ms. Diamant graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Marketing and Psychology.

Lauren Bressler brings more than 12 years of experience to her role as Director of Marketing at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, she was an Assistant General Manager, General Manager and then Associate Creative Marketing Director at American Campus Communities.

At CLS, Mrs. Bressler oversees the marketing strategy, design, and distribution of collateral and promotional materials for the portfolio. She works hand-in hand with the properties, along with multiple third-party design vendors. In addition, she oversees the creation and managment of the property websites, along with the CLS Living and Vesper Holdings websites.

Mrs. Bressler graduated from Towson University with a degree in Management and Business Administration.

Tommy Turner is a Regional Facilities Director at CLS Living.

Prior to joining the team, Mr. Turner was a Maintenance Supervisor for four years at a CLS Living owned asset.

In his current role, Mr. Turner is responsible for overseeing a multi-site portfolio and providing them with technical, operational, and administrative support. He is actively involved in training the on-site maintenance teams and implementing new programs and initiatives.

Jonathan brings more than 15 years of experience to his role as Regional Facilities Director at CLS Living. Before joining the corporate team, Mr. Dial served as Facilities Manager at The Crimson, a CLS owned asset, and was an active member of the CLS mentorship program.

At CLS, Mr. Dial is responsible for overseeing a multi-site portfolio and providing them with technical, operational, and administrative support. He is actively involved in training the on-site maintenance teams and implementing new programs and initiatives.

He has certificates in Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration from Tri-State Institute and Electrician Apprentice Residential Wiring from IBEW/JATC.

Jason McClain brings more than 20 years of experience to his role as Regional Facilities Director at CLS Living. Before taking on this current role, Mr. McClain was a Maintenance Supervisor at a CLS asset and the recipient of the 2018 Legacy Award for Overall Outstanding Achievement.

Prior to joining CLS, Mr. McClain served as a Regional Maintenance Supervisor for Greystar where he was overall a ten-property portfolio.

At CLS, Mr. McClain is responsible for overseeing a multi-site portfolio and providing them with technical, operational, and administrative support. He is actively involved in training the on-site maintenance teams and implementing new programs and initiatives.

Doyle Bittle brings more than 17 years of experience to his role as Regional Facilities Director at CLS Living. Before taking on this current role, Mr. Bittle was a Maintenance Supervisor at a CLS asset, an Area Manager for five CLS Third-Party properties and the recipient of the 2022 Legacy Award for Facilities and Maintenance.

At CLS, Mr. Bittle is responsible for overseeing a multi-site portfolio and providing them with technical, operational, and administrative support. He is actively involved in training the on-site maintenance teams and implementing new programs and initiatives.

Achievements and Certifications include EPA 608 Universal, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) from American Mold Experts, Certified Pool Operator (CPO), MSHA Mine Safety and Health Administration, PM Service Tech Achievement and Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP).

Stephen Terry brings more than 10 years of experience to his role as National Director of Construction at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Mr. Terry was The Director of Renovation and Construction at American Campus Communities.

At CLS, Mr. Terry is responsible for overseeing the entire lifecycle of capital improvement projects ranging from clubhouse renovations, unit renovations and deferred maintenance.

Mr. Terry graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Construction Science.

Johnathon Warner brings over seven years of experience to his role as National Director of Construction at CLS Living. Prior to working at CLS, Mr. Warner was a Project Manager for Contractors, Inc. out of Atlanta and was responsible for coordinating construction projects from start to finish. He managed, supervised, planned and organized all aspects of the construction project, along with managing budget, schedule and quality. He liaised with clients and construction team members to ensure the project met all expectations.

At CLS, Mr. Warner manages all aspects of construction projects, including meeting with engineers and architects, scheduling work crews and subcontractors, and ensuring work is completed according to the schedule and within budget.

Amanda Mills brings more than 16 years of experience in her role as Regional Director. Prior to joining our team, Mrs. Mills previously held Leasing Manager, Account Manager, General Manager, and Area Manager roles within the industry.

At CLS, Mrs. Mills is a Legacy Award recipient is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations including maximizing NOI and occupancy, marketing and leasing, employee development and asset management for her portfolio.

Stephanie Pross brings more than 10 years of industry experience to her role as Regional Director at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Mrs. Pross held a variety of positions from on-site Leasing Professional to Area Property Manager across diverse markets.

At CLS, Mrs. Pross is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations including maximizing NOI and occupancy, marketing and leasing, employee development and asset management for her portfolio.

Mrs. Pross graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Supply Chain Management.

Donna Passow brings over 30 years of experience to her role as Regional Director for CLS Living. Prior to joining the CLS team, Mrs. Passow held various positions including General Manager, Area Manager, Regional Manager, Asset Manager and Director of Housing.

At CLS, Mrs. Passow is a Legacy Award recipient and is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations including maximizing NOI and occupancy, marketing and leasing, employee development and asset management for her portfolio.

Johnathan Hawkins brings more than 12 years of industry experience to his role as Regional Director at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Mr. Hawkins was a General Manager at a CLS owned asset.

At CLS, Mr. Hawkins is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations including maximizing NOI and occupancy, marketing and leasing, employee development and asset management for his portfolio.

Mr. Hawkins graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Philosophy Cum Laude.

DeJuan Franklin brings more than 14 years of experience to his role as Regional Director at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Mr. Franklin was a General Manager with American Campus Communities. 

At CLS, Mr. Franklin is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations including maximizing NOI and occupancy, marketing and leasing, employee development and asset management for his portfolio.

Mr. Franklin graduated from The University of Alabama at Birmingham with a degree in Business Management.

Janelle Petty brings more than 12 years of industry experience to CLS Living. Prior to working at CLS, Mrs. Petty has held various positions; honing skills in on-site operations as a General Manager, Area Manager & her current role as a Regional Director.

At CLS, Mrs. Petty is a Legacy Award recipient and is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations including maximizing NOI and occupancy, marketing and leasing, employee development and asset management for her portfolio.

Faith Mapson brings more than 16 years of experience to her role as Regional Director at CLS Living. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Mapson was a General Manager, and Area Manager over multiple CLS assets.

At CLS, Ms. Mapson is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations including maximizing NOI and occupancy, marketing and leasing, employee development and asset management for her portfolio.

Ms. Mapson graduated from University of West Georgia with a degree in Political Science.