“Keystone Spotlight” is an ongoing series introducing our top performing staff who continue to go out of their way to provide exceptional service.
Lisa Brannon has seen HOA management from every angle. She began her career with Keystone in 1987 as a receptionist and through the support of her team who fostered her growth throughout the years, she earned her way into becoming one of most respected and experienced Senior Community Association Managers at Keystone.
“Though I’m a native Southern Californian, I didn’t grow up in an HOA,” she explains. “It is through my tenure at Keystone that I learned about the ins and outs of housing development, the role of HOAs, and how association living helps to protect property values and create a welcoming environment for homeowners.”
Helping people who are new to HOA living
Lisa truly enjoys working with homeowners and board members. She credits her ability to communicate well with people as an essential ingredient in developing smooth working relationships. She recognizes that frustrations can rise quickly when people don’t fully understand what is being asked of them – or why.
“It’s my goal to help residents feel great about the biggest purchase of their lives – their home,” she says. “I know that a major part of that is connecting with people and clearly explaining the reasoning behind a rule or a process. When homeowners understand, I can feel the energy behind our conversations change. They just need someone who will take the time to answer their questions, and I’m more than happy to do so.”
Serving established communities
In addition to the robust training and support provided by Keystone, as well as her ability to effectively communicate with homeowners and board members, Lisa also has the depth of expertise to advise well-established communities on how to preserve their value. Her job becomes especially satisfying when she receives kudos from an experienced homeowner who takes the time to congratulate her on a job well done. This was recently the case when she received a note from an appreciative homeowner in the tree-lined Huntington Beach community that she is proud to manage.
A section of the note read: “I’m really impressed by the way that you managed to balance [the association’s budget] with not much incoming revenue and kept expenses low… With all the great work and the quality upgrades you have done in our community through the years, I would like to vote for you to stay as a Senior Community Association Manager in our community for life. Simply put, you’re the greatest and the best thing that happened in our community!”
This recognition was especially flattering because it came from a longtime association member who had formerly served on the board of another association.
“I didn’t receive that homeowner letter on my own,” recounts Lisa. “That feedback was the result of thirty years of experience, back-up and support from Keystone, and the caring people who I feel blessed to work with every day.”
Paying it forward
As one of Keystone’s most experienced senior managers, Lisa happily shares insight from her decades of experience with the rest of the Keystone team. She’s often a sounding board for newer managers who turn to her for advice and input in unfamiliar situations.
“I think back to when I was a new association manager – in the days of fax machines and rows of filing cabinets, before emails and texts,” she says. “In addition to the robust training that Keystone provides its staff, the whole team at Keystone was so supportive and helpful. Additionally, I was able to better serve the communities that I managed by implementing Keystone’s core philosophies and utilizing its cutting-edge technology as it became available. Each new situation provided me with a bit more insight and experience to do my job effectively. I continue to apply these strategies to this very day and am more than happy to pass along my insights to incoming HOA managers to assist them in exceeding our clients’ expectations.”
Thank you, Lisa, for more than three decades of insight, expertise, and enthusiasm. We’re proud to have you on our team and grateful for the way you have continued to make Keystone a positive, supportive work environment that reflects our outstanding service to our clients.
Thinking of furthering your career in HOA management? Browse our available jobs and apply today.