We’re excited to welcome the new Project Manager, Eric Mpesha, to the Collington community! Eric joined our team in July and works closely with our residents to ensure their comfort and satisfaction when moving into a new apartment, cottage or villa on campus. Aside from making sure the new homes are ready for the residents arrival, Eric is responsible for following up with each individual within 30 days of their arrival, checking in with contractors throughout the process, completing any requests made, assisting with design meetings, and above all, doing anything and everything he can to make sure the home is absolutely perfect for the new owner.
In his short time at Collington, Eric has already made a big impact on the community and has managed to improve the turnover process thanks to feedback he’s received from the new residents. When asked how he’s managed to make these great improvements, his number one reasoning for his success is doing pre-walks in every cottage, apartment or villa. A pre-walk, which is ideally done with a resident if they are available, allows Eric to address any issues and catch any problems that may be present before the resident moves in. However, since a large majority of our residents come from out of state, Eric is still able to do this process even when the resident can’t be there. He works as the eyes and ears for each and every resident, paying close attention to small details and making sure everything is just right. Doing these pre-walks ahead of time allows for any necessary changes or updates, provides the resident with extra reassurance, and confirms that all work has been completed. “It’s much easier to address these kinds of things before the resident moves in as opposed to after they move in,” Eric states, “and once they move in, I make sure to check in and ensure everything is done to their liking.”
Like many of our residents, Eric has lived an incredibly interesting life. He was born in the U.S. but spent many years growing up in Kenya. Due to the fact that he has lived a large part of his life in both countries, he is bilingual and speaks fluent Swahili and English. Eric also enjoys staying active, so when he’s not at Collington you can find him cycling, playing rugby or running.
Though he’s still getting to know the Collington community, Eric says so far, his favorite part of the job is working with his colleagues and the wonderful residents of Collington. “Everyone has been very supportive, which I greatly appreciate,” Eric says. He loves seeing how much everyone cares for one another, even around campus it’s clear to see that staff members and residents are all trying to help each other. We’re very glad to have Eric on our team and look forward all of the wonderful contributions he’ll make to our community. Be sure to say hello and welcome Eric if you see him around campus!