“I was really surprised I won. I wouldn’t have won if I didn’t have such an awesome team,” shares Shannon Ortega on her reaction to winning Community Manager of the Year at this year’s Awards Gala.
With the company since 2007, Shannon is not only a great manager, but a mentor to many.
“She has been instrumental in helping me develop from a leasing agent to a community manager over the last 8 years. I have learned so much from her,” shares Christian Lopez, now CM at Connolly Station Apartments in Dublin, California.

Recently promoted Assistant Manager at Radius Apartments in Redwood City, California, Cody Zimmerman says, “Shannon is a fantastic manager. Her style of management makes it fun to go to work and helps progress the careers of everyone around her. I can’t thank her enough.”

When asked what she’s enjoyed the most from her time at Essex, Shannon points to the people she’s met and the value of developing important relationships with them. “I’ve met a lot of people who I can still count on today. They were on my team and I continue to reach out to them to this day.”

Shannon also points to working at lease-ups where she got to see the building from scratch and meet every resident, but one specific memory stands out: “Our Fourth and U lease-up in Berkeley, California, was awesome. One time our leasing specialist grabbed a Fourth and U sign, went outside, put on headphones and just got down, danced for hours. She got a lot of traffic in that day.”  

Shannon’s management style—she likes to teach, be taught, joke around and have a fun environment—is often noted by her peers.

“Shannon’s management style and winning attitude has made a big impact on my life and career. She is a great leader, a rock star. I hope I get the chance to work with her again in the future,” shares James Zhou, now community manager at Via Apartments in Sunnyvale, California.

Thank you, and congratulations on your awesome and well-deserved award, Shannon!