Community Manager Amanda Gibbs Celebrates 5 Years of On-Site Opportunities and Successes With Her Team

At Cardinal, our culture embodies many different elements: it’s about improving as a team while having fun growing together both personally and professionally. Our team members are the heart and soul of our culture! We are so grateful for the efforts our team members put in daily to go the extra mile to help change the industry and challenge the status quo.

Today we’re celebrating Amanda Gibbs and her dedicated years of service to the growth of our team over the last five years.

Learn more about Amanda’s journey below!

 

 

What’s your role?

Community Manager

 

Tell us about your Cardinal Journey

I started off in student housing as a part time CI in 2017 just wanting to work with my friends in the office. Cardinal took over our community in June of 2018, and I was promoted to LMTL soon after. As an LMTL I was a part of a really fun rebrand of the first Canvas Townhomes, which was the flagship community to start the transitions of other communities to Canvas Townhomes! It was very rewarding being a part of that rebrand gaining insight on the back end items not knowing what went into a rebrand. After that I was fortunate enough to be an attendee of SDP in 2020/2021, and in December of 2020, I was offered the CM role at The Oliver on LaSalle in Chicago. I really wanted to get experience in another market and product (conventional) that was out of my comfort zone. After going through a full building renovation, our team/community won Turnaround Community of the Year for Conventional, and I won CM of the Year for Conventional. Just like a lot of other people’s cardinal journey, I never imagined being 5 years in with Cardinal, but am so happy to be here!

 

What’s the most significant lesson you’ve learned in your time here?

To be human. It’s very easy to be hard on yourself and those around you when things aren’t going as planned, but giving grace to yourself and others, and being a human first, always wins.

 

What do you find most exciting about your job? Most challenging?

I LOVE getting to see my team learn something new, and have them feel empowered in their role. The most challenging part of my role is the people management aspect, and really understanding that everyone is so unique in the way they approach things, and learning how to cater to everyone’s strengths so that we can all work better together as a team!

 

If you could choose one word to describe your time at Cardinal, what would it be and why?

Courage, because with my time so far at Cardinal, I have been at challenging “red light” deals going through multi million dollar renovations, rebrands, communities dealing with low pre-leasing/occupancy, overcoming reputation, you name it, it has been an uphill battle at times. I have learned in the midst of any challenge presented, that those around you that are down in the trenches working alongside you are your people, and to always celebrate them and any win that comes your way!

 

 

What advice would you give yourself five years ago?

If I had to give myself advice 5 years ago, it would be to enjoy the now, and never second guess an opportunity or challenge that is presented to you. Instead, stare that opportunity or challenge in the face and say “I got this”.

 

Who has been influential in your professional and personal life and how have they helped guide you?

My mother! She is my best friend, my rock, my therapist, and also my biggest cheerleader. She knows my strengths and weaknesses, and is always the first person to call me about how proud she is of me. She keeps me going and has always instilled in me to trust my gut.

 

What is your biggest motivator?

My biggest motivator is really enjoying succeeding and feeling proud of the work I have done, and looking back at all of the lives I have positively impacted.

 

What’s something people may not know about you?

Something that people may not know about me is that I have a twin brother, who stands almost a foot taller than me!

 

What is your favorite college town in America?

East Lansing MI (MSU)! Go Green!

 

Are you ready to start your Cardinal Journey?

See our open opportunities.