One maintenance supervisor encourages team members to participate in Maintenance Mania events by offering unique incentives.
When Fred Kicsak, CAMT, CAPS, was asked to join his company’s inaugural Maintenance Mania team in 2007, he didn’t have high hopes that he would enjoy the event.
“In the past, the association’s programming has typically been focused on leasing training events or combined leasing and maintenance events,” says Kicsak, Regional Asset Manager and Regional Maintenance Supervisor for High Point, N.C.-based Blue Ridge Property Management. “There was never anything just for [maintenance professionals].”
All that changed, though, when Kicsak stepped inside NAA’s Maintenance Mania venue at the Education Conference & Exposition and spotted the racetrack, one of seven events. “I felt like I was a Boy Scout again,” he says. “There was an instant level of excitement.”
Although Kicsak and his teammates didn’t do especially well that first year, he says it ignited a fire in them to prepare for the 2008 competitions. Kicsak competed in the Triad Apartment Association Maintenance Mania competition at the beginning of 2008 and placed third in the garbage disposal event, beating people who had “crushed” him the year before.
Excited about his performance, Kicsak decided to start a companywide competition. “I sent an e-mail to my maintenance employees and wrote, ‘This old guy still has a little gas in the tank. This is my best time for the garbage disposal event—if anyone can beat it, I’ll work for you for the day,’ ” Kicsak says.
Blue Ridge’s Director of Property Management, Susan Passmore, and Regional Asset Manager, Tammy Oglesby, saw the e-mail and wanted to up the ante. They also agreed to work for any associate who beat Kicsak.
By the end of 2008, three maintenance employees rose to the challenge and defeated Kicsak’s garbage disposal time. Kicsak, Passmore and Oglesby were true to their word and reported for duty for one full day for each of the three winners. There, they did everything from roof repairs to washing down pool furniture, turning apartments, putting together picnic tables, picking up trash and changing out all of the pet stations.
Kicsak was so pleased with the growing buzz generated by Maintenance Mania and Blue Ridge’s intra-company competitions that he decided to make the stakes even higher. In 2009, Kicsak sent another e-mail to his employees informing them that the person with the fastest overall (combined event) time would win a tool kit worth $400. Kicsak and two other senior associates also made a side bet: The person with the worst time among them would have to give $50 for Toys For Tots. “I gave $50 that year,” Kicsak says.
While the prizes and bragging rights have become great motivators, Kicsak says the most valuable take-away is convincing his employees to become involved and engaged, even if they can’t attend NAA’s Maintenance Mania National Championship event at the annual NAA Education Conference & Exposition.
“I wish we could send everyone, but there are only so many people who can go to the National Championship every June, and this is a way to keep our maintenance employees involved in the association and to get them off of the property for local events,” says Kicsak, who placed first overall at the Wilmington Apartment Association Maintenance Mania competition last month for the first time in five years. “There aren’t many ways to do that, which is why Maintenance Mania is so wonderful. It’s a company philosophy to be active in all association events, committees and fundraisers, and Blue Ridge fully supports our involvement in the competitions.”
This year, Kicsak is giving away a $200 gift card to Wal-Mart to the employee with the fastest race car. The team member with the fastest overall (combined event) time will receive a tool kit.
Lauren Boston is NAA’s Staff Writer. She can be reached at lauren@naahq.org or 703/797-0678.
NAA Affiliates Report Maintenance Mania® Results
Results are in for 10 NAA-affiliated apartment associations that hosted 2010-2011 season Maintenance Mania competitions. Following are results.
For information or to schedule an event for the 2011-2012 season, contact NAA’s Senior Manager of Affiliate Relations Kimberlee Berry at 703/797-0625 or kimberlee@naahq.org.
Emerald Coast Apartment Association
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Scott Brown, Univesco
Second Place: Jered Smith, Oakwood Terrace
Third Place: Richard Fetcher, Kislak
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Michael Tyus, Progressive Management
Key Control Test: David McMinn, Stonemark Management
Faucet Repair: Scott Brown, Univesco
Appliance Repair: Scott Brown, Univesco
Toilet Repair: Jered Smith, Oakwood Terrace
Ceiling Fan Installation: James Stankard, Greystar
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Michael Tyus, Progressive Management
Racecar Competition: Donald Bailey, Stonemark Management
Apartment Association of New Mexico
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Joseph Eilson, CAMT, GSL Properties, Inc.
Second Place: Burton Fisher, Prime Group
Third Place: Eric Barber, Monarch Properties Inc.
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Joey Troncosa, N.A.L.S.
Key Control Test: Eduardo Labrado, Monarch Properties Inc.
Faucet Repair: Burton Fisher, Prime Group
Appliance Repair: Ruben Montoya, GSL Properties Inc.
Toilet Repair: Joey Troncosa, N.A.L.S.
Ceiling Fan Installation: Joseph Eilson, CAMT, GSL Properties, Inc.
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Lew Baker, N.A.L.S.
Racecar Competition: Eric Barber, Monarch Properties Inc.
Apartment Association of Metro Denver
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Lannon Quintana, Legacy Partners Residential
Second Place: Ron Milano, Dakota at Governor’s Ranch
Third Place: Frankie Pagan, Legacy Partners Residential
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Ron Milano, Dakota at Governor’s Ranch
Key Control Test: Jason Fuqua, Tamarac Village
Faucet Repair: Tony Guzman, Casa Dorada
Appliance Repair: Jason Fuqua, Tamarac Village
Toilet Repair: Oscar Gonzales, Breckenridge Terrace
Ceiling Fan Installation: Lannon Quintana, Legacy Partners Residential
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Ron Milano, Dakota at Governor’s Ranch
Racecar Competition: Lannon Quintana, Legacy Partners Residential
New Jersey Apartment Association
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Dave Berryman, The Kamson Corporation
Second Place: Kevin Berryman, The Kamson Corporation
Third Place: Anthony Cintron, Morgan Properties
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Jose Lopez, Equity
Residential Properties
Key Control Test: Bryan Brennan, The Kamson Corporation
Faucet Repair: Dave Berryman, The Kamson Corporation
Appliance Repair: Thomas Zieba, Value Companies Inc.
Toilet Repair: Dave Berryman, The Kamson Corporation
Ceiling Fan Installation: Bryan Brennan, The Kamson Corporation
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Dave Berryman, The Kamson Corporation
Racecar Competition: Christopher Butundo, The Kamson Corporation
Greater Birmingham Apartment Association
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Anthony Pugh, Apogee New Dawn
Second Place: Anthony Bird, Engel
Third Place: Thomas Lucky, Bell Partners
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Anthony Pugh, Apogee New Dawn
Key Control Test: Johnathon Bandy, Engel
Faucet Repair: Gary Lawrence, MDIC
Appliance Repair: Timothy Reid, Engel
Toilet Repair: Thomas Lucky, Bell Partners
Ceiling Fan Installation: Anthony Bird, Engel
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Johnathon Bandy, Engel
Racecar Competition: Anthony Bird, Engel
Apartment Association of Central Pennsylvania
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Ernest Cribani, Morgan Properties
Second Place: Lynn Stan Cherry Jr., Solomon
Third Place: Andrew Perry, Morgan Properties
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Lynn Stan Cherry Jr., Solomon
Key Control Test: Cindy Kirkpatrick, Triple Crown
Faucet Repair: Donnie Ulmer, Solomon
Appliance Repair: Ernest Cribani, Morgan Properties
Toilet Repair: Lynn Stan Cherry Jr., Solomon
Ceiling Fan Installation: Ernest Cribani, Morgan Properties
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Matt Buchanan, Morgan Properties
Racecar Competition: Dean Buckholder, Boyd/Wilson
Cumberland County Apartment Association
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Christopher Parker, Sunchase American
Second Place: Jeremy Horn, Caviness and Cates
Third Place: James Correa, Caviness and Cates
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: James Mercado, Caviness and Cates
Key Control Test: Jeremy Horn, Caviness and Cates
Faucet Repair: Jeremy Horn, Caviness and Cates
Appliance Repair: James Correa, Caviness and Cates
Toilet Repair: Christopher Parker, Sunchase American
Ceiling Fan Installation: Christopher Parker, Sunchase American
Fire and CO Safety Installation: James Correa, Caviness and Cates
Racecar Competition: John Hartfield, Bell Partners
Central Virginia Apartment Association
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Chris Tinsley, Colonial Properties Trust
Second Place: Jeremy Myers, Bell Partners
Third Place: Scott Cavels, Hercules
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Eric Seamster, Amurcon Realty Company
Key Control Test: Nick Broderick, Amurcon Realty Company
Faucet Repair: Brian Anderson, Amurcon Realty Company
Appliance Repair: Eric Seamster, Amurcon Realty Company
Toilet Repair: Alien Rodgers, Thalhimer
Ceiling Fan Installation: Jerry Walker, Amurcon Realty Company
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Jerry Walker, Amurcon Realty Company
Racecar Competition: Chris Tinsley, Colonial Properties TrustWilmington Apartment Association
Wilmington Apartment Association
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: Fred Kicsak, Blue Ridge Corp.
Second Place: Francisco Garcia, BRPM
Third Place: Matthew Watkins, Drucker & Falk
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Francisco Garcia, BRPM
Key Control Test: Matthew Watkins, Drucker & Falk
Faucet Repair: Francisco Garcia, BRPM
Appliance Repair: Fred Kicsak, Blue Ridge Corp.
Toilet Repair: Fred Kicsak, Blue Ridge Corp.
Ceiling Fan Installation: Fred Kicsak, Blue Ridge Corp.
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Fred Kicsak, Blue Ridge Corp.
Racecar Competition: Francisco Garcia, BRPM
Lubbock Apartment Association
National Championship Qualifiers
First Place: George Lucero, McDougal Services
Second Place: Chad Crawford, Dial Equities
Third Place: Chris Salas, AG Rentals
Individual Event Winners
Door Jamb Armor Installation: Chad Crawford, Dial Equities
Key Control Test: Paul Espinoza, McDougal Services
Faucet Repair: Chad Crawford, Dial Equities
Appliance Repair: Michael Garza, McDougal Services
Toilet Repair: Michael Garza, McDougal Services
Ceiling Fan Installation: George Lucero, McDougal Services
Fire and CO Safety Installation: Ismael Perez, JTI
Racecar Competition: Glen Cole, Sentry