NAA PAST PRESIDENT Anthony V. Pusateri, CAPS, CPM, CSM, died May 2 in Dallas. He was 65.
A dedicated, knowledgeable and respected apartment industry professional, Pusateri will be greatly missed by his colleagues, friends and peers and the apartment industry as a whole.
During his year as NAA President (now recognized as Chairman of the Board) in 1992, Pusateri was instrumental in establishing the NAA/NMHC Joint Legislative Program, a partnership that is now in its 20th year.
The Chicago native also served as President of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas (AAGD) in 1986-1987, during which time he set the example for the association’s future leadership.
“Tony was an inclusive leader and he went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable,” says Gerry Henigsman, Executive Vice President of AAGD, who served on AAGD’s Board of Directors with Pusateri for over 10 years.
“If you had a question about what he was getting for rent, for example, you could pick up the phone and ask him and he would share that information with you,” Henigsman says. “It was incredible that someone would go out of their way to help a competitor, but he did. And I never saw him raise his voice once. He set a standard for our Board.”
Pusateri was a firm believer in apartment industry education, training and career development. While serving on NAA’s Strategic Planning Committee in 2004, he tirelessly promoted the creation of the NAA Education Institute (NAAEI) and served on its Board of Directors from the program’s inception.
As a NAAEI Board member and Apartment Career Committee Chair, Pusateri developed the NAAEI Advanced Instructor Training Program and initiated partnerships with Job Corps, DECA, SkillsUSA, Jobs for America’s Graduates and community colleges. In 2006, Pusateri was the first recipient of the NAAEI Apartment Career & Education (ACE) Award. In 2008, he received the NAA Hall of Fame Award.
NAAEI President Jeff Lowry, CAPS, considered Pusateri a mentor. “Tony always saw the big picture; he was the guy looking around the curve before the rest of us,” says Lowry, Senior Vice President of Multifamily Housing for McDougal Companies. “Tony was intense, but he had a great sense of humor and loved people.”
In addition to his involvement in various associations, Pusateri served as head of Equity Residential’s national education team and most recently as Senior Vice President of CrossFire Operations for RealPage Inc. He was also an IREM faculty member, instructing internationally.
“Tony was a dreamer, an innovator and a tireless champion of education during his long and distinguished career in the apartment business,” says David Neithercut, President and CEO of Equity Residential. “While at Equity, Tony built an award-winning education group that recognized the value of leadership development in business operations, making hundreds of managers into better leaders. He was a mentor and friend to many and has left a wonderful legacy at Equity Residential.”
When Pusateri wasn’t working, he enjoyed spending time with his wife, Patty, and their three children. He also enjoyed cooking, and took particular pride in his homemade pizzas.
“Tony recently built a huge commercial pizza oven in his backyard and was planning a ‘Pizza for PAC’ fundraiser for AAGD this summer,” Henigsman says. “He loved good food and good wine. He was also one of the all-time sharpest dressers. Whether he was with a group of friends or chairman of a board, Tony had a presence. You knew he was there.”
–NAA’s Lauren Boston