How long have you been involved with MLP?
I have been with Morgan Legacy Partners (MLP) for approximately 1.5 years.
What do you do for MLP?
I am the Sales & Development Manager at MLP and I wear a couple of different hats. My role is to source and evaluate opportunities, specifically mobile home parks and other core real estate assets. I am also a member of the marketing department for MLP, which includes investor outreach, as we initiate growth for the company on all fronts.
How and why did you become involved with MLP?
I became interested in the mobile home park asset class a few years ago and my research into potential investment vehicles had me cross paths with a job posting for MLP. I saw an opening that seemed to fit my skillset along with my philanthropic goals and realized that this was a unique opportunity. At the same time, my family was in the process of moving from the Baltimore area to Fort Mill, SC, so the location was as perfect as the role! I went through a series of interviews with the team and knew it was a place I wanted to be, the people and the mission resonated with me. I jumped at the opportunity when I was offered a position at MLP.
Tell me about your work history and how you got to where you are now.
I’ve done a lot of different things, from lobbying/PR in Washington DC to e-commerce to financial services. But my main background is financial services, an industry I entered after business school in 2008. Through private investment products for the clients I was servicing, I became interested in real estate investment and the idea of passive income. My wife and I have been investing in single family rentals for the last 10+ years, but I saw there were opportunities in different asset classes within real estate, specifically in the multifamily space. This drew me to mobile home parks as well as other affordable housing investments. MLP’s mission of providing more affordable housing options, while also generating strong returns for its investors, seemed to blend two of my passions in identifying good investments while also giving back to the community in sprawling cities like Charlotte.
What interests you the most about your current role with MLP?
Again, my role is a blend two of my passions in identifying good investments while also giving back, through affordable housing, to booming metro areas like Charlotte. Specifically, I like to get away from my desk and meet new people, see new properties/opportunities, and evaluate the details that not only make it a good investment, but to make sure it’s the type of asset that can help the community. There are few places with better opportunities than the Carolinas where the population is growing at significant rates and city sprawls are making affordability a key issue.
When you are not working, what can we find you doing?
I generally can’t sit still, so in my free time I enjoy fitness whether it be boxing or circuit training or just going on a jog. I’m active in my kids’ sports and love coaching kids when they’re young (before they know it all during their teenage years…).
Tell us a fun, random fact about yourself!
When I was 8, I had to have my spleen removed due to a random blood disorder called spherocytosis. During surgery, they found a 2nd spleen, which it’s my understanding is extremely uncommon. So, I’m a medical marvel, apparently! I’m not sure this is a “fun” fact, but it’s certainly interesting.