The Tennessee Self Storage Association (TNSSA) has named Ashley Dawn, manager of the Mt. Juliet, Tenn., location for A+ Storage of Tennessee LLC, as its 2015 “Manager of the Year.” It’s the third time an A+ Storage manager has received the award in the past five years. Betsi Jackson, manager of the company’s Murfreesboro, Tenn., property, received the award in 2013; and Stephanie Tharpe, A+ senior vice president of operations, was honored in 2012.
Dawn became the manager of the Mt. Juliet facility in November 2014 after the company sold its Hermitage, Tenn., property. Under her stewardship, the facility has performed so well that a new two-story structure is being built and is expected to open this spring, according to an A+ press release. Her success is based on her relationships with business leaders, friends and family, and tenants in her community, the release stated.
Dawn’s marketing efforts include networking with local apartment managers and serving as an active member of The Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce. Her charitable contributions include donating free use of storage units to the Mt. Juliet Animal Shelter and the city’s fire and police departments. She has also donated funds to support The Mt. Juliet Help Center, a nonprofit that provides clothing, food and other resources to residents in need.
“It was my honor and privilege to nominate her for this prestigious award,” said Tommy Pierce, president of A+ Storage. “She exemplifies on every level what a great manager is. I look forward to what she will do in 2016, and it has been my pleasure to watch this young lady blossom as a site manager.”
Dawn also won third place in the 2015 “Loving Las Vegas” Video Challenge hosted by Self-Storage Talk, the industry’s largest online community and the official forum of Inside Self-Storage, which provides a wide range of information and education resources for the industry. As a recording artist, she has written, recorded and posted several self-storage song parodies on the community website. Her video-contest submission and other music videos can be viewed on Self-Storage TV.
Dawn will present a seminar at the at the 2016 Inside Self-Storage World Expo, April 25-28, in Las Vegas titled, “The Facts of Self-Storage Life: Things You Need to Know About Being a Facility Manager.” Designed for new facility managers, the presentation will provide candid, insider advice for handling unexpected situations.
Dawn is also a trade partner with Del Webb of Lake Providence, a 55-plus community, and has been involved in hosting several events there, including a Cinco de Mayo celebration and the 2015 Tailgate Party.
Founded in 2003, A+ Storage operates seven facilities in Fortress, La Vergne, Mt. Juliet/Providence, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Nolensville and Spring Hill/Columbia, Tenn. In 2014, the company sold five facilities for $33.6 million. The properties were in Clarksville, Franklin, Gallatin, Hendersonville and Hermitage, Tenn.
The TNSSA provides self-storage owners and managers in Tennessee with resources and information on industry-related topics such as business issues, lien laws, property taxes and more. The association also assists in promoting legislative proposals that affect the storage industry.
Ashley Dawn, left, manager for A+ Storage in Mt. Juliet,
Tenn., and Stacey Gorman, president of the Tennessee
Self Storage Association.