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What We’re
About

Great Results Start with Great People.

From day one, Team Thrive broke away from industry norms with a belief in creating something different. As a primarily women-owned organization representing a growing and increasingly diverse group of associates, we’ve worked hard to build a portfolio, a team and in many ways, a family of talented, inspired and inspiring humans.

We care about our associates, celebrate their successes, request their input frequently and respond to areas of opportunity. We offer thoughtful training and professional growth programs for Thrivers of all educational backgrounds and experience levels, to expand their career or try something new entirely.

At Thrive, people are seen. They are heard. They are known. This is why we thrive.

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Consistently Among The

PNW BEST
WORKPLACES

For the past seven consecutive years, Thrive has been voted one of Washington’s Best Workplaces, and in 2023, we made the list in Oregon for the first time as we continue to expand into the Portland market (and beyond)!

These awards come directly from confidential feedback from associates at every level of our organization, and each year, we take every response to heart. Along with our in-house anonymous surveys year-round, we’re able to capture and continuously improve upon what it means to be a Thriver.

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EMERALD & ACE AWARDS

2023 Superstars

Many Thrive associates and communities are nominated for the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association (WMFHA)’s Emerald Awards and Multifamily NW’s Ace Awards each year, and we’re always excited to see who become finalists — and of course, winners! Excitement is already building around the upcoming 2024 ceremonies.

In the most recent ceremonies (2023), we were honored with several wins! Each of the Emerald and Ace Award recipients showcased below demonstrates absolutely stellar resident/customer support and interoffice teamwork, always striving to improve their community and optimize the resident experience.

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Giving Back

Building Community on a Larger Scale

Our team is about more than just creating spaces where our residents and associates thrive. Through our Strive to Thrive committee, we also work to support the neighborhoods in which we live and operate, be it through donation drives, improving local surroundings or (literally) building communities from the ground up.

 

OUR IMPACT

One Review, One Tree

At Thrive, we believe sustainability is a collective effort and that everyone has a role in protecting the environment. Our One Review, One Tree initiative is a testament to this belief: Beginning in February 2023, for every Google review left for Thrive or one of our communities, we’ve pledged to plant one tree or native plant. Now, just by sharing your feedback, you not only help us grow our communities but also contribute to the reforestation of the Pacific Northwest!

Our efforts so far have covered planting over 1,800 trees and native species plants to support King County Parks in their 3 Million Trees by 2025 initiative. Our teams are already looking forward to getting their hands dirty again at our next round of planting events!

Leadership Team

Driven by the Irrational Pursuit of Excellence

Our team of industry-leading executives is driven by passion to lift up the communities they serve, from simple curb appeal to building and maintaining beautiful residential spaces, to cultivating stellar management and maintenance teams at each property who can turn a simple “housing unit” into a true home.

Unlike other companies of our size, Thrivers frequently have direct access to company principals. Instead of hiding away in a faraway office tower, they are often among our boots on the ground, active in much of our day-to-day management and business development.

Read about the energetic leaders that founded us, fuel us and keep us striving for improvement day after day, below.

Rose Blankers_2023 Headshot
Rose Blankers_2023 Headshot
Rose Blankers

President & CEO, Thrive Communities

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  • Rose Blankers
  • President & CEO, Thrive Communities

In her role as President and CEO, Rose Blankers is also Thrive’s Chief of Culture, People and Vision. These three pillars are the foundation of Thrive, and Rose ensures that these elements are balanced and integrated with their counterparts so the company is operating at its highest potential. Rose embodies the qualities of a servant leader – setting the company’s vision and goals, but then working hard to make sure they are both reflective of what Thrive’s dedicated associates want to see in a company, as well as delivering above-market results to clients.

Rose developed her leadership over the last two decades during which time she worked her way up within the property management industry, holding roles in accounting, finance and operations. Her ability to connect with clients and staff alike, while demonstrating her financial acumen, has been key to Thrive’s growth; under Rose’s leadership, the firm has grown rapidly and sustainably to where it is today.

Rose graduated with her bachelor’s in finance and MBA from Seattle University and was named a 2023 PSBJ 40 Under 40 Honoree.

Gary Bender_2023 Headshot
Gary Bender_2023 Headshot
Gary Bender

President, Thrive Developments

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  • Gary Bender
  • President, Thrive Developments

The successful redevelopment of any apartment community begins with a great vision to position the asset as a unique offering in the marketplace, while optimizing a client’s investment objectives. With a keen ability to see the possibility in every community, Gary oversees project renovations and our capital projects team.

With a degree in construction management and over 17 years of multi-family experience, Gary ensures renovation projects are delivered on time, on budget and with the unique approach that makes our communities truly thrive. Gary has overseen multiple award-winning renovations including Washington Multifamily Housing Association’s “Renovated Community of the Year” and more.

Kari Anderson_2023 Headshot
Kari Anderson_2023 Headshot
Kari Anderson

Founder, Vice President

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  • Kari Anderson
  • Founder, Vice President

Kari has the unique ability to attract, inspire and retain the best and brightest people in the multifamily industry. Her genuine passion for mentoring and assisting her team members to grow in their roles can be seen in Thrive’s on-site team’s performance.

Kari began her property management career in 1986 with Trammell Crow Residential Services (TCRS) where she was responsible for training and property marketing for all assets in Washington and Oregon. In 1994, she joined Equity Residential where she oversaw 15,000 apartments in the PNW as Area Vice President. In this capacity, Kari supervised over 300 employees, including five Regional Managers. In 2006, Kari joined Investco Management Services (IMS) where she was responsible for the development and implementation of marketing and management plans, including the annual budget process for the apartment portfolio.

Kari is the founding President of the Washington Chapter of the National Apartment Association and is currently a member on the Board. Kari is also a licensed Washington State Real Estate Broker.

Dave Kirzinger_2023 Headshot
Dave Kirzinger_2023 Headshot
Dave Kirzinger

Chairman

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  • Dave Kirzinger
  • Chairman

Dave Kirzinger has enjoyed a distinguished career in real estate, having held senior positions in acquisitions, development and property management. Dave’s focus over 33 years has been multi-family rental on the west coast of the United States.

Dave began his career with Trammell Crow Residential in 1989, after graduating from Stanford University with his MBA. When AvalonBay entered the Seattle market in 1997, they brought Dave on board to open their regional office. When Dave left AvalonBay six years later, he was overseeing Seattle and Southern California and a portfolio of approximately 8,000 apartments.

After his tenure with AvalonBay, Dave became the Seattle operating partner with MOSAIC Homes, a private Canadian multi family home builder. Dave and his MOSAIC partners co-founded RISE Properties Trust in 2012 and became partners with Thrive Communities the same year. Today RISE has ownership in approximately $2.5 billion worth of apartments in Seattle and Portland, all of which are expertly managed by Thrive, as part of their approximately 17,000-unit management portfolio.

April Syria_2023 Headshot
April Syria_2023 Headshot
April Syria

Chief Operating Officer

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  • April Syria
  • Chief Operating Officer

With more than more than 25 years’ experience in the multifamily industry, April oversees Thrive’s robust apartment portfolio and leads the firm’s regional management team and “Thriving” on-site associates. Her innovative and inclusive leadership style underlies her ability to execute the firm’s growth strategy, forging strong relationships with clients while creating a culture of internal opportunity for staff committed to success.

April’s tireless pursuit of excellence has strengthened Thrive’s portfolio performance metrics and her energetic approach to building and mentoring teams has proven to be an invaluable asset to Thrive’s company culture. April currently serves as a board member for the Washington Multifamily Housing Association, the state chapter of the National Apartment Association.

Cori McLeod_2023 Headshot
Cori McLeod_2023 Headshot
Cori McLeod

Vice President

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  • Cori McLeod
  • Vice President

With over 25 years of experience in the multi-family industry, Cori was most recently the Vice President of Client Relations at Pinnacle where she successfully grew third-party business in Washington, Oregon and California. Cori obtained her degree from Central Washington University with a focus in Business and Marketing.

Cori is a well-respected, highly accomplished industry professional who actively supports Thrive’s continued growth through positive culture alignment and a keen business sense.

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Torri Magee_2023 Headshot
Torri Magee

Vice President, Property Management & Client Services

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  • Torri Magee
  • Vice President, Property Management & Client Services

Torri brings more than 17 years of industry knowledge to her role as Vice President, Property Management & Client Services. With both CAM and CAPS credentials, her strong operations background gives her a well-rounded, strategic mindset that helps her understand and execute ownership goals.

Torri derives great satisfaction from doing right by the client. She tailors her strategy and approach to address each client’s needs rather than taking a one size fits all approach. In addition to taking care of her clients, Torri has a strong focus and care for Thrive’s people. She has a passion for mentoring Thrivers, and is known for her consistent positive outlook, work ethic and dedication to her team.

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Nick Crum_2023 Headshot
Nicholas Crum

Vice President, Property Management

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  • Nicholas Crum
  • Vice President, Property Management

Nicholas Crum is an industry expert with 15 years of multi-family experience encompassing five US markets; A, B and C-class assets; stabilized, full renovation and repositioning; both owner and fee management; as well as conventional, market-rate and affordable housing.

An expert in mixed-use asset management, Nick is solutions-driven, and his well-rounded background allows him to employ a creative mindset and outside-of-the box thinking. During his tenure with Thrive, Nicholas has been nominated for Regional Portfolio Manager of the year by WMFHA at their annual industry awards ceremony (the Emerald Awards) and has also received the annual Thrive Value Award. Nicholas holds a CAPS credential and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Indiana University South Bend.

William Jarrell_2023 Headshot
William Jarrell_2023 Headshot
William Jarrell

Chief Financial Officer

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  • William Jarrell
  • Chief Financial Officer

Leading Thrive’s Accounting department, William is an experienced leader in property management accounting. Starting his career at Greystar, he has shown a passion for detailed and timely financial reporting, adherence to internal controls and building teams.

William holds a B.S. in Accounting from Whitworth University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Washington. His wit and wisdom have built him a loyal following at Thrive where he inspires his team through his tireless work ethic and clever sense of humor.

Paul Edgeman_2023 Headshot copy
Paul Edgeman_2023 Headshot copy
Paul Edgeman

Senior Vice President of Marketing

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  • Paul Edgeman
  • Senior Vice President of Marketing

Paul has established himself as a leader in the multifamily marketing and technology sector through his innovative approaches. His commitment to enhancing Thrive’s marketing operations has contributed significantly to the company’s growth and the stimulation of new ideas. Beyond he and his team’s continuous efforts in marketing, he has also launched the ‘Strive to Thrive Volunteer Committee’ and pioneered the ‘One Review, One Tree’ program, demonstrating Thrive’s dedication to building a strong online reputation while embracing sustainability. Additionally, Paul has worked to form and grow a dedicated creative team within Thrive to directly serve the needs of our diverse client base.

Brittany Flajole_2023 Headshot
Brittany Flajole_2023 Headshot
Brittany Flajole

Senior Vice President of People

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  • Brittany Flajole
  • Senior Vice President of People

With a background in organizational development consulting, leadership coaching and facilitation, Brittany was uniquely suited to build Thrive’s training and human resources teams from the ground up. Her leadership of our people teams has had a direct impact on Thrive being recognized as a WA Best Workplace year after year. She believes that when our associates are cared for, they thrive – and as a result, so do our communities.

Over the years, Brittany has demonstrated her leadership in the multi-family housing industry by becoming an NAAEI instructor as well as holding her credential as a Senior Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resource Management.

Brittany holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business from Western Washington University and a M.A. in Organizational Development from Antioch University Seattle.

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Alissa600px
Alissa Harrington

Director of Human Resources

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  • Alissa Harrington
  • Director of Human Resources

Leading the Human Resources Department in being a valued and trusted resource to associates and managers, Alissa fosters a company culture of compassion through clear and fair HR practices and policies. She has a passion for authentic leadership and models servant leadership.

Alissa holds a certificate as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, B.S. in Psychology from the University of Washington and M.A. in Organizational Development from Antioch University Seattle.

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KariP600
Kari Padilla

Director of Learning & Development

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  • Kari Padilla
  • Director of Learning & Development

Kari leads a team of exceptional and dedicated Regional Trainers to onboard and develop Thrive’s team members. From their first orientation session to more advanced courses, Kari focuses on developing potential into industry-leading performance. With 25 years of experience in the multifamily industry, including on-site and regional support roles, she excels at building relationships with Thrivers at all levels of the organization.

A lifelong learner, Kari is passionate about the neuroscience of learning and creating engaging educational experiences. She channels this energy and expertise into creating and improving training programs that allow Thrive’s associates to grow individually and within their respective teams, just as the company itself grows.

Kari holds a B.S. in Communications and an M.Ed. in Instructional Design from George Mason University. She brings invaluable experience to Team Thrive with prior experience at Archstone-Smith, Air Communities, and Weidner, and is a member of the NAAEI Certified Faculty.

Jason Moore_2023 Headshot
Jason Moore_2023 Headshot
Jason Moore

Director of Revenue & Asset Management

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  • Jason Moore
  • Director of Revenue & Asset Management

Originally from the East Coast, Jason has over 20+ years of industry experience spanning both coasts of the United States. In 2013, he relocated to Pacific Northwest and has made Seattle his home ever since.

In 2019 Jason joined Thrive as Regional Manager, primarily servicing the CBD and Capitol Hill Market. During his time with Thrive so far, he has had experience with the East Side from Kirkland to Renton — however, his focus remains on Seattle with a passion for the challenging legislative and legal landscape the market provides.

Throughout his tenure with Thrive, Jason has served as a core member of Thrive’s EPRAP/COVID Response Team that developed strategy, shaped policy and procedures during the time of COVID-19 up to and through today. He is also an active leader in Thrive’s GROW and Regional Manager Development programs, working to develop our next team of Regional Leaders.

As Director of Revenue and Asset Management, Jason will ensure that all of Thrive’s communities are equitability positioned in their market and submarket, for optimal financial performance based on current market conditions.

Nick Beller_2023 Headshot
Nick Beller_2023 Headshot
Nick Beller

Director of Systems

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  • Nick Beller
  • Director of Systems

Nick Beller leads Thrive’s Systems Department, bringing an expansive background in accounting and IT operations to the team. His passion for analysis and process improvement allow Thrive to be a forward thinker in the ever-changing landscape of PNW multi-family property management.

Nick leverages his accounting experience to maximize the financial impact his business systems team bring to Thrive’s bottom line. Nick holds a BA in Accounting from Gonzaga University.

Todd Hildebrand_2023 Headshot
Todd Hildebrand_2023 Headshot
Todd Hildebrand

Regional Director

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  • Todd Hildebrand
  • Regional Director

Todd Hildebrand has been with Thrive for three years and brings over 15 years of multifamily experience to the company. Prior to Thrive, Todd worked for the third largest military housing provider in the nation for over nine years on multiple public, private venture housing projects. His multifaceted professional background includes management roles in maintenance, operations and project management.

Todd enjoys expanding his industry knowledge and building lasting relationships within his team and community. He holds both a Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS) and Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) industry accreditations and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Central Washington University. In his free time, Todd enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, cooking, boating and traveling.

Ruchelle Erwin_2023 Headshot
Ruchelle Erwin_2023 Headshot
Ruchelle Erwin

Senior Regional Director

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  • Ruchelle Erwin
  • Senior Regional Director

Ruchelle is an industry leader who brings to Thrive over 22 years of experience in property management. Her background ranges from pre-development and lease-ups to stabilized, redevelopments, acquisitions and dispositions in both urban and suburban settings. Prior to coming to Thrive, Ruchelle spent a large part of her career working with a leading S&P 500 REIT firm, leading the Seattle region year over year in revenue excellence, stemming from innovative technology and market strategies.

Ruchelle understands the multifaceted complexity of running a community from the ground up. Her career began as a part-time leasing consultant where she fell in love with all things property management, specifically the people. She embodies a culture of care and brings positive energy and leadership to every interaction, from her on-site teams to her clients. She has also received the award for Community Manager of the Year, and most recently Portfolio Supervisor of the Year, through the Washington Multifamily Housing Association.

Andi Hill_2023 Headshot
Andi Hill_2023 Headshot
Andi Hill

Regional Director

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  • Andi Hill
  • Regional Director

Andi Hill joined Thrive in 2018 and brings more than 15 years of experience to her role as Regional Director where she leads a team of 170+ associates across 40 communities valued at more than $1.8B. Andi partners with her staff and clients to oversee business, renovation and operational plans to optimize performance of stabilized and lease-up apartment assets in Washington state. Andi is uniquely suited for this role after previously holding roles as the Director of Business Development and as a Regional Manager for Thrive Communities (2018 – 2022) and most recently in Asset Management for ownership group RISE Properties Trust (2022 – 2023) where she oversaw all of RISE’s wholly owned assets in the greater Seattle Metro area and all assets joint ventured with Tokyu. Prior to joining Thrive, Andi managed business development initiatives for an international design firm and oversaw economic development and urban place-making initiatives in both Washington, DC and Seattle, WA from 2007 – 2018.

Andi holds a Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS) industry accreditation, and earned a M.Sc. in Social Policy from the London School of Economics (2007) and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Oregon (2005), where she graduated summa cum laude. Throughout her career, Andi has been an active volunteer for various Seattle and Washington, D.C. organizations.

Don Jacobsen_2023 Headshot
Don Jacobsen_2023 Headshot
Don Jacobsen

Regional Maintenance Director

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  • Don Jacobsen
  • Regional Maintenance Director

Don supports Thrive’s client base by leading maintenance teams through supervision, vision and strategic direction. Under his guidance, Thrive’s maintenance teams ensure the physical condition of each asset is safe, attractive and properly maintained.

With over 30 years of apartment industry experience, Don is an expert in capital planning and execution, expense control, environmental oversight, associate safety, OSHA, ADA and construction management. His passion for training and building teams helps Thrive attract and retain top talent.

Don is a Certified Pool Operator, an Instructor for the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, a Certified Universal Technician and also a Proctor with the ESCO Institute.

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