Since founding TPCO in 1987, Donna Preiss has been a pioneer in student housing, spearheading the creation of groundbreaking practices in development, financing, technology, operations and marketing.

Tempered by her hands-on experience in all phases of student housing, Donna is a highly sought-after speaker and has represented the industry at conferences worldwide.
She is a member of the NAA National Student Housing Committee and the NMHC National Student Housing Committee. Donna currently serves on the Executive Committee of the NMHC, the Board of Advisors for the UNC Wood Center for Real Estate Services, UNC Board of Visitors, Rams Club Board of Advisors, the NC Veterinary Medical Foundation Board and the Board of Trustees for Ravenscroft School, and is active in a wide array of charities. She is also a recipient of one of Triangle Business Journal's CEO of the Year Awards and was recognized among the Women of Influence by Globe St. She has been recognized as one of the top women in our industry by Business Leader Magazine and Women in Business.

Donna received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.A. from the University of Maryland.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Principal Kirk Preiss provides decision-making authority on behalf of The Preiss Company, as well oversight of both property and corporate level technology. As a 20-plus-year real estate veteran, he has contributed to the growth of Preiss’ current portfolio size. Prior to joining The Preiss Company, he held an executive position in technology at IBM, involving him heavily in the LAN and internet movement of the 80s and 90s. He produced patents and leading international standards in his field.

Kirk received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a Master of Science in Mathematics from George Mason University and an MBA from Duke University. In 2002, he was appointed by Governor Mike Easley to the North Carolina Science and Technology Board. He is an Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) through the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and holds a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation.

Principal

Over the course of nearly two decades with the company, Preiss has held a series of increasingly responsible roles including Broker and Vice President, and Executive Vice President of New Business Development, and Chief Investments Officer, where he was responsible for overseeing all of TPCO's investments and joint ventures.

John earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the College of Charleston. He currently serves on the board of directors and the executive committee for the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC) and is also a member of the ULI Student Housing Council.

President

Adam Byrley joined The Preiss Company (TPCO) in 2003 and
currently serves as Chief Operating Officer.

In his role, Adam oversees all day to day operations of the 32,000+ bed TPCO property management portfolio in over 14 states nationwide. These duties include the direct oversight of all day to day management operations, as well as all corporate Marketing, Human Resources, and IT teams. Additionally, Adam plays a key role in implementing company strategic initiatives, and is a key contributor in the operational underwriting
for all acquisition and development opportunities at TPCO.

Adam received his undergraduate degree from Clemson University cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Chief Operating Officer

Susan’s role as Chief Acquisitions & Development Officer includes all acquisitions and ground-up developments, as well as substantial upgrades and renovations of both new and existing assets. Her responsibilities also include establishing and maintaining new and existing joint venture partnerships and sourcing all debt. Susan brings over 35 years of development, construction, operations, new business development and investment sales experience to the TPCO team.

Prior to joining TPCO 18 years ago, Susan served as a Regional Senior Director with CB Richard Ellis, covering the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic region.

Susan received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business at North Carolina Wesleyan. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).

Chief A&D Officer

Chad West serves as the Chief Financial Officer, and is responsible for accounting, financial reporting and tax compliance, as he also directs the treasury management function and the company’s internal controls.

Prior to joining TPCO, he worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers as an Audit Manager serving construction, manufacturing and real estate clients. He also served as a Controller for several private companies, primarily in the construction industry.

In 1997, Chad graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Chief Financial Officer

Kyle joined the company a decade ago as head of Construction Management Services. In his role as Executive Vice President of Construction Management, he oversees all capital improvement projects for TPCO’s portfolio.

While with TPCO, Kyle has provided a variety of services, including due diligence, property need evaluations, ongoing capital improvement plans, budget analysis and project management for existing student housing projects.

Kyle is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management.

EVP of Construction Management

Sara joined The Preiss Company in 2003 and serves as the Senior Vice President of Property Management. She oversees 4 Regional Managers and the operations of a portion of TPCO’s portfolio.

Prior to her current role, Sara held a wide range of positions within TPCO including Property Manager, Area Manager and Regional Manager. Prior to joining the company, she worked in the conventional property management sector as a Property Manager and Trainer with Equity Residential.

Sara earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Housing and Interior Design with a concentration in Property Management from Virginia Tech.

EVP of Property Management

DeWana joined the company in 2008 and oversees 2 regional managers with responsibility for a portion of TPCO’s portfolio, including day-to-day student housing operations oversight. Since joining the company, she has helped to develop a scalable platform that has enabled the company to grow over the last several years.

A 28-year apartment industry veteran, DeWana previously served as a Regional Manager for Campus Advantage, where she operated a portfolio of seven on and off-campus student-housing communities comprised of 6,000 beds. She has held a variety of increasingly important positions within the industry, including Regional Manager for both Stokes-McCaleb and Place Properties.

EVP of Property Management

Chloe Rasmussen joined The Preiss Company in 2006 and currently serves as Vice President of Property Management. She oversees a team of Regional Managers as well as the Raleigh and conventional multifamily portfolios.

Prior to her current role, Chloe served as a Regional Vice President, Regional Manager, Area Property Manager and Property Manager.

Chloe is a graduate of North Carolina State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with a minor in Business.

VP of Property Management

Jeff Bartholomew joined The Preiss Company in 2020 and serves as the Vice President of Development & Construction Services. He is responsible for overseeing both current and under construction development projects throughout the development phase, and collaborating with the company’s Chief Acquisitions & Development Officer on potential new development projects.

Prior to joining TPCO, Jeff served as the Vice President of Development at Excel Group, leading development and project management functions. He has also held Financial Analyst, Assistant Development Manager, Development Manager, and Senior Asset Manager positions.

Jeff earned a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University and M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Kenan-Flagler Business School.

EVP of Development & Construction Services

David Leake joined the New Business Development Team in 2009, and has been part of The Preiss Company since 2000.

He helps bring on new Acquisitions, Developments, and Third-Party Management sites in the industry. He also plays a huge role in the market studies and the due diligence process with new potential properties. David has been on all sides of the Student housing real-estate spectrum including: Real-Estate Broker, Acquisition and Development, Leasing Agent, Property Manager, Project Manager, and Construction Management.

David graduated from Appalachian State University.

EVP of Business Development

John joined The Preiss Company in 2007 and serves as the Executive Vice President of Investments. As part of his role, John oversees the underwriting of new acquisition and development opportunities. Other key aspects of his position include market analysis, managing debt placement and execution efforts, and general transaction process oversight.
Prior to his current appointment, John served as TPCO’s Asset Manager and was responsible for the oversight of annual budget efforts, management of insurance programs and created tracking tools to assist property management with day to day operations.

John graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance.

EVP of Investments

Whitney joined The Preiss Company in 2022 and serves as the Senior Vice President of Innovation and Technology. She is responsible for the development of revenue generating technology initiatives serving the TPCO portfolio and broader multifamily markets.

Prior to TPCO, Kidd co-founded the connectivity scoring company, ROVR Score which provides owners and operators a platform to monitor, score, and promote the quality of Wifi connectivity at multifamily dwellings. During her time as an active partner she oversaw the operations, sales, and go to market strategy for the organization which expanded to 50,000 student housing beds, 16,000 multifamily units, and 75 communities in the first year of business.

Whitney joined ROVR Score from RealPage where she managed integrated business solutions across 70+ products to improve performance and drive top-line revenue growth for the Student, Military, and Urban markets. Prior to her departure, the business unit she oversaw achieved 30% YOY growth resulting in $20 million in recurring revenue. Whitney has an innate and recognized passion for driving innovative technology—paired with operational best practices—to maximize performance. Her customer-first leadership approach delivers market-specific solutions focused on increasing revenue, managing risk, and decreasing expense through technology.

She has over 15 years of professional experience in prop-tech and property management and is a founding board member of the W. Collective, a women in leadership network for the student housing industry.

SVP Innovation & Technology

Kasey began her career in operations as a Leasing and Marketing Manager while still attending college full-time. Joining TPCO in 2010, she has held increasingly more prominent positions in support of the company’s innovative marketing efforts. Leading an internal team of specialized marketing professionals, she oversees brand development, marketing and leasing strategy, creative messaging, and both corporate and property-level marketing. She is also responsible for overseeing resident programming initiatives, communications, sports marketing partnerships and corporate events. She manages the company’s in-house design and digital marketing teams as well as website development.

Munsch also works closely with the New Business Development Team to support new business presentations and strategy. She plays a key role in company functions and conference planning and implements the company’s philanthropic initiatives.

Kasey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication & Public Relations from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

VP of Marketing

Sally's role as VP of Human Resources focuses specifically on Compliance, Employee Relations, and Benefit Strategies within the Preiss company. She oversees a team of HR professionals, who together, manage all components of the end-to-end lifecycle of our employees.

Prior to joining the Preiss Company, Sally worked for an international telecommunications business for over 20 years, where she held various HR roles during her time. These positions included America's Recruiting Manager, North American HR Shared Services Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions Advisor, and HR Business Partner.

Sally graduated from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development.

VP of Human Resources

Chelsey Harper joined The Preiss Company in 2011 and currently serves as Regional Vice President. She oversees 12 of the properties within our portfolio, a small number of strategic assets and 2 Regional Managers.

Prior to her current position, Chelsey has worked in the student housing industry for 15 years as a Leasing Consultant, Business Manager, Assistant Property Manager, Property Manager, Area Property Manager and Regional Manager.

Chelsey graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Textile and Apparel Brand Management and Marketing with a minor in Spanish.

Regional VP

Lane Sheer joined The Preiss Company in 2011 and currently serves as Co-Director of Property Operations. She jointly oversees TPCO’s core property management and leasing systems, reporting, training, support, and additional property systems, with a focus on implementing best-in-class strategies and practices to support the company’s continued portfolio growth. Additionally, she oversees the company's Operations team whose primary responsibilities include property support, managing system access, new property system setup, and auditing the compliance of leases, policies, and deadlines across the portfolio.

Lane is a graduate of North Carolina State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.

Co-Director of Property Operations

Andrew Belter joined The Preiss Company in 2011 and currently serves as Co-Director of Property Operations. He jointly oversees TPCO’s core property management and leasing systems, reporting, training, support, and additional property systems, with a focus on implementing best-in-class strategies and practices to support the company’s continued portfolio growth. Additionally, he oversees the company's Operations team whose primary responsibilities include property support, managing system access, new property system setup, and auditing the compliance of leases, policies, and deadlines across the portfolio.

Andrew has operated within The Preiss Company as a Leasing Agent, Assistant Property Manager, Area Business Manager, Area Property Manager, and Operations Specialist since he joined.

Co-Director of Property Operations

Chantele Hawkins joined The Preiss Company in 2005 and currently serves as the Director of Property Financial Management. She oversees the analysis of existing revenue operations, and acts as the liaison with the Accounting and Property Management teams, helping our Regional Managers with accounting-related procedures. Additionally, she provides analysis and support to Regional and Property Managers on property financials.

Chantele graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Director of Property Financial Management

Mike Kivitz joined The Preiss Company in 2010 and currently serves as Director, Strategic Partnerships. Mike is primarily responsible for initiating and executing strategic growth opportunities for TPCO third-party management platform. Mike will continue to maintain close relationships with existing partners and clients, as well as seek new relationships in both student and conventional multifamily housing. Additionally, Mike assists the new business development team with market research and due diligence efforts for both acquisitions and dispositions.

Prior to his current position, Mike has worked in the student housing industry as a Leasing Consultant, Assistant Property Manager, Area Property Manager, Regional Manager and most recently Regional Director.

Mike graduated from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor in Information Systems.

Director, Strategic Partnerships

Telsherree Hurd joined The Preiss Company in 2006 and currently serves as Director of Management Specialists. She is a liaison to our corporate Property Operations team to ensure standardization and efficiency of corporate systems/protocols/policies across the portfolio.

Prior to her current position, Telsherree has worked in the student housing industry as a Leasing Consultant, Assistant Property Manager, Regional Business Manager, Property Manager, Management Specialist and Regional Manager.

Telsherree graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with Bachelor of Arts in Government Pre-Law with a minor in Business Foundations.

Director, Mgt Specialists

Colton Lassinger joined The Preiss Company in 2008 and currently serves as Regional Director. He oversees a number of assets within our portfolio and assists with strategic company initiates and third-party management assignments.

Prior to his current position, Colton has worked in the student housing industry for 20 years as a Leasing Consultant, Assistant Property Manager, Leasing Manager, Property Manager, Area Property Manager & Regional Manager.

Colton graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.

Regional Director

Lauren Dalia joined The Preiss Company in 2006 and currently serves as Regional Manager. She oversees 8 of the properties within our portfolio.

Prior to her current position, Lauren has worked in the student housing industry as an Assistant Property Manager, HOA Manager, Executive Assistant, and Property Manager.

Lauren graduated from Peace College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Regional Manager

Gavin Short joined The Preiss Company in 2007 and currently serves as Regional Manager. He oversees 6 of the properties within our portfolio.

Prior to his current position, Gavin has worked in the student housing industry as a Leasing Consultant, Applications Technology Analyst, Leasing Manager, Property Manager, Construction Manager, and Management Specialist.

Gavin earned his MBA from Wake Forest University, and his undergraduate degree from Auburn University, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management / Management Information Systems.

Regional Manager

Mariana Morton joined The Preiss Company in 2008 and currently serves as Regional Manager. She oversees 6 of the properties within our portfolio.

Prior to her current position, Mariana has worked in the student housing industry as a Corporate Receptionist, Leasing Consultant, Business Manager, Assistant Property Manager, and Property Manager.

Mariana graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Textiles Brand Management and Marketing, achieving Magna Cum Laude.

Regional Manager

Jessica Decker joined TPCO in 2014 after seven years of previous student housing experience.  She was promoted to PM at Orion in Orpington in Orlando, FL in 2015, then quickly moved into an Area PM role for two properties when TPCO acquired management at Arden Villas in 2018.  She has led her teams through extremely successful leasing seasons and multiple, extensive renovation projects.

Regional Manager

Tyler Hey joined TPCO in 2015 as a Leasing Agent at Orion on Orpington and has since worked his way up the property management organizational chart, serving in a variety of roles and in multiple different markets. Tyler served as Property Manager at Park on Morton in Bloomington, IN, as well as at University Park in Boca Raton, FL.  Most recently, his time has been spent as a PM Specialist where he's traveled to sites to provide additional training to staff, onboarding new teams and has played a critical role in filling a variety of onsite positions.

Regional Manager