MANAGERS IN ACTION


“We want to see you grow and suc- ceed. It’s a great culture. Everyone wants everyone to succeed.” Like many other StoragePRO


employees, Rita has advanced within the company. She joined StoragePRO as the vice president of operations more than four years ago and spent about 2.5 years in that position before being promoted to COO. “The company empowers you with


knowledge and experience,” Rita says, adding that her transition to chief operating officer was easier thanks to the field experience she had oversee- ing the day-to-day operations of StoragePRO’s properties and team. As for personal growth, that goes


hand in hand with StoragePRO’s emphasis on professional advance- ment. Rita, who says the StoragePRO team is like a “second family,” notes that the company goes out of its way to foster that kind of camaraderie. For instance, employees receive corporate birthday cards signed by Mirabito, rec- ognition for successes, and acknowl- edgements at various milestones. The company also hosts annual events, such as holiday parties, family barbe- cues, and outings to professional baseball games, zoos, or amusement parks—all of which focus on having fun and celebrating together.


Promoting From Within Why does StoragePRO place an emphasis on training and advance- ment? Besides increasing employee satisfaction and employee retention, “some of the best employees come from within,” says Rita. “We want to give anyone who’s interested that chance.” Three of StoragePRO’s current team


members decided to take the chance to which Rita refers: Arianna Valdivia, Rosa Gonzalez, and Yaneeka Powell. Although Powell has been with


the company for less than a year and a half, she’s already advanced from an assistant property manager to corporate office manager. With many years of office administrative experience under her belt before


40 Self-Storage NOW! Christina Rita


joining StoragePRO, she jumped at the chance to return to her roots as an office manager. “I was grateful to be considered for


the promotion,” Powell says. “I was in the right place at the right time to accept the opportunity for advancement.” In her corporate position, Powell


handles administrative duties that link the home office to the facilities man- aged by StoragePRO. She’s “hands-on with everyone in the office,” ensuring everyone has everything they need to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities. She orders their office materi- als, supplies documents, handles busi- ness licenses, works with the account- ing team on invoicing, and assists the onboarding team with obtaining docu- mentation for employee records. “I do a little bit of everything,”


says Powell, who is quick to add that the StoragePRO team is “close knit” and “works together to ensure smooth operations.” Powell most appreciates the compa-


ny’s inviting environment, one in which everyone feels like they can be them- selves. She looks forward to continuing


to grow professionally within the corpo- rate office and learning more about HR to possibly pursue an opportunity in that department in the future. November 2022 marked Gonzalez’s


sixth year anniversary with StoragePRO. Like Powell, she joined the company as an assistant property manager. She stayed in that role for four years before transferring to the corporate office as an office manager. After a year in that role, Gonzalez made the decision to move to the accounting department as an account- ing specialist. Similar to other self-storage profes-


sionals, Gonzalez came to the industry with no storage experience. While she had a lot to learn about property man- agement, Gonzalez did have sales skills from working in retail and fast food. “I’ve gained a lot of experience,”


says Gonzalez, “and a wide variety of knowledge.” She mentions that this is the first company she’s worked for that has had so many opportunities for growth. “You’re given tools to grow.” Moreover, unlike some businesses that try to pigeonhole employees into


FIRST QUARTER 2023


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