Someone who has made a clear impact on our Asset Management and Property Management operations at The Menkiti Group since she joined us is none other than Christie Morgan. Her extensive experience in property and asset management and time spent working with amazing mentors is invaluable. This experience brought her to Menkiti to lead our team as the Vice President of Property Management and Asset Management Operations. During her time at the enterprise, she has had a hand in many different projects, but one thing that has remained the same throughout all of her work is that Christie calm, cool and collected manner gives her an edge that is unmatched!
A background in marketing
A part of Christie’s professional history many people don’t know about is that her road to The Menkiti Group began in 2003 when she became the Director of Marketing for a PREIT mall in Jacksonville, NC. She transferred to the DC area in 2005 with PREIT and then went to work for Macerich at Tysons Corner Center. While Marketing Director she was tasked with actively supporting multi-level, multi-channel marketing efforts for the center. Her marketing experience at Tysons Corner led her to many fun opportunities, but one she remembers most was when she was able to make a major impact on sales
simply by speaking out.
Early on at the center Christie was faced with a problem: sit back and let a marketing campaign run that had significant support throughout the company (but was a campaign she personally believed would lead to poor sales), or to continue with the high end, “Where The Stores Are” campaign that had branded the center but few understood the importance. In the end, Christie stood her ground and advocated for the campaign she believed in by backing her reasoning with quantifiable research. Her campaign soared, and even though it was hard to push back against the popular vote, she learned that standing behind an idea you believe in is important and being able to back up that idea with research is even better. While reflecting back on this experience she notes how it has helped her with her current role at The Menkiti Group by saying “even though I may be confident that I know the answer to questions that tenants or developers may ask me, I know I need to back my claims with research and evidence in order to make
informed, fool-proof decisions.”
Mentors helped to guide her way
A successful career is made by many things, but something that Christie attributes to her success is the fact that she has had some amazing mentors throughout the years who have helped guide her professionally. During her time at Tysons Corner, she had a mentor who showed her how powerful women can be in business. Her mentor was the first woman General Manager at a regional center who signed a very financially successful lease with the very first Apple store. She showed her that women belonged in leadership roles at all levels of an organization. Christie took this advice to heart and began to stand her ground in more situations, much like the marketing campaign she stood behind in her early days with the center.
Her mentor brought Christie into the property management side when she brought her to Reston Town Center as Property Manager. She flourished in this role and found her niche in the real estate world with an eye on financial performance. Her thorough knowledge of commercial real estate brought her to two different companies as Director of Property and Asset Management where she learned how valuable having a female mentor is. Since not many women were in these fields in the industry at the time, it was especially powerful to work with female mentors that showed they also deserve a seat at the table. Fast forward to today, and Christie actively mentors’ young women in the industry so she can give other people the support that she has felt throughout her career.
Finding a home at The Menkiti Group
Christie was seeking an opening with a company that offered opportunities for women to grow in an otherwise male-dominated industry and, for her, The Menkiti Group fit the bill. She knew that joining an enterprise that had a tremendous amount of potential would be a great fit for her. Since day one, Christie has rolled up her sleeves and jumped into help whenever (and wherever) she can across the enterprise and because of that grit and passion she has quickly become a leader in the organization. Her favorite project since she began working at The Menkiti Group just a few years ago has been MLK Gateway. She has loved being a part of this project because she has been able to see Phase I go from construction to operational. At Phase II she has been able to provide feedback and input on the design and is looking forward to its impact on the neighborhood once completed.
Family above all!
Christie and her family reside in Purcellville, Virginia where they landed after her husband spent 27 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. After moving around the globe with her family while her three kids were growing up, she learned that there is always something good in every place if you’re with your loved ones. Christie and her family have been able to travel the world as a military family, and she is so grateful for the experiences they have all had together. They are now happily grounded at their home with their 3 dogs and their son and 2 grandchildren. Together, they enjoy spending time at their second home in North Carolina and visit as often as possible. After 36 years of marriage, they never stop remembering their incredible adventures and shared memories and enjoy making new ones every day.
