"Inspiring People Towards Greatness"

They say, “it takes a village” – and, during Valerie Hall’s professional career, that is proven true over and over. The Sr. VP of Kirkpatrick Management Company is thankful for the great teams who have assisted her and supported her daily.

They are Valerie’s inspiration. “I maintain high expectations for my team members, and I believe in their ability and push them to achieve both personal and professional success. Effective communication is the quality that plays the most important part in this focus,” says Valerie. “I am sincere and meaningful in everything I do. For my team and clients, I am nothing if not a trustworthy source for the good, the bad, and everything in between.” Valerie is a steadfast leader who never accepts the status quo, and she states, “I strive to learn from my mistakes and know that there is always room for improvement. I want to be the very best in the industry.”

Kirkpatrick Management Company has been named a Top Workplace for four consecutive years. And Valerie sincerely acknowledges that the company's culture makes what she can achieve possible. She is proud of the company’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and opportunity for women of all ages, races, and backgrounds.

Valerie is inspiring and empowering team members to become great leaders of tomorrow. With company growth and development, Valerie has developed a leadership team of three Regional Vice Presidents – across the Midwest portfolio. All three are females who have risen through the ranks through hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the company’s mission. “I inspire them through coaching, honest communication, and always having their backs!” Hence, Valerie has fast culminated in supporting the female entrepreneurs trying hard to establish themselves. “I work alongside my team members with a true commitment to embody actions that stand behind my words. I never lose sight of the fact that my female colleagues have a story and experiences that I can relate to and share,” explains Valerie. “We are mothers, wives, daughters and come behind our fellow female ambassadors who’ve paved the opportunities available to us today.”

The pioneering leader started her career with Kirkpatrick Management company over 25 years ago in an entry-level position. Valerie believes the individual defines success; to her, it was a constant desire and effort to learn continuously. “Knowledge is power. My best advice is to never stop learning. Especially where failures are involved – see every failure as an opportunity to get closer to success,” adds Valerie. “Oprah Winfrey nailed it when she said, “Think like a Queen. A Queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” Armed with this unique ethics, Valerie has been taking the company to new heights.

Kirkpatrick Management Company is a family-owned property management company that has proudly served communities throughout the Midwest since 1973. With cooperative clients throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio and over 150 employees representing the company’s front line, KMC is known as a leader in the cooperative property management field. Their property managers, regional property managers, and skilled and experienced staff work together to develop a custom plan for each neighborhood we serve. “As with many industries, we constantly evolve to stay in line with advanced technology. I’ve learned if we don’t, we’ll get left behind,” talks Valerie about how the company is constantly motivated to seek out the best available products and services to best offer clients the convenience that technology offers.

Being passionate about industry education and training - lacking in the cooperative housing sector- Valerie has had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Association of Housing Cooperatives (MAHC), one of the few organizations that offer industry training. “The pandemic caused financial setbacks to the organization, and my goal is to re-brand and reinvigorate this necessary organization for Cooperatives across the nation,” she elucidates.

Kirkpatrick Management Company celebrates 50 years of excellence in 2023 – a fascinating accomplishment. “As I continue to develop our cooperative leadership team, I strengthen our business foundation, which will undoubtedly lead to new cooperative clients across the Midwest,” says Valerie. “As for me, while I have many professional years left, the same commitment to this leadership development initiative will mean I’ve done all I can to ensure the continuation of our special business for the next 100 + years.” WL