April Royal

April has over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry providing her expertise over a wide range of portfolios, including new construction, value add projects, and specialized segments like student and senior housing.

As Vice President of Property Management, April will oversee the operations, financial performance, and strategic growth of all communities, aiming to elevate the quality, value, and profitability of Birchstone Residential’s assets.

Prior to joining Birchstone, she was the Vice President of Operations for a nationally recognized multifamily industry leader, where she managed an extensive portfolio of assets across multiple states. Her leadership and strategic insight were instrumental in the success of a nationwide portfolio.

Beyond her professional commitments, April’s influence extends to her involvement in various associations. Currently sitting on the Board of Directors with AATC, her dedication and contribution to the association demonstrates her commitment to advancing multifamily industry standards.

Jeniper Luther

A collaborative leader with more than 20 years of experience in the multifamily industry, Jeniper Luther serves as Regional Manager for Birchstone Residential’s Florida communities. With a people-first mindset and a passion for building and developing teams, Jeniper is responsible for operational execution and performance in the state, talent management, marketing and revenue management.

Dynamic and resourceful, Jeniper possesses multi-tiered experience in a wide variety of multifamily activities, including several successful lease-ups, value-add projects, acquisitions, and dispositions. With a passion for giving back, she has spearheaded more than 1,000 hours of community service efforts in the markets of her apartment communities throughout her career.

She previously spent four years at Lantower Residential, where she served as Vice President of Operations and oversaw a Class A portfolio in Florida and Central Texas consisting of more than 4,000 apartment homes. She also spent seven years at Pinnacle Property Management (2011-2018), where she ascended from Property Manager to Regional Manager.

When Jeniper is not investing in her teams she is spending time traveling abroad with her family.

Tomeka Smith

Tomeka Smith comes to Birchstone with extensive experience in human resources and business management. Armed with a problem-solving approach that puts people first, Tomeka develops long-lasting solutions and relationships that balance our clients’ interests with the needs of the company. She plays a vital role in the development and implementation of strategies that attract and retain quality associates. She also works to ensure that all of our clients’ needs are met in a way that hopefully exceeds their expectations.

Prior to joining the Birchstone team, Tomeka served as the HR Business Partner for Addus Homecare, a leading provider of comprehensive home care and support services. She worked with regional offices to support business objectives and communication regarding HR initiatives. In 2019, Tomeka was recognized as an Addus Elite, which honors employees who exemplify the company’s values.

Tomeka also has served as the HR Coordinator and Account Manager for Risk Management and as a Benefits Manager for CVS Health.

Melanie Stiles

A perceptive and pioneering senior marketing executive committed to building relationships through brand strategy, empathic leadership and paradigm shifts, Melanie Stiles oversees Birchstone’s integrated marketing communication, customer acquisition platform and brand image.

Over the course of her 25-year multifamily career, she has successfully provided marketing expertise and thought leadership for companies publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, as well as for private companies. Melanie has extensive experience in team leadership, brand development, advertising, digital marketing, communications, operations and learning and development. She also has played an integral role in integrating companies after numerous mergers and acquisitions.

Before joining Birchstone, Melanie served as Vice President of Marketing at Highmark Residential, where she developed and carried out the company’s communication and integrated marketing strategies for more than 90,000 apartment homes across the U.S. Prior to that, she was in charge of Milestone Management’s corporate and real estate marketing initiatives. At the time, the company was the largest REIT listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

When she is not bridging the gap between art and science to produce innovative marketing strategies and brand storytelling, Melanie appreciates creative outlets like photography and interior design.

John Clark

A boots-on-the-ground leader with a passion for coaching and developing associates, John Clark oversees Birchstone’s growing and thriving Georgia portfolio.

He brings extensive experience in multifamily operations and business development – as well as expert knowledge of apartment markets along the East Coast and throughout the Southeast – to his role. Over the course of his career, John has demonstrated impressive leadership in lease-ups, acquisitions, renovations and the repositioning of distressed assets.

Immediately prior to joining Birchstone, John was a Regional Manager for Pegasus Residential. He also has been an Assistant Regional Vice President for Michaelson Real Estate Group and an Area Property Manager for Brookside Properties. He has been involved with numerous apartment associations throughout the Southeast.

John graduated from Pellissippi State in Knoxville with a degree in business and marketing. In his free time, he enjoys sports, spending time with family and friends, hiking, fishing and traveling the world. He also is active in various animal rescue organizations.

NICOLE ZDEB

Nicole Zdeb comes to Birchstone as a dedicated, creative, and adaptable human resources leader with core strengths in employee relations management and development, strategic planning, recruiting, and more. In her role as Vice President of People Support, Nicole focuses on opportunities to enrich and support her valued associates; listens for creative opportunities to blend their needs and business demands; and aligns policies, practices, and procedures that support company values.

After serving nearly 25 years in the human resources field within various sectors of hospitality, retail, in-home healthcare, and property/casualty insurance, Nicole brings a plethora of expertise and award-winning success to Birchstone, including the Manager of the Year award for the Marriott Bridges to Work Foundation. She graduated from Roosevelt University with a bachelor’s in business administration and received an associate degree in hotel management from Triton College.

Nicole is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and Dallas SHRM, as well as a volunteer for KaBoom! — a nonprofit that creates play spa15ces for children. In her free time, she loves to read, cook, play softball, and find a good adventure, whether that’s kayaking into sea caves, jumping off a cliff into the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean, or visiting Pompeii.

Favorite quote:

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” — Michael Jordan

NOELLE BUI

Noelle Bui is inspired by the simple notion that bringing happiness to others in authentic ways makes all the difference. As a Regional Manager, this extends to every interaction she has with residents and co-workers, whether it’s creating lifestyle enhancement opportunities at her communities that generate a greater sense of purpose or sharing ideas with teammates to help them surpass goals.

Noelle’s 20-year-plus record of achievement and success in property management throughout Texas and beyond has garnered significant recognitions, including being awarded Property Manager of the Year and several Best of the Best Awards, as well as being honored Community Volunteer Chairperson. In addition, she also is a certified apartment manager through the Texas Apartment Association and serves as an outreach volunteer for JDRF.

When not inspiring others to be their best, Noelle savors time with her family and friends, and likes to travel, attend her children’s sporting events, and spends time outdoors.

Favorite quote:

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it does not change you!” — Fred DeVito

CARIE GROUT

Carie leverages more than a decade of onsite property management experience to her role as Regional Manager for Birchstone. She believes in authenticity and loves to find ways to empower her onsite teams where they shine the most. Carie strives to provide residents with highest level of customer service, thrives on creating strong personal connections and is known to get right into the mix to help her teams succeed.

DAVID GINGRAS

David Gingras serves as the Senior Maintenance Director, where he oversees a strong, reliable service department that consistently follows best practices and procedures. Establishing preventative maintenance and asset preservation programs, empowering service teams to provide the very best customer service to residents, and training and developing service team members to grow within the industry are just a handful of responsibilities under David’s leadership.

David has been in the property management industry for 30 years. Starting out as a part-time porter, he cross-trained in a number of areas over his career, such as leasing and management, but discovered his passion was on the maintenance side of the business, where he appreciates opportunities to be creative and implement ideas for efficient operations.

During the Gulf War era, David served in the U.S. Army. Family is his inspiration, and he enjoys spending time with them whenever possible, especially for some fun by the water.

Favorite quote:

“The distance between dreams and reality is action.” — Unknown

MARIA STARTSEV

Maria Startsev is a certified public accountant who serves as the Director of Accounting for Birchstone, where she is responsible for ensuring the accurate presentation of financial information. Managing the month-end process for the multifamily portfolio includes reviewing and approving payments, overseeing accounts receivable, collections, budgeting, and financial reporting. In addition, she works extensively with property management and leadership to conduct, research, and explain budget-to-actual variance analyses.

A sincere passion for people, real estate, and excellence paired with diverse experience led Maria to join the Birchstone team. Her knack for creating order and process out of complicated data extends from her serving as a corporate assistant controller and audit manager in other relevant industries.

Maria holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is driven by opportunities that contribute to her growth professionally and personally. Before crunching numbers, being a mom is her No. 1 joy, as well as living life to the fullest with an appreciation for exercise, travel, and exploring new adventures.

Favorite quote:

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt

ALYSSA ANDERSON

In her role as Executive Assistant and Office Manager, Alyssa Anderson provides support to the President and executive team, and manages projects and the day-to-day operations of the corporate office. Being a natural problem-solver and having an appreciation for details ensures everything comes together seamlessly, such as supporting ongoing tasks of office management and helping the team stay on target with their goals.

Inspired by seeing people pursue their purpose in life with passion, Alyssa is motivated to be part of a fast-growing company that places emphasis on people and their development. She finds great satisfaction in serving her team well and making an impact with her administration skills in any area that betters Birchstone.

Alyssa holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from Louisiana State University. For fun, she likes to travel to new local and out-of-state places with her husband, discover new brunch spots, and hike with her goldendoodle, Daphne.

Favorite quote:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain

David Deitz

As co-founder and President of Birchstone, David Deitz navigates the strategic course direction of the property management company and ongoing operations while also overseeing processes and personnel to accommodate the company’s growth. From collaborating with investment partners and corporate teams to developing and implementing best-in-class plans for the operational infrastructure of systems, David’s unique approach to the industry is rooted in a passion to serve the people he has the honor to work with every day.

The depth of David’s background is the cornerstone to developing the vision for Birchstone — a world-class legacy management company that will be the industry leader for decades to come. His diverse experience includes 28-plus years of successfully managing more than 250 properties across the U.S. comprising of over 35,000 apartment units, 2,500 condominium units, and more than 500,000 square feet of commercial and mixed-use space, representing in excess of $3 billion in real estate assets.

David is a Certified Property Manager through the Institute of Real Estate Management and a Housing Credit Certified Professional via the National Association of Home Builders.