Ripples Of Impact

Abby has been a Senior Vice President of Student operations since October 2022. She started her career at Asset Living as a Regional Manager in 2017. Having reached 16 years in the student housing space, she has been part of many teams that include all facets of this industry. This can include things from management transitions, property evaluations, training, budget planning, marketing, reputation management and more. She has successfully executed property takeovers, capital projects, property renovations, and rebranding campaigns while leading a variety of student portfolios. Asset Living provides core values that match Abby’s business approach. Doing the right thing and having integrity always wins. She takes pride in the culture created within her teams AND at our communities. She has specialized in recruiting and developing strong, professional corporate, and on-site teams. Abby has also become known for being a people-centric leader focused on providing support and mentorship. Providing a high level of personal service is what sets these teams and their assets apart from their competitors.

Cory Hitte serves as Chief Transformation Officer for Asset Living. He has over 15 years of experience leading corporate strategy, business transformation, M&A, and product development efforts across the real estate, aviation, and financial service sectors at companies such as Milestone Aviation, a former subsidiary of GE Capital, and Bell Flight. At Asset, Cory is responsible for the buildout and performance of our national operations platform inclusive of all property management divisions and support services with a focus on delivering client value and sustainable company growth. Additionally, Cory oversees strategic initiatives such as the design and implementation of Asset’s proprietary BI platform, as well as integration and scaling of corporate acquisitions. Cory holds a B.S. & M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M & UTA and an MBA from TCU. In his free time, Cory enjoys playing with his three children, reading, and various fitness and outdoor activities. A fun fact about Cory is that he began his career as a property-level employee for Asset Living during college!

Jason Fort is responsible for assisting in client acquisition and portfolio services. He has over 28 years of experience in student housing and multi-family providing a wealth of knowledge and in-depth, hands-on experience with full-service dormitory and high and mid-rise mixed-use properties, including new developments. At Asset Living, Jason’s goals include increasing the overall size of assets under management through new client engagements, and continually working in lockstep with existing clients to expand their portfolio with continued focus on client success. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University. Outside of the office, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife and two daughters, morning workouts, and golfing.

Jessica Mancuso has spent 14 years in the student and multifamily housing sectors,10 of them with Asset Living overseeing new development and stabilized assets nationwide. She serves on the board of the Multifamily Strategic Marketing Summit and is a frequent industry panelist at conferences including InterFace Student Housing and the National Apartment Association’s Apartmentalize. A three-time Asset Living Ambassador, she is currently serving in her second year on Asset Living’s Culture Committee.

In her role, Jessica oversees all student lease-ups for Asset Living, leading daily operational and marketing strategies while guiding the corporate regional team. She supports a diverse portfolio by strengthening client relationships, contributing to RFPs and pitches, and partnering closely with business development to win new opportunities. She and her team manage a multimillion-dollar Class A real estate portfolio, and under her leadership across 70 lease-ups, the division has achieved a 95% average occupancy and earned multiple SHB Innovator Awards.

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Joe Goodwin is an accomplished multi-family and student housing professional with over 20 years of senior leadership experience at Asset Living. Throughout his tenure, he has played a pivotal role in launching and scaling key departments, including Marketing, New Development, and most recently, Strategic Analytics and Data. In his current role, Joe leads projects and initiatives that drive Asset Living’s growth strategy and long-term vision. He focuses on building the frameworks and operational infrastructure necessary to support expansion, enhance decision-making, and position the company for continued success. Over the past 20 years, Joe has been instrumental in expanding Asset Living’s student housing platform into the largest in the industry. He has also played a key role in the company’s broader growth, helping Asset Living become the second-largest operator of rental housing in the U.S., now managing more than 500,000 units nationwide.

Johanna Janovsky is a Senior Vice President of Operations at Asset Living.  Her career with Asset began in 2011.  She is a core team member jointly responsible for shaping and leading student housing operations at Asset, along with the balance of the senior team.  Johanna understands the importance of a strong organizational culture and drives employee performance through mentorship, development, ongoing motivation and support.  She possesses a strong skill set in financial management, cost control,  fostering relationships with existing and prospective clients and building productive operational teams.

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Saad oversees national leasing operations, lease-up strategy, centralized marketing, and business development support across Asset Living’s multifamily and student platforms. He drives strategic marketing and leasing initiatives to support portfolio performance and client growth objectives, with a strong focus on aligning brand, customer experience, and data-driven decision making. Saad brings over 16 years of industry experience, including more than 12 years with Asset Living, where he has played a direct role in the success of over 200 real estate markets nationwide. He is known for developing talent, fostering collaborative operational partnerships, and guiding teams through both growth and change to deliver consistent value for clients and communities.

With over two decades in student housing, Scott brings deep expertise starting his career as a Community Assistant.  Scott’s experience in the areas of customer service, leasing and marketing, property operations, and residence life enhance both the customer and employee experience. As Senior Vice President at Asset Living, Scott is known for developing strong leadership teams and optimizing business processes to align people, processes, and policy to achieve sustainable growth and produce exceptional results. Scott is passionate about building community, driving performance, and shaping the next generation of industry leaders.

Stacey Lecocke is responsible for leading and overseeing the student housing operations division while meeting clients’ financial performance for Asset Living. She has worked in the property management industry for over 30 years, gaining experience and expertise across all class types, from new development to stabilized to property repositioning at companies like Lincoln Property Co., Greystar, and JPI Companies. At Asset Living, her goals include providing mentorship and support to the management team and ensuring communities operate with a competitive advantage. Stacey drives property performance, monitors market conditions, and develops specific strategies to ensure her client’s goals and objectives are achieved. In addition, she is dedicated to new business development with a concentration on cultivating and preserving third-party relationships.

Stephen Mitchell is responsible for assisting in client acquisition and portfolio services. He has over 20 years of operational real estate experience with expertise in multi-family and student housing property management, asset management, and acquisitions in both domestic and international markets. At Asset, his goals include guiding institutional investors, private equity groups, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals through their analysis and strategy surrounding acquisition, development, and disposition decisions. Stephen holds a Master of Business Administration from Goizueta Business School at Emory University, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Kennesaw State University. Outside of work, he enjoys exercise, perpetual online shopping for unique cars and bucket list vehicles and cherishing his time as a proud father of three.

Todd Elsass is a Senior Vice President of Operations; he leads portfolio and performance management for Asset Living’s Student division. He has worked in Student Housing and the Multifamily sector for more than 24 years, gaining experience and expertise in all aspects of property management, new development and restructuring of value-add assets. At Asset Living, his goals include ensuring properties exceed resident, client and company expectations. He strives for performance through key operational components that drive success for the client and Asset Living. Todd holds certifications with the National Apartment Association that include C.A.M and N.A.L.P certifications. He’s held several seats throughout his career with local apartment associations and attended Chattanooga State, Edmondson JR. College in Chattanooga Tennessee. When Todd is not in the office, he enjoys camping, boating and fishing.

Tony Bufka is a Senior Vice President of Operations with more than 28 years of experience in student housing, including 14 years with Asset. He oversees performance management across a student housing portfolio and is known for his focus on building strong organizational culture and driving employee performance within his teams.

Rocky Garza doesn’t tell you what a great leader looks like, he reminds you of what you look like as a great leader. As a keynote speaker, executive coach, and advisor to 8-figure CEOs, Rocky challenges leaders to strip away the narratives holding them back and to step into a leadership style rooted in authenticity for maximum impact. For over a decade, he has worked with business owners, corporate executives, and leadership teams to redefine success—not as a title or destination, but as the ability to lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction.  Rocky’s raw yet deeply connective approach has made him a sought-after speaker for organizations like Zillow, Microsoft, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, where he has helped leaders break through limiting beliefs, align their actions with their values, and create sustainable growth. His ability to foster vulnerability in high-stakes environments sets him apart, creating transformative experiences that leave audiences challenged, inspired, and ready to lead differently. At the core of everything he does is one simple truth: who you are is good. Rocky lives in Dallas with his wife and two kids. When he’s not on stage or coaching leaders, you’ll find him playing pickleball for as long as his body will let him.

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Richard A. Hart has over 25 years of real estate acquisition, investment, lending, and asset management experience in commercial and multifamily real estate worth more than $1.3 billion. Since 2012, Mr. Hart and his business partner have focused on acquiring student housing properties. Together, they originated transactions, sourced debt and equity, underwrote, and closed properties with more than 6,100 student beds. Post-closing, Mr. Hart was significantly involved in the asset management of these assets. Previously, Mr. Hart was a Principal and Vice President of Legg Mason Real Estate Investors, an entrepreneurial subsidiary of Legg Mason, and a high-leverage bridge, mezzanine, and preferred equity investor with an emphasis on value-add transactions. While there, Mr. Hart was responsible sourcing, closing, and asset management of equity and debt investments of $500 million. Before joining Legg Mason, Mr. Hart was a Director with the Prudential Financial subsidiary Prudential Carbon Mesa in the structured finance division where Mr. Hart originated, and asset managed high-leverage bridge and mezzanine loan investments exceeding $300 million of transactions. Mr. Hart has purchased and operated multifamily real estate, developed single-family properties, and provided real estate consulting to a variety of clients. Mr. Hart is a graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce of the University of Virginia, with major studies in Finance and Economics.

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Patrick Flaherty is a Managing Director on the Student Housing & Multifamily Housing team within Kayne Anderson’s Real Estate Group, where he leads and oversees a team of asset managers responsible for the origination, financial analysis, underwriting, financing, deal structuring, and execution of investment strategies across student housing and multifamily investments. In this role, Flaherty also works closely with on-site property management teams to set operational strategy, drive performance, and maximize asset value throughout the investment lifecycle.

Kayne Anderson Real Estate is a leading investor in alternative real estate sectors, with approximately $20 billion in assets under management across opportunistic equity, core equity, and real estate debt, and deep expertise in student housing, multifamily housing, medical office, seniors housing, and self-storage. The firm has developed and acquired over 125 student housing assets and 50 multifamily investments, totaling nearly 81,000 beds and 15,000 units, with more than $15 billion invested.

Prior to his current role, Flaherty served as a Director in the student and multifamily housing group from 2014 to 2018. From 2018 to 2021, he was a Senior Vice President at Blue Vista Capital Management, where he focused on student housing portfolio asset management. Before joining Kayne Anderson in 2014, Flaherty served as Financial Planning & Analysis Manager at Peak Campus Management, LLC, supporting department leadership through financial reporting, performance analysis, and operational decision support.

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Carl T. Olzawski has over 40 years of real estate investment, brokerage, leasing, management, lending, and asset management experience in commercial and multifamily real estate. Since 2012, Mr. Olzawski and his business partner have focused on acquiring student housing properties. Together, they originated transactions, sourced debt and equity, and underwrote and closed properties with more than 6,100 student beds. Post-closing, Mr. Olzawski was significantly involved in the asset management of these assets. Prior to co-founding Chain Bridge Capital, Mr. Olzawski was a senior vice-president and regional manager for the Washington DC/Baltimore region for Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, a mortgage banking subsidiary of BB&T Bank. Previously, Mr. Olzawski was a senior vice-president and eastern US regional manager for Bridger Commercial Funding, a national real estate financial services company where he managed the east coast CMBS origination efforts and loan sales assignments. Before joining Bridger, Mr. Olzawski held positions as Regional Director with the Wells Fargo Bank and Goldman Sachs Large Loan Program through AMRESCO Capital, where he originated loans for CMBS execution. Previously, Mr. Olzawski held positions with MetLife Real Estate Investments, Balcor/Shearson Lehman/American Express, and Koger Properties, Inc. Mr. Olzawski was responsible for originating and closing hundreds of commercial real estate loans with a loan value of over $2.5 billion. In his various roles, he has leased more than 1.5 million square feet of office, retail, and industrial space. Mr. Olzawski is a graduate of the University of Tulsa with major studies in Business Administration and Marketing.

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