In this edition of the HSA Team Member Spotlight, we talk with Christine Muszynski, the director of management operations at HSA Commercial. Christine, a veteran of the HSA team, is responsible for overall management of existing client accounts and directing project teams on behalf of third-party owners.

HSA: How would you describe the services that your property management team provides?
Muszynski: We have a remarkably talented group of real estate professionals that work closely with our clients to enhance the value of their real estate assets, providing the highest level of service to each valued tenant, while maintaining the most competitive operating costs available in the marketplace. With a vast range of expertise in building operations and maintenance, short and long term planning, cost control and cash management, coordination of tenant build-outs and capital improvements, managing risk, involvement in leasing, as well as development of exceptional tenant relationships, our property managers are well equipped to meet the challenges of managing a 15,000,000 square foot portfolio across 14 states. I applaud our property managers for striking the perfect balance between thinking like an owner and understanding the needs of our tenants. For our industrial assets, that means achieving the highest levels of efficiency, but for our healthcare properties, it’s creating an environment focused on patient comfort and care. We have dedicated specialists that understand the nuances of each product type, which has been a large part of our success.

HSA: What do you see as the biggest sector for growth in property management?
Muszynski: We have been developing relationships with nonprofit corporations for a number of years and are continuing to grow this side of our business. It’s not unusual for a nonprofit to involve their executive director, chief financial officer, or community director in facility leases, construction and renovation projects, janitorial services, utilities, technology infrastructure, and other occupancy-related activities that are not part of their organization’s core services. These ancillary administrative functions can be a major distraction, draining valuable time and detracting from an organization’s primary mission. Increasingly, nonprofit organizations are finding that the benefits of working with a professional facilities management firm far outweigh the costs. With HSA focused on managing their real estate assets, our nonprofit clients are able to devote their time and effort toward serving their constituents.

HSA: What are some of the ways in which you can help the non-profits achieve greater efficiency?
Muszynski: What we find with the non-profits, more so than with other real estate owners, is the “low-hanging fruit” that can represent immediate cost reduction. We can use our expertise to develop competitive bidding processes, consolidating locations to create economies of scale, manage and execute capital improvement projects more effectively, and create crisis management solutions to minimize risk and reduce liability for numerous real estate assets. We use HSA’s purchasing power to realize increased value of supply ordering and procurement of services. Beyond that, we can help implement “green” strategies to achieve energy efficiency and to obtain all of the applicable rebates to make those initiatives cost effective.

With more than 35 years of property management experience, Muszynski possesses expertise in various aspects of the real estate process including lease renewals, expansion negotiations, significant tenant build-outs and major capital improvement programs. She also served as the account manager for the Bank One (now JP Morgan Chase) management assignment, consisting of 275 bank facilities in Northern Illinois with an annual operations budget of over $35 million. She has also been responsible for the financial and equitable aspects of properties owned by Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Lutheran Social Services, The Gateway Foundation, General American Life Insurance, Royal Neighbors of America, Capital Realty Advisors, Five Star Ventures, and Lennar Partners.