Speakers

Dave Hegemann is the President and CEO of LCS and the original developer of Rent Manager®. Dave was born and raised in St. Mary’s, Ohio and showed a clear interest in computers from an early age. In fact, he created the software that evolved into LCS’ flagship product Rent Manager.

Dave earned a B.S. in Systems Analysis from the University of Dayton in 1986 and participated in the university’s Cooperative Education program while pursuing his degree. In 1988, he incorporated LCS and continued working for another company while managing the sale of Rent Manager® on the side. In 1990, he completed his Master’s in Business Administration from Xavier University. Five years later, Dave made the decision to make LCS his full-time pursuit.

Today, LCS is a developer of business-critical software technologies used in all 50 states and 17 countries around the world. In addition to Rent Manager, LCS offers customers a feature-rich VoIP telephone system with Net Dial Tone (NDT); and enterprise-level hosting solutions via its Sentry Data Center, a state-of-the-art data facility located at the company’s Loveland, Ohio headquarters. LCS also provides complete network design, implementation, support services, and custom website design through its IT and Professional Services divisions.

Dave’s dedication to creating dynamic products and taking care of customers has positioned Rent Manager as an industry leader. LCS has grown to more than 400 employees under his direction and continues to develop new products that integrate and interface with Rent Manager. This dedication to offering customers streamlined and simplified technology experiences has enabled LCS to experience a 15 or more percent growth rate for over 20 straight years.

Ashli Allen has had several roles during her 20+ year tenure with AmRent, a leading provider of resident screening services. After starting in the company’s Consumer Assistance department, she moved to a special projects and research role to focus on the AmRent database and industry compliance requirements. Now as the VP of Vendor Relations, she oversees the Inside Sales department and manages key vendor relationships.

Ashli holds certifications from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) in Consumer Interviewing and General Knowledge Awareness of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Based in Columbus, Ohio, Ashli is a fan of travel shows and enjoys planning her next adventure, one destination at a time.

As CEO of PropertyTek, ShowMojo, and Tenant Turner, Vanessa leads the transformation of property ops with scalable digital solutions for PMs and landlords. Previously, she served as Chief Transformation Officer at Guaranteed Rate, scaled growth at Truss (acquired by Avison Young), and held roles at Landmark Partners and GEM Realty Capital. Vanessa holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BS in Economics from Wharton.

Arthur Attal is the co-founder and CEO of Domos, a provider of AI workforce for property management. While managing properties in New York, he designed his first AI agents to streamline day-to-day operations. Prior to founding Domos, he led several businesses at high-growth tech companies. Arthur holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Brandeis University and MIT, respectively. 

Zach Beck is the SVP of Sales for Conservice with over 20 years in the multifamily and single-family housing industry. He is an industry expert, analyzing and recommending conservation efforts that have saved property owners millions of dollars.

Brian Birdy served for 15 years in the United States Air Force before starting in Property Management. In 2000, he earned his Texas Real Estate License and went to work in the family business at Birdy Properties, LLC, CRMC®. Birdy Properties is a Real Estate Company that has specialized in Property Management for over 47 years.

He has been growing his business and leading his team for over 29 years. He and his team currently manage over 1,000 Residential, and 2,000 Association doors. He has received his Residential Management Professional (RMP®) and Master Property Manager (MPM®), and the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC®) designations from NARPM®, and the Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation from IREM®.

He is an approved Property Management Instructor for the States of Texas, Florida, Washington, Utah, and NARPM®. Brian served as the San Antonio NARPM Chapter President in 2010 and the NARPM National President in 2018. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Texas, Missouri, and Washington. In 2025, he started a new business and opened Dill Dinkers Blanco Market and Dill Dinkers UTSA, two Indoor Pickleball facilities.

Michael Brown is the Chief Revenue Officer at Rent Butter and a rental housing technology leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning CoreLogic, RealPage, Inhabit IQ, and Rent Butter. He specializes in helping property owners and operators use technology, automation, and AI to improve leasing performance, reduce risk, and drive operational efficiency.

Michael is passionate about innovation in manufactured housing, multifamily, and single-family rental markets and enjoys sharing practical strategies that help organizations adapt and grow in a rapidly evolving industry. He lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Robyn is driven by a mission to build financial technology that works for people who are too often left out of the system. She brings deep fintech expertise and a proven ability to identify friction points, solve complex problems, and turn insights into measurable results across multiple financial sectors.

Before founding BlytzPay, Robyn built her reputation in distressed asset management, where she led the expansion of a specialized practice at a leading law firm, scaling it by more than 80% through operational rigor, strategic focus, and relentless execution.

Based in Salt Lake City, Robyn spends as much time as possible with her five dogs, and happily nerds out on history and all things fintech.

Jason Daniel is the Director of Operations at Spradley Properties, a full-service real estate brokerage in Temple, Texas, specializing in residential and commercial property management and sales. He joined the firm in 2018 to strengthen and streamline its business operations and was named Director of Operations in 2022. Since his hire, the company’s revenue has increased 293%, and its management portfolio has expanded 157%, now encompassing approximately 2,000 residential and commercial units across Central Texas.

Curtis Dudley, CEO of IT In Flow, is an information technology consultant who helps businesses implement modern technology and automate processes in their businesses. Curtis is Rent Manager Core certified and has been described as the “Rent Manager Whisperer” because he is such a renowned Rent Manager power user and an out-of-the-box thinker. Curtis is also the go-to question-answerer in the Rent Manager User Forum on Facebook.

His experience using technology in the industry began more than 30 years ago while working for his family’s property management business. He has a B.S. in Computer Systems Engineering and was formerly the Chief Information Officer for All County Property Management.

Daria Dudzinski is the Director of Advocacy at RETTC, where she leads advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with federal policymakers to advance industry interests. She focuses on the intersection of real estate technology and business operations.

Prior to joining RETTC, she managed grassroots advocacy as a part of the National Association of REALTORS’ political team. Daria also served on the National Multifamily Housing Council’s government affairs team for seven years. She supported legislative work with a focus on technology, data security and privacy, emergency preparedness, and housing affordability. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from American University.

Sarah Foil is the Director of Marketing and Innovation at Clachan Properties, a historic property development and management company. Based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Sarah oversees comprehensive marketing strategies and digital innovation for Clachan Properties’ portfolio across Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Her responsibilities include managing websites, social media platforms, print materials, and availability feeds, ensuring a cohesive brand presence across all channels. She lives with her husband and two children and enjoys reading and watching films in her free time.

Gage Fuller is the Director of Sales at NetVendor and has been with the company for six years. Outside of work, Gage enjoys fitness, good food, and a competitive game of pickleball. His hidden talent is pulling out obscure movie quotes at just the right moment.

The founding principal of The Gilroy Firm, Monica Gilroy is the firm’s managing partner. Named a Top 50 Woman Attorney in Georgia, the focus of Ms. Gilroy’s national litigation practice includes all aspects of real estate litigation, including property management issues, title insurance defense, fair housing, title disputes, broker and agent liability defense, and civil and commercial contract disputes.

A seasoned litigator, Ms. Gilroy has conducted hundreds of jury trials, bench trials, arbitrations, and mediations. A past Chair of the Real Property Law Section (“RPLS”) of the State Bar of Georgia, Ms. Gilroy received the RPLS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026. Ms. Gilroy has served on the American Land Title Association (ALTA) National Education Committee, writing the curriculum for ALTA members. From 2020-2026, she served as the National Title Action Network (TAN) Chair for ALTA, promoting advocacy at the national level for title professionals. She is also the recipient of the prestigious National Title Professional Designation from ALTA.

In addition, Ms. Gilroy is an active member of NARPM, serving as outside National General counsel and as the Atlanta Chapter’s General Counsel. She is considered a subject-matter expert on single-family residential property management and Fair Housing laws. Awarded the National Volunteer of the Year award by NARPM National in 2025, she is a popular and frequent speaker, presenting and teaching on a regular basis at the state and national level to attorneys, real estate professionals, property managers on litigation and real estate-related topics.

Connie Graves is an Operations Administrator at Mid Continent Management Corporation (MCMC), where she manages Rent Manager administration, training, and process improvement. She works with both home office and site staff to help teams use Rent Manager more efficiently. In her role, Connie has spent 8 years as a Rent Manager user, 4 years of which have been as the administrator for MCMC.

Craig Grisez is the Senior Account Executive at AvidXchange, an industry leader in accounts payable automation. In his more than nine years with the company, Craig has become an expert on the AvidXchange and Rent Manager partnership, including the latest offering, No-Cost AvidPay.

 

As the professional overseeing Sales and Account Management for Rental Research Services, Hannah is committed to building, developing, and maintaining strong relationships with multifamily owners, operators, and property management teams. She works closely with clients to provide industry expertise, strategic guidance, and education on resident screening solutions that help streamline operations and reduce risk.

 

A Certified Residential Manager (CRM) with more than six years of experience in the multifamily housing industry, Hannah brings firsthand knowledge of property management and the evolving challenges facing today’s housing professionals. Her background allows her to connect with clients through practical, real-world solutions that support confident leasing decisions.

 

In addition to her leadership role, Hannah is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, association events, and educational webinars, where she presents on fraud prevention, identity verification, and emerging fraud trends impacting the multifamily industry. Her engaging presentations equip property management professionals with actionable strategies to recognize fraudulent applications, strengthen screening processes, and better protect their communities.

Jon Land, Senior Director of Sales at AvidXchange and AP Automation expert, has worked with thousands of Real Estate and construction organizations helping them overcome their biggest AP challenges and revolutionize their payables process. With over 13 years of educating and coaching, Jon is a trusted advisor who brings business acumen, situational knowledge, and experience to each engagement. Jon is passionate about sharing the ideas and insights that encourage businesses to embrace automation so they can focus on more impactful, valuable and strategic tasks in AP.

Jon works out of the corporate office in Charlotte and travels nationwide, speaking on various topics relating to AP and Payment Automation. As the leader of the Real Estate team at AvidXchange, he works with customers and through strong partner relationships to provide a truly consultative approach to automating.

Danielle Law is the Vice President of Operations & Client Services with 14 years of experience in the collections industry, specializing in client implementation, IT systems, process development, workflow creation, and documentation. She is a goal-oriented and detail-driven leader with extensive expertise in Revenue Cycle Management and production-based operations focused on increasing client netback and maximizing company revenue. Danielle is highly skilled in problem-solving, proactive issue resolution, and motivating teams to achieve operational excellence and exceed performance goals. 

Lisa Marvin is CEO and Partner of Essence Property Management, Inc. She is the mayor of St. Stephen, Minnesota; a licensed Real Estate Broker; a Certified Fair Housing Specialist; a Neutral Mediator in the state of Minnesota, and COS and COM 42 certified.

Lisa has acquired a wide-ranging portfolio in her 25-year career, including market rate and multi-layered subsidized communities for apartments, townhomes, and senior communities. Lisa is passionate about making the multifamily industry a positive part of every community.

As Product Manager for Payments at Zego, Grace McIlhon works with the Rent Manager team to develop and bring a seamless payment experience to Property Managers that is constantly innovating to meet new needs of the industry. A member of Zego’s team for six years, she loves listening to new ideas about making life easier for residents and clients and firmly believes that property payments should be a positive experience for everyone. Located in San Diego, Grace is a ‘leisure enthusiast’ who enjoys consuming media and the occasional hike along the area’s many stunning settings.

Alexis Melton is a seasoned professional in property management with a strong track record in multifamily housing. Over the course of her career, she has garnered various credentials and accolades, including the esteemed Certified Apartment Manager and Certified Apartment Leasing Professional designations. She also serves as an Advanced Facilitator for the National Apartment Association Education Institute. Alexis excels in navigating complex challenges, including managing diverse teams and fostering successful relationships.

She is recognized by the National Apartment Association and was a Leadership Lyceum graduate in 2024, showcasing her commitment to growth and leadership. Her unwavering commitment to bringing out the best in every individual she encounters defines her professional journey.

AJ is a revenue-driven business development and operations leader with nearly a decade driving portfolio growth, client acquisition, and multi-location performance within property management and franchise environments.

Simon Myers is Asset Manager at brightSTAR Communities, a manufactured housing operator based in Cincinnati with roughly 2,000 homesites across Ohio and Indiana and a five-year target of 10,000. He owns the company’s technology stack and asset performance, and over the past year he has designed and shipped a production fleet of AI agents and live dashboards built entirely on Rent Manager’s open API: unattended agents that pull live data, score and monitor the portfolio, and deliver ranked worklists and reports to the operations team on a schedule, with no human in the loop. He is a graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

Stephanie Oehler brings more than 25 years of multifamily experience spanning leasing, sales, marketing, operations, people success, and performance management. Known for her authentic, engaging style, she is passionate about helping teams improve performance while creating exceptional customer experiences. Stephanie is a sought-after national speaker, serves on the National Apartment Association’s Tech Committee, volunteers with Entryway Talent, and is a guest lecturer at Ball State University. She is also certified in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Stephanie leads with heart, humor, and practical strategies attendees can put to work immediately.

Mindy Parish is the Founder and Chief Consultant of Parish Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping manufactured housing operators streamline operations, optimize systems, and scale with confidence.

With nearly three decades of experience across community, regional, and executive roles, Mindy has led teams through growth, change, and complexity at every level of the industry. Her background spans operations, acquisitions, marketing, training, due diligence, and asset management—giving her a 360° perspective on what it takes to run a high-performing portfolio.

Today, she partners with owners and operators to tackle post-acquisition transitions, improve technology adoption, strengthen onsite teams, and develop custom solutions that drive long-term value. Known for her direct approach, strategic mindset, and deep operational expertise, Mindy brings clarity and momentum to the table—whether she’s training a new manager or guiding executives through organizational change.

When you work with Mindy, you don’t just get advice—you get an invested partner who knows how to roll up her sleeves and get things done.

Ryan Smith, Founder of SmithCompanies.com, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of CollectMyRent.com since March 2003. With more than ten years of extensive business experience—ranging from President and Chief Executive Officer of a privately held software company to serving as Chief Technology Officer for a world-wide content distribution company—Ryan possesses experience in market evaluation, property analysis, management systems, due diligence, finance, and more. He has been active in both residential and commercial real estate for nearly a decade and currently owns/manages several hundred properties in more than six states.

Thomas Smith has 20+ years in real estate and enterprise sales. Leads all revenue operations, PM partner development, and channel growth for Ryse. Deep experience building and scaling sales organizations at the intersection of fintech and real estate.

Bridget Folliard Terrones is IREM’s Vice President, Marketing &
Communications. Bridget joined the Institute in 2019 and has served in
several roles overseeing all integrated marketing and communications
projects that touch IREM’s almost 20,000 members, in addition to
external audiences.

Bridget has 10 years of experience in association marketing and
communications. She’s the recipient of more than 10 public relations,
communications, and marketing awards including the prestigious Silver
Anvil award from the Public Relations Society of America in 2015, and the
USAE and Association Forum’s Forty Under 40 Award in 2019. She
currently serves as an Alumni Representative at Lewis University
working with various boards and committees and volunteering in
leadership roles to move Lewis’ mission forward and aid current students
in their learning and career pursuits. In 2022, Bridget established the
Bridget Folliard Terrones Annual Scholarship at Lewis University
providing financial support to women pursuing a degree in the College of
Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communications.

Bridget is a member of the American Society of Association Executives
and Association Forum. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Radio/TV
Broadcast from Lewis University and a Master of Business
Administration with concentrations in Digital Marketing and
Entrepreneurship & Strategic Innovation from the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign.

Christian Thomas is a Connecticut native with over four years of sales experience. As the Channel Partnership Manager for LeaseTrack, Christian facilitates and manages the company’s relationship with Rent Manager.

In this role, he is instrumental in improving the LeaseTrack customer experience, particularly for Rent Manager customers who offer LeaseTrack renters insurance products. This working partnership between the two companies has been crucial in the success and adoption of renters insurance products through Rent Manager.

Nicole Upano serves as AVP of Housing Policy & Regulatory Affairs at the National Apartment Association (NAA). She works with NAA leadership to set the association’s federal priorities, leads NAA’s federal regulatory advocacy, serves as NAA’s lead spokesperson on housing policy, and manages a team that supports industry advocacy through policy research, analysis, and insights. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and Studio Art from Indiana University.

Rob Whiting is Co-Founder and CEO of Boom, building the future of rental financial services. Ex-BCG and Rubicon, with a career spanning consulting, healthcare, education, and now housing, Rob is focused on solving the biggest financial challenges facing everyday Americans. Boom offers integrated rental financial services including BoomCRM (ai pre-leasing CRM), BoomScreen (tenant screening), BoomCRM (ai leasing), BoomReport (rent reporting), serving hundreds of thousands of renters and applicants. Based in Austin, TX, Boom is backed by S3 Ventures, Starting Line, Mischief VC, Clocktower Ventures, and Gilgamesh Ventures, with angels including former Plaid execs William Hockey and Zach Perret.