For more than 25 years, Dr. Debbie Phillips has dedicated herself to teaching, to mentoring and to connecting college students with careers in the apartment industry. Her commitment to education has earned her recognition from the National Apartment Association Education Institute as a recipient of its 2013 Apartment Career and Education (ACE) Award.  “Dr. Debbie Phillips is one of our superstars,” said NAAEI President William Wollinger, CAPS, SHCM. “Her dedication, her energy and her enthusiasm in promoting the apartment industry and its career opportunities have helped us reach literally thousands of college students.”

Phillips has served the apartment industry since 1987 and has been involved in all sides of the business. As president of the Georgia Apartment Industry Education Foundation (GAIEF), she teaches apartment industry courses, mentors students, speaks at high schools, participates in workforce development events and represents the industry at career fairs. She also finds time to teach Residential Property Management at the University of Georgia (UGA) and the Georgia Institute of Technology and even owns her own real estate advisory firm, The Quadrillion.  “Debbie spends countless hours working with her students inside and outside the classroom to promote the industry and to find the best ‘fit’ for her students,” said Jerry Warshaw, CEO of Warshaw Properties. “Debbie’s high energy level and winning attitude wins the hearts and minds of everyone she meets.”

To date, “Dr. Debbie” – as her students know her – has introduced more than 6,200 students in college programs to the many career opportunities available in the apartment industry. She devotes many long days to commuting from Athens to Atlanta to teach as many as five classes a day in addition to her industry speaking engagements.  “Dr. Debbie works tirelessly to position her students for successful careers,” said one of her former students, ShaDonte Dozier, a graduate of Georgia Tech. “Her passion for teaching is apparent to everyone she encounters.”

Phillips also is active with more than 20 industry organizations, including the National Apartment Association Education Institute, Georgia College and Career Network and the Housing Educator Research Association. She has been recognized for her teaching with numerous awards, including the Outstanding Educator Award for 2012-13 from UGA’s Department of Housing and Consumer Economics and “Excellence in Teaching” recognition from both UGA and Georgia Tech. She also has been named as one of the “Top 100 Women Changing the World of Real Estate” by the Institute of Real Estate Management.

Phillips was recognized as part of the 2013 NAA Education Conference and Exposition on June 22 at the San Diego Convention Center. The NAAEI Apartment Career and Education Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the field of apartment career development and/or contributions made to, or on behalf of NAAEI and its professional education interests and initiatives. The ACE Awards are given annually and are awarded to both volunteer leaders and professional educators.

About the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI)

The National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) is the education arm of the National Apartment Association. The mission of the NAAEI is to provide broad-based education, training and recruitment programs that attract, nurture and retain high-quality professionals and develop tomorrow’s apartment industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.naahq.org/education or www.apartmentcareerhq.org.