Georgia Tech School of Building Construction Lecturer, Deborah Phillips, Ph.D., CPM®, President of the Atlanta, Georgia-based international consulting firm The Quadrillion, was recently honored with the International Real Estate Management of Excellence (REME) Certified Property Manager® (CPM®) of the Year Award by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®). The prestigious award, given each year in recognition of outstanding contributions to the real estate management profession and the local and international community, was presented to Dr. Phillips by IREM National President Lori Burger, CPM ®, on October 24 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

“Debbie Phillips truly lives out her passion and that is growing leaders in the real estate industry,” said Ms. Burger. “She gives of her time, talent and expertise in the most generous ways and is often invited by other real estate organizations to share best practices for developing top-tier leadership development programs for emerging leaders.”  

Dr. Phillips is a nationally acclaimed author and speaker with more than 25 years of experience in real estate management. Prior to founding The Quadrillion, she served as Vice President for two of the nation’s most prominent real estate companies, amassing extensive knowledge in market analysis, strategic planning, development and operations. Upon completing her Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, where her research focused on Resident Satisfaction and Employee Engagement, Dr. Phillips developed an Employee Engagement Model for the multi-housing industry as well as world-class leadership development programs and talent management strategies.

In 2013 she was honored as Outstanding Educator by the National Apartment Association Education Institute, and was named one of 75 women changing real estate by IREM, which also named her the 2012 Georgia Certified Property Manager® of the Year.

In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Phillips is widely recognized for the profound impact she has had on the future real estate professionals. Known as a “woman who continues to change the world of real estate by touching the lives of our future and current leaders,” Dr. Phillips has taught more than 10,000 students in her courses at the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and technical schools across the state.  Earlier this year, she directed the production of the first comprehensive textbook, Multifamily Housing and is currently completing the all-inclusive interactive desk reference specifically for the multifamily housing industry.

“Dr. Phillips is the quintessential professional who balances accountability, motivation and inspiration that forever touches the lives of students,” said Jerry Warshaw, President of Warshaw Properties. “She frequently assists students and those just entering the industry by helping them obtain internships, serving as a career coach and providing them with networking opportunities. She encourages industry professionals to pursue their dreams through mentoring and career counseling. She touches more lives in a positive way in a day than most of us wish we could in a year!”

Currently, Dr. Phillips serves as President of the Georgia Apartment Industry Education Foundation (GAIEF) where she is the Lead Instructor for GAIEF’s College Programs in Residential Property Management at the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and other affiliated programs. She also teaches distance learning courses and assists in the curriculum development for other real estate programs. Next month, Dr. Phillips will be installed as the President of IREM® Georgia Chapter #67 at the Ansley Golf Club. Additional details about the event can be found on the IREM GA website (iremga.org) or by calling Executive Director Deborah Westphal at 770-590-9995.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT (IREM)

Since 1933, IREM® has set the standard for best practices in real estate management. Its current international membership includes more than 19,000 individuals and 550 corporate members dedicated to ethical business practices, maximizing the value of investment real estate and promoting superior management through education and information sharing. An affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®, IREM® is the home for all industry professionals connected to real estate management and the only organization serving both the multifamily and commercial sectors.           

To learn more about IREM, call 800-837-0706, ext. 4650 (outside the United States, call 312-329-6000) or visit www.irem.org.  

To learn more about School of Building Construction at GT:

http://www.bc.gatech.edu/