Department Spotlight: Royal American University – Training Department

We are delighted to introduce our newest department in this spotlight. Join us in learning about and celebrating RA’s first ever Training Department. Lori Agudo holds the title of Director of Training & Talent Development and Ellen Wilkins has moved into the Training & Publications Coordinator. These two ladies have been a force the past few years, carving out the path to education for all. Their efforts have grown so swiftly and dynamically that this department became a necessity. We are so excited to know this is only the beginning and see where they lead our training initiative.

A little about Lori:

“My favorite part of my job is helping all of our new managers. When they complete the program they leave feeling more confident in their ability to successfully run their properties. They also get to network with other Community Managers and develop a “buddy” system. When they enjoy training and express gratitude for being able to attend, I feel a sense of pride.” – Lori Agudo

Lori has worked in the Property Management field for 20 years. She came to Royal American Management in May of 2013 as Community Manager of Sterling Crest Apartments in Orlando. Lori became the first ever Regional Trainer for Royal American Management in January of 2017. In that role, Lori has trained over 150 managers throughout all of Florida and in the US Virgin Islands. In her 2-day training sessions she is able to cover a multitude of topics including Operations Procedures, Marketing, Budgets, Human Resources and Hiring, Risk Management, Fair Housing, Vendor Compliance, Contracting, Maintenance and Safety, and Unit Inspections. Even with all of that, she still manages to incorporate games, activities and tons of fun. She also oversees Royal American University which offers Specialty Training in the following areas: OneSite, Tax Credit, HUD & RD, and Resident Services. Outside of RAM accomplishments, Lori also has many industry accomplishments including: AAGO (Apartment Association of Greater Orlando) Volunteer Instructor 2017 – present, AAGO Education Advisory Council Chair 2018 & 2019, AAGO Legislative Committee Member 2019 – present, AAGO Foundation Director – Board of Directors 2020 – present, AAGO Golden Key Award Winner – Jason D. Keene Commitment to Excellence 2019, and FAA (Florida Apartment Association) Leadership Lyceum Candidate 2020. She is also a member of IREM’s Central Florida Chapter.

As the Director of Training & Talent Development for the Training Department, Lori’s responsibilities include assisting support divisions with training efforts and conducting Community Manager training. Lori not only hosts these trainings but has built all of the assets and continues to create and develop webinars and stand alone courses outside of our training provided by the Gracehill platform. The custom content she has created spans across all positions with RAM.

A little about Ellen:

“My favorite part of the job is introducing the company to new hires. There is such a sense of pride when I share that RA is bigger than they probably imagined. Then I get to explain how this large network of properties and departments can still focus on the growth and potential of each individual employee and provide a sense of one big family.” – Ellen Wilkins

In December of 2018, RAM gained Ellen Wilkins, Training & Publications Coordinator. Her main responsibility is administrator of our Online Learning Management System, Grace Hill. Previously this position was part of the Human Resources Department. To give a bit of perspective as to what Ellen has pushed RA to accomplish, please see the statistics below:

2018-

Total Course Completions 6037

Total Training Hours- 4529

Total Company Compliance – 1%

2019

Total Course Completions- 24207

Total Training Hours- 18275

Total Company Compliance – 41%

2020

Total Company Compliance as of today 51%

It is evident that Ellen is working incredibly hard to motivate RA as a whole to be our best and we are incredible glad she joined the team. In 2019, Ellen’s encouragement, passion for learning, and support to all of our RAM employees was rewarded with the Grace Hill Rising Star Award. In her new role, Ellen will not only be maintaining Grace Hill, she now assists support divisions with coordination of their training sessions, as well as assists them with building their training programs within Grace Hill.

If you are interested in starting your own training journey, please see below:

Royal American University’s Mission Statement is “Fueling the passion for learning and educating all employees to achieve their full potential”. For more details regarding available training please contact Lori or Ellen at training@royalamerican.com. We look forward to helping you achieve your full potential through training and support!

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