{"id":1267,"date":"2012-04-19T05:00:14","date_gmt":"2012-04-19T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=1267"},"modified":"2021-02-03T17:09:31","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T01:09:31","slug":"john-edwards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/john-edwards\/","title":{"rendered":"John Edwards"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cottonwood's<\/a>
John and his grandson, Clayton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When John Edwards and his wife, Darcy, moved to Salt Lake City, they only expected to stay for a year.\u00a0 That was more than 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

Today, John oversees the installation and support of Yardi Property Management software for all of the properties of Cottonwood Capital, a Utah-based real estate and investment company.<\/p>\n

John\u2019s journey to his current position in technology management was an unexpected one as well. When he and Darcy moved to Utah so she could pursue her nursing career, John took what he expected to be a temporary job as a bookkeeper\/accountant for a Salt Lake City apartment complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan was to stay for just a year. 15 years later, I was still there,\u201d he told us in a recent interview. The management company of the complex was Nevins Adams Lewbel Schell (NALS), and John ended up trying a variety of on-site jobs, including leasing agent and property manager, before falling into an unexpected role as a training expert on Yardi\u2019s computer programs. His natural affinity for computers and learning new things made him a perfect fit, and he even overcame a fear of public speaking as a result. John received his CAM Certification (Certified Apartment Manager) from the National Apartment Association in 1997.<\/p>\n

Five years ago, he accepted a position at Cottonwood Capital<\/a>, where he oversees all of the company\u2019s Yardi needs. More than 100 property managers will attend a company retreat later this month, where John will revisit that previous role he enjoyed, training on-site personnel. Cottonwood\u2019s management portfolio now includes 110 residential properties, a more than 10-fold increase from five years ago.<\/p>\n

\"Grandchildren<\/a>
John’s grandkids as youngsters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI just love learning new things, working with the managers and helping the managers succeed,\u201d he said. Many of Cottonwood\u2019s management-level staff have worked their way up from first-rung property management jobs, a quality that helps the company grow smart. Properties are located around the U.S.<\/p>\n

At home, John and Darcy\u2019s family is now grown, so they get to enjoy time with their six grandchildren, three of whom live in Salt Lake City. The family is into sports and all of the Edwards kids played ice hockey while growing up. Daughter Stephanie, now serving in the Peace Corps in South Africa, is a past member of the USA Women\u2019s National hockey team and she is a Level 4 coach.<\/p>\n

The Edwards\u2019 enjoy traveling in their small camper and have plans for a special family vacation this summer, when all six of their grandchildren will join them at Disneyland in California.\u00a0 John enjoys woodworking and spending time with his grandkids every week. This spring, he and his son Joseph will jointly coach his six-year-old grandson\u2019s t-ball team. Sounds like that short term stay in Salt Lake City has turned into a wonderful life!<\/p>\n