speakers

Linnea Appleby
Linnea Appleby is president of PDQ Management Solutions Inc., a Sarasota, Fla.-based company specializing in self-storage facility management, operational consulting, new-facility startup, property audits and more. Linnea has been involved in the self-storage industry since 1998, with a 27-year background in management and finance. In addition to being a past president of the Florida Self Storage Association, she is a contributing writer to Inside Self-Storage and a frequent speaker at industry tradeshows and events.
Marc Boorstein
Marc Boorstein is a principal and co-founder of MJ Partners Real Estate Services and its affiliates, MJ Partners Self Storage Group and MJ Partners Capital Services. He has 20-plus years of real estate experience and has been involved in more than $1 billion in real estate transactions. He represents self-storage operators and institutional investors in the acquisition, disposition and financing of portfolios and single-assets nationwide. Marc is a regular speaker at self-storage conventions and a published author.
Brandon Braud
Brandon Braud is vice president of sales for upickstorage.com. He has made more than 2,000 public-speaking appearances and has 10 years of experience as a professional speaker. Personally trained by motivational speaker Tom Hopkins, Brandon learned how to deliver practical solutions to challenges in the workplace. His down-to-earth yet humorous speaking style keeps his audiences engaged and entertained. He has been named a Merrill Lynch's Paths of Achievement Sales Trainer.
Benjamin Burkhart
Benjamin Burkhart is the owner of BKB Properties, and performs or oversees all consulting services. Prior to opening his own consulting firm, Benjamin worked as a lender with Wells Fargo, specializing in self-storage transactions. He often participates as a speaker at regional and national self-storage conventions and seminars, and has written several articles for industry magazines. Benjamin is also part owner and primary developer of a self-storage facility outside of Richmond, Va.
Jim Chiswell
As president of Chiswell & Associates LLC, Jim Chiswell has conducted countless project-feasibility studies for clients building new projects, and created acquisition due-diligence reports for clients purchasing existing facilities. He's a contributing columnist to Inside Self-Storage, a faculty member of the Self Storage Training Institute, and a moderator for Self-Storage Talk. Jim is a past member of the board of directors of the Self Storage Association, and a past president of the New York Self Storage Association.
Bob Copper
Bob Copper is the owner of Self Storage 101, a consulting firm specializing in operational improvement, training, audits, feasibility and market studies, and due diligence. Bob has worked with hundreds of owners and managers to improve sales, collection techniques and overall operational expertise. He has provided oversight to industry leaders in such areas as strategic growth, staff effectiveness, marketing, asset-value improvement and acquisitions. He is a frequent speaker at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo.
Mario Feghali
Mario Feghali is co-founder and chief operating officer of SpareFoot.com, an online self-storage marketplace. A true "Internet nerd," Mario has grown the SpareFoot network from one site with a few thousand visitors to 100-plus websites with more than 80,000 monthly visitors. With an extensive background in psychology, statistics and analytics, Mario helps thousands of self-storage facilities generate more tenants online. He writes frequently about free tools that help facility owners track their results and increase traffic to their own websites.
Jeffrey Greenberger
Jeffrey Greenberger is a partner in the law firm Katz, Greenberger & Norton LLP, where he focuses his practice on commercial real estate, with a concentration in self-storage. Jeff assists operators in the design and implementation of legal policies and procedures and operational issues, with a focus on litigation avoidance and liability reduction. Jeff is the legal advisor to several state self-storage associations and a featured speaker for national and state self-storage tradeshows. He's a regular contributor to Inside Self-Storage and an instructor for the Self-Storage Training Institute.
Neal Gussis
Neal Gussis is a principal at The BSC Group, a full-service financial-services firm. Neal actively secures debt and equity for commercial property nationwide and provides consulting services. He's one of the industry's best-known finance executives, and is a frequent speaker at national and regional self-storage tradeshows. Neal has secured more than $1 billion in self-storage financing for client transactions nationwide. Prior to The BSC Group, he was a principal at Beacon Realty Capital Inc., where he managed the Self Storage Financing Group.
Richard Harmon
Richard Harmon is the founder and CEO of Federated Collection Bureau in Atlanta, which was founded in March 1987 and currently provides collection services to more than 3,000 multi-family housing properties. Richard is also the chief operating officer of Federated Credit Services, with offices in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Founded in May 1995, the company provided tenant-screening services to the multi-family housing industry until January 2005. Federated Credit is now the largest accounts-receivable management firm serving the time-share and vacation-club industries.
Matthew Harrison
Matthew Harrison has been involved with design, sales and project management of solar projects throughout the United States. As a certified photovoltaic designer, Matthew has extensive knowledge of solar-electric system design coupled with 20 years of construction and construction-management experience. He's well-versed in federal, state and local incentive programs for renewable-energy grants, credits, rebates and other financial-incentive programs, and innovative programs for generating alternative revenue streams.
Randy Hatch
Randy Hatch, president of the Michaels Wilder Yellow Pages and Interactive Division, began his career in YP advertising more than 26 years ago. He served several key roles during his career including corporate trainer and national sales manager. As the director of a national sales team for R.H. Donnelley/Dex One Corp., he received the Yellow Pages Accuracy Award, and was named six times to the President's Circle of Excellence.
Bob Hayworth
Bob Hayworth is the owner and CEO of Baja Construction Co. Inc., a design/build company specializing in carports and RV/boat storage. Baja has been in business for 25 years, with estimated annual revenue in excess of $25 million. Bob designed the patent-pending Solar Support System, which Baja has successfully implemented in the installation of more than 5 megawatts of fully integrated solar and RV-shading structures. Bob is frequently invited to speak at industry events about solar-integrated carports and RV ports.
Shawn Hill
Shawn Hill is a principal at The BSC Group, where he's responsible for advising clients regarding debt and equity financing and loan-workout services for all commercial property types, with an emphasis on self-storage. Shawn is a frequent speaker at self-storage tradeshows and a contributing author to industry publications. His professional background includes work at two credit-rating agencies, Duff and Phelps and Fitch Ratings Inc. Shawn was most recently a senior vice president with Beacon Realty Capital Inc.
Mel Holsinger
Mel Holsinger founded Tucson, Ariz.-based Professional Self-Storage Management in 2004 and is the principal, president and CEO of the company. As part of the Inside Self-Storage Editorial Advisory Board, he contributes regularly to the magazine, and is also a member of the ISS Expo Education Advisory Committee. He's a faculty member of the Self Storage Training Institute, a frequent speaker at the ISS Expo, and a moderator for Self-Storage Talk.
Wayne Johnson
Wayne Johnson is the senior vice president of acquisitions for Strategic Storage Trust Inc., a publicly registered, non-traded real estate investment trust operating as Smart Stop Self Storage. Wayne is responsible for the company's acquisitions, with a portfolio that includes approximately 2.9 million square feet of self-storage space. Wayne serves on the board and is a past president of the Texas Self Storage Association.
RK Kliebenstein
RK Kliebenstein is president of Coast-To-Coast Storage, a self-storage consultancy firm, offering feasibility studies, site selection, financing, management and marketing services. RK began his self-storage career in 1985. He's an industry speaker, author and expert witness in acquiring, developing, managing and financing self-storage properties. He's written numerous articles in trade magazines, is co-author of How to Invest in Self-Storage, and author of How to Make More Money in Self-Storage.
Christy Lewis
Christy Lewis is responsible for all training and implementation of Bader Co. client partners. She guides customers through specialized training programs to help them integrate insurance into their self-storage business. Christy has been part of the Bader team for more than seven years. She has played an integral role in sales and marketing and, as a result, has helped develop some of the most innovative tenant-insurance programs in the storage industry.
Jamie Lindau
Jamie Lindau, national sales manager for Trachte Building Systems, has more than 25 years of experience in self-storage building and consulting. During his career, he has assisted more than 1,100 self-storage owners with the acquisition, layout, feasibility, building design and purchase of their sites. He's a regular contributor to Inside Self-Storage magazine and other industry publications. Jamie has conducted more than 220 self-storage development seminars for Trachte since 1987.
Tom Litton
Tom Litton heads Litton Property Management Inc. Tom began his career in the self-storage industry during its infancy and has managed more than 150 self-storage facilities in 11 states. Most recently, he managed the Mister Space Self Storage division of The Grupe Co. He currently fee manages and consults throughout Australia, Canada, England, France and the United States. Tom contributes regularly to self-storage publications, has written numerous books and operational guides, and serves on the Inside Self-Storage Editorial Advisory Board.
Stacie Maxwell
Stacie Maxwell is the director of marketing and communications for Universal Management Co., a full-service self-storage management and consulting company. With more than nine years of self-storage experience, Stacie is responsible for branding, design, marketing-program planning and implementation, and Internet and e-mail marketing for the 40-plus facilities in the UMC portfolio. She works closely with Anne Ballard and David Dixon on new facility development and feasibility studies, from concept to opening day and onward.
Bruce McCardle
Bruce McCardle is vice president of eastern-division operations for Mako Steel Inc. He has worked in architectural design, development, construction and the metal-building manufacturing business since 1977, and specifically in the self-storage industry for more than 20 years. He is a member of the Florida Self-Storage Association board of directors. He contributes articles to industry publications, and is a speaker at industry tradeshows.
Tom Nicholson III
Tom Nicholson III is president of AAAA Self Storage Management Group. After graduating from Roanoke College, he joined the family business, The Nicholson Cos. Since that time, he has continuously been involved in the development, design, construction and management of self-storage facilities.

Brad North
Brad North has trained and consulted with thousands of owners and developers throughout the world. Brad has produced a DVD and workbook training tool, "Maximizing your Sales and Marketing Program." He's a contributor to Inside Self-Storage, a speaker at state and national tradeshows, and a moderator for Self-Storage Talk. Brad provides onsite consulting, manager-training workshops, seminars and feasibility studies. His company, Advantage Business Consulting & Management, manages more than 1 million square feet of self-storage.
Charles Plunkett
Charles Plunkett began his construction career in 1980. His experience includes welding, fabrication, steel erection and general contracting as well as the design, development and construction of commercial projects. As president and founder of Artistic Builders Inc., Charles has led numerous seminars and been published and featured in numerous industry publications.
Kenny Pratt
Kenny Pratt is president of Crescendo Properties, a self-storage acquisition and management company that operates 14 properties. Kenny has been an executive in the self-storage and mobile-home park industry for seven years. He produces an e-mail newsletter that offers sales tips, and coaches other self-storage executives on how to move their organization away from order-taking and toward selling. He enjoys coaching groups of onsite managers to sell more effectively.
Georgia Ragsdale
Georgia Ragsdale is president and CEO of Best American Financial Services LLC, a commercial-mortgage brokerage firm focusing on clients in the self-storage industry. Georgia uses her results-focused drive to close millions of dollars in loans in the commercial-property and construction sectors. She has brokered for a hard-money lending source and acquired land for development companies. Georgia has also coached the corporate sales teams of Fortune 500 companies such as Charles Schwab, Bank of America and Grubb & Ellis.
John Roser
John Roser has broad industry experience as a facility manager, regional manager, sales and marketing trainer, and founder of USA Storage Resource, a self-storage enterprise devoted to the support of small and independent facility owners and operators. He is the creator of the "Adventures In Storage" cartoon featured monthly in Inside Self-Storage magazine, a member of the ISS Education Advisory Committee and a moderator for Self-Storage Talk, the industry's largest online community.
Stephan Ross
Stephan Ross began his self-storage career in 1984, working as city manager for Arizona-based National Self Storage. He later worked as regional director of Executive Self-Storage. In 2000, he and his wife, Tammy, formed Cutting Edge Self-Storage Management & Consulting. With 25 years of experience, Cutting Edge has become one of the fastest growing management companies in the industry. The company currently manages facilities in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Texas and Utah.
Tammy Ross
Tammy Ross began her career in the self-storage industry in 1984 as a resident manager for National Self Storage. She later joined Executive Self Storage and relocated to the East Coast to become a regional manager. In 2000, she and her husband, Stephan, formed Cutting Edge Self Storage Management & Consulting, which provides feasibility studies, consulting and management services. She is also the owner of Midvale Main Street Theatre, where she directs and produces musical and dramatic productions.
Eric Shanfelt
Eric Shanfelt is president of eMedia Strategist. Prior to this, he served in executive-management roles at Virgo Publishing, Penton Media and Aspire Media, and as an industry consultant helping companies evaluate and grow their online media businesses. Shanfelt has an extensive e-media background spanning 18 years and specializes in practical, revenue-generating e-media strategies for companies.
Randy Tipton
Randy Tipton owns and operates Universal Insurance Facilities Ltd., which has provided specialized insurance coverages to the self-storage industry for nearly 15 years. Randy is a seasoned industry professional with more than 30 years of insurance underwriting, marketing and management experience. She speaks at industry tradeshows, holds insurance seminars and speaks with facility owners nationwide. Randy is a contributor to Inside Self-Storage, an instructor for the Self-Storage Training Institute and a moderator for Self-Storage Talk.
John Traver
John Traver is owner and CEO of XPS Solutions LLC, a provider of reservation and property-marketing solutions for the self-storage industry. John's background includes nearly 20 years as a consultant in customer-relationship management solutions. He acquired XPS in 2004. The company now employs more than 100 full-time associates. John has been a speaker for numerous well-known organizations including Toyota and the National Automobile Dealers Association. He has also led training workshops, and contributed articles to numerous trade publications.
Ben Vestal
Ben Vestal has been involved in the management, development, construction and brokerage of commercial real estate since 1996. He began his career as a partner in the development of several industrial properties, and has since been involved in more than $250 million commercial real estate brokerage transactions. In 2006, Ben acquired an ownership interest in the Argus Self Storage Sales Network Inc., an independent network of real estate brokers specializing in self-storage properties.
Stuart Wade
Stuart Wade joined AAAA Self Storage Management in February 2004 as business development manager. Prior to joining AAAA, he worked in advertising and investment management including real estate syndications. Stuart was named the company’s director of sales and marketing in March 2005. The Chowan College Graduate holds numerous real estate certifications as well as a Virginia real estate license.
Charles Ray Wilson
Ray Wilson is a recognized authority on self-storage investment analysis and a regular speaker at industry tradeshows. He's a frequent contributor to industry magazines and often quoted in national newspapers. In 1992, he founded Self Storage Data Services Inc. (SSDS), a research company that tracks the operating performance of several thousand facilities. As the owner of SSDS, Ray consults regularly with the nation's top self-storage analysts on valuation and performance matters.
Caesar Wright
Caesar Wright is president of Mako Steel Inc., which specializes in self-storage design and construction. His enterprising skills have helped launch Mako Steel to the forefront of the industry. He is well-known and respected in the industry for his ability to manage, negotiate and succeed without compromising his integrity or sense of humor. As part of the Inside Self-Storage Editorial Advisory Board, he contributes regularly to the magazine, and is also a moderator for Self-Storage Talk.

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