After a tough year, Canberra's strata industry celebrates triumphs

For a fourth consecutive year, Vantage Strata took out the top gong at the 2022 ACT CHU SCA Strata Community Awards.

Industry gathered at Canberra’s Hotel Realm on Friday (October 21) for the gala dinner and ceremony to recognise those making a significant contribution to the industry and community.

Vantage Strata’s Brittany Durand was named Senior Strata Community Manager of the Year while the business again took home the big prize – Strata Community Management Large Business.

Vantage Strata Group General Manager Jarrod Smith said the team was elated by the four-peat, a first in the ACT industry awards.

“We were definitely the life of the party on the night,” he laughed.

“It’s humbling to know that despite our rapid growth, we are still exactly where we believe we are – right at the forefront.”

Jarrod said in a time of skill shortages the secret sauce was in a company’s employee value proposition.

“I know it’s a cliche but we really do care about our staff. Our high retention rate is testament to that,” he said.

“As a result, we have an amazing and dedicated team of people who are super committed and take great pride in their work.

“Of the five finalists for Senior Strata Community Manager of the Year, four were from Vantage Strata – that speaks to the calibre of our team.

“I believe that feeds into why we’ve been named best in the business four years in a row.”

The win automatically qualified Vantage as a finalist for the same category in the Australasia event.

Independent Property Group also had cause for celebration, with two of their three finalists winning in their respective categories.

Business Development Manager for Strata Management Tarnee Lamb won the essay category for her thought-provoking piece ‘The C Word’, which delved into her experience dealing with combustible cladding in strata-managed buildings.

“I chose the topic because it’s controversial, it’s come to light in the ACT relatively recently, and there’s a lot of debate on what the right and wrong ways of addressing it are,” Tarnee said.

“It was great to get the opportunity to write this piece sharing the experience and knowledge I’ve gained through dealing with two buildings whose owners took polar opposite approaches.”

Sheldon Boger was named Rising Star of the Year, which he attributed to an approach to strata management centred around “active listening” and a supportive work environment.

“When people know they’re truly being heard it creates a great dialogue and higher level of trust,” he said.

“I could not have achieved this without the support of my team and especially my team leader.

“The culture within this team and Independent Property Group as a whole is fantastic; it makes coming to work so much more enjoyable.”

Independent Strata Management General Manager Julian Ortner-Kemp said the awards were great recognition for hard work.

“These awards really display the investment and commitment we’ve made as a company into our people and their professional growth,” he said.

The 2022 ACT CHU SCA Strata Community Awards winners were as follows.

Business Awards:

• Strata Community Management Large Business – Vantage Strata
• Strata Community Management Small / Medium Business – Signature Strata
• Strata Services Business – Strata Energy Services Pty Ltd.

Individual Awards:

• Senior Strata Community Manager – Brittany Durand, Vantage Strata
• Strata Community Manager – Heather Seagrove, Signature Strata
• Strata Community Manager Rising Star – Sheldon Bøger, Independent Strata Management
• Professional Commitment to Service and Ethics – Janet Browne, Bridge Strata
• Essay Award – Tarnee Lamb, Independent Strata Management
• Support Team Member – Jane Waslin, LJ Hooker Strata ACT
• President’s Award – Steve Wiebe, Bridge Strata.