Business Award hat trick plus 3 further Excellence Awards in 2021.

On Friday 3 December, the SCA (Vic) Pillar Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner was held.

The evening was a celebration of the industry and its people; with recognition for the contributions of long-time SCA representatives – including The Knight founder, Robert Evans, as an Honorary Life Member – and thanks given to all SCA VIC volunteers for their work to raise the profile and impact of the strata industry.

The awards recognise ‘pillars’ of the strata industry; those who embody the values of professionalism, innovation and integrity. We would like to send our congratulations to all finalists and nominees in this year’s awards.

The Knight were proud finalists in six categories this year (click the category to learn more about the award and our nominees):

It is with excitement we share that we came away as winners in four categories, including taking out the Large Business award for the third year running!

We are so proud of this achievement, and thankful for the hard work of our team over what has proven to be another difficult 12 months. To receive this recognition, for the third year in a row, is testament to our dedication to grow and improve with each year that passes. We are excited to enter 2022 and continue this trajectory, and lead by example to create a better strata industry.

Essay Award – Erin McCleary – Finalist

The essay award recognises a person of influence who shares their insight, innovative ideas and knowledge through a 1000-word essay on a current topical strata issue.

Congratulations to Owners Corporation Manager’s Assistant, Erin McCleary for being a finalist in this category.

Erin’s essay was titled ‘Delivering bad news to clients in the strata industry – the necessary evil’ and explores the effects of being the bearer of bad news, and the importance of managing the impact of negative client reactions for a healthy workforce.

This was a highly relevant topic for this year, given The Knight’s recent formation of a Wellbeing Committee and our focus on improving mental health outcomes for the strata workforce.

Support Team Member – Madre Clarke – Finalist

The Support Team Member award recognises a person behind the scenes in a management or supplier business who has made an outstanding contribution to the success of their team.

Congratulations to Senior Owners Corporation Accountant, Madre Clarke for being a finalist in this category.

Madre has worked tirelessly for over 6 years at The Knight and is the go-to person within the organisation for any number of finance related queries.  In Madre’s case, she has not only contributed to the success of her team but The Knight as a whole, and we are so pleased to recognise her hard work through this nomination.

Strata Community Environmental & Engagement Award – WINNER

This award recognises a strata community manager and a strata scheme that worked together to reduce their impact on the environment by means of sustainability initiatives and projects and/or are utilising products and services that have positive environmental impact.

Congratulations to Training & Sustainability Manager, Alex Smale, Owners Corporation Manager, Taylor Whitefoot and the Committee at 166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy for taking out this award.

This win is especially exciting to us this year given our focus on sustainability.

The Committee at Gertrude Street work tirelessly to create better outcomes at their property and are very deserving winners of this recognition. While getting large projects across the line in strata can be complicated and time-consuming, this Committee has never shied away from a challenge. Their commitment to being a positive force, within their local community and the environment, is inspiring.

RELATED – Sustainable Strata (VIDEO) – hear about Gertrude Street’s solar journey >

Strata Community Manager Rising Star – Shawn Lee – WINNER

The Rising Star award recognises a new entrant to the industry who has shown outstanding progress early in their career.

Congratulations to Owners Corporation Manager, Shawn Lee for taking out this award.

Shawn has been working in the strata industry for 3 years, with a further 3 years of Real Estate experience and a strong background in Finance and Accounting.

Shawn transitioned to the position of Owners Corporation Manager in early 2020 and is a dependable and hardworking member of the team. His drive to succeed results in positive outcomes for all his properties.

We are excited to see Shawn’s career evolve and thank him for being part of The Knight team.

Strata Community Manager – Lois Simpson – WINNER

This category recognises a manager who has demonstrated excellence in customer service, a commitment to professional development, business acumen and innovative ideas.

Congratulations to Owners Corporation Manager, Lois Simpson for winning this year’s award.

Lois has over 10 years of experience in the strata industry, having worked as a Strata Manager in both Victoria and New South Wales, and previously as a Property Manager.

Lois’ portfolio consists of medium to large properties up to 310 lots, and she is an active member of The Knight team, serving on both the Social and Sustainability Committees.

We thank Lois for her hard work over the last 12 months, we were proud to put her forward as a nominee and are delighted to see such a deserving winner.

Large Strata Community Management Business – The Knight – WINNER

This category recognises a large-scale strata community management business (>6,500 Lots under management) that has devised and implemented strategies for service excellence with a focus on staff training, professional conduct and innovation.

To be recognised in this category for the last 3 years is testament to our hard work and commitment to upholding our values of customer focus, professionalism and integrity, and illustrative of our position as an industry leader.

Our submission for this award covered every team, every department, and just about every process, all of which we have worked to grow, develop and improve over the past 12 months.

Thank you to our team for their dedication, our clients for their support and the SCA VIC for hosting such an important recognition campaign for the strata industry.