THE STONERIVER SCOOP
Get to know our HR Manager, Jennifer Fields
We took the opportunity to ask Jennifer a series of fun questions to help learn more about her background and experiences. Here are her responses that shed light on her lively personality and incredible journey!
How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
I enjoy reading, exercising, traveling, going to live concerts, and spending time outdoors with my two sons and my dog outside of work.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about helping others… which is why I chose a career in HR. You get to assist others daily, sometimes hourly.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be either a Solid Gold dancer or a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader when I grew up, even without a single dance or cheer lesson. I guess I thought I would just “wing” it.
What’s one totally irrational fear that you have?
I don’t have many fears, but put me in a room with a dead or alive bug (big or small, it doesn’t matter), and my heart rate goes through the roof until someone else kills it or takes it out.
What’s one of your favorite memories from the past year?
My favorite memory from the past year was when my entire family went on a two-week European cruise together. I love traveling with my mom, sister, niece, and two sons. I have visited many of these places before, but seeing the experience through my son’s eyes was incredible. My sons are my two favorite people!
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
One of my past mentors told me that when someone shows you their true colors, believe them because Zebras don’t change their stripes.
Is there any experience you think everyone should be required to have? What is it?
Everyone should have the experience of living alone and/or traveling to a new place by themselves. I did both right after graduating from college, and it created a lifetime of memories.
What energizes you at work?
Knowing I have the privilege to help others and continue working in HR after all these years excites me every day. I studied HR in college and pursued it as a career, and many years later, I still love it and can’t imagine doing anything else. The field is constantly changing and evolving, which means there is never a dull moment and always something new to learn.
What was your first job?
My first real HR job was at a small family-owned manufacturing company in a small town. I didn’t know it at the time, but they hired me to be an Admin Assistant and placed me in the HR office. Since I was the only one in the office, I jumped in and started doing HR work. My salary was $16,500 a year, and I thought I was the richest woman in the world. However, my very first job was working for Yellowstone National Park after college graduation. I was one of their many Reservations Clerks.
2025 Q2 Property Awards
Hover over each award to reveal who won!
Engagement Award
Vital at Springbrook Farms
Impact Award
Vital at Springbrook and Concord Ridge
Best Month Ever
April - 198 Milltown, June - Vital at Springbrook
Leadership Award
Wes Burleson, Concord Ridge
Employee News
New Hires and Promotions
New Hires:
Let’s give a warm and enthusiastic welcome to our amazing new hires! 🎉 We can’t wait to see the incredible contributions they’ll make!
- Taylor Guy: Leasing Consultant, 198 Milltown
- Camila Darby: Leasing Consultant, Inverness Cliffs
- Tyler Mott: Maintenance Technician, 198 Milltown
HR Corner
Transitioning Back and Staying Well!
As the summer days start to shorten and the back-to-school buzz fills the air, August is a great time to focus on transitions and staying healthy. This month, we’ll explore tips for navigating back-to-school season and highlight some wellness initiatives.
Back-to-School Tips for Employees:
Plan Ahead:
Start preparing for the end of summer now! Organize schedules, make lists, and gather supplies to ease the transition.
Communicate:
If you have children, talk to them about their routines and expectations. Open communication can help everyone adjust more smoothly.
Self-Care:
Don’t forget to prioritize your own well-being! Take time for yourself to recharge and de-stress.
This Month’s Celebrations
National Bowling Day
Let’s roll! The second Saturday in August means it’s National Bowling Day.
Question — Do you know how to score a bowling game? Yes, you can only knock down 10 pins per frame. And there are only 10 frames per game. So, how does a perfect score add up to 300? Answer: It’s more complicated than that. Strikes and spares have their own special (bonus) scoring system. And the 10th frame allows for one or two extra balls if you knock down all the pins.
While it’s possible that bowling-style games originated in ancient civilizations around the world, we likely can give credit to the modern game of bowling to Germany. Kegels were placed at the end of an alley, and Germans would roll a stone, attempting to knock them down (seriously, we looked this up). The motivation was that by knocking down the kegel, a person’s sins would be reconciled.
Company-Wide Bowling Event!
It’s that time of year again! StoneRiver’s 5th Annual Company-Wide Bowling Event will take place in August.
To celebrate National Bowling Day, between August 14th and August 25th, each StoneRiver market will host a bowling outing. Each StoneRiver employee who submits their highest score from the event to the newsletter email by August 28th will be eligible for prizes!
Be on the lookout for event details for your market coming soon!
Back to School
August is the calm before the (back-to-school) storm, the end of the good ol’ Dog Days of summer, the time to start gearing back up. After a summer defined by pool days, bike rides, and backyard hangs, September calls, and it’ll be back to reality. For many, we’re talking about a whole new morning routine, school pick-up, after-school snacks, and homework schedules.
To celebrate this time of year, we are doing a back-to-school section in the upcoming September newsletter and would love to showcase photos of your kiddos and or family members heading back to the classroom! If you would like to include your photos, just send them over to the newsletter email no later than August 25th.
Last Month’s Celebrations
Magnolia Grove team
Last month, our dedicated teams came together to make a meaningful impact in the lives and futures of struggling children by organizing an inspiring donation drive at their properties. At Magnolia Grove, they enthusiastically collected an array of school supplies for Gilbert Willie Sr. Elementary School, ensuring that every child has an equal opportunity to kick off the school year on the right foot.
Vital Team
School supply drives like these are essential in leveling the playing field, as they help guarantee that all children have the resources they need to succeed. Similarly, the team at Vital at Springbrook collected various supplies for Alcoa Middle School, embodying a spirit of generosity and support for our community’s youth.
Terraces Team
The dedicated team at Terraces at Town Center organized a thoughtful initiative to collect an extensive array of school supplies for the students at Twin Lakes Academy, aimed at ensuring that the children have the necessary tools for a successful academic year.
Birmingham team
Regrettably, as many states continue to trim their educational budgets, schools are left with dwindling resources, which means parents are increasingly burdened with the task of purchasing additional supplies for their children. Take a moment to admire the impressive collection gathered by the Birmingham office for donation.
Property Operational Tips
2026 Budgeting
Last year, our corporate team led the development of budgets due to the new rollout of Forecast IQ, resulting in limited involvement from our property managers. This year, we are making a concerted effort to change that dynamic by providing thorough coaching and education to our managers, equipping them with the fundamental skills necessary to draft a budget from the ground up.
Advice from our VP of Property Management:
My advice begins with a detailed examination of your property’s current budget alongside its actual performance for the year. Take the time to go through each budget line item meticulously, comparing projections with actual expenditures. Highlight any discrepancies where you consistently see either overspending or underspending; these will become central focus points for your adjustments moving forward.
Instead of trying to create an entirely new budget from scratch, leverage your historical financial data as a strong foundation. This will not only save time but also enhance accuracy. After establishing your baseline, incorporate known changes such as anticipated rent increases, potential shifts in staffing requirements, or details about new contracts. By doing this, you’ll build a more informed and realistic budget that aligns with both your operational goals and the financial realities of your property.
Birthdays
Wishing a very Happy Birthday to all of the August birthdays:
- 8/6 – Douglas Thorn (Concord)
- 8/8 – Jamonza Watson (WildForest)
- 8/10 – Caitlin Davis (Birmingham)
- 8/17 – Terry Muta (Vital)
- 8/20 – Davelle Lineberger (Concord)
- 8/25 – Mollie Seymour (Birmingham)
Anniversaries
- 1 Year – Ronald Whatley (Inverness)
- 1 Year – Robert Brown (Birmingham)
- 1 Year – Amanda Watson (Birmingham)
Have an Idea?
Would you like to share your stories, ideas, or comments to feature in our upcoming publications? Kindly send your request and a member of the newsletter committee will get in touch if chosen.
