Laura Campbell, General Manager with Zeller in Atlanta, Georgia, has been selected by CRE Insight Journal as one of the 10 to Watch in commercial real estate. The CRE Insight Journal 10 to Watch program recognizes the commercial real estate industry’s top early career professionals and showcases how emerging professionals are shaping the real estate industry through a variety of career pathways.

Impacting Tenants

In her role with Zeller, Campbell is responsible for providing leadership and direction for on-site personnel and ensuring that the property ownership’s goals are implemented at the property she serves. Campbell manages and recommends new and ongoing capital improvement projects, reviews contracted maintenance, and coordinates a competitive bidding process for services, while also implementing a comprehensive tenant relations program and community outreach. As General Manager, she also works directly with asset management, leasing, and construction management, leads budget development, and manages financial performance.

“At Zeller, I have overseen two properties that have significant impact to tenants in the Atlanta market, Premier Plaza and my current property, Resurgens Plaza,” said Campbell. “Both properties are Fitwel certified, WELL Health-Safety rated, WiredScore Gold certified, ENERGY STAR rated, and are LEED certified.”

Campbell has also helped build and sustain a robust tenant engagement plan featuring many events throughout the year at Resurgens Plaza, including strength training and yoga classes, summer rooftop happy hours, fall festivals, school supply drives, candle making classes, and blood drives. She also organizes bi-annual tours of Resurgens Plaza’s three beehives, which generated approximately 120 pounds of honey in 2022.

In her role as Co-Chair for Zeller’s Emerging Leaders group, she helps lead the focus on maintaining Zeller’s culture of education, mentorship, and empowering individuals to thrive through engagement and leadership. In addition, Campbell was recently selected as a member of the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Atlanta Leadership Class of 2024 and is a member of the CREW PACE Committee. Campbell graduated Cum Laude from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga. with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology.

Excellence In and Out of the Office

Campbell has also made significant contributions through her community service efforts.

“My most cherished volunteer experience was teaching English to adults and children in a remote part of Costa Rica,” Campbell said.

In addition to teaching English in Costa Rica, Campbell has been an active volunteer through TutorMate, where she tutored a first-grade student. She has also volunteered with The Nicholas House, organizing holiday events; The Gateway Center, organizing clothing drives for a men’s homeless shelter; and Cristo Rey, teaching sophomores in a work-study program.

Prior to joining Zeller in 2022, Campbell worked at Hines for nearly a decade, starting as an administrative assistant and subsequently being promoted to tenant service coordinator and then property manager. At Hines, she served One Atlantic Center, a 1.1 million square foot Atlanta property in the Midtown submarket; Atlanta Financial Center, a 915,000 square foot Atlanta property in the Buckhead submarket; One Overton Park, a 379,000 square foot Atlanta property in the Cumberland submarket; 1180 Peachtree, a 670,442 square foot Atlanta property in the Midtown submarket; and T3 West Midtown, a 232,149 square foot Atlanta property in the West Midtown submarket. One of Campbell’s most significant accomplishments serving these properties was transitioning T3 West Midtown from a new development into a fully operating property.

Through her work at Hines and Zeller, Campbell has developed a strong financial acumen, leading to strong financial performance of the properties she serves. She also has extensive experience in lease administration, capital project management, vendor partner relationship development, tenant relations, and community outreach. Throughout her career, the impact commercial real estate properties have on communities has always been at the forefront of her mind.

Making a Difference

“Commercial real estate builds community, not only within the market but also within the office building and each suite,” Campbell said. “It creates a sense of place and belonging. It’s a place to collaborate, build friendships and careers. I believe that physically working together contributes to happiness and increased productivity which is built within commercial offices.”

Campbell also said it is critical for her to work for a CRE company that instills these values into their communities and that her team positively impacts their own community.

“At Zeller, I work with a team that has a strong focus on our Environmental, Social, and Governance innovators,” Campbell said. “Zeller believes property management should be approached with many considerations, including the impact on the environment, the surrounding community, our tenants and employees, and our buildings. Zeller’s 1.5 million square foot portfolio in Atlanta is managed by tenured real estate professionals who have achieved numerous awards, designations and certifications that define Zeller’s commitment to ESG.”

“Diversity and inclusion are also a key element in the blueprint of Zeller’s culture,” Campbell said.

This commitment is seen through Campbell’s and Zeller’s involvement in DEI and community service efforts through the Building Owners and Managers Association, Institute of Real Estate Management, and CREW.

“Our teams volunteer at multiple local parks to assist with clean-up efforts and volunteer at shelters to feed the homeless,” Campbell said. “We host food drives, serve Toys for Tots, conduct backpack and school supply drives, facilitate Dress for Success donations, and we volunteer with the Big Brother and Big Sister program. These values and initiatives are having a great impact on the community, and I am happy to be a part of the team that is making a difference in Atlanta.”

CRE Insight Journal 10 to Watch is sponsored by

Read about all of the 10 to Watch class of 2023 award recipients and the positive impact they are making through their company, community service, real estate associations, and more. Interested in learning more about next year’s 10 to Watch program or applying for recognition? Complete this short form.

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