Leadership

Robert G. Smith serves as President of FirstService Residential’s South region, overseeing strategic growth and operations throughout Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

Robert’s career spans more than 20 years in various executive roles across sectors of the Southeast real estate and finance industries. Prior to joining the property management industry, Robert spent almost ten years in land acquisition and development for one of the nation’s largest homebuilders. Robert held leadership positions with residential property management firms, financial institutions and real estate developers. In these roles, he was responsible for directing all functions of statewide management operations, business development and land acquisition, management of 200 developing communities and crafting service initiatives designed to deliver exceptional results.
 
Robert joined FirstService Residential in 2017, as president of the Florida Condo-HOA Division. During his tenure, he solidified partnerships with area developers, focused on people and company culture to build high-performing property management teams, elevated the level of service delivered to our customers, and significantly grew the lifestyle segment for the organization.
 
Robert earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah, lives in South Florida and enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and three children.

Amy Sanchez serves as president of Central Florida and brings 15 years of experience managing residential communities. She is responsible for operations, customer service and business growth in the Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg and the Florida Panhandle markets. 

Amy joined FirstService Residential in 2019 as vice president of the company’s South Florida Condo-HOA Division, covering Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Since joining the company, she has developed a successful team that elevated service levels and the customer experience. Amy contributes to many initiatives across FirstService Residential, serves as a founding member of her division’s Safety Committee, and is an active member of the company’s People Council.

Prior to joining FirstService Residential, Amy held leadership positions with residential, multifamily and asset management firms. She was responsible for overseeing multi-state management operations, business development, asset repositioning and dispositions.   
 
Amy earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate from Florida International University and is a licensed community association manager and real estate agent. 
 
Amy is a native of Central Florida and enjoys time with her husband and three daughters, boating, playing volleyball, gardening, and traveling.

Andy Sorenson serves as Vice President in the South Region of FirstService Residential overseeing the Florida Panhandle and Alabama. In his role, Andy is responsible for driving growth, client retention, and strategic direction to ensure the delivery of service excellence, and to execute the vision the Boards of Directors have defined for their communities.

Andy joined FirstService Residential in 2023, bringing over 25 years of hospitality experience. Prior to joining FirstService Residential, he held multiple leadership positions in hotel operations and property management, serving as General Manager for several high-rise and lifestyle associations.

Andy is originally from Miami Beach and studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at the James Madison University School of Business in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He has four sons, is active in his church’s music ministry and enjoys the beach and fishing in his spare time.  Andy and his wife are in the process of relocating to the Panhandle.

Paula Allen serves as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for FirstService Residential’s South Region. She joined the company in 2015, bringing with her over two decades of human resources expertise.

Prior to joining FirstService Residential, Paula’s experience included major South Florida organizations, including Baptist Health, the largest healthcare organization in South Florida with more than 15,000 employees, and Burger King, where she led a team that supported operations with annual revenue in excess of $10 billion.

Paula focuses on forging trusted partnerships with business leaders and developing highly effective teams that proactively respond to business needs. She holds professional certifications in facilitation and coaching, as well as the DiSC® and Hogan assessment tools.

Paula earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel/Resort Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management, the Greater Miami Society for Human Resources Management, The Women’s Fund Miami and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Rob Huguet serves as Senior Vice President of Finance for FirstService Residential, where he is responsible for the company's internal corporate reporting and cash management functions for the South Region. Rob’s responsibilities include delivering and supporting capabilities that improve business processes, internal reporting, and controls, integrating acquisitions and enhancing performance across the region.

Rob joined FirstService Residential as Controller in 2015. Prior to that, Rob held senior corporate level positions within the transportation and consumer product industries, including Spectrum Brands as Vice President of Global Finance, where he led the financial reporting team throughout Europe, Latin America, North America, and China.

Rob is both a certified public accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant, beginning his career in public accounting. He holds a Master of Science degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

Rob lives in Fort Lauderdale with his family and enjoys boating, diving, and flying throughout Florida.

Debra George serves as Vice President of Operations for FirstService Residential’s South Region. Leveraging her extensive industry expertise and passion for change management, Debra oversees operations and strategic objectives to achieve performance excellence throughout the region.

Debra joined the company in 1999 as a projects specialist and has ascended to various managerial and leadership roles throughout her impressive tenure. Most recently, she served as Sr. Director of Strategic Projects, overseeing the successful execution of several region-wide initiatives. In her 25 years of experience, Debra gained an unparalleled understanding of the intricacies of the property management industry, its core processes and operations, and the unique needs of residential associations.

Debra holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. Born and raised in Southeast Michigan, Debra relocated to South Florida in 1996, immersing herself in the area’s vibrant community. She enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, and spending time with her husband and two beloved rescue cats.

Mara J. Jockers serves as Vice President, General Counsel for the South Region, overseeing legal matters and risk management for the organization. Mara joined FirstService Residential in 2010 as Associate General Counsel and has more than two decades of legal experience.

Prior to joining FirstService, Mara worked for a law firm focusing on association, business and real estate law. Mara holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami.

Originally from Atlanta, Mara lives in Cooper City with her husband and two daughters and enjoys spending time outdoors, exercising, reading and traveling. She supports several civic and charitable organizations, including Legal Services of Greater Miami’s Tenant’s Equal Justice Clinic, The Dorit & Ben J. Genet Cupboard, The Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar and Broward County Schools.

Landy F. Labadie serves as Vice President, Community Solutions, responsible for delivering exceptional service to FirstService Residential-managed communities.

Prior to joining FirstService Residential, Landy served as Senior Vice President + Chief Development Officer for Club Quarters Hotels, which manages boutique, lifestyle and luxury hotels in the United States and the United Kingdom, playing a key role in all facets of lifestyle operations, asset management and real estate. Landy’s hospitality career also includes executive roles held with Two Roads Hospitality, Thompson Hotels, Compass Group, and Tom Colicchio’s Crafted Hospitality.

Landy leads the teams that support our properties with resident experience, lifestyle, residential hospitality initiatives, technology solutions, food and beverage services, energy management solutions, cable programs and vendor management.
 
A native of Northern New Jersey and a Florida State University alumnus, Landy is a strong supporter of numerous charitable and civic endeavors, including the FSU Dedman College of Hospitality, March of Dimes, Amigos 4 Kids and Mercy Hospital. He lives in Miami with his wife and three children.

As Vice President of Sales, Ashley Rader manages and sets strategic direction for the business development team and collaborates with the marketing team to support the region’s overall growth goals.

Part of her role as client liaison entails ensuring a seamless transition for communities new to FirstService Residential. As such, Ashley is tasked with forging lasting relationships with condominium, HOA Board members and developers, including orchestrating industry leading educational events to benefit the organization’s clientele.   

Ashley joined FirstService Residential in 2013, bringing nearly a decade of commercial and residential real estate experience to the organization. Prior to joining the company, she worked for Sotheby’s International Realty in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and local Atlanta developer Regent Partners on their mixed-use, luxury high-rise condominium, Sovereign.
 
An Atlanta native, Ashley graduated from the University of Georgia and holds a Georgia real estate license. She is heavily involved with the Community Association Institute (CAI) and also serves on the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Atlanta Advisory Board.

As Vice President of Sales, Keith Sensabaugh manages and sets strategic direction for the business development team and collaborates with the marketing team to support the region’s overall growth goals. In his role, Keith is responsible for driving growth. Previously, Keith served as Vice President within FirstService’s Condo-HOA Division, responsible for operations, client relations and retention in the Palm Beach/Treasure Coast area.

Prior to joining FirstService Residential in 2016, Keith held executive-level positions in the hospitality and risk management industries.

Keith is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and he studied primary education and psychology at Eastern Michigan University. He has five children and nine grandchildren and is a former professional tennis player and musician. He is also the chair of Christian education at his local church and is an active volunteer at MMPS Environmental, where he leads efforts to clean the Indian River Lagoon.

Andrea Braverman Brin serves as General Counsel for FirstService Residential, where she is responsible for mitigating risk and overseeing the company’s litigation and claims. Andrea joined FirstService Residential in 2008 and has over 20 years of legal experience.  

Prior to joining FirstService, Andrea practiced in several different areas of civil litigation, including, but not limited to, premises liability, construction defects, and professional liability.  

Originally from Hollywood, Florida, Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. She also has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami and is a member of the Florida Bar.  

A mother of three boys, Andrea enjoys traveling, skiing, and attending her children’s lacrosse tournaments with her husband. In recognition of her pro bono work for Lawyers for Children America, a child advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights of neglected children, she received the John Edward Smith Child Advocacy Award. 

Mindy Anderson serves as Director of Lifestyle for the South Region, where she oversees and provides lifestyle operations support to FirstService-managed communities.

Anderson joined FirstService Residential in 2021, bringing more than 20 years of property and luxury lifestyle and amenity management experience with her. Prior to joining FirstService Residential, Mindy held leadership roles at the Castle Group and WTS International, where she served as Regional Director.

Originally from Tampa, Mindy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from the University of South Florida. She is a licensed Community Association Manager (CAM) and is a Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA).

Mindy lives with her husband, two children and their puppy in Lithia, Florida and enjoys fitness and sporting activities in her spare time. She supports a variety of causes, including the YMCA’s Teen Leaders Club.

Robert Baldwin serves as Director of Food & Beverage Services for the South Region, where he oversees and provides leadership support to food and beverage operations of FirstService-managed communities, specializing in high-rises. Robert joined FirstService Residential in 2021, bringing more than 20 years of food and beverage expertise and hospitality experience with him.  

Prior to joining FirstService Residential, Robert held multiple senior leadership roles in the hospitality industry. In his most recent role, he served as Director of Food & Beverage for the Williams Island Property Owners Association.

Robert studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University and has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida. In his free time, Robert enjoys playing golf, pool and running.

Jeff Edelstein serves as Director, Residential Hospitality for FirstService Residential, where he oversees the Residential Hospitality team, including coordinators and area specialists. Jeff’s team supports over 200 properties in the tri-county area and lends assistance throughout the region, offering specialized training and support to include a one-of-a-kind Residential Hospitality program.
 
Jeff joined FirstService Residential in 2007, bringing more than 13 years of property management experience. Prior to that, he served as Clubhouse Manager for the Florida Marlins.
 
Jeff’s hometown is Cleveland, Ohio, and he studied at The Ohio State University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.
 
Jeff is married with one son and is an avid Ohio State football and Cleveland sports fan.

As Director, Security Operations for the South Region, Timothy Fowler provides physical security and technology guidance, solutions and services to condominium and homeowner associations managed by FirstService Residential. Timothy works with client-facing staff, such as security personnel, property operations staff and valet attendants, to provide residents with the highest level of customer service through specialized training, staffing, and quality assurance programs.  
 
Timothy joined FirstService Residential in 2013, bringing an impressive background in the hospitality industry to the company. His expertise includes 21+ years as a security leader for luxury brands such as The Ritz Carlton, Canyon Ranch, The Setai Hotel and Intercontinental. Timothy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Flight Education and is a certified first aid, CPR, and AED instructor. He holds a company’s Security Manager License for Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, is a Certified Lodging Security Director with American Hotel & Lodging.
 
Timothy hails from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is a licensed pilot and enjoys traveling with his family.

Marilyn serves as Director of Energy Management at FirstService Energy for the South Region, where she provides community associations managed by FirstService Residential with guidance and recommendations on reducing energy consumption and saving money. This includes assistance with energy assessments, regulatory benchmarking compliance, utility bill analysis, electric vehicle charging, and carbon emissions reduction.

Marilyn joined FirstService in 2023, bringing nearly 10 years of energy management experience with her. Prior to joining FirstService Residential, she worked as a consultant in the green building industry for Sustainable Building Partners and Buro Happold.

Marilyn holds a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C) credential, a LEED certification for Operations and Maintenance (O+M) credential and a WELL AP credential, denoting her expertise in human health and wellness in buildings. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Studies from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Marilyn lives in Miami with her husband, where they spend their free time enjoying outdoor activities together.

John Ellis serves as Quality Assurance Manager for FirstService Residential, where he conducts quality assurance inspections, assists with in-house training and provides maintenance consultation in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee.
 
John joined FirstService Residential in 2018, bringing 23 years of property management experience, including construction.
 
John's hometown is Mt. Morris, Michigan and he attended Mott Community College and Michigan State University.
 
John is married with 3 children and has 1 grandson. He enjoys working on his farm and woodworking. He joined the Marine Corps while he was still in high school and was a professional bull rider for about five years. Ellis is actively involved with Friends of Hard Labor State Park.