2023 TSSA Board of Directors Vendor Rep Candidates

Review the bios of the proposed candidates and then vote for one candidate or write in a different candidate.

Vote Now »

Bill Bellomy, Versal Partners
Austin, TX

Bill is a Managing Member of Versal Partners. He grew up in the self-storage industry and at age 12 he started working at a small facility his grandfather owned. In 2007, he obtained his real estate license and has been selling and financing self-storage facilities since. He has attended, as a vendor, every TSSA conference since 2009. He regularly attends TSSA luncheons and many national events. Versal Partners is based in Austin and sells self-storage facilities across the United States.

Bill received his degree from Auburn University and holds a Texas Real Estate Broker license.

He previously served in the vendor representative role on the board of directors as the Vendor Representative for TSSA for several years. His volunteer work includes activities with Covenant Presbyterian School and Eagle Scout - Boy Scouts of America.

Bill’s goals for TSSA:
1. Get more vendors involved with TSSA (sponsorships, attendance at luncheons, networking with other vendors).
2. Help TSSA continue to succeed and be the state association industry leader.

Candidate’s statement: "Create better communication about issues related to and impacting TSSA vendor members."
 

Shannon Charbonneau, XPS Solutions
Aubrey, TX

Shannon is the Vice President of Client Solutions for XPS Solutions, a third-party vendor for call center services specifically for the self-storage industry. She joined XPS Solutions as a Client Relations Manager, and during the last 12 years with her transition to Vice President of Client Solutions the company has more than doubled in size and now has an entire team for client relations.

Her focus is specifically on integrating the technologies available in our industry with the need for a personal touch to maintain a positive user experience for all involved. She also focuses on the specific needs of the industry to help tailor the product offering to what is needed to best support clients.

Prior to the self-storage industry, she was in the security industry (physical—for example, surveillance systems for airports, casinos, etc.). She feels blessed by the opportunity to work with everyone from single facility owner operators to CEOs of multi-national corporations and has learned from every one of those experiences.

Shannon has been invited to speak and host round tables at events in addition to writing articles and blogs. XPS is a proud supporter of StorageGives and Shannon has personally served in leadership for a ministry called Celebrate Recovery for over a decade at multiple locations as both Ministry Leader and Training Coach. She travels to different groups to speak about the ministry and her personal experience, and also to teach both at the group level and at the leadership level (training the trainers, so to speak).

Shannon’s goals for TSSA:
1. Provide a team of dedicated people to listen to and address the myriad needs in our industry.
2. To help members find contacts in every area of their business to help make them successful.

Candidate’s statement: “I would like to see our industry continue to move forward with technological support and advances. While some of the operators have embraced that, there is still a subset of people who rely on the "old" ways. This could be out of fear, lack of funding, etc., but I truly believe that education, and the fact that the self-storage industry has been by far the most open with sharing information with one another that I have ever seen, can help even the most fearful move forward!”

Eddie Huebner, MakoRabco, Inc.
New Braunfels, TX

Eddie is the Regional Sales Manager for MakoRabco, Inc, a national company that specializes in the design, supply and installation of self-storage buildings. With over 15 years of experience as a vendor serving numerous self-storage facilities across the state, Eddie has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the industry. His vast experience gives him unique insight into the needs of facility owners and managers, which allows him to provide invaluable guidance to any storage owner.

His involvement in the self-storage industry encompasses active participation as an exhibitor in numerous national and state self-storage association trade shows. Additionally, Eddie has been a facilitator for round table discussions, where he shares his expertise on relevant topics, and has also been featured in Mini-Storage Messenger magazine. These experiences have allowed him to establish a strong presence and build valuable connections within the self-storage community.

Eddie has an associate degree in business management and his volunteer service includes the American Legion, Local Veterans Association and with his HOA.

Eddie’s goals for TSSA:
1. Assist new members with challenges in this storage market, such as marketing as well as placement of new storage opportunities.
2. Build relationships with those who seek guidance in building engineering and solar-powered boat and RV canopy buildings.

Candidate’s statement: “As a stakeholder in the self-storage industry and regarding the Texas Self Storage Association (TSSA) as an organization, I would propose implementing an enhancement that addresses the growth and potential of the storage sector in specific regions. Specifically, I would recommend the inclusion of a greater number of TSSA luncheons in the lower valley of Texas and the panhandle of Texas. These areas have witnessed notable expansion within the storage industry, and it is crucial to recognize their significance by providing them with more opportunities for engagement and networking. By organizing additional TSSA luncheons in these regions, we can facilitate knowledge sharing, foster connections among industry professionals, and encourage collaborative efforts to further promote the self-storage sector's development. Ultimately, such an initiative would contribute to a more comprehensive and well-rounded self-storage community within Texas, fostering growth and mutual support among all stakeholders.”

Darren Kelley, Right Move Storage
Rosharon, TX

Darren is President and Principal for Right Move, a management company based in Houston, but which operates assets across the country. In addition to owning and managing the company with his business partner, Darren is responsible for overseeing the acquisition and disposition of assets for investors.

His industry experience dates to 2000, when he worked as a district manager for Public Storage. Darren became vice president for ASRM in 2009, overseeing a large portfolio of properties. He has spent the last 10 years building Right Move Storage to more than 3.5 million square feet under management.

Darren has been a featured speaker and panelist for both TSSA and SSA. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston. His volunteer work includes service for the Lupus Foundation-GC Chapter.

Darren’s goals for TSSA:
1. To translate over 24 years of storage operations experience and evaluation/acquisition experience into assisting the organization's Education/Training and Information initiatives.
2. To help the storage industry embrace the coming challenging environment related to technology and artificial intelligence.

Candidate’s statement: “I want to help the industry evolve the customer experience into a seamless, friction-free, engaging journey, ensuring all customers’ needs are met and exceeded. This starts with advocating for this at the local luncheons.”

Dave Knobler, Marcus & Millichap
Houston, TX

Dave is a member of the LeClaire-Schlosser Group as well as Senior Managing Director Investments and Senior Director of Marcus & Millichap’s National Self-Storage Division.

Dave is consistently among the firm’s industry-leading storage group agents nationwide and has received sales recognition awards ten straight years. Dave has been the top ranked agent in the Houston office five straight years and has received numerous other awards.

He is currently serving on the TSSA board as the vendor representative and spoke at the recent Houston Luncheon as part of a broker panel, lending his expertise on recent transactions, as well as other luncheons around the state.

Prior to his career in commercial real estate brokerage, Dave had a lengthy career as an award-winning television sportscaster. While he no longer reports on sports, Dave is still a huge fan and enjoys competing in all types of sports when time permits. A graduate of the University of Texas in Austin, he and his family attend as many UT football games as possible, at least when he and his wife aren’t watching their three kids participate in activities.

Dave’s top goals for TSSA are:
1. Continue to find ways for vendors to be able to interact with decision makers in comfortable settings.
2. Get more vendor participation in educational aspects of the organization such as the TSSA Groups community. I think if vendors have constant avenues that enable them to provide value to owner members it will create a win-win situation for everyone.

Candidate statement: "The TSSA staff and the board do an exceptional job for the members and yet the constant theme is always how can we make the TSSA even better and accordingly, I have felt my voice has been heard. I have truly enjoyed the exchange of ideas at the various board meetings and am continually thinking of ideas through the lens of a vendor that add value and make being a TSSA member worthwhile."

SteveN Lucas, The Storage Group
Fort Collins, CO

Steven is the CEO of The Storage Group. He took over operations in 2013 and he has further developed their technologies to best serve the industry. The Storage Group partners with Carlos Kaslov and Scott Zucker on the ownership and operations of StorageLeaseNow.com, which makes a PDF version of a self-storage lease available to users.

He attended the University of Central Florida and holds a State of Florida Commercial Contractor License. His experience includes a background in construction and service on his county's Planning Commission as well as service with board leadership on numerous trade association boards over more than a 25-year period, on both state and national levels.

Steven’s service includes serving on the Toy Storage Nation Advisory Board, SSA National Trade Show Vendor Committee and NESSA Education Committee. He is a two-time recipient of the “Person of the Year” awarded by the Florida Self Storage Association.

Steven’s goals for TSSA:
1. Help members understand emerging technologies and how those can directly help them to further success in their operations.
2. Help the association further engage and communicatee with building officials.

Candidate statement: “A better ongoing relationship with the building and planning departments is needed. There is a need for our industry in all municipalities and having those officials better understand how we want to provide those high-quality products and service.”

CJ Stratte, On the Move, Inc.
Boerne, TX

CJ is President and CEO of On The Move, a provider of customized moving trucks for the industry. In high school, she gained experience in storage management by working at her family's storage facilities and handling daily operations. Over the course of 15 years, she rose to the position of President/CEO at On The Move, where she led the Marketing and Sales teams. CJ has been recognized for her industry expertise, having been featured in numerous industry publications and speaking at national and state conventions.

She holds a BSBA in Marketing from Hawaii Pacific University and an Executive MBA from Texas Woman's University. She is licensed in multiple states for property and casualty and surplus lines insurance.

She is actively involved in industry and has served on the Vendor Committee for SSA, the SSA Young Leaders Group Bylaws Committee and the Communication (now Publications) Committee for TSSA. She is also an active volunteer in her community: Board Member for Emerge Boerne Young Leaders Forum; Board Member for United Way Boerne; Youth Committee Chair for Kendall County Republican Women; Volunteer at City Hills Church in youth ministries; and Volunteer with Hay Dude Equestrian Rescue.

CJ’s goals for TSSA:
1. As a large state storage association, we have a responsibility to promote best practices and set industry standards. This might involve advocating for regulations that benefit our members or providing education and training to help them stay up to date on the latest developments in the field.
2. As someone who is passionate about empowering women, I believe it's important to create more opportunities for women in the storage industry. One way to achieve this goal is to provide training and mentorship programs specifically tailored to women. This will not only give them the skills they need to succeed in this field, but also the confidence to pursue leadership roles and make a meaningful impact. Additionally, creating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture that values diversity and promotes work-life balance can go a long way in attracting and retaining talented women in the storage industry. By taking these steps, we can help to level the playing field and ensure that women have equal opportunities to excel in this exciting and growing field.

Candidate’s statement: “I would like to see a charity golf tournament or skeet shoot held in the Spring.”