American Campus Communities (ACC), an Austin, Texas–
based owner, manager, and developer of student housing properties, has announced the advancement of its executive succession plan. Multiple internal executive promotions are effective immediately, and one more will take effect on March 31, when retiring CFO Jon Graf steps down from his position. These successions have been made with the aim of exploring the existing executive talent at ACC and advancing the company’s long-term goals.
Effective immediately, ACC has separated the roles of the president and CEO. Former president and CEO Bill Bayless will remain CEO, while Jim Hopke, former COO, has been promoted to president. In his newly created role, Hopke will report directly to Bayless and provide oversight for the day-to-day operations of the company, including its Next Gen systems development.
Jennifer Beese, former executive vice president of operations, marketing, and leasing, has been promoted to COO in place of Hopke. She will continue to provide oversight in marketing, leasing, and operations but will also assume responsibility for human resources, administration, and company culture.
Graf will remain with ACC until June 30, when he will retire from the company. Graf joined ACC in conjunction with its 2004 IPO. He served as corporate controller and chief accounting officer and was promoted to his current position in 2007. Graf is known within the company for leading its financial operations during periods of growth, and he will work closely with his successors during his transitional period.
Daniel Perry, current executive vice president of corporate finance and capital markets, will be promoted to CFO upon Graf’s exit from the position.
Kim Voss, former executive vice president and controller, has been promoted to chief accounting officer, effective immediately. Voss, who has been responsible for oversight of the company’s corporate and property accounting, will report directly to the CFO.
”It's very exciting to see each one of these talented executives continue to advance their careers with American Campus Communities,” said Bill Bayless in a release. “Jim and I look forward to fully developing the next generation of executives that will lead this company for decades to come. Jennifer, Daniel, and Kim, along with William Talbot, our chief investment officer, have been impact players throughout their careers at American Campus Communities, and I am confident they will make even greater contributions at the next levels of executive leadership. It’s truly an honor for me to continue to lead the industry’s most talented group of executives as CEO.”
As of Sept. 30, 2016, ACC owned 105,300 beds across 170 properties in the U.S. and Canada.
