U.S. Management Team

John Talano
Senior Vice President

John is Senior Vice President of Morguard Management Company Inc. responsible for Morguard's U.S. Operations. He oversees Morguard’s residential and commercial holdings, including responsibilities over property management, asset management, operations, acquisitions, development and construction. John began his career at Morguard in 2006 as Vice President Residential of Morguard's U.S. portfolio. He started his career in real estate in 1997, working on his own multi-family residential projects. He formally began his career in the profession in 2001, working with Trammell Crow Residential. John holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University in industrial engineering/technology and an MBA from Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business. John is a Member of AFIRE, National Multifamily Housing Council, The International Council of Shopping Centers, and The National Apartment Association.

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Kevin Paustian
Associate Vice President

Kevin joined Morguard Management Company in 2014 and is the Associate Vice President for Morguard Management Company Inc. He is responsible for Morguard's U.S. residential’s portfolio; including property management, asset management, operations, maintenance, lease-ups, marketing, acquisitions & dispositions. He started his career in real estate in 2005, working as a Project Manager for Bay Communities. He also spent eight years with FirstService Residential, where he held several positions including Regional Manager for the Florida portfolio. Kevin holds a bachelor's degree from Florida State University and is a Member of the National Apartment Association.

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Dara May
Director of Human Resources

Dara is the head of Morguard’s Human Resources department. She began her career in the multifamily industry with Morguard in 2014, having served in a variety of roles within the HR team. As a seasoned leader and respected authority on employee relations and compliance, she also leads the overall performance management, recruiting, payroll, and benefits strategies for Morguard. Prior to finding her home in the multifamily industry with Morguard, she started her career in Human Resources over 20 years ago, and has worked in a variety of industries including construction, home health care, staffing, and wireless networks. Dara holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida International University and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

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Bryan Middleton
Director of Maintenance

Bryan Middleton joined Morguard Management Company in 2014 and is the Director of Maintenance. He is responsible for Morguard’s US Maintenance Operations including capital budgeting and project management, training and development, standardization of maintenance operations, emergency preparedness and response, and health and safety programs. After serving in the US Army, Bryan began his career in property management in 2010 as a part-time groundskeeper. Since joining Morguard, Bryan has held every role within the maintenance department over his tenure. Bryan holds board certified designations in both Indoor Air Quality Management and Emergency Operations Professional through the American Council for Accredited Certification, along with an Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology Residential Advanced Certification from Wake Technical Community College. Bryan is a member of the American Council for Accredited Certification, the National Apartment Association, and has served on the Maintenance Council for the Southeast Florida Apartment Association. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and pursuing his Master’s in Corporate Finance from Southern New Hampshire University.

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Laura Echar Morris
Senior Regional Manager

Laura is a Senior Regional Manager for Morguard Management Company’s residential portfolio and is responsible for the overall residential operations for her regions. Laura started her career in real estate in 1991, working in residential leasing and property management, joining Morguard in 2004 as a Community Manager. Laura understands what drives business forward and is a powerful force in the workplace, using her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to succeed. Laura is a Certified Apartment Manager, holding a CAM designation and has won several awards over the course of her career. She was recognized as a Morguard Keeper of the Flame in 2019, a prestigious award for exceeding performance expectations and delivering superior service.

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Samantha Heckert
Senior Regional Manager

Samantha is a Senior Regional Manager for Morguard Management Company’s residential portfolio and is responsible for the overall residential and mixed-use operations for her regions. Samantha started her career in real estate in 2003 as a residential leasing consultant. After a cross-country move, she spent 6 years working for Fairfield Residential in the Southern California market in various positions of growth. While in California, Samantha served as the as the Chair for the SDCAA Rental Owner Publication and was nominated for and won several company and industry awards. After returning to Chicago, Samantha spent time working as Regional Manager for IRT Residential, overseeing their Midwest portfolio and as the Director of Leasing and Portfolio Management for Mac Properties. Samantha attended Clarke University in Iowa, is an Illinois Licensed Leasing Agent and a member of the National Apartment Association.  She was recognized as a Morguard Keeper of the Flame in 2022, a prestigious award for exceeding performance expectations and providing exceptional leadership.

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Mish Caruso-Leicht
Regional Manager - Texas, Colorado, North Carolina & Georgia

Mish joined Morguard in 2018 as District Manager for Texas and Colorado and is currently the Regional Manager of Morguard Management Company for Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, and Atlanta portfolios. Mish started her career in real estate in 1989 as a Leasing Consultant in Las Vegas, NV. Following her Career to Phoenix, AZ and eventually Dallas, TX, Mish served in roles such as Senior Manager, Regional Manager, Director of Operations and Regional Vice President for various Owner/REIT/Fee Management Organizations. She has served as a committee member with Nevada Apartment Association, Arizona Multi-housing Association and is a member with Apartment Association Greater Dallas. Mish has won several awards and certifications over the course of her decades-long career and was recognized as a Morguard Keeper of the Flame in 2020, and "Culture Queen" in 2021.

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Jonathan Jones
Regional Manager - South Florida & Tampa

Jonathan serves as Regional Manager of Morguard Management Company’s portfolio of residential communities in South Florida and Tampa Regions.  Jonathan began his career in multi-family with Morguard in 2005 has held multiple roles within the organization including Leasing Consultant, Leasing Manager, Community Manager, Multi-Family Trainer and District Manager before being promoted to Regional Manager. Over his career, Jonathan has overseen residential assets in Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, South Florida and Tampa.   Jonathan is a model of consistency and a strong protagonist of Morguard Culture. He is a Certified Apartment Manager, holding a CAM designation and has received multiple awards over his career including Morguard’s prestigious Keeper of the Flame award in 2022.

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