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NVAA Member Spotlight

Debra Kramer
Director of Marketing and Operations
Donald Steinman Electric

How long have you been an NVAA member?
Our company has been an NVAA member for a little over 2 years.

Tell us about your company and what you do:
We have been licensed electrical contractors focusing on multifamily housing since 1990. We offer expert electrical troubleshooting and repair services. My job is both customer-facing and internal. The customer-facing aspect has me focusing on building and developing relationships within the multifamily industry. The internal aspect requires me to focus on issues related to operations, focusing on processes and procedures that streamline and improve our performance.

Why are you an NVAA member?
We are members of NVAA because Northern Virginia is an important and strong market for us. We like that membership of NVAA consists of both owners and management companies as this offers us unique access to decision-makers.

What do you get from your NVAA membership?
We learn about the variety of issues that owners and managers face. I like the opportunity to serve on committees. And, most importantly, we really like the networking opportunities. Personally, I really enjoy attending the networking events as they allow me to meet and make connections with all the wonderful people in this industry – from the service technicians to property managers to the owners. 

What is a benefit you receive as a member of NVAA that you can’t receive anywhere else?
The access to apartment owners is something that we have not seen in other organizations. Also, the fact that property managers attend events and are accessible for conversations is very important to us. We also like that we have access to Patrick and the board members and that they are so engaged with all the members (industry partners and property managers) and responsive to our needs. And lastly, we like that NVAA is not too big of an organization that our presence is lost.

What is your favorite NVAA event?
I really liked the Golf/wine event. It was a fun event. Everyone that was there seemed to have fun, and it was a great way to connect and network with property managers and owners. 

Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born and raised in the DMV area. I grew up in the Silver Spring, Maryland area and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with an undergraduate degree in business and marketing.

What’s your favorite season: My favorite season is Summer. I love the hot weather in summer. The humidity doesn’t bother me. I spend my summers riding my bike, taking long walks, playing tennis and pickleball, and swimming. And, I enjoy attending outdoor concerts in the summer as well.

Do you have a favorite sport: I really got into pickleball right before the pandemic. I now play several times a week. It’s a fast game and a lot of fun. I’ve made a lot of new friends from the sport.