Spring Brings Changes at Friendship Court

Piedmont Housing Alliance (Piedmont Housing) will begin managing the Friendship Court community in May. While Piedmont Housing is already an owner of Friendship Court and leading the redevelopment planning, Edgewood Management, manages the property. This transition marks the next step in ongoing efforts to make Friendship Court a wonderful place to live. Staff is already being shored up to meet the residents’ needs.

As previously announced, Shawna Wells joined Piedmont Housing in her new role of Economic Opportunity Coordinator (EOC) on March 11. The EOC role is based at Friendship Court. Wells will provide financial and employment coaching, create the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program at Friendship Court and connect residents to employment opportunities and related resources.

Other changes at Piedmont Housing include Amanda Chandler transitioning from her Interim Regional Community Manager to a permanent position as the Regional Community Manager, heading up Piedmont Housing’s property management operations. Chandler originally joined our staff as Assistant Regional Community Manager in August 2018.

John Bunch, who joined the team as Maintenance and Facilities Supervisor, is now Regional Maintenance Manager. The title change was made to make room for other tiers of maintenance positions as we staff Friendship Court.

At this stage in the transition, Piedmont Housing already finalized decisions about what Edgewood staff will stay on at Friendship Court. We are recruiting for a Community Manager, Maintenance Supervisor, Community Administrative Assistant, and a Community Center Coordinator.

Adding to the changes, Friendship Court Community Organizer, Claudette Grant, departs the team on April 16 to join Big Brothers Big Sisters.

During her time at Friendship Court, she played a key role in fostering the resident participation that continues to guide the future of Friendship Court. We will never be able to fill Claudette’s shoes, but will work to honor and build upon her legacy.  Claudette guided the Advisory Committee to a place of trust and vision. She helped facilitate the redevelopment plan that residents co-designed.