ACE appointed new OC managers

As many of you may be aware, a tender process was conducted to review and award the management and administrative services for OC1 and OC2. At the end of the process ACE (Geelong/ Surf Coast/Werribee) was awarded the contract.

Ace is a national franchise operation with 126 franchised areas operating all throughout Australia. Operating since 1995, they are responsible for the management of over 4,750 properties with assets to an approximate value of 30 billion dollars.

Based locally, Ace Body Corporate Management (Geelong/Surf Coast/Werribee) is owned and operated by Mario Fonseca and Venessa Afonso who are both director of the business and members of Strata Community Association (SCA) Victoria. As Owners Corporation Managers for more than nine years, Mario and Venessa are dedicated individuals who enjoy the complexities associated with managing 240 properties.

Whilst the committee will get to know them well as they work with us, we reached out to Venessa to provide a little insight into their lives.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A:  I am a workaholic but when I do manage to drag myself away from work, I love gardening and cooking. In the evening I love karaoke singing over a glass of wine with my husband. I enjoy jigsaw puzzles and have one puzzle on a stand where I can put a couple of pieces as I pass by. When we can have friends over my husband and I love to entertain friends, play cards, sing karaoke, and dance the night away. We also love to host the Ace Body Corporate Geelong Christmas party at our place which includes homemade traditional Goan fare and all of the above with heaps of laughter and merriment for all.

In summer, I do love a leisurely bike ride.

Q: Do you have any causes you care about deeply or passionate about

A: After migrating to Australia, I missed my home and my Goan Culture. Once I settled into the country, I joined our community Association and along with the committee organised numerous events some of which had over 500 attendees. These events were, Cultural Evenings, Gala Dinners and Balls, Sports Events, Weekends Away, Cooking Classes, Language Classes, Bingo and Card Nights to name a few.
Prior to joining Strata Management, I worked as a Nurse for 25 years, working in Oncology and Emergency departments. Nursing was and will always be my first love and I had to sadly give it away due to back injury I sustained during my career.

That does not stop my family and friends asking for help and so I still get to enjoy a bit of my nursing. I am deeply passionate and committed to helping the people I care about. This includes my family and friends, but also our team / staff (who are like family to us). I have developed very close personal relationships with many lot owners, committee members, and contractors over the years. Whilst myself and my team work exceptionally hard, these strong relationships and the banter that can be part of discussing any number of matters, can really help get through the inevitable tougher days.

Q: What is it about strata management that you enjoy the most and the least

What I enjoy the most in strata management is the service aspect of the job and arranging and coordinating various jobs. I enjoy working with committees that are proactive and hands on. I enjoy being involved in new projects where our input can make a positive difference on how the Owners corporations are set up and managed. I also love the challenge of taking on mismanaged Owners Corporations and investing time in sorting out issues which often are easily resolved with time, common sense, and guidance. My peers call me a “sucker for punishment” but I am all about making a difference.

What I dislike, is working with 3^rd party contractors that do not share our work ethics.