Arlington, Va. | June 17, 2025 – Consquela “Cee” Brown, a maintenance technician in Bessemer, Alabama, is the 2025 MAINTENANCE LEGENDSTM grand prize winner. The recognition honors her work with Valora at Homewood and Asset Living, where she went far beyond her job description to help a vulnerable senior citizen resident in crisis when no one else would. Instead of turning away as countless others did, Cee adopted a legendary mindset and went above and beyond her day to day – caring for a resident with humanity, compassion and dignity. You can watch Cee’s full story here, along with other maintenance professionals recognized throughout the year.
“We had a situation with a hoarder who was also a senior citizen and not well,” wrote Brown’s nominator for this award. “We needed to help this person but kept running into roadblocks regarding getting the unit cleaned. Vendors were refusing due to the unhealthy condition of the unit.” Cee told her supervisor she would clean it, and “she looked at me with such compassion and said, ‘What if that was my parent?’ She did it, stepped up and took care of what others refused to do. This alone speaks volumes about her character. She is absolutely a Legend.”
In recognition of her compassionate and legendary efforts, Brown was presented with the MAINTENANCE LEGENDSTM grand prize – the keys to a brand-new F-150 and a check for $10,000 – at Apartmentalize, NAA’s annual conference and exposition held in Las Vegas June 11 – 13, 2025.
Founded in 2023 in partnership with HD Supply, MAINTENANCE LEGENDSTM honors rental housing industry maintenance professionals that go above and beyond in service to their communities. Monthly winners are honored throughout the year with cash prizes and scholarships to earn professional credentials. Season 2 of the program saw 1,100 entries – and 24 maintenance professionals were awarded a prize package valued at $5,000 each.
“Our maintenance professionals are so often called to go above and beyond while serving their communities,” said NAA President and CEO Bob Pinnegar. “At a time when it would’ve been easy to look away, Cee leaned in with compassion, donning protective gear to make sure a senior citizen had a home they could safely live in. Cee is certainly a MAINTENANCE LEGEND, going beyond her job while embodying the values of service, empathy and resilience in the face of challenges. This story is not just about fixing a unit. It’s about fixing what others deemed unfixable with heart, humility and humanity.”
"Being a part of MAINTENANCE LEGENDSTM continues to be a highlight each year,” said Raymond van Beveren, vice president, multifamily sales, HD Supply. “Cee’s story exemplifies the heroes that work within the community everyday. HD Supply is proud to invest in our industry and celebrate this program and all maintenance professionals in our Multifamily space.”
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About NAA
The National Apartment Association (NAA) serves as the leading voice and preeminent resource through advocacy, education and collaboration on behalf of the rental housing industry. As a federation of 141 state, local and global affiliates, NAA encompasses nearly 95,000 members representing more than 12.5 million apartment homes globally. NAA believes that rental housing is a valuable partner in every community that emphasizes integrity, accountability, collaboration, community responsibility, inclusivity, and innovation. To learn more, visit www.naahq.org. NAA thanks its Strategic Partners AppFolio, The Home Depot Pro, Lowe’s Pro Supply and Yardi.
About HD Supply
HD Supply, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Home Depot, is a leading wholesale distribution company serving customers and their communities across the Multifamily, Institutional, Hospitality, Trades, Government Housing, Healthcare, Building Services and Education industries through an expansive network of over 100 distribution centers across the U.S. & Canada. HD Supply offers customers a vast assortment of over 100,000 MRO, full-line janitorial and OS&E products from high-quality, national and private brands, all at competitive prices. Combined with our industry-leading services and solutions – including localized jobsite delivery, renovation programs, direct-ship options and innovative digital tools and capabilities, as well as dedicated sales and customer care teams – you can see why our more than 250,000 customers continue to trust HD Supply as their supplier of choice for serving their communities where people live, learn, work and play.