Janae Bryant, Clanton

Janae Bryant, manager of Cobblestone Village in Clanton, was recently named Alabama Housing Finance Authority’s 2022 Manager of the Year (MOTY). Now in its 25th year, the MOTY award recognizes outstanding management staff at AHFA-funded developments.

Bryant has worked in property management since 2009 and has been at Cobblestone Village since its opening in November 2015. She was nominated for the award by Deborah Brown, regional property manager for Gateway Management Company. Brown wrote, “Janae is truly a pleasure to have as an employee. Janae deserves the Manager of the Year award for all the challenging work she does and goes beyond the job description of property manager. Gateway Management Company and the residents of Cobblestone Village are extremely fortunate to have someone like Janae.”

Bryant received her award during the Alabama Association of Affordable Housing (AAHA) annual conference in May. She said, “I was very honored and excited to win this award, but I do not need an award for what I do. I do it because I love my job and my residents. I want to be able to help them have a wonderful place to call home. I want to make sure they have everything they need. There are several residents here that have never lived in housing this nice, and I want to keep it that way for them.”

Cobblestone Village is 56-unit development for the elderly. It was financed in part by $812,048 in Housing Credits administered by AHFA. Resident Mashell Adams said in Bryant’s nomination package, “I have to say that Janae is one of the most genuine, caring, and studious people I have ever met. It is truly a pleasure knowing her. She truly cares about if the residents here are safe and cared for in every way that she can possibly offer.”

Bryant said, “I love helping my residents with not just providing them a quality affordable place to live but being able to help them with any other issues they may have and refer them to outside agencies that can help them with their needs.”