What’s in a Name?

This thought-provoking question was first posed by William Shakespeare in his famous play Romeo and Juliet. In its earliest moments, it caused audiences to stop and ponder its significance, and even today holds the power to challenge one to consider its depth and application. I faced this reality firsthand in 1992, when I decided to venture out as an entrepreneur. In the early phases of building my new business, I knew that selecting a name for my company was about more than just creating a good-looking logo. I wanted it to be something that would not only identify what we do but also demonstrate who we are. I wanted it to establish a character of integrity and excellence that would be exemplified and felt by myself, future employees, and future clients alike. Fast forward to the year 2021, and we are proudly known as E&A Team, Inc.

So what’s in a name? For us it is all about the “Team,” my team, a group of men and women who work hard each and every day to make sure our clients receive the best service possible. We believe in and strive towards a common goal, and we do it together. As winning coach, Vince Lombardi famously said, “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” As with any of the groups he mentions, we recognize and reward excellence, which is exactly what I want to do today.

Recently, E&A Team’s former Director of Operations, Lori Reynolds, was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Lori has been with E&A for the past 15 years and has contributed to our success in a number of ways, including acting as Accessibility Coordinator, CNA/PNA Coordinator, Team Lead for all Training & Compliance development, Human Resources Manager, and the Accounting representative. But it is not just her versatility that makes her so valuable. Lori also establishes professional working relationships with both colleagues and clients and works to maintain them through efforts of positive and productive leadership. As part of the decision-making team at E&A, Lori demonstrates both innovation and practicality, and has an innate desire to learn. “E&A is leading the way in the multifamily housing industry, and I couldn’t be more eager to continue my career here,” said Lori. “I’m motivated to take the foundation we’ve laid as a company and keep improving for both our clients and our team.”

Another recent development for E&A has been the onboarding of the newest team member, Josh Brown. Josh comes with a wide range of professional experience and skill, including file reviews, plan reviews, and
training, and previously served as the Senior Manager of Asset Management for his former employer. In his new role as Director of Strategic Initiatives, Josh will begin by coordinating some of E&A’s largest client contracts before strategizing new ideas and investigating potential areas of expansion. “I understand the frustration and anxiety among builders when it comes to knowing what they need to include in their projects,” Josh explained. “Navigating the various standards and understanding their applicability is challenging, and I enjoy helping them understand that.”

In highlighting Lori’s success and welcoming Josh’s expertise, I hope to continue to build our brand, our “Team,” into one that cares as much about the people as it does the work. I hope we continue to find and provide opportunities for current and future members of E&A to pursue excellence together, and that this in turn makes the name of our business more than just an identifier for our clients. We are called E&A Team because that is who we are: a team, a family.

So now I’ll ask you – what’s in YOUR name?

This article was written by E&A Team’s President, Mark English, and appeared in the January/February 2021 Edition of the CARH Newsletter.