Leadership

Melissa Layton, CCAM®, PCAM®

President and CEO Close

Melissa Layton is President and CEO of Desert Resort Management. Ms Layton founded Desert Resort Management in 1987 after working for the developer... Learn more of Ironwood Country Club. Ms. Layton served as Vice President of Management Services and when the developer was leaving the area she founded Desert Resort Management and retained the Ironwood Communities as her clients. Ms. Layton started Desert Resort Management with the Ironwood Communities and then grew the company to close to 100 community association management clients. As founder and chief executive, she is responsible for directing one of the largest property management companies headquartered in the Coachella Valley. Ms. Layton oversees a company that manages close to one hundred residential and condominium associations, representing over twenty thousand homeowners.

Under Melissa’s strong leadership, DRM’s operations today include three divisions…association management, property services and real estate. DRM employs approximately 150 professionals, including more than 20 certified community association managers.

Kerry Leavitt, CCAM®

Director of Business Development/Client Relations Close

With more than 22 years experience in the association management industry, and 8 years at DRM, Kerry directs the marketing, sales and public... Learn more relations activities of the company. He also serves as Director of the Developer Services Division as his experience in working for two well known national builders makes him uniquely qualified to assist our builder clients, including in budgeting, community planning and consulting.

His professional experience includes managing a diverse portfolio of communities including condominium, active adult, large scale master planned and upscale country clubs. This allows him to better understand the unique needs of each prospective client in designing a tailored management approach for them.

Kerry has served as a board member of CACM (California Association of Community Managers) and the SHC (Senior Housing Council) of BIA. He is also active in the local chapters of the BIA (Building Industry Association) and DVBA (Desert Valley Builders Association) and been a featured speaker for CAI.

He was awarded his CCAM® designation in 1994 as one of the original recipients and is a graduate of Brigham Young University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations/Organizational Communication.

Mark Dodge, MBA

Chief Financial Officer Close

As the Chief Financial Officer, Mark brings 18 years of experience to Desert Resort Management as leader of the finance and accounting team.

His... Learn more experience is wide and includes positions at three technology based startups, and time in the automotive, publishing, construction, sports marketing, and event management industries. Most recent roles have included top financial positions in construction, paintball sports marketing, and a technology solutions provider.

Mark has an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont where he majored in Operations Management, and an MBA from The Peter F. Drucker School of Business at Claremont Graduate University where he concentrated in executive leadership and general management.

Matt Steele

Senior Vice President, Maintenance Liaison Close

As Senior Vice President, Matt Steele oversees a portfolio of 11 Associa branch offices throughout the United States. His responsibilities in... Learn more this capacity include serving as a mentor to the branch CEO’s to help them achieve Associa’s core corporate objectives as well as uphold Associa corporate policies. Steele also educates each CEO in a variety of areas including how to improve company performance, business planning and innovation.

Steele was formerly the Vice President of Associa’s National Field Services, where he was responsible for the oversight of the maintenance operations in Associa branches to further develop service and product offerings.

Prior to his position with the corporate office, Steele was President of Associa company Real Property Management, Inc., in Columbus Ohio. He holds his AMS, CMCA, and PCAM designations from the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and is also a licensed real estate agent in the state of Ohio with more than 19 years in the community association management industry.

Steele has been married for 10 years has a son and two young daughters. He and his family relocated to Arizona in 2010 after spending his entire life in Ohio. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys attending Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games and Phoenix Suns basketball games. He also attends and helps coach his children in various sports such as soccer, baseball and swimming.

Favorite Quote – “Do what is right.”