Debbie Coombs

Debbie Coombs
SVP – Property Operations
Avalon Communities

Ms. Coombs is responsible for property operations in the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, and Denver regions. These include approximately 45,000 apartment homes in 140 communities with 10,000 community employees. Annual revenue totals are in excess of 1.5B with NOI of $1.0B.

In addition to her core responsibilities, she has participated in a handful of strategy cross department initiatives to include the First Time Renters research, Creation of the AVA and eaves brands, creation of the Customer Care Center and the organizational structure to provide Portfolio Operations Directors operating parallel to Portfolio Maintenance Directors.

Prior to joining AvalonBay in July 2003, Ms Coombs was Area Vice President for the Southern California region of Equity Residential Property Management. She had day-to-day operational responsibility for 15,000 multi-family units, including over 50 communities and more than 400 employees.

From 1989 to 1994, Ms. Coombs was the Regional Director of Operations for Lexford Properties of Dallas, Texas. She managed a portfolio of 5,000 multi-family units in Washington, Oregon and California.

Ms. Coomb’s multi-family experience began in 1984 in the Washington, D.C. area and transferred to the Northern California region as Divisional Manager for Trammell Crow Residential. Her diverse career included concept development, collateral design, exterior-interior amenity selection, marketing, budget projections and liaison between owners/developers and construction to provide quality control of new apartment communities.

Ms. Coombs received her BA Degree in Education with Distinction from Purdue University. She was the 2005 President of the South Coast Apartment Association, a chapter of the California Apartment Association representing landlords throughout Orange and Southern Los Angeles Counties. She also served from 2006 to present on the California State Apartment Association Board of Directors and chaired a variety of committees on the state level. Ms. Coombs is a Certified Property Manager (“CPM”).

Ms. Coombs currently serves Families Forward as a member of the board of directors. Families Forward is a philanthropic group dedicated to assisting Orange County families in need with temporary and permanent housing, food, clothing and essential life skill education.