At the beginning of each year, Extra Space Storage honors a group of outstanding individuals with the CEO Team of Excellence award. Recipients are selected by a committee of leaders across the organization for their remarkable achievements and commitment to company values during the previous year. Winners receive a cash gift, and travel for themselves and a guest to Salt Lake City, UT, to be honored for their contribution.
In March, the 2021 CEO Team of Excellence winners gathered at the Store Support Center in Salt Lake City to kick off their celebration! The group and their guests enjoyed local activities like snowmobiling in the mountains or attending a cooking class. A special awards dinner followed the activities with the Extra Space Storage executive team and senior leaders. Through their hard work, the winners of this prestigious award have helped Extra Space Storage achieve success and fulfill our purpose of helping people to a better tomorrow.
We’re delighted to announce the winners of the 2021 CEO Team of Excellence below, and share their thoughts on our core values and working at Extra Space Storage. In the coming months, we’ll be sharing even more about each individual—stay tuned!
Ana Arzola – District Team Lead
Ana Arzola is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. She loves spending time outdoors and especially visiting the mountains with her family. Arzola has one daughter and another on the way! When asked about our company value of Pasion, she said: “Passion is having the drive to do something and do it well. It’s important to have passion in everything you do, because that’s the force that will push you forward.”
Angel Blazquez – District Team Lead
In his spare time, you can usually find Angel Blazquez fishing. It’s his dream to travel the world and explore how different cultures fish and cook their catch. He loves to travel because it allows him to try new foods, explore the outdoors, and get in on the local music scene. On the value of Teamwork Blazquez said: “Teamwork is the heartbeat of Extra Space Storage. Our achievements aren’t possible on our own; each of us plays an important role for one another.”
Angela Lopez – Store Manager
Angela Lopez was born and raised in Guatemala. She moved to the U.S. in 2006 as a legal immigrant and was sworn in as a citizen in December 2021. She is the owner of a small business named MissPawPainter LLC where she hands paints pet portraits. She has an 11-year-old rottweiler that uses a wheelchair to help her walk with her back legs. Lopez loves to garden and has over 60 plants she grew from seeds. When asked about the culture at Extra Space Storage Lopez said: “We are more than just employees, we are a family. I so value the professional relationships I’ve built with colleagues throughout the country.”
Carrie Boudreau – District Learning Manager
Carrie Boudreau has been to 38 states, ten countries, and four continents. She lived in Malawi, Africa, for three years while developing the fine arts department at an international school. The lessons she learned in Malawi continue to shape how she supports, leads, and develops her team at Extra Space Storage. Here are her thoughts on working at Extra Space Storage: “With servant leadership as a guiding principle this company has allowed me to set a clear vision of excellence for my team. I am passionate about leading by example.”
Chris Petrella – District Team Lead
Chris Petrella served in the United States Navy for four years. In his free time, he does amateur photography, specializing in sunsets. He loves watching sports, studying the bible, listening to music, and playing pickleball. Petrella’s advice for success at Extra Space Storage is: “We practice our core values at Extra Space Storage. Live the values every day, enthusiastically, and anyone can be successful!”
David Cibula – Senior District Manager
David Cibula enjoys skiing even though he currently lives in Texas. He’s passionate about music and he loves to workout but claims he’s wildly inconsistent. On the value of Teamwork Cibula said: “None of us will be successful without everyone around us. The people here at Extra Space Storage are incredible!”
Dereck Conway – District Team Lead
Dereck Conway loves to make people laugh. Seeing people happy, in turn, makes him happy. He enjoys time with friends and family, and hosting barbecues or movie nights. On the value of Passion Conway said: “When someone shows passion in what they do, they show that they care; and in our business, it’s really important that we show customers and each other that we care.”
George Bishop – District Manager
George Bishop has two incredible kids—19 and 15 years old. He loves to venture out in the RV in his spare time, especially to Lake Tahoe, NV. A bucket list item for Bishop is to travel the country and see a baseball game in every stadium over a single season! On the value of Integrity he said: “Integrity is the cornerstone of everything we do. It is awesome to work for a company that truly values and cares about the people first.”
Jay Johnson – District Manager
Jay Johnson has two boys, a 22-year-old and a 19-month-old! He’s into working out and fitness, and has competed as a professional natural bodybuilder since 2010. Together with his wife, they run a website that specializes in coaching, training plans, diet, and more. On how to succeed at Extra Space Storage Johnson said: “Be an ambassador of the values and culture. Champion every value! It’s what makes Extra Space Storage an incredible place to work.”
Jeremy Hayes – District Team Lead
Jeremy Hayes has three children who have all joined different branches of the United States Military. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music and going for long runs. Completing a 50-mile marathon is on his bucket list. Regarding the Extra Space Storage core values, Hayes said: “The company values are not just talk—we walk the walk. The value of integrity is important to me because you are what you do!”
Kaitlyn Schneider – District Team Lead
Kaitlyn Schneider enjoys watching movies, wrestling, and building Legos with her husband and 4-year-old daughter. In her free time, she also enjoys arts and crafts, interior design, and learning about architecture. She’s traveled to Japan and would love to visit Dubai someday. When asked to share advice to succeed at Extra Space Storage Schneider said: “Find an aspect of the job that you are passionate about. Passion is a spark that can keep you motivated to achieve your goals.”
Lu Scofield – Brand Marketing Specialist
Lu Scofield loves spending time outdoors. Her favorite hobbies are skiing, white water rafting, camping, and boating. Last year, she spent five days rafting the lower fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. Her husband’s family buys and trains wild horses, and each year take them out on a week-long pack trip! On the value of Teamwork Scofield said: “Through teamwork, new ideas are born, different perspectives are shared, productivity increases, strong relationships are created, and a healthy culture is established.”
Meghan Breshears – Senior Operations Specialist
In her spare time, Meghan Breshears enjoys taking her dogs out walking and hiking. Her hobbies include traveling, going to the symphony, and playing golf with her parents on weekends. She spent the past year remodeling her home with her husband—it’s their second time remodeling a home! On the value of Passion Breshears said: “Passion is what drives me to go the extra mile. By displaying passion in your role, you can help those around to excel in their roles.”
Monique Guisa – District Team Lead
Monique Guisa’s house is filled with five crazy kids who make life worth while. She loves listening to music with her children and taking them to concerts. Her favorite place to visit is Lake Arrowhead; she describes it as so serene, peaceful, and green. On the value of Teamwork Guisa said: “Teamwork makes our work life more enjoyable and less stressful. The thing I admire most about my district is how we take care of one another.”
Setha Oum – Store Manager
Setha Oum was born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, but his parents are from Cambodia. He has an addiction to buying sneakers and considers himself a “sneaker head.” He wakes up at 5:00 a.m. every day to journal and workout before going to work. When asked about the core value of Pasion Oum said: “Passion means waking up and loving what you do, every single day. It’s putting 100% into what you’re doing, making sure the facility is spotless, and taking care of customers.”
Stefanie Thompson – District Team Lead
Stefanie Thompson has been in retail management for over 30 years. She enjoys cooking, watching and reading true crime, and studying fitness and foreign language. She’d like to become a certified health and life coach one day. On the value of Passion Thompson said: “Passion means giving your all no matter what circumstances come your way. It’s spreading enthusiasm and loving what you do on good days and bad days.”
Traci Scott – Store Manager
Traci Scott has four children, 11 grandchildren, and one spoiled cat. She loves helping lost pets return home. When she has spare time, she searches through lost and found pet sites to help reconnect pets with their owners, and also finds foster homes for rescue animals. She is a skilled cake decorator; it’s been her creative outlet for 32 years! On the value of Excellence Scott said: “If we strive to be excellent—teamwork, integrity, passion, and innovation will come naturally!”
Tyler Brannon – IT Operations Support Technician
Tyler Brannon is an avid computer nerd who loves technology and everything behind it! If he’s not gaming on the weekends, he’s outdoors snowboarding, dirt biking, or camping. Before joining Extra Space Storage, he went to college for Information Technology while working full time. When he graduated, he applied at Extra Space Storage, and the rest is history! On the value of Teamwork Brannon said: “You cannot be a big, successful company without teamwork. There is no way we’d be where we’re at without the help from our coworkers.”
Tyson Osborn – Store Manager
When Tyson Osborn isn’t at work, or working on someone’s car, he’s hanging out with his wife and two sons. He enjoys traveling, fishing, and anything that gets him outdoors. He and his wife foster dogs and have 4-10 dogs in their home at any given time! On the value of Integrity Osborn said: “We want to do the right thing first and always, regardless of consequences.”
Xiomara Rosado – District Team Lead
In her spare time, Xiomara Rosado practices traditional boxing and kickboxing three to four days a week. She is currently a level-one kickboxer and training for level two this year. She loves to swim, jet ski, parasail, and hang out at the beach during the summer. She is also working on getting her scuba diving certification this year. On building a career at Extra Space Storage Rosado said: “All employees here have the opportunity for career growth. If you work hard, you are not stuck in one place.”
Congratulations to all of our 2021 CEO Team of Excellence winners!
Featured Image – From top left: George Bishop, Jay Johnson, Meghan Breshears, Angel Blazquez, Chris Petrella, Xiomara Rosado, Dereck Conway, Joe Margolis, David Cibula, Jeremy Hayes, Stefanie Thompson, Angela Lopez, Lu Scofield, Tyler Brannon. From bottom left: Monique Guisa, Traci Scott, Kaitlyn Schneider, Carrie Boudreau, Ana Arzola, Setha Oum (Not pictured: Tyson Osborn)