By Page Austin, Harvest Lifestyle Manager
Last month, we welcomed Katie Markham as the newest addition to our team in the role of assistant lifestyle manager. Katie brings a wealth of enthusiasm, dedication and fresh ideas to our team. Her background and ability to build strong relationships make her a perfect fit for Harvest. To help you get to know Katie, I asked her a few “get to know you” questions.
Where are you from? I was born and raised in Denton.
Where did you go to school? I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences with a minor in Sports Management. I have professional certificates in Tourism Management, Professional Event Planning and Hospitality Management.
What got you into this industry? After working in professional golf, community events and the wedding industry, I found my way into the event world through another HOA management company and absolutely fell in love with the concept of providing unique events to help foster engagement and community within an active neighborhood. I love building connections with people and have an eye for fun and creativity, so creating and executing large scale events while fostering long-term relationships with people is a passion of mine.
How did you hear about Harvest: I grew up in the area and attended Liberty Christian School from first grade until graduation. When I was in high school, we wrote a paper on the benefits of a large-scale HOA community with a Lifestyle concept coming to Argyle. I was unfamiliar with the Lifestyle concept at first, but I saw the vision by Hillwood and was excited to see it come to life. 10 years later, I got into the HOA Lifestyle industry and have followed Harvest on social media and looked up to Page [Austin] and her events as the Lifestyle Manager. It is truly a full circle dream come true to get to work at such an amazing community that I have seen being built from day one and work alongside Page Austin and the Harvest by Hillwood team!
What do you love about working in lifestyle? Lifestyle at Harvest is something everyone in this role dreams of. The excitement and energy of the community makes planning and executing events a blast knowing the community is supportive and engaging. I joke to my friends and family that I get paid to be creative. I make people happy with fun and engaging events–and what a dream job that is! What I love most is building relationships with homeowners and doing life with them both at work and outside in the community. Not only do I get to create events that excite all walks of life, but I also get to engage with the homeowners and get to know them on a more personal level.
Anything surprise you about Harvest now that you have been here for a few weeks? The homeowners are just as nice and friendly as they appear on social media! The community is large and still being developed, but feels close knit and welcoming with how enthusiastic and engaging everyone is with the Lifestyle events!
What do you do for fun? I am on the leadership team at The Village Church, where I plan events for the young adults’ ministry. I also love to travel, attend concerts and sporting events, shop/thrift and occasionally turn my house into a free coffee shop for my friends!
Any advice for someone wanting to work in lifestyle? DO IT! If you are creative and a people-person with a positive attitude, this job is for you. It is extremely rewarding and fun to plan an event and see so many people enjoying it when it comes to life!
We know she will thrive in this role. Her skills and positive energy will contribute greatly to our success. #harvestbettertogether
