Debbie Willis saluted for service, dedication and loyalty to P.B. Bell over 40 years
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
P.B. Bell is announcing Debbie Willis is retiring from the executive team after 40 years of service.
Today, Ms. Willis serves as the president and designated broker of property services for the multifamily housing company.
“Culture is a big part of P.B. Bell’s success and our daily routine,” Ms. Willis said in a prepared statement. “It started with Phil Bell saying: ‘Our industry is not about buildings. It’s about people.’”
During Ms. Willis’ 40 years at the company, P.B. Bell has grown to 145 employees that help manage more than 6,000 multifamily units across the Valley and northern Arizona.
“The one consistency is that real estate cycles,” Ms. Willis said. “There’s going to be good times, and there’s going to be bad times. You’ve got to have the flexibility to deal with those changes because you are going to treat the assets, expenses and marketing differently as it ebbs and flows.”
Ms. Willis’ leadership extended beyond her work with P.B. Bell as an active member of the Arizona Multihousing Association for the past 35 years serving on the board for 20 years.
Through her years of service at P.B. Bell, Ms. Willis became a trusted, key leader of the team.
“The reality is you don’t replace an icon,” said Chapin Bell, CEO of P.B. Bell. “Debbie has meant so much, not just to me, but to P.B. Bell. She has done so many wonderful things for both the company and me personally over those 40 years.”
Ms. Willis reflected on her time with P.B. Bell and offered words of wisdom for aspiring professional here in the Valley of the Sun.
“Over the years many people have said, ‘I wish I had your job,’ and now is your chance,” she said. “In order to succeed in my role, you 1) must make culture ‘king’ and 2) make decisions based on the good of the entire company. Decisions are getting harder and harder to make to keep everyone happy. Don’t be pressured into making a decision that will only satisfy a few. The decision has got to be the best one for the company as a whole.”
