Mastering Retail Operations in Property Management

Serving as Operations Manager at Countryside Mall in Clearwater, Florida, means that Jesse Morgan gets involved in just about every aspect of running the 1.25 million-square-foot enclosed center. That includes emergency repairs, development, capital planning and improvements, even as he manages a staff of engineers, housekeepers, security, assets, equipment, vendors and contractors — and even helps a bit with leasing elsewhere.

Fortunately for Jesse, he’s always been up for starting something new, from the ground up.

“I don’t sit still,” he says. “I’m always seeing what I can do to be the best at a position. I always want to succeed and climb that ladder.”

The Indianapolis native grew up working with his dad, grandfather and uncle on building projects on weekends, carrying paint buckets from age of five on. His grandpa taught him how to weld at age 12.

“That’s how I learned the construction trade,” he recalls. “And because one of my uncle’s was a gear head, I tinkered with cars a lot. I’d fix them, rebuild them, sell them, etc.”

That tinkering also allowed him to also buy broken down motorcycles, rebuild them and race them.

He earned an AAS degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology from Vincennes University with the idea of becoming an airline mechanic. That aviation career sent him around the world for a short time. A return to the U.S. brought him back to a waste energy company that saw him rise through the ranks from utility operator to a lead in facility maintenance, while also becoming a first responder. An Arizona desk job at a fabrication company is where he helped design a maintenance program and facility procedures.

Wishing to come home to Indiana, he started over again at a local real estate company, rising from engineer to lead engineer and then project manager, overseeing 16 buildings across Indianapolis.

“I handled all aspects of tenant improvements from painting an office to complete rebuilds,” he says. “It expanded my career and allowed me to use all of the skills I’d developed over the years. I probably built more than 80 different offices, lobbies, and completed numerous building improvements.”

He joined JLL in 2020 as an Assistant Chief Engineer, overseeing the maintenance and operations of a Charles Schwab call center, and was rapidly promoted to Chief Engineer with a much larger portfolio, traveling to other sites to assist in repairs. When a position opened up in Maitland, Florida, to oversee a more expansive call center, Morgan went for it. He later transferred to Countryside Mall — and given that the center will celebrate its 50th birthday next year, there’s plenty to do.

“It’s a big beast of a mall,” Jesse observes. “I’ve done everything from replacing the building’s sanitary systems, redoing all the entrances, store renovations, and revamping the building with new HVAC and more.”

Overseeing three engineers, he begins the day early, driving around the parking lot, checking the property and inspecting the interior. The rest of the day involves emails to the appropriate subcontractors, budgeting and more. And he’s even been involved in leasing, assisting Kim Salvatori, Vice President of Leasing, in securing a new tenant, Born United, for River Ridge Mall in Lynchburg, VA.

“I pursued the tenant and set up a meeting with their owners, Kim and I to discuss and get them into the mall,” he says. “It’s all part of the ONE JLL idea of bringing all employees together.”

He’s been lucky in his mentors, he notes. The numerous people in the regional Ops team help guide him in his pursuit of success in his endeavors.

Now, he’s paying that forward, serving as a Peer Partner for the past two years training and coaching new Operation and Facility Managers across the portfolio.

“I try not to be a boss, but a leader who can help people be the best they can be,” he says.

And he never stops learning — or tinkering. An American Welding Society Certified Welder (“I can do every kind of welding except underwater,” he says), he’s pursuing his U.S. Green Building Council LEED Green Associate designation, while he’s fixing his own cars, built three houses and completely renovated his grandmother’s home. He’s also involved with the International Facility Management Association, the Project Management Institute and his community’s homeowners’ association.

In his off time, you’re likely to find him on a jet ski in the Gulf of Mexico, hiking in the Southwest, or checking out racing. And just as his family helped to teach him the trade, he’s trying to pass on a love of building to his son and the neighborhood kids.

“I have a welder in my garage, so it’s not uncommon that they’ll see me making or repairing something,” he says. “I’ll invite them in and put a helmet on them. I’m trying to pass on that desire to use your hands and mind.”