As a child growing up in Michigan, Jessica Koval grew up escaping the cold by vacationing at resorts in Florida. From an early age she recognized that she wanted to spend her life working in the hospitality industry and became very intentional in this pursuit.
While still in high school, Jessica learned about a private business university in Michigan that offered a four-year hospitality program. Eager to pursue professional excellence, she committed to a double major that focused on business and hospitality management with a minor in marketing.
While in Michigan, Jessica went to work for Marriott and enjoyed both the company and the profession, but she longed for more, frequently wondering what would come next. With college completed, she found the next step and made a move out west, landing in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unwilling to aim too low, she set her sights on one day running the Bellagio.
While her ambition was admirable, Las Vegas and the “Sin City” gaming industry proved to be a different environment than she had anticipated. Even though she loved the glamour of the resorts on the strip, she decided to stay with Marriott.
Though she was happy in that job, the question remained: What’s next? A fellow alumnus encouraged her to pursue a part-time opportunity at a local residential high-rise building. It was similar to hotels, but it proposed new challenges. Jessica eventually pursued a job at Regency Towers, which was the first high-rise condominium in Las Vegas, and it was on the Las Vegas Country Club, a Master Association. The building had been home to numerous celebrities from the Rat Pack to George Carlin to even Debbie Reynolds.
During this time, Jessica met Christine Greengrass, a colleague who would turn into a career mentor, regularly guiding her to the next step.
They were both from Michigan. That common ground led to a friendship that altered the course of Jessica’s career. It was Christine who steered Jessica along a career path that led to her first General Manager position. By the age of 26, Jessica was named the onsite manager at One Las Vegas, a shiny new two-tower high-rise building with 359 units and loaded with amenities. This particular building used a management structure that was different from the structures employed at similar buildings, so Jessica was not given the opportunity to earn the General Manager designation, but it was another step in the right direction.
Jessica Koval
”Each step of Jessica's career has been the result of determination, passion, and a willingness to listen to the advice of others.
After living in Las Vegas for 7 years, Jessica decided to move to Southern California. Knowing that she still wanted to move up in the industry, Christine encouraged Jessica to contact Action Property Management. As Christine had worked for Action previously, she recognized that this route would be the key to her friend’s future success.
For the better part of ten years, the high-rise market in Las Vegas had remained somewhat stagnant, yet the market in Los Angeles was big and booming, and for Jessica, the timing for a move seemed right. Despite her seven years of service and four weeks of paid time off with another property management firm, Jessica prepared to move to Southern California. Unfortunately, the timing on Action’s end wasn’t right, but her heart was still set on moving. Fortunately, the company she was with had openings in the Los Angeles market and she was able to transfer to a position there.
Three months after arriving in LA, she got a call from a vice-president at Action and was offered the position of General Manager at Vero, a 198-unit mixed-use building in downtown. The position suited Jessica well, and she soon thrived, adapting to the new company, new city, and new building.
Just under a year after joining the Action team, an opportunity opened up at an amenity-rich, 19-story high-rise that was closer to home in Marina del Rey. Though this new building came with more stress, Jessica was intrigued by the prestige of the building and advancing her career, so she went for the opportunity. For the next four years, her hospitality background served her well as she managed and led the Cove community.
The next step from there took some time. Setbacks due to the Covid pandemic made career timelines somewhat fluid for everyone, but opportunity soon aligned with ambition, and Jessica was able to transition into her current position as one of Action’s Regional Managers, overseeing several high-rise buildings throughout Los Angeles.
Though Jessica’s job often demands long hours, she has found time over the years for adventure, including hiking the Devil’s Backbone Trail to summit Mount Baldy in the Angeles National Forest, snorkeling in Kauai, kayaking the caves of Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park, and hiking through the rainforests of Costa Rica and along the bluffs of Ireland’s Causeway Coast.
One of her favorite pastimes is exploring Santa Monica on foot. She and her boyfriend enjoy the outdoor lifestyle that is uniquely SoCal.
An active pursuit of opportunity has propelled Jessica forward. Each step of her career has been the result of determination, passion, and a willingness to listen to the advice of others. By constantly serving others and asking herself, “What’s Next?,” Jessica has not only reached but surpassed her own career goals.
